Links I mentioned:

• The Wellbeing-Driven Productivity Podcast
• Notes by Martine
• Martine's Website
• Martine on Twitter

Hello, it's Martine here, I am recording this towards the end of June 2021 and I wanted to give you an idea of what's on the horizon for The Teaching Space - in particular, the podcast.

Next year is the third and final year of my masters in education - my dissertation year. I know this is going to take up a lot of my energy and focus, but I am determined to reach the end.

The reality of this is, of course, I need to refocus my priorities a bit.

Podcasting is so much fun - I love doing it and I think I will always be a podcaster, but the reality is that it is incredibly time-consuming. Next year, I am going to take a break from my two weekly podcasting schedule and do something a bit different.

I am going to focus on two things for The Teaching Space.

• Writing

• Informal audio

You might have noticed if you follow me on Twitter, that I have been working on my writing by doing the Ship 30 for 30 challenge. I plan to keep up the frequent production of short-form essays and will be publishing them in a variety of places including Twitter, Medium and my email newsletter.

I'm going to experiment with informal audio over the summer - I am exploring Anchor and Racket to see what is the lowest friction.

While it sounds like you might hear a bit less from me, in actual fact, I think you will see and hear more!

So, here's what I'd like you to do if you want to keep up with what I am doing.

• Follow me on Twitter: MartineGuernsey.

• Subscribe to my email newsletter, The Teaching Space Extra.

• Stay subscribed to the podcast in your favourite podcast app.

• Join the community.

I'm planning a break over the summer, although I will still be writing on Twitter.

Feel free to reach out by email if you have questions: hello@theteachingspace.com.

Speak soon.

Martine

Highlights

• Notion has enabled me to conduct a yearly and monthly review consistently for the first time ever. I am also refining my weekly review process. This is the first time I have managed this behaviour consistently, and it is game changing. This is a personal review - but could easily apply to work and there is always some cross over. Undertaking personal reviews is enabling me to meet my goals. (01:13).
• On the subject of goals, that’s where it all starts, so I am going to walk you through my process.
• Annual review (03:09)
  • Review the year (screenshot).
  • Consider your life buckets (e.g. health, work, business, personal life, travel, money etc) and use the plus, minus, next method to reflect.
  • Identify your proudest achievement/s and biggest challenges.
  • Set goals for next year and keep them visible (screenshot).
  • You might like to set a theme or word for the year - mine is ONE.
• Monthly review (07:50)
  • Now page - currently in Notion and template available.
  • Now page template includes goals.
  • Review: progress on my goals, achievements, what next, theme for the year update and currently reading.
  • Share!
  • Diary note for next month.
• Weekly review (09:45)
  • Empty my quick capture inboxes (refer to episode 121).
  • Inbox Zero.
  • Plan for next week - calendar, tasks, exercise etc.
  • Clear down tasks.
  • Also an opportunity to plan meals.
  • Don’t refer back to goals but perhaps I should.
• Everything comes together in my Notion dashboard which works as well as it does thanks to Notion Mastery. Template available (11:13).
• Wrap up (12:33)
  • What do you do?
  • Discuss in the community.

Helpful links

• Plus, Minus, Next.
• Now page Notion template.
• Episode 121 Personal Knowledge Management for Teachers and Trainers.
• Notion Mastery course.
• Notion dashboard video.
• The Teaching Space Community.

