In this new episode, I have an imperfectly perfect conversation with Pen Williams, Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA) and Doctoral Researcher in Education - Critical Citizenship and Sustainability at the University of Bristol. Pen won the Nature, Outdoor Learning and Play Special Interest Group (SIG) Best Presentation Award at the British Educational Research Association (BERA) Annual Conference in 2024. You can find out more here
In this conversation:
And so much more...
I invite you to come and join us and to listen into this deLIGHTfull conversation with Pen.
I thoroughly enJOYed discussing all the above with her and I have no doubt that you will too.
I am delighted to share this episode with Dr Frances Howard and Dr Karenza Moore on the topic of "Researching WITH Young People - An Introduction to Youth-Centred Research Methods" which is the title of their most recent book co-authored with Benjamin Hanckel, Sophie Atherton and Janina Suppers.
This episode is also selfishly very much for me as I am about to embark on my fieldwork in a school and my work is a Participatory Action Research Project with young people and adult champions.
But it would be of interest to any parent, guardian, carer and educator, teacher and staff interested in BE-ing and BE-COME-ing WITH young people.
Notice WITH (not another preposition) as this is important.
We discuss more particularly:
💞 Power dynamics
💞 Ethics in youth-centred research and challenges in institutional ethics
💞 Practical strategies for engaging with young people
💞 The power of small steps
💞 Listening as a skill
💞 Understanding young people's experiences
💞 Adultism and how to challenge it
💞 Creative Methods in Research
💞 Embracing complexity in Youth research
And we finish with the five principles for engaging WITH young people
To watch the video on Youtube
I hope you enJOY listening to this imperfectly perfect conversation as much as I did recording it!
Today I am deLIGHTed to share this imperfectly perfect, perfectly imperfect conversation with Sara Love who is an energetic intuitive, multidimensional communicator, and co-architect of a new kind of intelligence.
She works at the intersection of technology and consciousness, bridging human intuition and AI through quantum communication.
Together we discussed:
And a lot more
You can find Sara's facebook page here
And the webpage for her business
Today I am deLIGHTed to share this imperfectly perfect conversation with David Rug who is a Liminal Consultant, Custodian of the Noosphere, Founder of ProjectLiminality, Architect of the InterBrain
In this conversation, David and I discussed:
And so much more.
I truly enJOYed every minute of this conversation with David and I am sure that you will too!
Today I am deLIGHTed to share this imperfectly perfect, perfectly imperfect conversation with Klementina Karol who is an Embodiment Guide to Influential, Heart-led Leaders. She helps individuals embody their true essence so they can be the lighthouse our collective needs, and succeed in life holistically.
Klementina is an Ex-Corporate Leader turned Guide. In the corporate world, she worked with one of the biggest employers in the world, doing business directly with F500 Companies, C-Suite Executives and negotiating 7-figure USD contracts in an International environment.
In this episode we discussed:
And so much more! If you are interested in all the above topics, I have no doubt that you will LOVE this conversation with Klementina.
You can also find Klementina on Facebook
Today I am deLIGHTed to share this imperfectly perfect conversation with Salil K. Gupta Founder & CEO, SHU FOUNDATION for Creating Healthy Outcomes Worldwide and Shivm Dubey, Psychiatrist, Co-Founder of India's First Mental Health Education Curriculum, Founder of Mighty Champions of Mental Health, Co-Founder of YesMindy
Both Salil and Shivm aims are to help people build resilience & well-being
In this episode, we discussed:
And so much more.
I enJOYed every minute of this conversation and I am sure that you will too, particularly if you are interested in exploring how we co-create a society where people co-exist lovingly and how to lead a healthy life then this conversation is for you.
You can find Shivm's books here
I am deLIGHTed to share this imperfectly perfect conversation with Abbie Clark who has just finished her Second Year of BA Politics at the University of Sheffield.
I had a first conversation with Abbie last Year. You can listen to it here beforehand: Listen Here
In this conversation we explore
And so much more!
As you will hear me say at the end of the podcast, I thoroughly enJOYed every minute of this exchange with Abbie.
I have no doubt that you will too.
You can also follow Abbie on Instagram
I am deLIGHted to share this imperfectly perfect, perfectly imperfect conversation with Dr Benjamin Knight who is Senior Lecturer in Education. Director of Project Zulu
I reached out to Dr Knight after attending the Gala Concert at Bristol Beacon in early June.
In this conversation, we discuss:
And so much more!
Thank you so much, Benjamin for your time and insights. I loved every minute of our conversation.
