The Well-being Classroom

How can we move beyond the dread of "hard conversations" and instead use every interaction as an opportunity to build relational trust? Today, I’m joined by Brenda Martin, a distinguished educational leader whose career spans over three decades of transformative impact. Brenda brings a wealth of experience as a principal in both New Zealand and international settings, where she has been recognized...

  How can we shift the focus in our schools from simply following a curriculum to truly championing the inclusion of every neurodivergent and disabled individual? Today I am joined by Lori Boll, the Executive Director of SENIA International. Lori has over twenty-five years of teaching experience across the globe, from Riyadh to Bangkok, and has been a driving force in establishing programs for stu...

Today, I’m joined by Xavier Woods, an educator with nearly 25 years of experience across the U.S. and the Middle East. A two-time Teacher of the Year in Metro Atlanta, Xavier was recently selected for the America’s Favorite Teacher 2026 competition. Beyond the classroom, he is a painter, music artist, and author of The Powerful Book of Positively Powerful Poems, with his new book, Keep God 1st and...

How can school leaders bridge the gap between high-level research and the daily reality of the classroom to drive sustainable improvement? Today, I am joined by Chad Ransom, the co-founder of Compass EDvantage and a specialist in school improvement with a PhD in Educational Leadership. Chad has consulted with over 150 school districts across the US and internationally, helping schools move from "u...

How can we empower every student to move beyond simply following instructions and instead take true ownership of their own learning journey?   Today, I’m joined by Liz Keable, a former high school biology teacher and independent success coach. Liz is an expert in the field of metacognition, having supported hundreds of students—including those facing significant learning barriers—to achieve academ...

How can school leaders move beyond "tick-box" administration to foster classrooms where adaptive teaching truly flourishes? Today, I’m joined by Shayan Siddiqui, founder of Evelora International and a leadership expert with executive credentials from Harvard, Stanford, and MIT. As a former Head of School and IB Examiner, Shayan now serves on the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, supporting...

How can we stop treating the arts as an elective "extra" and instead bake that creative spirit right into the core of our students' literacy and identity?   Today, I’m joined by Xavier Woods for a milestone 20th episode of the show. Xavier is a highly accomplished primary school teacher with over 21 years of experience in diverse communities across the United States. He is a true polymath—a painte...

How could we move beyond "retrofitting" lessons and instead design learning that is accessible to everyone from the very start?   In this episode of The Well-being Classroom, Samantha McFarlane from NASEN joins us to discuss "Inclusion by Design." We explore how to move away from traditional differentiation and toward adaptive teaching, ensuring every student reaches high-aspiration goals through...

How can leaders move from simply managing the daily "people complexity" of schools to truly thriving under the pressure? Welcome back to The Well-being Classroom. Today, I’m rejoined by Fran Reddan, an accomplished Executive Coach and Board Director with the Victorian Registration & Qualifications Authority. Having spent fifteen years as a school principal, Fran now uses her deep expertise in...

What does it truly take to build a leadership brand in education that's anchored in well-being? Today, I'm joined by Janine Stratford, an acclaimed leadership coach, career strategist, and was awarded by Australian website- The Educator as 2024 Most Influential Educator. With years of experience guiding educational leaders, Janine specialises in turning skilled teachers into confident, strategic l...

Welcome back to the Well-being Classroom! Today, I’m honored to host Dr. Helen Kelly, an author, consultant, and former international school leader. Dr. Kelly brings a unique perspective, dedicating over a decade to researching educator well-being. Drawing on her legal background and experience leading schools, Dr. Kelly focuses on helping organisations make staff well-being strategic, practical,...

Today, we're honored to host Fran Reddan, a distinguished Board Director, Principal Consultant, and Executive Coach. Fran brings vast experience, having been a successful principal for nearly fifteen years and serving on the board of education regulators. Fran now specialises in supporting leaders in the education sector, advising on strategy, innovation, and leadership. Her expertise includes rev...