Highlights

• What is personal knowledge management? (00:47).
• “Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) is the practice of capturing the ideas and insights we encounter in our daily life, whether from personal experience, from books and articles, or from our work, and cultivating them over time to produce more creative, higher quality work” (Forte Labs, 2019).
• Ness Labs creator, Anne-Laure Le Cunff describes the 5 C’s of PKM as: creation, circulation, curation, collaboration and communities (Ness Labs, 2020).
• My interpretations of the 5 C’s (02:08):
  • creation: managing knowledge derived from learning allows the creation of new knowledge.
  • circulation: that new knowledge can be circulated/shared.
  • curation: it’s also a way to collect and curate things that make you think.
  • collaboration: collecting information in this way can lead to collaboration.
  • communities: you can share anything collected or created in communities (e.g. Twitter).
• For me, PKM is about ensuring the content I consume is not wasted. How many times to you read or watch something and then forget it straight afterwards? (03:56).
• While I don’t expect to learn from everything I consume (ahem.. dog videos on TikTok), if I am consuming to learn and/or generate my own content afterwards, I want to increase my chance of retention. Furthermore, from an ethical standpoint, if someone’s work influences my thinking, I want to give credit.
• The best way to design a system for PKM is to draw it (I used Excalidraw) (05:28).
• Work out (07:18):
  • Input: where do you consume content? (Examples: YouTube, web, academic papers, reports, Kindle, Twitter etc). Also include ideas.
  • Output: what do you want to achieve? (Examples: share notes, write blog posts/articles, write a dissertation, write a book, create a podcast etc).
• I then divide my workflow into three levels (09:21):
  • Quick capture (temporary repository)
  • Literature notes (notes taken while consuming content)
  • Permanent notes (notes in my own words - usually atomic)
• See diagram on show notes - loosely based on Zettelkasten.
• Tech stack (11:39):
  • Quick capture: Drafts, Highlights and Readwise (clear weekly)
  • Literature notes: Notion (knowledge hub), Highlights and Readwise
  • Permanent notes: Obsidian (public)
• Obsidian is my digital garden (15:20).
• A Digital Garden is personal, but public learning space for live, interconnected notes.
• Or, more eloquently, “A digital garden is an online space at the intersection of a notebook and a blog, where digital gardeners share seeds of thoughts to be cultivated in public” (Le Cunff, 2020).
• Obsidian allows you to see connections between notes. Things planted in my digital garden might eventually become articles, podcasts etc (16:49).
• Wrap up: let’s discuss in the community! (17:12)

Helpful links

• Martine’s Digital Garden
• Excalidraw for diagrams.
• Shower notepad.
• Notion
• Obsidian
• Readwise
• Drafts
• Highlights
• Zettelkasten method.
• Martine’s Twitter thread on this topic.
• Notion Mastery course.
• The Teaching Space Community.

This episode topic was requested by Ashely in The Teaching Space Community. She said:

"I would love to hear about the most beneficial things you can have a student-teacher do before exiting the program and teaching on their own. This is my first time having a student-teacher."

In this podcast I am going to focus on general advice for those mentoring trainee teachers or new trainers as I do not have expertise in sectors outside of corporate and FE. To try to give a rounded response to this topic request, I also chatted to my wider Twitter network and will share some of their suggestions.

I am mindful that this is a massive area, so will not aim to cover everything in one short episode.

Incidentally, if you would like to join our community and help shape the podcast in the future, visit community.theteachingspace.com.

I'm going to split this episode into three sections. First I am going to share some of the helpful information I got from Twitter about mentoring trainee teachers. Then I will share some previous podcast episodes that I think will be helpful. Finally, I will share some tips from my own experience, having mentored several trainee teachers in FE and also candidates doing QTLS and ATS.

Highlights

From Twitter (03:06)

Nikki on Twitter (@nikkitel) said:

"I encourage them to consider their mental health from the outset and to understand that it’s ok to not know everything. I try to help them realise that if they don’t feel that they excel, it’s only for now. They don’t excel yet."

This reminded me of Carol Dweck's "the power of yet".

I completely agree with considering mental health from the outset - remember your oxygen mask.

Andy on Twitter (@guruteaching) shared an article on the topic he wrote, which I will include in the show notes.

One thing I loved about Andy's article is his point about showing your trainee how far they've come. Andy said:

"Finally, it helps for our trainees to see not just where they are going, but also where they have been. It’s too easy for them to be uber-busy, planning lessons, dealing with behaviour incidents, giving feedback and learning new subject knowledge for tomorrow’s lesson. Sometimes, they simply can’t see the progress that they’re making. Set aside some time to step back with them and with a smile on your face, show them how they have grown since the beginning of the course."