I hope you do too!
Today I am delighted to share this imperfectly perfect, perfectly imperfect conversation with Dr Deirdre McGilliCuddy (aka Dr Dee) , an author and a former primary school teacher with over 25 years’ experience working in education. She has worked as a researcher and as an academic, preparing students to become teachers at early childhood, primary and post-primary level. She is passionate about educational equality, stemming from her time working in a DEIS school in Dublin.
Her book Educaring from the Heart. How to Nurture Your Wellbeing and Re-discover Your Purpose in Education just spoke to me. The language Deirdre uses resonated so deeply with me.
We talked more specificially about:
- Her journey in Education
- Educaring from the Heart
- The importance of Educator Wellbeing
- the Educator Backpack concept
- Value clash in Education
- Navigating personal and professional values
- The ripple effect of educator values
- The Dandelion exercise and control in education
- Understanding your 'why' in education
- Collective wellbeing in educational ecosystems.
- The importance of slowing down
- Building connections and community in education
And so much more, including 'why you and what you do in education matter.'
Thank you SO MUCH Deirdre. I totatlly enJOYed our dialogue. I am such a huge fan of your work and research.
I have no doubt that you will too, particularly if like me you are passionate about Teacher and Student Wellbeing in Education.
I am deLIGHTed to share this imperfectly perfect/perfectly imperfect conversation with Tobie Spears who is a Non-Profit Founder of Be Humanitarian, Change Maker, Advocate, Speaker, and Humanitarian.
Main summary:Toby Spears discussed her nonprofit organisation, Be Humanitarian, which supports children and families in Guatemala through education and nutrition initiatives. The conversation explored the impact of coloniality, the importance of acknowledging our white privilege and white fragility (if/when it emerges), respect and cultural understanding in humanitarian work, and the organization's sponsorship model. Toby also shared experiences of taking high school students to Guatemala for volunteer work and emphasized the positive impact of their efforts on the local community.
And in particular, we explored the following topics:
Through this dialogue, we go really deep and address really important questions and topics. Thank you, Tobie for your generous share and time.
I hope you enjoy this conversation, as much as I did!
I am delighted to share this second interview and imperfectly perfect conversation with Dr Kat who is a Non-Profit Founder, Educator, Counselor, Researcher, Author, and Spiritual Coach.
If, like me, you have a deep interest in spirituality, growth, and healing, then this conversation is for you. I loved every minute of it. Thank you, Dr Kat!
In this conversation, we discussed:
And so much more. Here are some of Dr Kat's Websites
I am delighted to share this imperfectly perfect, perfectly imperfect conversation with Dr Kat who is a Non-Profit Founder, Educator, Counselor, Researcher, Author, and Spiritual Coach.
This episode is a purely indulgent one. I reached out to Dr Kat to discuss her book 'How to write a phenomenological Dissertation' which I discovered via a PhD peer, Cathy who recommended it to me.
I wanted to find out more about phenomenology as a research method and I now share this imperfectly perfect conversation for those of you who might want to know more (and use it for their research work too).
If nothing else, you might be interested in exploring the lived experiences of others and how that helps us to understand a phenomenon such as wellbeing.
I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did.
Today, I am delighted to share this imperfectly perfect, perfectly imperfect conversation with Heema Shah who researches and talks about practical applied neuroscience for people, performance, and purpose.Heema and I discussed
They also explored
The conversation concluded with a discussion on the balance between trusting science and surrendering to the spiritual world, and the importance of spiritual health.
You can find Heema on LinkedIn, Instagram and her podcast can be found here: Neuroscience Unplugged
I invite you to take a listen, I have no doubt that you will enjoy every minute of it all. I know I did!
Thanks again so much Heema for this WONDER-full episode.
I am delighted to share this imperfectly perfect and perfectly imperfect conversation with Wakanyi Hoffman, who is an International Speaker, Indigenous African Thinker, Head of Sustainable AI Africa Research at Inclusive AI Lab (Utrecht Uni). Wakanyi is a Cross-Cultural Peace-Weaver who Talks about Ubuntu, Art of Being Human and is an African Folklorist.
Together we discussed Wakanyi's journey and work on the philosophy of Ubuntu, emphasizing its importance in understanding collective relational ways of being and its extension to the natural world.
The conversation also touched on the potential of AI to reflect and challenge human understanding and biases, and the importance of intercultural interactions and storytelling in fostering meaningful connections.
Lastly, we explored the need for diverse voices in academia and philosophy, the significance of the feminine perspective, and the potential of AI in facilitating more considerate communication.
