This Is Your Teaching Life: Recent Episodes
Steve Crowe & Josh Simpson
Welcome to This Is Your Teaching Life. A Podcast about ordinary teachers, and their not so ordinary jobs as a Teacher, Coach or Educator. PE Teacher, Josh Simpson and Learning Specialist, Steve Crowe chat to teachers, coaches and mentors about their journey to becoming the teachers they are today. Plus a wide range of topics relating to education.
Back in 2020, when the TIYTL Podcast was a little, in-school project, we sat down and discussed the idea behind 'presenting'. Based upon last week's theme of presenting, we thought it'd be a great chance to release it on Spotify.
We dove into what got us both into presenting, the reasons behind why we do it, and the stories that have come from presenting around Australia and abroad.
We dive into stories of our own presenting history, along with sharing the different teachers/professionals that we have seen present at various conferences.
We also share some tips that we have picked up along the way. However, by no means are we experts in this field, and if we have missed something, or you have a great presenting story to share, we'd love to hear from you on our social media pages or at tiytlpodcast@gmail.com
We are back for Term 4 with a Professional Development reflection.
On Monday we participated in a PLC PD Day that included a number of schools from our area. We both presented two 40 minute sessions and thought it would be great to give a brief snapshot of what those sessions were about. Steve chats about his 'gamification' session and the incredible creativity that is behind his work that inspires and engages students, while Josh chats about his session of 'Out of your seat and onto your feet' which was aimed at looking at the benefits of having active breaks within the classroom and some fun games to do so. The link to the 'app' which is discussed in the episode is below.
Out of Your Seat and Onto Your Feet: https://onto-your-feet.glideapp.io/
If you enjoyed this chat or would like to find out more about either session, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
Contact: tiytlpodcast@gmail.com
Episode 11 with Jaimee Peney aka. @teachingwithmisspeney
Throughout the episode we chat about Jaimee’s first few years within the teaching industry and the tips and tricks that she has picked up along the way. We also delve into the idea of having a ‘professional’ social media account and how this can have a positive impact upon your teaching, but also discus the things to be mindful of in doing this. We also discussed some awesome resources that teachers will love to hear more about, including the incredible @banqer_app. It was a pleasure to sit down with Jaimee and we have no doubt listeners will enjoy too.
The crew at The This is your teaching life podcast would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on
which we gathered today and pay our respects to their Elders both past and present.
In this episode we are fortunate enough to be joined by Dale Sidebottom.
Dale is one of the most passionate educators (and individuals) that you’ll come across. He has spoken at conferences all over the globe, has done a TED Talk, runs his own podcast called ‘Energetic Radio’ and is about to release his first book titled ‘All Work, No Play’.
Dale joined us to chat about where it all began, how he gained the confidence to step away from teaching and begin running his own PD workshops and courses, along with sharing different tips & tricks that he has learnt along the way.
Throughout our chat, we talk about Dale's various ventures, including his podcast, resourceful webpage and buying his book, all of which can be accessed through the links below.
Website: https://energetic.education/
Book Link: https://www.booktopia.com.au/all-work-no-play-dale-sidebottom/book/9780730391623.html
Twitter Contact: https://twitter.com/DaleSidebottom
Emma Parnell is a Learning Specialist from Pearcedale Primary School. Not only is she a brilliant classroom teacher, Emma is an incredible mentor, coach and leader who has travelled an interesting road in her 15 years of teaching. Emma's leadership journey is fascinating, and the story of how she grew into the leader she is today is a great insight for anyone interested in climbing the teaching leadership ladder.
We also chat about Close Reading, an approach to Reading that Emma has both implemented into her classrooms and schools with fantastic success. She will hate us for saying this, but she is an expert in Close Reading. Having studied under Close Reading "guru" Dr. Douglass Fisher, Emma is someone all teachers should get in touch with, not only to talk all things Close Reading, but literacy in general.
We loved getting to know one of our most requested guests a little bit more & we're sure you'll enjoy it too!
Episode 8 brings Michael Minas to the ‘This Is Your Teaching Life’ Podcast.
Michael has worked in education for over 20 years and in that time, has had an enormous impact on students and teachers all over Australia.