Chase on Twitter (@chasemitsuda) said it boils down to starting with empathy and share a great Brene Brown video that I will include in the show notes. He also said:

"Also believing that we are all learners, and teachers who have just started their careers have so much to offer, including fresh perspectives."

Finally, Jonathon on Twitter (@jonmedeiros) said, as mentors we can:

"help foster curiosity, self reflection, and adjustment as natural and important skills."

Useful Podcast Episodes (07:27)

I'm going to share and comment on a few recent episodes of the podcast that will help anyone mentoring trainees now in the future. Don't forget, you might need some professional development in order to fulfil the role of mentor effectively - some of these episodes will be helpful in this area.

I'll mention episode numbers - all you need to put in your browser is theteachingspace.com followed by / and the episode number in digits. There are also links in the show notes.

Following on from Nikki's wise mental health guidance mentioned a the start, it would be worth listening to my recent interview with Guernsey Mind's Chris Chamberlain (113). You could listen to help support your trainee better in this area - you could also recommend your trainee has a listen.

My interview with Joanne Miles about coaching is a must-listen - it is episode 104. Mentoring and coaching are on a spectrum and you are likely to need to be a mentor some of the time and a coach at other times. Understanding the difference between both approaches is key in giving your trainee what they need from you.

Episode 107 is an interview with Vanessa Mee who shares top tips for newly qualified teachers. Some of the tips Vanessa shares could easily apply to trainee teachers, such as time blocking, looking after yourself as a priority and planning to do less in the classroom (so the students do more).

Episode 103 is about managing emails. Often, trainees become overwhelmed with the admin aspect of teaching, so being in a position to support and advise them in this aspect of their teacher role is essential.

Similarly, episode 98 is my most recent time blocking episode - it is worth a listen so you can support your trainee to manage their time.

My Tips (10:38)

1. Establish boundaries and expectations in the mentor/mentee relationship but also around work/study/life balance.
2. Be available.
3. Model, model, model.
4. Facilitate.
5. Encourage community participation.
6. Encourage the use of research.
7. Help them establish their teacher identity.

Helpful links

• Carol Dweck's "The Power of Yet" TEDx talk
• Andy's article about mentoring trainee teachers
• Brene Brown video on empathy
• Teachers and Mental Health - An Interview with Chris Chamberlain
• Exploring Coaching in Education and Training - An Interview with Joanne Miles
• Top Tips for Newly Qualified Teachers - An Interview with Vanessa Mee
• How to Stop Email Taking Over Your Life
• Time Blocking for Teachers and Trainers Revisited
• A Teacher's Guide to EduTwitter

Highlights

• Introducing Elizabeth Hutchinson (01:03).
• Elizabeth shares some recent PD that had a big impact on her (03:00).
• Organising PD is great PD (05:58).
• Elizabeth talks about her own approach to PD previously and now (08:46).
• The Twitter chat that started everything… Library Staff Love Learning (11:00).
• Martine talks about how the podcast helps her PD (19:04).
• The changing landscape of PD - creating your own opportunities (20:28).
• On Clubhouse (21:03).
• The challenges of leading your own PD - find your focus, find the time (22:50).
• The benefits of finding your own PD - finding your purpose, opening doors and finding your clan (28:42).
• On career paths…. (34:30).
• Workload and PD - bite-sized PD (36:25).
• Logging your PD (46:46).
• Final thoughts (51:43).
• Find Elizabeth online (52:29).

Thanks

Thanks to Elizabeth for returning to the show and being an awesome guest.

Helpful links

• Elizabeth’s website
• Elizabeth on Twitter
• Episode 13 Why it’s Time to Get to Know Your School Librarian, An Interview With Elizabeth Hutchinson
• CILIP
• Martine’s interview with Professor Matt O’Leary
• Clubhouse
• Library Staff Love Learning
• Create Positive Habits That Stick (podcast)

Thanks to Daniela, who is a member of The Teaching Space Community, for suggesting this episode topic.

You can join the community at community.theteachingspace.com.

