Teachers' Voices

How can teachers support students in emergencies or difficult contexts? In this bonus episode, Nina hears advice for teaching in challenging conditions from four educators. First Nina meets Diana Suárez, a teacher in Colombia and an expert in multilingualism and multiculturalism. Diana says that safe play spaces let children reconnect, express themselves, and feel joy again. Next, Nina speaks to Gilson Penha, who teaches in a public school in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Gilson believes in building a welcoming school environment to support community involvement and hands-on, real-life activities that keep students motivated. Murimi Nyaga, known as Turi, is a middle school teacher from Machakos, Kenya. He tells Nina about connecting students with nature through school gardens and conservation projects. These experiences help students develop a sense of belonging and purpose, even if they struggle academically or face difficult home lives. Finally, Nina meets Antonio Castillo, a recent graduate from Spain, who works in afterschool programs for youth at risk of dropping out. He builds trust through authenticity and humility. By letting his students teach him first, he is able to truly connect. Join the Teachers’ Voices WhatsApp group [https://chat.whatsapp.com/DTeneHJLgBN0PN2EsHWxjf] and read the community guidelines [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ekfzOxUW0wFHIRMmtsZ7AlHMJCE0gkq-/view?ts=677bf512]. Guests and resources Diana M. Suárez: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianamsl/] Gilson Penha: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/prof_gilolipe/] Murimi Nyaga (Turi): LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/murimi-nyaga-199b14201/] Antonio Castillo Teachers Without Borders: website [https://teacherswithoutborders.org/]

What makes leadership and innovation critical in education during emergencies? How do local educators overcome challenges with limited resources? How can communities and technology help sustain learning in crisis contexts? In this episode, Nina first speaks to Katy Noble, Head of Education in Emergencies at Teach For All, based in Palestine. Katy shares insights from 15 years working with crisis-affected communities, reflecting on how leadership in emergencies requires both adaptability and care. She believes in distributed, human-centered leadership. Katy says: “We need to question long held sector norms, like the obsession of focusing on access to education over quality learning outcomes, or this laser focus on student wellbeing at the expense of teacher wellbeing.” Nina also hears from Atukunda Samuel, Head Teacher of Navikale Refugee Settlement Secondary School in Uganda. Samuel tells Nina about the daily realities of leading a school under extreme pressure, including limited resources, overcrowded classrooms, and the emotional toll on both students and teachers. He also talks about the strength of the community: “The entire community plays a role. The school principals look for ways to recruit additional teachers amongst the internally displaced populations.” Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group [https://chat.whatsapp.com/DTeneHJLgBN0PN2EsHWxjf] and read the community guidelines [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ekfzOxUW0wFHIRMmtsZ7AlHMJCE0gkq-/view?ts=677bf512]. Guests and resources Katy Noble: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/katy-noble-1b868144/]Teach For All video: Education in Emergencies: Connecting across borders [https://teachforall.org/video/education-emergencies-connecting-across-borders] Atukunda Samuel: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/atukunda-samuel-9b7aab261/]

Why is evidence so important in education solutions? How is evidence incorporated into large-scale educational solutions? How can evidence lead to greater equity in education? In this episode, Nina first speaks to Vicky Colbert, from Colombia. Vicky is the founder of Fundación Escuela Nueva, an NGO that has shaped the way multigrade classrooms operate. Vicky tells Nina how they use evidence to ensure their work is effective, equitable, and scalable. Evidence improves outcomes, by showing what works and what doesn’t work. Teachers are the agents of change in their solution, as they get together to learn. Vicky says that “teachers sometimes learn more from other teachers than from experts”.  Next, Nina meets Karen Levesque, Head of Research at Imagine Worldwide. Imagine Worldwide is an NGO making education accessible through technology and self-directed learning. They strongly believed that personalised EdTech had the potential to make a difference in Sub-Saharan Africa, but they wanted to prove it could make a difference before implementing their solution. “Having an evidence base can help schools and systems decide: what is best for our children?” Karen says. Both NGOs are winners of the 2024 Klaus J. Jacobs Best Practice Prizes [https://jacobsfoundation.org/activity/the-klaus-j-jacobs-best-practice-prizes/], in recognition of institutions and individuals implementing evidence-based solutions aimed at promoting child development and learning in practice. Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group [https://chat.whatsapp.com/DTeneHJLgBN0PN2EsHWxjf] and read the community guidelines [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ekfzOxUW0wFHIRMmtsZ7AlHMJCE0gkq-/view?ts=677bf512]. Guests and resources Vicky Colbert: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicky-colbert-ab971b25/], X [https://x.com/ColbertVicky] Fundación Escuela Nueva: website [http://www.escuelanueva.org/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/fundacionescuelanueva], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/c/Fundaci%C3%B3nEscuelaNueva]  Karen Levesque: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-levesque-15407a2a/] Imagine Worldwide: website [https://www.imagineworldwide.org/], short introduction video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Hi1U_-6Xko], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/imagineworldwide/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/ImagineWorldwideFLN], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/imagineworldwideliteracy/], and Twitter [https://x.com/Literacy_Now1]