He has presented at schools and conferences all over Australia as a Maths consultant and is a contributing author for the Maths300 website.
Michael is well known for his knowledge around Maths and for creating and sharing numerous amazing Maths based games that were an excellent resource for teachers throughout 2020, but are also a great resource for within the classroom.
He is also an avid NBA fan and the author of ‘The Curse: The Colourful & Chaotic History of the LA Clippers’.
He is an absolute guru in the field of Maths, but also offers amazing teaching tips throughout the episode.
If you wish to find out more about Michael, head to http://lovemaths.me
Check out some of Michael's video https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-F-4IIfKSd3mZCjs1zwukA
This week we sit down with Primary school teacher and experienced baseball coach, Matt Hardie.
Matt is currently teaching a Year 6 class, but has had a range of experiences teaching a number of different year levels throughout his 7 year teaching career.
Throughout our chat today, we hear about how Matt found university to be a great opportunity for growth and development as not only a teacher, but also as a person.
We also dive into how he started his teaching journey within a state school, but then made the switch into a private school a few years down the track and explore the differences that each of the different education systems offer students.
Matt also mentions a Play Is The Way PD that he experienced and the impact that it had on him. Both Steve and I have also been fortunate enough to attend this PD, run by Wilson McCaskill, and recommend anyone that hasn’t heard of the Play is the Way program to check it out. A quick google search will send you straight to the page, but we’ll also pop a link in the show notes.
As mentioned on previous episodes, if you wish to get in touch, search ‘This is your teaching life’ on Instagram or Facebook or send us an email at tiytlpodcast@gmail.com
In episode 2, we got the chance to sit down with motivational speaker, Pride of Australia medalist and Phillip Island Senior Coach, Beau Vernon.
Following a football injury, Beau turned his passion for football and working with others into a successful coaching career that has seen him become the mastermind behind 3 Senior premierships.
However, Beaus positive influence goes well beyond the football field.
Beau is a motivational speaker that encourages individuals to see the positives in any situation and advocates for those with a disability to be treated equally within the community and work place. He encourages everyone to be grateful for opportunities in life and to push themselves outside their comfort zone in order to become a better person each and every day.
We loved the chat with Beau and have no doubt that listeners will too.
To find out more about Beaus journey or to get in touch in regards to his motivational speaking, head to https://beauvernon.com/
Lastly, if you know someone that you think would make a great guest on 'This Is Your Teaching Life', please feel free to get in touch via our email tiytlpodcast@gmail.com or jump on the TIYTL Podcast Facebook or Instagram page to make a suggestion.
After kicking goals throughout an AFL career, Cam Pederson is now kicking goals as a Primary School Teacher! Tune in, to hear how Cam managed to complete his teacher training whilst still playing an elite sport, the importance he places on building relationships with his students, some of the parallels between teaching and a team sport like AFL football, and why he believes teaching is a great job.
The crew at the This Is Your Teaching Life Podcast would like to thank Cam for taking the time to chat to us today, and we hope you can get something out of our conversation.
And if you know a teacher out there who has a story that needs to be told, please contact us @tiytlpodcast@gmail.com
In Episode Three, we were absolutely delighted to sit down with Andy Hair.
Andy is a Phys-Ed guru, who is not only an everyday Physical Education teacher, but also a Presenter and Keynote speaker for conferences all over the world.
Andy is a trailblazer in the field that aims to have a positive impact on every possible person that he can reach. His ‘energizer’ videos have over 100k views on YouTube, while he has also worked for the International Cricket Council to develop Cricket resources for schools all over the globe.
Andy is an individual that oozes energy, positivity and creativity, all of which can be heard as he shares his teaching journey.
Tune in on Wednesday to hear all about Andy’s teaching life.
In the episode Andy made reference to:
MrHairPhysEd: https://www.mrhairphysed.com/
PlayMeo: https://www.playmeo.com/
ACHPER Vic: https://achper.vic.edu.au/
He can also be found on Twitter & Instagram @MrHairPhysEd
If you would like to get in touch with Steve or Josh from TIYTL to suggest a guest or to provide some feedback, you can do so via email tiytlpodcast@gmail.com, Instagram @tiytl_podcast or facebook @tiytlife
In this week's episode, we sit down with Grade 5/6 teacher, Nick Shute. As always, we chat about Nick's journey to teaching, how he finally recognized teaching was the career for him, the tips he picked up on teaching rounds, & the valuable life experience before jumping into teaching has had on his career. We also gain a great insight into the Respectful Relationships program!