This topic has been influenced by my own experience as well a number of articles I read on the topic. I will link to the articles in the show notes which you will find at theteachingspace.com/118.

This episode will focus on teachers using Twitter for their own purposes rather than using it with students.

Highlights

What is EduTwitter? (02:50)

• Educators on Twitter who generally use EduTwitter as a hashtag.

Positives (03:43)

• It's a great way to connect with people from all over the world working in similar, or entirely different areas of education to you.
• Building your network in this way can lead to job offers! (Remember AJ from episode 114?)
• You can engage in interesting, topical discussions, get help, advice and help.
• You can stay current by knowing what is being discussed in education right now.
• It's an easy way to find links to interesting articles, podcasts, research, events etc.
• Event hashtags are fab.
• It's free PD (although often we forget to log it).
• It's a great way to try publishing content e.g. tweetstorms.

Negatives (08.27)

• Twitter is a 'social' media platform - invariably you will end up using it for work purposes during social time. This is a boundary that needs consideration.
• If you are tweeting professionally, you need to consider your employer's viewpoint.
• On self-promotion.
• Discussions can turn nasty... not often, but they can.

EduTwitter Wellbeing Strategies (11:43)

• It's all about boundaries. Think about how and when you will engage in Twitter conversation. Who will you be? Is yours a teaching only feed or a mix?
• Think twice before participating in certain discussions e.g. isolation booths, 'prog' v 'trad' teachers, certain behaviour topics etc.
• If you are going to participate and disagree, try to 'attack' arguments rather than the people making them (see Greg Ashman's article).
• Carefully curate your feed, consider your 'bubble' - don't just follow your sector or people who look at sound like you.
• Find hashtags of interest and check those and also use them.
• Participate in Twitter chats.
• Remember people often only show their 'best bits'.
• If you need a break, remove the app from your phone.
• Don't be afraid to unfollow people.
• Mute words.
• Be human.

Final Thoughts (20:33)

Treat Twitter as a community but ensure your boundaries are in place. And give me a follow if you're there or joining: MartineGuernsey.

Helpful links

• AJ's story (podcast episode 114)
• A Beginner's Guide to EduTwitter
• The Magic That is EduTwitter and Online CPD
• The Golden Rule of EduTwitter
• How to mute words on Twitter
• Twitter 101: How to Start Your Own Teacher Twitter Account
• Martine on Twitter

Highlights

• Introducing Parm (00:40).
• Why Parm thinks teacher wellbeing is at an all-time low (02:22).
• Martine on boundaries (04:00).
• Switching to online teaching (05:30).
• Teachers as perfectionists (06:15).
• The unseen pressure on women due to Covid (07:10).
• Living alone on an island and working in education (08:40).
• The stress epidemic (09:30).
• Unique challenges in teaching (10:30).
• Guernsey and Ofsted (14:55).
• The pressure of always being "on" (16:20).
• Dropping standards just a tiny bit (17:10).
• Parm on presenteeism (19:20).
• Trust, professionalism and the need for a culture of flexibility (24:00).
• How leadership is changing (25:40).
• The need for flexibility in leadership (28:01).
• Could the pandemic help flexible working become more accepted? (28:45).
• Zoom fatigue... a few tips (29:57).
• Asynchronous versus synchronous learning online (31:27).
• Ways to prioritise and increase our wellbeing (33:00).
• Being able to talk about your mental health is a strength (36:45).
• Be mindful of the impact of Covid when you deal with colleagues (43:30).
• About WomenEd (44:38).

Thanks

Thanks to Parm for being such an interesting and generous guest.

Helpful links

• WomenEd
• Victoria College, Jersey
• Parm on Twitter
• WomenEd on Twitter
• Podcast: You Need to Stop Being a Perfectionist Teacher Right Now
• Podcast: Could it be That You Need to Drop Your Standards?
• High Challenge, Low Threat by Mary Myatt
• Leading ethically (ASCL)
• Podcast: Teachers and Mental Health - Interview with Chris Chamberlain
• Podcast: Managing Worry for Teachers and Trainers

Highlights

Introduction

• In my teaching practice I am always aware of the need for my learners to regularly engage with material I am teaching them to embed it in their long-term memory. It’s also important they practice retrieval in order to remember (00:40).
• Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve in under 2 minutes (01:17).
• Something I have realised while studying my master’s in education is that I don’t pay enough attention to this with my own learning - particularly with what I read. So I did some research and tried a few techniques to help me remember what I read. I will share my approach in this episode (01:55).

