The Well-being Classroom

#41 Adaptive Teaching With Professor John Hattie

In this episode of The Wellbeing Classroom, I sit down with Professor John Hattie, one of the world’s most influential education researchers. His Visible Learning work has shaped evidence-based practice globally and had a profound impact on my own approach to teaching and leadership.
 
This episode concludes our Adaptive Teaching mini-series and features powerful questions from previous guests, bringing together diverse perspectives in one rich conversation.
 
Together, we explore adaptive teaching not as a collection of strategies, but as a deeper understanding of how students think, process, and learn. Professor Hattie challenges the common misconception that adaptation is about adjusting tasks for performance, arguing instead that it should focus on developing adaptive learners who can take ownership of their learning.
 
We discuss the power of metacognition—knowing what to do when you don’t know what to do—and why diagnosis, not just feedback, is often the missing piece in learning. From finding the right level of challenge to creating classrooms where mistakes drive growth, Professor Hattie redefines what effective learning looks like and much more!
 
Welcome to The Wellbeing Classroom.

#40 Is Recognition & Appreciation a Missing Leadership Skill? With Dr. Helen Kelly

What if staff wellbeing isn’t about reducing workload—but about how valued people feel at work?
 
In this episode of The Wellbeing Classroom, I sit down with Dr. Helen Kelly, a leading voice in educator wellbeing and school culture, whose experience as an international school principal, researcher, and former workplace health and safety lawyer brings a powerful and unique lens to one of the most pressing challenges in education today.
 
Together, we explore her work around recognition, appreciation, and feedback, and why these are often misunderstood in schools. Helen shares how something as simple as feeling genuinely seen can completely shift how staff experience their workload, and why many of the well-intentioned approaches used by leaders—awards, shoutouts, and quick fixes—often miss the mark.
 
We also explore the importance of understanding individual preferences, as well as the gap between what leaders believe they are doing and how it is actually experienced by staff… and much, much more.

#39 Is Human Thinking the Future Currency? With Miguel Rodriguez

Is human thinking becoming the most valuable currency in the age of AI?
 
Today, I’m joined by Miguel Rodriguez, founder of MR | ThinkLab, where he designs thinking-focused learning systems and AI-powered tools aimed at developing reasoning, reflection, and decision-making that truly last. His work sits at the intersection of cognitive science, instructional design, and AI, challenging a growing tension in education—where we’re getting better at producing outputs, but not always better at developing real understanding.
 
In this episode, we explore why so-called “soft skills” aren’t soft at all, why thinking may be the real differentiator in the future, and what it really takes to design learning that goes beyond task completion to build deep, transferable understanding—especially in classrooms where scaling that kind of thinking for every student is a real challenge… and much more!
 
Get in touch with Miguel:
 
mrthinklab.com
Personal linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miguelrodriguez86/
MR | ThinkLab linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mr-thinklab/?viewAsMember=true
MR | ThnkLab facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575462880163
MR 1 ThinkLab instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrthinklab/
 
#Education #Leadership #AIinEducation #FutureOfLearning #CriticalThinking #Metacognition #EdTech #SchoolLeadership #LearningDesign

#38 Is Your Coaching Actually Building Teacher Capacity? With Dr. Addie Christian

What really drives meaningful and lasting teacher growth in international schools?
 
Today, I’m thrilled to welcome Dr. Addie Christian, a seasoned educator and principal at an IB International School in China. With over two decades of experience, Dr. Christian has dedicated her career to designing strategic frameworks and cultivating leadership capacity that drives meaningful organizational change.
 
In this episode, we start our conversation by looking back at her transformative time as an instructional coach. We explore how her early inspiration from sports coaching shaped her core leadership belief: that true, sustainable change requires a collaborative group effort rather than a top-down mandate. We dive deep into the nuance of her career, from navigating the high-stakes environment of international education in India to leading in Beijing.
 
Most importantly, we examine the vital intersection between professional growth and staff health. We’ll dive deep into why trust and relationships are the essential foundation for any successful school transformation, how to navigate the challenges of instructional coaching across different cultural contexts, the role of PLCs in empowering teacher-leaders to own their practice—and much more!
 
Welcome to the Well-being Classroom

#37 Who Should Write Your School's AI Policy? With Tom Millinchip

How can primary school leaders look past the noise and build adaptable, stakeholder-driven digital policies that confidently prepare their classrooms for the future?
 
Today, I’m joined by Tom Millinchip, a Deputy Head of Primary, curriculum and policy specialist, and a passionate leader in leveraging technology for evidence-based learning environments. With 15 years of primary education experience across the UK and internationally, Tom is a prominent voice in the ed-tech space. He is the founder of AI Ready Bahamas and the author of an upcoming AI book specifically designed for primary educators. Tom specializes in building true community ownership—fostering deep buy-in from teachers, parents, and students alike to ensure a successful digital transition.
 