Enjoy!
And remember, if you know a teacher, educator or coach out there that wants to tell their story, please get in touch!
In episode 4 we got the chance to sit down with teaching-whiz Gaylene Hawkins.
Gaylene has been a teacher for over 25 years and has a huge amount of experience, both in and outside of the classroom setting. She’s an avid traveler and, as can be seen in the episode photo, will go to great lengths to bring happiness to others.
Not only has Gaylene helped shape the careers of Steve and I (and no doubt many others), she also led us down a path to experience one of the best-kept secrets of the education department... SABBATICAL leave.
Join us as we chat about the importance of instilling belief in students, what it’s like to start at a new school after 20 years, the experience of sabbatical leave, and much more.
It's nothing compared to our podcasting idols, but, as a great man once said 'comparison is the thief of joy', so we are going all out and celebrating that we have recently broken the 1000 streams barrier. To mark this, we decided to sit down and reflect on where it all started, what we have planned coming up, and talk about some great moments, chats, and takeaways from the year so far.
We would also like to extend a huge thank you to every single one of the guests that have come on and shared their teaching story or philosophy, along with anyone that has listened to an episode or shared the podcast within their own networks. We appreciate you all!
To get in touch, jump on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter and search 'This Is Your Teaching Life' or email us at tiytlpodcast@gmail.com
In episode 21, Wilsons McCaskill joins us to discuss the Play Is The Way program. The 'Play is the Way' program was developed by Wilson in order to assist with the social and emotional learning of primary school-aged children, through interactive games and activities. The program is underpinned by 5 guiding concept posters, but also involves a unique language that empowers students to self-reflect on their behavior and analyze their own decision-making process.
Throughout the episode, Wilson talks us through how the program developed over time, the values and philosophies that make the program what it is today, the importance of the language and the games that are involved in the program, and his drive to help primary school-aged children grow into healthy adults that know how to be the master of their own feelings and behaviors.
To find out more about the program, resources or to read more on the Play is the Way philosophy, head to www.playistheway.com.au
In Episode 20, Christina Polatajko joins This Is Your Teaching Life to talk about her passion for both Physical Education and Coaching.
We had the opportunity to dive into her teaching career, which started in the Primary setting and has now seen her transition into being an AFL/W Academy Coach at the Secondary school level. We discussed what makes Christina tick from a teaching perspective, how generous she has been with sharing resources through Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and the way she uses different pieces of equipment within her lessons in order to drive engagement.
Following this, we got a glimpse into how passionate and driven she is to succeed as a Coach. Christina shared her coaching journey, her philosophies, and the stories that she has picked up along the way through what is already a decorated coaching career, which has included Premierships, VFLW roles at both Carlton FC & Hawthorn FC, and recently receiving the 'AFL Coaches Association Woman's Coaching Pathway' scholarship.
She has been a huge inspiration for many PE teachers and no doubt many Coaches in the community and is someone that we have no doubt you'll be able to learn something from.
To find her on socials:
Twitter: @cpola17
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miss_physical_education/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/missphysicaleducation
To get in touch with TIYTL:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tiytlpodcast?s=20
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiytl_podcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tiytlife
Email: tiytlpodcast@gmail.com
Rob Vingerhoets is one of the most recognised names in the Maths space. If you haven't already read one of his books or had him come out to your school for some PD, you've most likely heard of him. It's like every teacher we know and chat to about Maths has! Rob, or Mr.V, is a genuinely legendary bloke, and his ideas and philosophies on Maths and Education are a fantastic listen. We chat to Rob about his own Maths and teaching journey, including his time as a classroom teacher, when Maths finally clicked for him as someone who didn't initially like maths, and his adventures and stories as an education consultant. Rob also runs webinars with former guest Michael Minas on all things Maths. And you can find some of their upcoming sessions through Eventbrite.