Materials in Focus

• This episode focuses non-fiction rather than fiction, and ‘real books’ rather than audiobooks (03:10).
• 12 non-fiction book target for 2021 (04:32 ).

How I Remember What I Read

• Highlighting is great but not enough - highlights must be revisited (05:57).
• Add annotations to highlights - what does this highlight mean, why did you highlight it and how is the idea interesting or useful to you? (08:04).
• Send highlights to Readwise and use spaced repetition via email (09:55).
• Use a tool like Notion to manage your notes, annotations and highlights. For example I have: (10:27)
  • A reading database (each entry includes author details, progress etc and for academic reading the original PDF, annotated PDF and bibliographic details).
  • A Readwise database (linked to my notes and reading databases).
  • A notes database.
• Write a book summary (11:25).
• Consider a three sentence summary in the style of James Clear (11:57).
• Summary (12:58).

Helpful links

• Readwise
• How to use Readwise with Notion
• Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve
• James Clear’s three sentence book summaries

Highlights

Introduction

• Making decisions uses considerable mental energy which is limited (00:42 ).
• Decision fatigue is real (00:52).
• Educators make a lot of decisions - some significant - so it is definitely worth looking at ways to minimise the number of small decisions we make daily, to reserve energy for the big ones (01:42).

Small Decisions

• Time for a brain dump (01:58).
• List the small decisions you have to make every day. Examples (02:19):
  • What to eat for lunch/dinner.
  • When to each lunch/dinner.
  • What time to wake up and go to bed.
  • What to do at the gym.
  • What to wear to go to the gym.
  • What to wear to work.

What Can You Automate, Delegate or Eliminate?

• Automate: make automatic, or at least systematised (03:10).
• Delegate: perhaps to a partner, family member, friend or professional service provider (03:31).
• Eliminate: get rid of completely! (03:48)

Automate

• Fully automatic: social media, direct debits, comment bank (05:19).
• Systematised: podcast workflow (Notion template), shopping list (Bring), The Teaching Space Extra (08:00).

Delegate

• Gardening, cleaning and meal planning (Hello Fresh) - I fully acknowledge my privilege in being able to do this (10:33).
• Skill swap with friends or family - just ask! I now have a new podcast interview editor… (12:03).

Eliminate

• To eliminate decisions entirely, form habits (e.g. gym every day etc). Check out habits podcast episode theteachingspace.com/49, as well as James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits (13:34).
• Examples: wake up time (see the sleep episode theteachingspace.com/109), clothing (like Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and Barack Obama!) (14:22).
• Community example: Bob’s robot mower and mulcher (16:05).

Postpone?

• Sometimes it is better to postpone (16:45).

Over to You

• What about you? Let’s chat in the community (17:15 ).

Helpful links

• The Teaching Space Community
• Readwise
• 5 Ways Teachers Can Mark Faster and Smarter and 5 More Ways Teachers Can Mark Faster and Smarter (podcast episodes)
• Create Positive Habits That Stick (podcast episode)
• How to Sleep Better An Interview with Daniel White (podcast episode)
• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• Notion template for podcasters
• Bring app
• The Teaching Space Extra

Highlights

• Introducing AJ Smith (00:40).
• On AJ's switch from secondary to primary (01:16).
• On my switch from finance to education (08:00).
• How I "met" AJ... spoiler - it's YouTube (10:05).
• Starting to talk about Notion (10:53).
• One trust place for everything (12:50).
• Productivity challenges for teachers (13:24).
• Finding the Notion community (20:45).
• What is Notion? (22:47).
• AJ's Notion setup (24:00).
• Using Notion to improve your mental health (28:53).
• How using Notion makes you a better person (!) (32:42).
• The quick capture/inbox concept (35:20).
• The second brain (38:20).
• Is there a danger that we will collect too much information? (43:30).
• Curate with an action attached (46:11).
• AJ on YouTube (47:00).

