The Alternative GCSE Podcast

So you have just finished your mocks ... and now you have 7 weeks left!  It feels like it is never going to end ... so here is a podcast to set you up for the next 7 weeks!

Did you know it takes ten thousand hours to become an expert in anything? Well today, I talk about how you can use this concept to become great at anything. I also give some practical advice to parents about how they can help their children on a path to be great ... whatever that looks like (and it can look different for everyone!)

In today's episode we will be talking about the importance of counting down whilst also managing stress - its a short one aimed at those sitting exams to get you ready!

In today's podcast I talk about positive self talk and how self talk can either support or hinder your growth. I am not just going to be talking about academic growth but also growth as a person ... 

In today's episode I delve into what it means to be overwhelmed and how to deal with being overwhelmed. It can happen to anyone and often does happen to teenagers (and their parents) around this time of year.    So hopefully this episode will help to extrapolate it and also help you with how to manage feeling overwhlemed. 

In today's episode I take a look at the benefits of mono tasking and how this approach to revision and working in general leads to better productivity and better results in whatever you are choosing to do.    The episode also covers ways that parents can help their teens to carry out monotasking away from their phones in a positive and balanced way!

In this episode I share some thoughts on the positive effect difficult conversations have with teenagers - and families as a whole and some fun ways to bring conversations back into the main frame of everyday life!

In 2024 the format to this podcast is going to shift and centre more on how parents can help their teens through their GCSE's    I have had a great reponse so far since setting the podcast up and from now on I will be offering an episode a week to you parents about how to help your teen manage their lives through secondary school.    Today's episode focuses on the parents of year 11 stud...

Do you know how many times recently I wish that ... firstly procrastination didn't exist ... and secondly how ... if we were made a little more accountable ... it probably wouldn't exist?   Well today is a little exploration into that ... being accountable and halting procrastination in the process ... 

In Today's episode we talk motivation and I share my own personal story of how I got motivated from a failing student in maths - to passing and now teaching it! I also talk about motivating yourself when no one is pushing you and how to help motivate your kids to aspire to be more and do more if they are stuck!

Today we talk about the importance of managing your expectations - being realistic with how much time you can study, and put into your work goals and the issues that can arise when you demand too much from yourself in a short space of time. 

Throughout this episode I talk about the importance of getting things done. It may seem harder to start ... but it has major implications if you never start ...    This episode is SO great for those starting year 11 this week ... those starting year 10 and those in sixth form ... or anyone stuck in post summer blues :)

In this conversation, I talk about the importance of having a bigger picture vision and what it is you want to achieve with that vision ... without one it can be really hard to motivate yourself at the best of times ... even harder if it is something that you HAVE to go through ... like school ... or a difficult part of your job.    I hope you enjoy the conversation ... 

During this episode we will explore the idea of failure.    Why it is necessary and wht could happen if you do everything to avoid failure. Often failure is what builds a person and without set backs there is no chance of growth ... 

Have you ever truly thought about the habits you have stuck with for years? Are they benefitting you and your life or are they hindering you? It doesn't matter what age you are but you have all formed them and in today's episode, we dissect the importance of crafting habits from an early age. 

Throughout this episode we will be discussing why it is so common for people to revise and revise and then they are unable to remember ... anything as soon as they step inside the exam hall ...

As a society we are constantly being marketed ideas of ehat our lives should look like and feel like  - we are told you hve to have these exams, do this subject and without it you won't be successful but where does that mentality come from? We live in a world full of creatives and disrupters ... surely there is something else than the current system we have.    Throughout this episode I take...

Throughout this episode, we will be exploring why, throughout the education system elements of curiosity and what it means to be a curious learner have been reduced and taken away in pursuit of exams and data ... Also, we will be delving into why it is so important to fister and nurture curiosity beyond reception and extend it into KS2, KS3 and KS4 ... 

Throughout the show today I discuss  *The importance of a sleep for a healthy mind and body *The impact of a lack of sleep *How to ensure you get the best sleep ever *Why teens naturally wake up later  I hope you enjoy :)

Throughout this episode we will be delving into the world of SATs - this discussion will speak specifically of the year 6 sats in particular and why we still have them ... what they are for and who are they serving ... 

Today's episode is all about breathing and the secrets it can hold to work on your parasympathetic nervous system which is CRUCIAL during times of intense stress ... something many year 11's and 13's are dealing with right now.  I also reference the work of Guy William Fincham, Clara Strauss, Jesus Montero-Marin & Kate Cavanagh and their findings on Effect of breathwork on stres...

Throughout this episode we will be discussing exercise.  We will be looking at research into the effects of exercise on memory and also releasing stress and how exercising for teens improves their memory function whilst also helping them to get into healthy habits which can grow and flourish over a lifetime. This not only leads to healthy people but also happier people which can surely only be a g...

Self care - Independence One of the things schools fail to do is to help teens steer themselves on the right path and as part of the discussion today we will be focusing on the realm of independence.  For many teens a lot is done for them – whilst on the other end of the spectrum teens are expected to do too much for their families and themselves.  Today we will be looking at the importance of ind...

There has been so much research about journaling. Not only has it been proven to help people manage their stress and anxiety on a whole host of topics from exam streess righ up to illnesses, but it has been found to be a great way to own your own story and narrative. In this episode we will be exploring the ways in which it is beneficial and why you should start a journal today! We will also delve...

Throughout this episode we will be looking at the benefits and drawbacks of Exams. We are RIGHT in the middle of exams for hundreds of thousands of teens in every country and whilst I will be focusing on the UK exam system, it has applications to others too.  But did you know exams can be helpful and beneficial, not just in gaining a certificate but also in character building? Well, over the next...