More about Rob can be found at:
http://robvingerhoets.com.au/maths
https://www.facebook.com/Rob-Vingerhoets-Educational-Consultancy-326192814449923/
Josh is an everyday teacher that took the chance to work for the AFL in an Indigenous Community for 2 and a half years. We dive into that journey, discussing the ‘culture shock’, the massive impact that his work had on his community, and the lessons he learnt from his time up in the Northern Territory. We also touch on possible ways to embed more indigenous culture and education into our teaching.
We also discussed the work Josh is currently doing on the Mornington Peninsula through the THRIVE program. The THRIVE program is built upon a positive psychology model and is helping equip individuals, through school & sporting clubs, with the appropriate tools to look after their own mental health. If you wish to find out more about this, there is a link in the show notes that will take you straight to the website.
To find out more about the THRIVE program, head to: https://thrive-network.com.au/
Also, below are a number of resources to assist with teaching and embedding ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture’ into your teaching area:
Koorie Cross-Curricular Protocols:https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/multicultural/Pages/koorieculture.aspx
Koorie Teaching Resources:https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/multicultural/Pages/koorieresources.aspx
SportAus: Traditional Indigenous Gameshttps://www.sportaus.gov.au/yulunga
Naidoc Weekhttps://www.naidoc.org.au/
Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Inc.https://www.vaeai.org.au/
This week, Steve and Josh catch up with the creator of the PlayMeo database, Mark Collard. Mark is best known for his remarkably fun training workshops, interactive keynote presentations, and his three best-selling activity books. Over the course of his 30+ year career, he has delivered more than 2,000 program days and presentations which have helped 100,000+ people have fun and connect meaningfully with others, in multiple countries all over the world.
Mark joined the TIYTL Podcast to chat about the importance of connection, fun, and why he felt there was a need for developing the PlayMeo games database. Throughout the episode, we also talk about the importance of making individuals feel comfortable and safe within lessons and games and also get some great tips on how to do this when working with groups.
If you haven't already, we highly recommend that you head to the link below and check out the PlayMeo database for yourself. If you wish to purchase a membership in order to gain complete access, be sure to use the code 'FUNN' at the checkout.
To get in touch with Mark:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/playmeo
Website: https://www.playmeo.com/
To get in touch with the crew at TIYTL:
Email: tiytlpodcast@gmail.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiytl_podcast/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tiytlpodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tiytlife
In Episode 16, we sit down with Australian Pro-Surfer and creator of The Good Human Factory, Cooper Chapman.
Cooper grew up on the beaches of Narrabeen, which is just north of Sydney, Australia. He began surfing at a young age and quickly ascended to elite levels, winning the U16s Australian Surf Championship as a 14-year-old. This success continued to grow and by Year 12 he had numerous sponsors for his surfing ability and was traveling the world for surfing competitions, which has continued as his Pro-Surf career has spanned over the past 10 years. We got the chance to chat with Cooper about his rise up the surfing ranks and what it was like to be a Pro-Surfer.
Further to this, we learned about his passion for Mental Health and Well-Being and the reasons why he created 'The Good Human Factory', a program that aims to educate students and members of the community about Mental Health. He talks of the emotional journey which he experienced that ultimately led to its creation, how he has looked after his pwn Mental Health and how we should all be proactive in looking after our Mental Health and not waiting until we are feeling 'down'.
This is a truly inspiring chat and one we think you'll love.
To check out 'The Good Human Factory' head to https://www.thegoodhumanfactory.com/
Warning: Within the podcast, there are discussions around Mental Health & Suicide, if this has an impact upon your own personal well-being, we recommend reaching out to BeyondBlue 1300 224 636
To get in touch with TIYTL:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tiytlife
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiytl_podcast/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tiytlpodcast
Email: tiytlpodcast@gmail.com
Rick Mirabella is the founder and head coach of Runnez.com, an online running system designed to help anyone achieve their running goals. As you'll hear, Rick is a guru in this space and is passionate about helping people become better versions of themselves. Rick has this incredible contagious energy and he's the type of guy that you walk away from chatting with feeling better about yourself. We chat to Rick about some of his philosophies around coaching, and why he's so passionate about the Runnez platform, which he and his wife Shelly, have built into the worlds number one online running coaching system. He's a fantastic human and we're sure you'll get some great insights into his coaching and teaching journey!