Thanks

Thanks to AJ for being such an interesting and engaging guest.

Helpful links

• AJ on Twitter
• Martine on Twitter
• AJ's blog
• AJ on YouTube
• How AJ uses Notion as a Teacher Planner (YouTube video)
• Notion Mastery course
• Martine's Notion templates
• David Allen, GTD
• Comparative judgement
• Notion

Highlights

• Introducing Chris Chamberlain (00:44).
• About Guernsey Mind (01:50).
• How can teachers improve their mental health or seek help? (05:10).
• Self care and self management is a priority (05:21).
• Emails - are you a 24-hour service? (06:10).
• Work is not called pleasure! (07:22).
• On sleep (08:18).
• Setting boundaries and self-management (11:50).
• Learning to say no (14:21).
• We are not perfect (17:00).
• Reflect on mistakes (17:20).
• Sharing experiences (17:55).
• Admitting you are struggling is a strength (20:19).
• What do you do if you have a colleague studying with their mental health? (22:45).
  • Practice empathy.
  • Are you OK?
  • Actively listen.
  • Remember everyone is different.
  • Signpost to Samaritans, employee assistance, line manager (if appropriate) local Mind charity or GP.
• Signs of anxiety (23:40).
• Final thoughts (29:23).
  • Find out more about mental health.
• Find Chris online (34:38).

Thanks

Thanks to my generous guest, Chris Chamberlain.

Helpful links

• Email Chris: chris.chamberlain@guernseymind.org.gg
• Chris on Linkedin
• Guernsey Mind
• UK Mind
• Podcast episode about sleep (an interview with Daniel White)
• Podcast episode about saying ‘no’
• Mental Health First Aid

Highlights

• Introducing Craig (00:53).
• Trust-based observation key questions (03:54).
• More on trust-based lesson observations (05:14).
• Professional conversations and instructional coaching (08:47).
• Matt O’Leary on observations (10:08).
• Martine asks Craig if senior leadership observers experience a conflict of interest (quality assurance versus supportive quality improvement) (11:01).
• Other aspects of teaching that can be evaluated (15:50).
• Martine asks Craig how observers keep their teaching practice current (16:32).
• Professional development communities (20:17).
• The problem with traditional goal setting (23:08).
• Just one thing… (25:29).
• Peers working together and owning professional development (26:11).
• Pandemic thoughts and Mississippi case study (30:38).
• Wrap up - where to get Craig’s book and find him online (33:40).

Thanks

Thank you so much to Craig Randall for being a charming and informative guest on the podcast.

Helpful links

• Trust-Based Observations (by Craig Randall on Amazon UK)
• Trust-Based Observations (by Craig Randall on Amazon.com)
• Craig’s website: trustbased.com
• Email: craig@trustbased.com
• Martine’s podcast interview with Professor Matt O’Leary

Episode 111 of The Teaching Space Podcast features my master’s study toolkit (how we love a toolkit episode!)

Highlights

• Introduction (00:32).
• Year one toolkit (01:48).
  • Bookshelf by Vital Source
  • GoodNotes
  • Microsoft OneNote
  • Cite This For Me
  • Google Calendar
  • Microsoft Word
• Year two toolkit (06:23).
  • The same: reader access, Cite This For Me, Google Calendar, assignments in Microsoft Word
  • Different: PDF annotation in iAnnotate, Notion for notes, new keyboard for iPad.
• Reasons for change (09:29).
• Wrap up (15:00)

Helpful links

• Master’s Degree in Education, Leadership and Management, Open University
• Episode 110: 12 Tips for Preparing to Study a Master's Degree in Your Spare
• Discuss this episode in The Teaching Space Community.
• Bookshelf by Vital Source
• GoodNotes
• Cite The For Me
• iAnnotate
• Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro
• Rusty and Monica - Notion for Academics

Episode 110 of The Teaching Space Podcast shares 12 tips for preparing to study a master’s degree in your spare time.