Today, I am delighted to share this imperfectly perfect, perfectly imperfect conversation with Katharine Burke, an IB Educator, Author of Earthwards: Transformative Ecological Education, Founder of The Small Earth Institute, M.Ed: Nature, Ecology and Sustainability.
In this episode, we discuss
Katharine finished by sharing the essay from Bayo Akomolafe about doors and cracks:https://www.bayoakomolafe.net/post/on-doors-and-cracks
This reminded me of Cohen's song that says "There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in,"
To contact Katharine:Â dennelillejord@gmail.comÂ
Linked In: Katharine Burke
To join the Earthwards Community:Â https://earthwards.mn.co/Â
Today I am delighted to share this imperfectly perfect, perfectly imperfect conversation with Professor Melissa Walls, an Indigenous researcher who works with American Indian and First Nations communities to promote health equity through culturally centered projects.
Melissa Walls, PhD (Bois Forte and Couchiching First Nation Anishinaabe) is Director of the Great Lakes Hub for the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health
Dr. Walls is an Indigenous social scientist committed to collaborative research with Indigenous communities to promote health equity. Her involvement in community-based participatory research (CBPR) projects to date includes mental health epidemiology; culturally-relevant, family-based substance use prevention and mental health promotion programming and evaluation; and examining the impact of stress and mental health on diabetes.
Dr. Walls’s collaborative work has received funding from the National Institutes of Health and the Public Health Agency of Canada.
In this episode, we explore her amazing work, her journey and how when any one encounters indigenous thought, the invitation is maybe not to interrogate it and, maybe just support it. An invitation to be curious and be open.
Melissa's request is also: 'please stop making us justify who we are, because a lot has been taken already, and this is taking a lot of energy away from us."
And so much more...
I invite you to take a listen. I am sure you will love every minute of this. I know I did!
Today I am delighted to share this imperfectly perfect, perfectly imperfect conversation with Ginie Servant-Miklos
who is Assistant Professor , Climate Psychology, Education Director, Bildung Climate School in Rotherdam Netherlands.
In this episode I explore with Ginie:
Her own journey thus far.
Why she wrote her book Pedagogies of Collapse which you can also access through open access here
We discussed why people said "Don't talk about collapse, you're going to scare people off" and so much more...
I invite you to listen to the whole conversation. You won't be disappointed!
Today I am delighted to share this imperfectly perfect conversation with Didileia Worth. Didi is a Mother, Self-Awareness Teacher, and Holistic Well-Being Mentor.
In this conversation we talk about
- Didi's journey and her work at Blue Sparrow Ayurveda - specialising in behavioural practice, Jyotish, and Dharma for purpose & well-being.
- We went deeper into our exploration of Jyotish which are Yoga Sciences. and how they help us understand ourselves and help us as parents nourish diversity within wholeness.
And so much more...
I invite you to listen to the whole conversation. I learned so much and truly enjoyed it. I hope you do too!
I am delighted to share this new imperfectly perfect, perfectly imperfect episode with Malaury Kuhorn who is an Advocate, Weaver and Storyteller, founder of the Institute of Relational Being (IRB).
In this beautiful dance together we explore Malaury's experience in the French educational system and how painful it was a a neurodivergent learner.
We discuss the difference between embodied knowledge and living from the heart.
We unpack what it means to live from one's heart and soul with more ethics of care and compassion.
We explore how to make friends with ourselves, with everything and everyone and how even when we feel lonely, we can re-member that our relationships are not exclusive to friendship with other humans and go much deeper and beyond.
The invitation is also to make friends with the chaos, the 'I don't knows' and the mess.
To recognise that we are also also friend with the soil, the fungi, the trees, the bees, our pets.
With that in mind as Malaury beautifully says: "we are never never alone!"
I invite you to come and dance with us!
I am delighted to share this imperfectly perfect/perfectly imperfect conversation with Professor Signe Kastberg.
Signe Kastberg is a mathematics teacher educator at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, USA where she is a full professor (2017- present) and is the Mary Endres Endowed Chair of Elementary Education (2022 – present). At Purdue University she teaches courses in mathematics education at the graduate and undergraduate levels. In addition, she supervises graduate students in mathematics education and serves as a faculty mentor. In this conversation, Signe and I explore relationships and how foundational they are to our lives. Yet, what i smeant by relationship is often left to individuals to imagine and define.
Together we explore the importance of authenticiy, how the environment impacts our ability to connect to one another and so much more.
I am sure you will enjoy this conversation as much as I did.