Should arts and science come closer together? How are teachers bringing these subjects together in the classroom? In this episode, Nina talks to Pamela Burnard, Professor of Arts, Creativities and Educations at the University of Cambridge in the UK. “When we look at creative industries, real world practitioners are not sitting in expert siloes, they are collaborating, they are co-authoring,” Pamela says. In medicine, culture, and technologies, people are connecting, she says.  Next, Nina meets Silvana Baico, a primary educator in Uruguay. Silvana connects learning with art and movement, looking for the math and geometry in dance. Silvana also trains teachers in this. ”Teacher training is essential because you give them the kind of fresh air, a sort of renewed desire to do things, to imagine new things,” says Silvana. Ingrid Delange is a secondary teacher working in Luxembourg. “If you mix art and mathematics, you can definitely develop creativity,” Ingrid tells Nina. For Ingrid, the surrealist artist Salvador Dalí is a source of inspiration and she uses his work in the classroom. Students are able to see beyond the painting and create their own interpretations of this art. Lastly, Nina speaks to Akina Lam, a teacher librarian in Hong Kong. “ I believe that by blending maths with stories, we can make it more engaging and accessible for everyone.” She recommends storybooks to children that incorporate mathematical concepts, such as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.  Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group [https://chat.whatsapp.com/DTeneHJLgBN0PN2EsHWxjf] and read the community guidelines [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ekfzOxUW0wFHIRMmtsZ7AlHMJCE0gkq-/view?ts=677bf512]. Guests and resources Pamela Burnard: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamela-burnard-b2b8a911/], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/pamburnard/], X [https://x.com/PamBurnard], Sculpting New Creativities in Primary Education (book) [https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.4324/9781003129714/sculpting-new-creativities-primary-education-pam-burnard-michelle-loughrey] STEAM gardens [https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/publications/cultivating-primary-creativities-in-steam-gardens]  Silvana Baico: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/silvana_chapa]  Ingrid Delange: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingriddelange/] Akina Lam: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/akina-lam-ba719885/] HK Gorden Dragon Book Awards [https://sites.google.com/view/hkgdba/gdba-home] organized by Akina Lam

What is high sensitivity? How many children in a classroom are highly sensitive? How can teachers support highly sensitive children? In this bonus episode, Nina talks to  Michael Pluess, Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Surrey. Michael has been studying children’s individual differences in sensitivity for more than 10 years. Around 30% of children are highly sensitive, he says, which means they are more affected by their environment, whether that’s positive or negative. Michael and his team have developed free resources for teachers which will help teachers learn about sensitivity and provide a classroom environment suited for those children. There’s a questionnaire to help teachers identify sensitive children in the classroom, and an online training course for teachers to complete which comes with a certificate. Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group [https://chat.whatsapp.com/DTeneHJLgBN0PN2EsHWxjf] and read the community guidelines [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ekfzOxUW0wFHIRMmtsZ7AlHMJCE0gkq-/view?ts=677bf512]. Guest and resources Michael Pluess: University profile [https://www.surrey.ac.uk/people/michael-pluess], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-pluess-90674752/], X [https://x.com/michaelpluess] sensitivityresearch.com [http://sensitivityresearch.com]: Test your student [https://sensitivityresearch.com/self-tests/test-a-student/], Teacher training [https://sensitivityresearch.com/sensitive-children-education/] How to support highly sensitive children in class [https://boldscience.org/how-to-support-highly-sensitive-children-in-class/] - Michael Pluess and Cherry Hirst share strategies for teachers and caregivers to help highly sensitive children thrive