Highlights

• Introduction (00:29).
• Tip 1: refresh your study skills (03:23).
• Tip 2: use your calendar or wall planner (04:44).
• Tip 3: find out if you are entitled to any study days? (05:40).
• Tip 4: time block your study time (07:02).
• Tip 5: start early (08:15).
• Ad break (08:47).
• Tip 6: decide on your toolkit - more in the next episode (09:01).
• Tip 7: consider your support mechanisms (10:21)
• Tip 8: keep a PDP (12:30).
• Tip 9: keep a reflective learning journal (12:58).
• Tip 10: log everything you read (13:58).
• Tip 11: get a study buddy (14:39).
• Tip 12: set and log your goals (15:53).
• Wrap up (16:42).

Helpful links

• Episode 80: On Being a Student Again
• Open University, Master’s in Education
• Episode 62: Time Blocking for Teachers and Trainers
• Episode 98: Time Blocking for Teachers and Trainers Revisited
• Martine on Twitter
• Join The Teaching Space Community

Episode 109 of The Teaching Space Podcast is an interview with sleep specialist, Daniel White, who has some great advice to help teachers and trainers sleep better.

Highlights

• Introducing Daniel (00:50).
• On burnout (01:48).
• Why sleep matters (03:06).
• What happens to your brain when you are awake (05:34).
• How can teachers and trainers learn to sleep better? (06:30).
• Become aware first - recognise the need to improve (06:43).
• About circadian rhythm (07:56).
• Caveman Dan! (09:00).
• Light exposure (12:15).
• Addictive blue light (19:38).
• Avoid blue light in the evening using blue light blocking glasses (20:16).
• Adjust your tech to reduce blue light (23:56).
• Think about your house lighting (25:22).
• Early daytime light exposure is important (27:09).
• Seasonal affective disorder (31:38).
• How food affects sleep (35:50).
• How alcohol affects sleep (37:24).
• How we sleep (38:32).
• Final thought: boundaries (43:21).
• Find Daniel online - links below (45:33).
• Martine’s wrap up (48:28).

Thanks

Thanks to Daniel White for being such a generous guest.

Helpful links

• Daniel’s website
• Sleep Better Live Better course
• Sleep Better Live Better store
• Why Light Is Just As Important As Food and How To Hack Your Smartphone, PC or Laptop For Better Sleep
• Why We Sleep by Professor Matthew Walker
• Daniel on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn
• Audible offer
• Iris and Flux (for your computer)
• Martine on Voxer
• Email Martine
• Join The Teaching Space Community

Highlights

• These changes are shared without agenda and with the intention of encouraging you to reflect on whether you need or want to make changes. If it’s not the right time for you to listen to this podcast episode then that’s OK. It’s also OK if you don’t want or need to make changes, or if you do not have the capacity (01:26).
• I used summer break to introduce some of these changes and establish habits. Six weeks seemed long enough for me to confidently start identifying as a healthier person (02:15).
• My definition of healthy: anti-diet, pro-movement, comparison-free, and a strong emphasis on mental health (03:34).
• Change 1: daily exercise (indoor and outdoor cycling) (04:21).
• Change 2: one weekly exercise session with others (nordic walking) (07:40).
• Change 3: a little competition (Strava and Apple Activity app) (09:07).
• Change 4: intermittent fasting (16:8, no calorie counting, two meals) (11:02).
• Change 5: working towards no blue light at bed time (mobile in office, no social media on iPad, aiming to move iPad soon). Also establishing better routines around bed time (12:04).
• Change 6: reducing the booze intake (helped by alcohol free beer and gin) (13:30).

Wrap Up

(16:37)

I hope you’ve enjoyed this episode. Another way to become a healthier teacher is to improve your relationship with technology (as alluded to in episode 106). To help with this, you might like to check out my online course, Achieve Inbox Zero. You can find it at theteachingspace.com/shop.