You can find more about Rick and the Runnez platform at
Runnez.com
https://www.facebook.com/runnezaustralia
He is also the host of the podcast Runnez Radio
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/runnez-radio/id1435141974
As always, the crew at the TIYTL Podcast would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we gathered today and pay our respect to their elders both past and present!
Timestamps
2:00 - What is the Runnez system and how did it all begin?
7:45 -The pros & cons of using the app Strava and the false start the boys had when they first tried to interview Rick
15:00 - Ricks early days through school and his journey from local footy player and landscape gardener to high performance running coach
20:00 - Did Ricks hard work ethic with running translate to school and the ENTER score?
22:30 - Rick is also the host of Runnez Radio! Rick shares his experience interviewing some of his idols and mentors in the running/coaching and high-performance space
28:00 - Ricks Runnez sessions go for 45 minutes from start to finish with no breaks. How does he talk/present for that long without stopping and how did he develop this skill? Some great tips for people presenting & coaching.
33:00 - What are some trials and tribulations Rick has faced as a coach?
37:00 How'd you find the courage to take the plunge to start a small business?
41:30 - How would the Runnez community describe Rick as a coach?
48:00 - Rick touches on some of his earlier days about doing some epic runs after big nights on the weekend and his own personal running experiences.
53:00 - Why structure is important to improving your running
1:00:00 - Tips for running a small business
1:08:00 - Which Aussie Runners do we need to get behind in the Tokyo Olympics
1:11:00 Ricks PHANTOM CALL of a Runnez session starring Steve & Josh on the Treadmills
G'day everyone & Welcome to Episode 14!
Today, Kara Myers and Lukas join us for a round table chat about Remote Learning. We discuss what we enjoyed and did not enjoy about Remote Learning, as well as sharing some hacks that helped us along the way.
In Episode 13, Steve & Josh are joined by STEM Teacher, Todd Cleeland. Todd has been a teacher for a number of years, in which he has experienced life as a classroom teacher, STEM teacher, and as a Welfare coordinator within his school. He joined us for this episode to chat about his STEM program and what it looks like on a yearly basis, how he helped set his school up for Remote Teaching, and shares a number of tips & resources for everyday classroom teachers to use.
Within this episode, the boys also share a number of their top apps/programs that they use regularly within their teaching. To find a list of these, jump onto one of the social media pages where all the resources will be shared shortly after the episode is released.
To get in touch with Todd, you can find him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stem.with.mrc or on Twitter https://twitter.com/toddcleeland
If you wish to get in touch with the TIYTL Crew, you can find us at the links below:
Instagram: TIYTL
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tiytlife
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tiytlpodcast
Email: tiytlpodcast@gmail.com
In Episode 12, Steve and Josh sit down with close mate and colleague, Trent Dowling. Trent is currently teaching Performing Arts, while also running a Welfare program for students within the school, he has also previously taught Year 2 and Year 6. He is passionate about Welfare and the Mental Health & Wellbeing of himself and those around him, making him the perfect guest as the boys sat down to share what they do to look after their own Mental Health & Wellbeing.
We are not experts within this field and encourage anyone that is struggling with their own Mental Health & Wellbeing to reach out to someone around them, approach a GP or get in touch with an organization such as Beyond Blue.
If you wish to get in touch with TIYTL:
Instagram: @tiytl_podcast
Facebook: @tiytlife
Twitter: @tiytlpodcast
For Episode 5, we sit down and share what we believe to be the Top 10 best things about teaching.
You may agree, respectfully disagree or think we completely missed the boat. We'd love to hear from you, so as we mention in the episode, please feel free to reach out to us on any of the below platforms and share your thoughts.
We hope you enjoy the episode.
Email: tiytl_podcast@gmail.com
Instagram: @tiytl_podcast
Facebook: @tiytlife
Get to know your co-host, PE teacher Josh Simpson & Learning Specialist, Steve Crowe, who give us an insight into the This Is Your Teaching Life Podcast.