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

#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 [http://amzn.to/4tWELQC].   Here is more information, if you would like to get in touch with Becca: Website Coaching the Whole Educator Podcast [https://www.thewholeeducator.com/podcast] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/becca-silver/] The Resistance Playbook [https://www.thewholeeducator.com/offers/LEUeppnU/checkout]

#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.