The Art of Teaching

Rachael Lehr is the foundation Associate Principal at Dayton Primary School, which opened in 2023, and the WA Branch President of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders. She is deeply committed to empowering teachers and leaders to believe in themselves and reach their full potential. Rachael leads by example, embracing lifelong learning, stepping into discomfort, and continually seeking personal growth. Her work is grounded in the authentic integration of digital technologies and STEM in the classroom, an area she is currently exploring through her doctoral research at the University of Western Australia. She is a strong advocate for instructional coaching as a driver of meaningful change in teaching and learning, and firmly believes that positive relationships sit at the heart of success. Above all, Rachael is guided by a simple but powerful belief that every child deserves to feel seen, valued, and that they truly matter. Here is the conversation I had with Dr Ray Boyd, who was mentioned in this episode. https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/ray-boyd-lessons-from-long-distance-running-getting/id1552506400?i=1000590711649

With a passion for reimagining education, Dave works with educational organisations across Australia and internationally to help build new systems and unlock innovative outcomes. As Director of Future Schools, he partners with executive leadership teams, boards, associations and education organisations, supporting educators to discover, design and implement innovative approaches to teaching and learning. At the centre of Dave’s work is a focus on systemic change. He works alongside school leaders and educators to navigate complexity and build the adaptive leadership and thinking needed to create future-focused schools. With deep expertise in change leadership, culture and innovation, Dave has supported successful transformation across a wide range of educational settings. Through collaboration, thoughtful dialogue and the exchange of ideas, he helps schools and leaders rethink practice, reshape learning environments and lead meaningful, lasting change within their communities.

For more than two decades, Damian has worked alongside teachers, school leaders and policymakers to explore how research and thoughtful reflection can strengthen teaching and learning in technology-rich classrooms. As a research professor at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education and Human Development, his work focuses on designing and leading research that helps schools make sense of innovation and translate ideas into meaningful practice. Damian is a widely respected author and speaker, contributing numerous articles, book chapters and the book The School Mission Statement, which explores how a school’s local vision can shape, illuminate, and sometimes even limit the ways we define and measure success. He is also the founder of Reflective Educational Research, where he serves as a “Researcher in Residence” supporting thousands of classrooms across Apple Distinguished Schools. Through this work, Damian helps schools democratise access to research tools so educators can better understand their impact and continue refining their practice. This conversation explores research, reflection, and the powerful role schools play in defining what success truly means. It is a thoughtful and practical discussion about how evidence, curiosity and collaboration can help education keep evolving.

Up next on The Art of Teaching is Charlie Burley. Charlie is a former primary school teacher who knows, from lived experience, the pace, pressure and emotional weight that often come with life in the classroom. After feeling the toll that the profession can take on personal health and well-being, Charlie made a significant shift in his own career, choosing to focus on helping educators look after themselves with the same care they give their students every day. Today, he is a qualified nutritionist, health coach, and the founder of The Teachers' Health Coach Ltd. Through his work, Charlie supports teachers and school staff to build sustainable habits that strengthen energy, resilience and overall wellbeing. His approach brings together practical strategies around nutrition, movement and mental health, helping educators manage stress, improve focus and find a healthier rhythm both inside and outside the classroom. Charlie is also the host of the Rewriting Wellbeing Podcast, where he explores the realities of educator wellbeing and shares thoughtful conversations designed to help teachers flourish in a demanding profession. In 2025, he released his book Healthy Habits for Teacher Life, a practical guide that helps educators embed small but powerful habits into their daily routines. At the heart of Charlie’s work is a belief that resonates deeply with many teachers: educators deserve to thrive, not merely keep going. When teachers take care of their own well-being, they are far better placed to sustain their passion, their energy and their impact for the long run. Here is my conversation with Charlie Burley.

Michelle Michael is an internationally recognised education leader specialising in digital innovation and artificial intelligence in education. With more than 30 years of experience across schools, government and global advisory contexts, she brings a rare blend of strategic insight and practical implementation. As a former Director in the NSW Department of Education, Michelle played a pivotal role in shaping the state’s response to generative AI. She led the development and launch of NSWEduChat, one of the largest system-wide AI initiatives in education, supporting teachers and leaders to engage with emerging technologies thoughtfully and responsibly. She also led major reforms including the Effective Use of Mobile Devices Strategy and served as Director of Learning from Home, supporting more than one million students and teachers during COVID. Michelle has advised governments internationally, presented to the OECD and shared the stage with global education leaders, including Sir Ken Robinson. Her leadership has been recognised with NSW Premier’s and Australian College of Educators awards. A Fellow of Women in AI and EdSafe AI Alliance in New York, Michelle now works across a portfolio of roles. She is a Beachhead Advisor to New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, a casual academic at Macquarie University, founder of her own education consultancy and a Non Executive Director with Young Change Agents. Michelle’s work sits at the intersection of innovation, ethics and impact, helping education systems navigate complexity with clarity and care.

