Mind the Gap: Making Education Work Across the Globe

As a special wrap-up of 2022, Tom Sherringto n and Emma Turner reflect back on 2022 and celebrate an excellent year of Mind The Gap! Instead of their normal education ‘sparring session,’ Tom and Emma took this opportunity to discuss the topics, resources, and people that made an impression on them this year. Tom’s discoveries focus on events, conferences, blogs, and individuals. Emma’s resources p...

Special guest Jamie Thom joins hosts Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner to discuss slow teaching strategies, supporting teachers and the profession of teaching, and bringing joy to the classroom. The conversation begins by exploring supporting teachers and how to attract extremely talented individuals into the profession. Jamie’s focus on joy in the classroom brings out some key insights into the rol...

For this episode, special guest Amarbeer Singh Gill joins hosts Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner to discuss Singh’s new book and the newest book in the ‘In Action’ series for JohnCatt Educational, Dunlosky's Strengthening the Student Toolbox in Action . Visit edCircuit.com to watch this episode.  The conversation begins by exploring Dunlosky's theories of learning and their applicability to th...

Special guest Becky Allen joins hosts Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner to discuss teaching, learning, and constructs of instruction from an academic perspective. The conversation begins by exploring the large questions of education that Becky has a unique perspective on as an academic and in her role at Teacher Tapp . Becky specializes in the complexities and evidence-based understanding of large i...

For this episode, Tom Sherringto n and Emma Turner continue their Q&A series, asking each other questions based on pressing issues they see in education today. Tom’s questions primarily focus on budget allocation, student directed learning, reading fluency, and teaching displays. Emma’s questions primarily focus on national curriculum, examination, professional development, and primary/seconda...

For this episode, Tom and Emma welcome author, leader, and English specialist Jennifer Webb to the podcast. They open the podcast with a discussion on grammar and how the teaching of grammar has changed from description and memorization of grammar parts to more student-led creation-focused lessons. Jennifer’s interesting background and her time at Oxford led her to develop a unique perspective on...

For this episode, Tom and Emma welcome author, leader, and coach Diana Osagie to the podcast. Diana is a true leadership expert. The conversation explores all factors of leadership, from courage to coaching. Diana’s philosophy is bright and honest and built on the practicality of resilience and respect. Much of the conversation revolves around Diana’s book Courageous Leadership , a must-read for c...

For this episode, Tom and Emma welcome author and head teacher Sam Strickland to the podcast. The trio opened season three and the new school year by discussing a major topic in education: behavior . In this discussion, the trio delves into creating and managing behavior-based systems, managing expectations, advice for new educators, and much more. Visit edCircuit.com to watch this episode. Tom, E...

For this episode, Tom and Emma welcome maths educator, author, podcaster, and education thought leader Craig Barton to the podcast. To introduce Craig, the trio discusses his many endeavors in education, including his podcast, two books, interest in variation theory, and, as Tom put it, the “proliferation of Craig Barton products.” Craig's many forrays into entrepreneurship center around his inter...

For this episode, Tom and Emma welcome science teacher, author, and entrepreneur Adam Boxer to the podcast. The conversation begins with a discussion of Carousel Learning , an online learning platform that aims to improve students' content retention through retrieval practice. Visit edCircuit.com to watch this episode. In the second half of the discussion, Tom, Emma, and Adam discuss his presence...

For this episode, Tom and Emma switch up the format of the podcast. Using a volley approach, they go back and forth asking questions and providing insight on issues in education today. Tom and Emma are both extremely involved in the teacher community, primarily through their daily work as educators, attendance at conferences, and EDU Twitter. In this episode, they take a moment to call upon the st...

For this episode, Tom and Emma chat all things data, community, and policy with educator, leader, and entrepreneur Laura McInerney. Visit edCircuit.com to watch this episode. To start they discuss Laura’s journey from early Teach First pioneer, to her position as editor for Schools Week , to her current position as co-founder of Teacher Tapp , an application that polls teachers on their thoughts c...

For this episode, Tom and Emma chat with Kieran Mackle, an author, podcast host, and primary school maths leader. The conversation begins with a discussion on mathematics strategy for teachers. Kieran’s most recent book, Thinking Deeply About Primary Mathematics , discusses hundreds of strategies for teachers with researched and practiced methodologies. One major topic that Tom, Emma, and Kieran d...