Welcome to the podcast! Today, we're joined by Divesh Bathija, co-founder of UnMath School. With a decade of dedication to transforming mathematics education, Divesh has helped over 60,000 students and 12,000 educators embrace a new way of learning. He uses a unique approach that goes beyond conventional methods, using real-world applications to build critical thinking and problem-solving skills....

Welcome to the podcast! Today, I’m joined by Imanat Ali, an experienced EFL lecturer with a career spanning since 2010. Beyond his work as a course coordinator and trainer, Imanat is dedicated to philanthropy, serving as the president of an educational organization, and the founder of a non-profit school system. He is also a motivational speaker, traveler, and writer, on a life's mission to add va...

Welcome to the podcast! Today, I’m incredibly excited to be joined by John Woodberry, the founder of Red Dragon Education, an organization dedicated to helping international schools by addressing critical areas like teacher training, recruitment, and leadership development. With over 25 years of experience in education across Asia, John is an expert in connecting policy, strategy, and people to dr...

Today, I’m thrilled to welcome Rachel Lu, a visionary in game and experience design. Rachel creates immersive programs that engage participants in creative problem-solving, storytelling, and strategic thinking. With her expertise, she equips students and educators with tools to foster engagement, collaboration, and meaningful learning. We'll be diving into why games are such an important tool for...

Welcome back to The Well-being Classroom for Part 2 of our vital conversation with Alyssa Temple. Last time, Alyssa shared profound understanding of the subtle yet significant impact of affluent neglect on student well-being. With her extensive background in supporting young people and training practitioners on crucial issues like mental health and safeguarding, Alyssa brings a wealth of practical...

Today, I’m thrilled to welcome Alyssa Temple. With over 20 years of experience, first as a Specialist Harm Reduction Youth Worker and later as a Counsellor, Alyssa has trained hundreds of practitioners on tricky issues like mental health, safeguarding, and peer-on-peer abuse. She currently works in an international school, continues to provide clinical supervision, and coordinates the Southeast As...

Today, we welcome Gareth Steed, an experienced educator and passionate advocate for inclusive learning. He currently leads the counseling department at an international school. We'll discuss how to truly support student well-being by moving beyond debunked VARK styles to key research-based strategies, with Gareth sharing his valuable insights. Welcome to The Well-being Classroom…”

In episode 7 we're joined by Sania Green-Reynolds, a visionary educator, bestselling author, and the founder of Lit Education & Publishing and the AI-Powered Literacy Collective. With her deep commitment to blending innovation with culturally responsive practices, Sania champions AI-integrated, literacy-rich classrooms. We'll be diving into the powerful connection between well-being and readin...

Masters in Education, 14 years experience in leadership and inclusion. Multiple curriculums and an expert of the culture of the gulf region. Currently leading inclusion in her setting, Soraya has developed 5 effective ingredients for a successful school.

Today, we're joined by Dr. Helen Street, an education consultant with a background in applied social psychology and mental health. Known for her influential work on student wellbeing and motivation, including the 'contextual wellbeing' model, Helen is also a published author and co founder of the Positive Schools initiative.

by Sian Jorgensen, a seasoned child protection expert and founder of Encompass Safeguarding, a consultancy dedicated to providing safeguarding and child protection training to international schools and families. With 20 years of experience investigating abuse and supporting families internationally, she's here to discuss the latest developments in child protection and offer practical guidance. Enc...

George Cowie has dedicated his career to creating access and inclusion for disadvantaged learners. As the Director of Learning Support Asia, and with published research on autism and dyslexia, he's here to share practical tips for effectively working with our most vulnerable children, those with special educational needs or disabilities.

Dr. Pilant specializes in cultivating collaborative and innovative learning environments. We'll be diving into her practical strategies for enhancing staff well-being, focusing on communication, servant leadership, and effective staff recognition.