In this episode of our special mini-series, we dive into Tom's practical approach to building a comprehensive, dual-layered AI policy framework. We discuss how he used AI to pull together different global benchmarks to build a solid foundation, his strategies for creating a jargon-free companion guide that teachers can digest easily, and how to maintain an active, evolving policy that school leaders can easily update as the technology shifts—and much more!
 
Welcome to The Well-being Classroom.
 
Link to Tom’s Substack: https://tommillinchip.substack.com?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web

#36 How is IB Evaluation Serving Schools Today? With Ildiko Murray

How is the process of IB accreditation already being transformed into a genuine service that drives active growth and future-ready school communities?
 
Today, I’m joined by Dr. Ildiko Murray, an experienced Head of School in China with over 25 years of international educational leadership. Following her doctoral studies, she was engaged by the IB as a Subject Matter Expert to help create and develop some of the training protocols and practices that are actively reshaping how schools undergo accreditation around the globe today.
 
In this episode, we pull back the curtain on the world of school accreditation. We dive into why context must always be king, how schools are shifting from a mindset of "dramaturgical compliance" to authentic self-reflection, and how we must look to the future by leveraging strategic leadership, AI, and global citizenship to proactively guide our schools forward... and much more!
 
Welcome to The Well-being Classroom.

#35 Is "Buy-In" Just Forced Compliance?

Why is it that even the most brilliant educational initiatives often fail to take root in our schools?
 
Today, I’m thrilled to welcome back Becca Silver. At the time of releasing this episode, Becca’s new book- The Resistance Solution has been released, please see the link in the description. In our previous episode, we diagnosed the source of resistance; today, we’re focussing on the concept of ‘buy-in’
 
We’ll be diving deep into Becca’s new framework to understand why shifting from "compliance" to "ownership" is the key to sustainable transformation. We’ll also explore why the word "should" is a red flag for leaders and how to move past a culture of permission-seeking—and much more!
 
Welcome back to The Well-being Classroom.
 
Link to Becca Silvers new book- amzn.to/4tWELQC.
 
Here is more information, if you would like to get in touch with Becca:
Website
Coaching the Whole Educator Podcast
LinkedIn
The Resistance Playbook

#34 Can Belonging Cure Imposter Syndrome? With Kevin Stoltenkamp

How can the high-pressure world of FIFA officiating help us redefine leadership, empathy, and belonging within our school communities?
 
Today, I am joined by Kevin Stoltenkamp, the Head of Referees for the Oceania Football Confederation. Since 2016, Kevin has led officiating across 13 member countries under the FIFA umbrella. Beyond his work on the pitch, Kevin is a deeply experienced educator who understands the powerful parallels between managing a global sports organization and nurturing a positive school environment.
 
In this episode, we explore the human side of leadership. We’ll discuss the "imposter syndrome" that can strike even the most experienced professionals, the vital role of capacity building in diverse regions, and how the lessons Kevin has learned from the whistle can help us lead with more purpose, empathy, and clarity—and much more!
 
Welcome to The Well-being Classroom.

#33 How Can AI Scale Personalised Student Mentoring? With George Greskovits

This episode kicks off a special limited series exploring the role of AI in education—specifically how these emerging technologies can be harnessed to drive positive school cultures and support student well-being across the entire school community.
 
How can we move beyond traditional industrial models of schooling to equip students with the agency they need to navigate a rapidly changing world?
 
Today, I’m joined by George Greskovitz, the CEO of Laikan and a dedicated educational innovator with over 15 years of experience. George co-founded the Milestone Institute in Budapest, where he pioneered mentoring and curriculum models that foster true student agency. He is currently developing Laikan, an AI-powered navigation application designed to make high-quality career orientation and academic advising accessible and impactful for students in every school, regardless of their background.
 
We’ll dive into the intersection of technology and holistic student support, exploring the shift from static "matching" models to what George calls "lifelong navigation." We discuss how Laikan can prompt deep student reflection, the importance of keeping a "human in the loop" to ensure psychological safety, how schools can use interactive dashboards to adapt their offerings to student aspirations, and much more!
 
Welcome to The Well-being Classroom.
Links to learn more...
- www.laikan.app
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/laikan/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-greskovits

#32 The Power of Therapy with Xavier Woods

How do we bridge the gap between deep, personal healing and the fast-paced environment of the modern classroom?
 
Today, I’m joined by Xavier Woods, a primary school teacher with over two decades of professional experience across the U.S. and the Middle East, including time spent as a leader and educator in Abu Dhabi. A two-time Teacher of the Year in Metro Atlanta, Xavier is also an established author with a brand-new book, Keep God 1st and Go to Therapy, coming very soon. He is incredibly passionate about building positive relationships and is always ready to face the challenges of education with a sense of positivity and growth.
 
That’s what we’re exploring today with Xavier Woods—how the journey of therapy isn't just a personal one, but a tool that can transform how we lead, teach, and connect with our students every single day.
 
Welcome to The Well-being Classroom.