Kerrie Quee is a nationally accredited Highly Accomplished teacher with over 40 years of classroom experience. Kerrie has a strong commitment to equity in education, inspiring the next generation of teachers and leading teacher professional growth. She works as an EAL/D Education Leader for the Department of Education, supporting schools to strengthen evidence-informed pedagogy and improve outcomes for multilingual learners. Kerrie also works as an academic at Western Sydney University (WSU), contributing to the development of pre-service teachers through tutorials and as a senior advisor during professional experience. In addition, Kerrie is a NESA HALT Assessor and a NSW HALT Association board member, working with Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher applicants across NSW. She is passionate about recognising and elevating exemplary practice, mentoring teachers through the accreditation process and strengthening professional standards across the system.

Today’s guest is Olli-Pekka Heinonen, one of the significant voices in global education and a leader who has spent decades shaping how the world thinks about learning. Olli-Pekka is the Director General of the International Baccalaureate, guiding a worldwide community of schools committed to developing curious, capable and principled young people. Before stepping into this global role, he served as Finland’s Minister of Education and Culture and later as State Secretary, playing a key part in the evolution of Finland’s internationally respected education system. He is also the author of Learning as if Life Depended on It, a powerful reflection on why education must help us see the world anew. Drawing on Finnish heritage, statesmanship and a deep understanding of global challenges, Olli-Pekka explores what it means to move beyond being overtrained and undereducated, and why learning is central to the future of humanity itself. In this conversation, we explore leadership, identity, global responsibility, and what it truly means to educate for a world that is changing faster than any curriculum ever could. It’s thoughtful, expansive, and quietly urgent. A conversation that reminds us why this work matters so much.

Heidi Horne is a Stress Strategist, keynote speaker, and Wiley author of The One-Minute Reset, available across Australia. For close to 20 years, she’s worked in high-pressure environments where burnout is common and attention is constantly pulled in a hundred directions. Heidi believes that when stress hits, we don’t need more theory or another long program. We need something simple, practical, and backed by science. Her work focuses on powerful resets that take 60 seconds or less and can be used right in the moment, before stress hijacks focus, performance, or well-being. Trusted by organisations including Bupa, Rydges, and Cisco, Heidi is also a regular voice across television, radio, and print media. She helps people and teams find calm and clarity when the pressure is real, not later, but right there in it.

Natalie is a passionate and enthusiastic teacher who shares her journey and key takeaways from a career in education spanning decades. Having taught across a wide range of year levels, she reflects on the insights, strategies and practical tools she has gathered along the way. In this conversation, we explore what experience really teaches you about the craft of teaching. Whether you’re early in your career or a seasoned educator, Natalie’s hope is that teachers feel supported, inspired and genuinely valued in the work they do every day.

Today on The Art of Teaching, I’m joined by Katharine Birbalsingh, one of the most talked-about and uncompromising voices in education. As headteacher of Michaela Community School, Katharine has challenged long-held assumptions about behaviour, curriculum and equity, advocating for high expectations, explicit teaching and a knowledge-rich education for every child. In this conversation, we explore school culture, discipline, leadership and what it really takes to create classrooms where all students can thrive.

Today on the podcast, I’m joined by Jim Knight, one of the most influential voices in instructional coaching anywhere in the world. Jim is the founder of the Instructional Coaching Group and the creator of the Impact Cycle, a practical, research-informed framework that has shaped how schools think about coaching, professional growth and instructional improvement. His work has supported thousands of teachers, coaches and school leaders to focus on what matters most, improving teaching in ways that genuinely lift student learning. Jim has authored several landmark books, including Instructional Coaching, Better Conversations and The Definitive Guide to Instructional Coaching. What sets his work apart is its clarity, its respect for teachers, and its unwavering belief that professional learning works best when it is collaborative, focused and deeply human. In this conversation, we explore what great coaching really looks like in practice, why relationships sit at the heart of improvement, and how leaders can create the conditions for meaningful growth rather than compliance. It’s a thoughtful, practical discussion that speaks directly to teachers, coaches and school leaders at every stage of their journey. Let’s get into it.

Today I'm joined by Tim Bullard, a leader whose career spans law, public policy and large-scale education reform. Tim began his professional life as a lawyer before moving into senior policy roles in Australia and the United Kingdom. Over more than a decade with the Department of Premier and Cabinet in Tasmania, he played a key role in major national reforms, including the development of Child and Family Learning Centres and the negotiations around the Gonski schools funding agreement. In 2016, Tim joined the Tasmanian Department of Education and later became Secretary of the Department for Education, Children and Young People, where he led the integration of education, child safety and youth justice into a single values-based system focused on ensuring every child and young person is known, safe, well and learning. Most recently, Tim has been appointed CEO of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, @aitsleduau, commencing October 2024. It’s a thoughtful conversation about leadership at scale, the complexity of education systems, and what it takes to build structures that truly support teachers, schools and young people.

Natalie, co-founder of Amplify Music Education, sits at the meeting point of music, education and entrepreneurship. From being the kid who woke early every Saturday to watch Rage, collecting CDs, vinyl and ticket stubs, to helping build a national organisation championing high-quality music education, her story is shaped by curiosity, persistence and a deep conviction that music matters. In this conversation, we explore what music offers young people beyond technique and theory, why school leaders need to rethink the place of the arts, and what it takes to build something meaningful from the ground up. Natalie brings a grounded honesty, quiet optimism and a practical, solutions-focused way of thinking that lingers long after the conversation ends. If you care about creativity, leadership and creating schools where music is valued for the role it plays in students’ lives and communities, this is a conversation worth spending time with.