Helpful Links

• Recommended books on habit formation:
  • Atomic Habits by James Clear
  • The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
• Episode 100 An Interview with Oliver Caviglioli
• Peloton app
• The Laid Back Guide To Intermittent Fasting by Kayla Cox
• Strava app (Apple and Android)
• How to run a competition on Apple Activity app
• Episode 106 How to Establish a Healthier Relationship with Social Media
• Seedlip non-alcoholic spirits
• Achieve Inbox Zero course

Highlights

• Introducing Vanessa Mee (00:53).
• Vanessa’s journey into teaching (01:52).
• Transitioning from working in the UK to Guernsey (04:13)
• The type of trainee teachers Vanessa works with (06:16).
• How a trainee’s experience of education affects them (08:16).
• Tip: time block your week and also focus on big picture planning (10:00).
• Tip: personalise your space and build relationships with your students (12:10).
• Vanessa on Imposter Syndrome (13:15).
• Tip: continue research, reading and experimentation (16:05).
• Tip: maintain links with industry (17:36).
• Tip: do less (teacher/student activity ratio) (19:30).
• Tip: look after yourself as a priority (23:10).
• Tip: become part of your school/college community (24:10).
• Mentoring trainee teachers (25:35).

Wrap Up

(26:55)

If you are a trainee teacher or a newly qualified teacher or trainer in any sector of education, why not pop over to The Teaching Space community - I’ll see you there.

Helpful Links

• Guernsey College of Further Education
• South Cheshire College
• Sir David Collins
• Time Blocking for Teachers and Trainers (podcast episode)
• Time Blocking for Teachers and Trainers Revisited (podcast episode)
• QTLS

Highlights

Your Relationship with Social Media

(02:10)

• Is your relationship with social media unhealthy? Only you know the answer to this - I encourage honest reflection here.
• Endless scrolling and finding yourself on your mobile without realising… sound familiar?
• How many hours a day do you spend on your phone looking at social media?
• If you were not doing this, what could you be doing?
• Creating relationships online can affect offline relationships.
• Your communication skills can suffer.

What Can You Do?

(06:25)

• Notifications off.
• Reduce screen time - check your statistics.
• Charge your phone overnight in another room (get an alarm clock!)
• Mute, unfollow, unfriend, block…
• Recognise accounts that cause you stress.
• Select people to follow carefully.
• Think about what you share and when to comment.
• Take a break.
• Take apps off your phone - temporarily or permanently.
• Schedule social media time.
• Create a cut-off time.
• Phone your friends.
• Stop comparing - remember social media is a snapshot.
• Post later.
• Use blocking tools.

Wrap Up

(16:00)

If you are currently working on improving your relationship with technology generally, you might like to check out my online course, Achieve Inbox Zero. You can find it at theteachingspace.com/shop.

Helpful Links

• Martine on Twitter
• Martine on Pinterest
• Podcast Episode 103 - How to Stop Email Taking Over Your Life
• Drafts app (where I draft social media messages sometimes - Apple only)
• How to check your screen time on different devices
• Achieve Inbox Zero online course

This episode is kindly sponsored by Subject Leaders.

Highlights

• About Professor Matt O’Leary (01:15).
• What Matt first became interested in observations (01:55).
• Different types of observations and reasons for them (05:47).
• Matt’s most recent research into observations (09:43).
• How Martine’s College executes observations - The ONE THING (16:43).
• Matt’s thoughts on The ONE THING (19:36).
• About unseen observation (22:29).
• Unseen observations while teaching online (27:35).
• Existing research on professional learning (32:40).
• The future of observation(43:30).
• Where to find Matt online (46:39).

Thanks

Thanks so much to Matt O’Leary for coming on the show and thanks also go to this episode’s sponsor, Subject Leaders.

Helpful Links

• Birmingham City University
• Matt’s latest research on Research Gate
• Matt O’Leary on Twitter
• Matt O’Leary on Linkedin
• Matt on academia.edu
• Matt’s book “Classroom Observation” on Routledge and Amazon
• Guernsey College of Further Education