For this episode, Tom and Emma chat about several recent accomplishments, a special anniversary for Tom, and a new program Baccalaureate that Tom is interested in. To start, Emma’s new book Simplicitus: The Interconnected Primary Curriculum & Effective Subject Leadership is available for purchase and has already reached Amazon's bestseller levels of success. Visit edCircuit.com to watch this e...

For this episode, Tom and Emma chat with Christopher Such, an #author and primary teacher from Peterborough. In the first part of their conversation, the group discusses Christopher’s focus on literacy and teaching reading in primary school. Christopher’s book on teaching reading ( The Art and Science of Teaching Primary Reading ) has recently been buzzing through the UK #education world. The book...

For this episode, Tom and Emma chat about their exciting and upcoming projects, particularly Emma’s soon-to-be-published Simplicitus and Tom’s WalkThrus 3 . Visit edCircuit.com to watch this episode. To start, the duo discusses Emma’s upcoming publication, Simplicitus , an extraordinary collection of resources about primary curriculum. A major focus of the book is rooting curriculum in the actuali...

For this episode, Tom and Emma chat with Frances Akinde, a headteacher for the special school in Riverdmeade Inclusive Trust. The conversation begins with a discussion on Francis’ article, The Year Getting Into ‘Good Trouble’ Became Necessary . This led to the topic of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the professional education space. Francis explores how there is not enough representation in l...

For this episode, Tom and Emma chat with education “sister act” Tracey Adams and Sonia Thompson. The pair discuss their roles at St. Matthew’s Primary School in Birmingham, Sonia’s publication with John Catt Educational, and their philosophies on research-based education. In addition to being Head and Deputy Headteachers at St. Matthew’s, Tracey and Sonia are sisters and discuss their dynamic in a...

For this episode, Tom and Emma chat with David Goodwin and Oliver Caviglioli, co-authors of   The Organise Ideas: Thinking By Hand, Extending The Mind , about all things graphic organization. This episode discusses how our memory and organization intertwine to create more comprehensive knowledge and memory in education. Using a wealth of knowledge and Annie Murphy Paul’s The Extended Mind as...

For the first episode of 2022, Tom and Emma review some of their personal successes and major education events of the previous year. Importantly, they begin the episode by acknowledging, thanking, and celebrating the educators worldwide whose dedication through the difficult 2021 year was critical to providing students with the meaningful support they deserve. Visit edCircuit.com to watch this epi...

Peps Mccrea, Dean of Learning Design at Ambition Institute and author of books such as Motivated Teaching and Memorable Teaching , is the guest on this episode. Visit edCircuit.com to watch this episode. With hosts Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner, Peps discusses his work as a professional teacher educator and what drove him to enter this role relatively early in his career. He talks about his appr...

Acclaimed educators, authors and advisers John Tomsett and Mary Myatt join Mind the Gap to discuss their new co-authored book, Huh: Curriculum conversations between subject and senior leaders . Visit edCircuit.com to watch this episode. With hosts Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner , Tomsett and Myatt talk about the conversations that need to take place in schools regarding the rationale behind the c...

On the 30th episode of Mind the Gap, Tom and Emma speak with educator, blogger, and author Alex Quigley. Visit edCircuit.com to watch this episode. The conversation begins with a reflection on the way Tom and Alex met one another many years ago, as they were both beginning to blog and find that readers were interested in their work. Alex talks about his introduction to blogging, social media, and...

On this episode, Tom and Emma catch up on a variety of topics that have been prominent in the education discourse. Visit edCircuit.com to watch this episode. The episode begins with Emma’s overview of the latest work on the Early Career Framework in the UK. Tom and Emma discuss professional learning, instructional coaching, needs for Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs), mentorship, and more. They also...

Professor Sam Twiselton, OBE is the special guest for this episode of Mind the Gap. Sam is Director of Sheffield Institute of Education at Sheffield Hallam University and one of the UK’s most recognised leaders in the areas of Initial and Continuing Teacher Development. Visit edCircuit.com to watch this episode. Among other topics, Sam discusses her desire to see a change in the narrative around e...