Inspiration, Influence and Impact

My guest this episode, Lisa Baylis, shares her journey towards self-compassion and how kindness and mindfulness practices have influenced her own well-being and inspired her to support other educators with their own well-being, building resiliency and restoring the joy of teaching.  Lisa's inspirational, influential and impactful recommendations: Person - Start within... Book - 'Self-Compassion for Educators: Mindful Practices to Awaken Your Well-Being and Grow Resilience' by Lisa Baylis  Podcast - Dare to Lead with Brene Brown; Work Life and ReThinking with Adam Grant Cause - Reconciliation; Kindness  Dream Travel Destination - Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific  Connect with Lisa:  Twitter - Lisa_Baylis  Instagram - Lisa Baylis  Website - Lisa Baylis  Facebook - Lisa Baylis Educator  YouTube - @lisabayliseducator LinkedIn - Lisa Baylis  Lisa Baylis has been sharing wellbeing strategies for the last 20 years. A natural born connector with an innate ability to make people feel valued and heard, she is an instructor, a counsellor, a facilitator, and a mother. Lisa is a published author of Self-Compassion for Educators as well as, the creator of the AWE Method — Awakening the Wellbeing for Educators — which merges self-care, mindfulness, and self-compassion. 

My guest this episode, Amy Green, shares her vision for helping educators thrive both in and outside the classroom, her mission to support schools to identify effective systems to ensure the wellness of staff, and how her own wellness journey has inspired and influenced her work. 

Amy's inspirational, influential and impactful recommendations:

• Person - Susan David
• Books - 'The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results' by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan and 'Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle' by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski
• Podcast - Jay Shetty; Brene Brown
• Cause - One Girl - Educating Girls To Change The World
• Dream Travel Destination - Hawaii; Machu Picchu 

Connect with Amy:

• LinkedIn - Amy Green
• Instagram - _thewellnessstrategy
• Facebook - The Wellness Strategy with Amy Green
• Website - The Wellness Strategy

Amy is founder of The Wellness Strategy, a published author, speaker, facilitator, and coach, and a leader in improving workplace culture and wellbeing in schools and organisations. As a past teacher and school leader, Amy is determined to change the way we view wellbeing to support our everyday and workplace needs. With a background in teaching and leadership and having studied human behaviour and positive psychology, Amy brings to the wellbeing space a fresh approach to what can be a sensitive topic.

Amy guides workplaces to understand the difference between individual and collective wellbeing to ensure all employees feel safe, valued, and fulfilled, and to bring about a workplace culture in which all staff thrive and flourish.

My guest this episode, Brett Salakas, shares his wide and varied educational journey and its impact on his teaching pedagogy and practice. He talks about his passion for turning educational theory into real classroom practice, and supporting other educators to do the same. Brett's mission for connection, collaboration and inspiration drives his work and the influence and impact he hopes to have. 

Brett's inspirational, influential and impactful recommendations:

• People - Matthew X. Joseph; Brian Aspinall; Cathy Hunt; Carl Hooker; Amanda Fox
• Book - 'Ready, Set, Fail' by Carl Hooker; 'The 48 Laws of Power' by Robert Greene
• Podcast - The Dollop; Behind The Bastards; History Detective with Kelly Chase  
• Cause - Deadly Science 
• Dream Travel Destination - Antartica cruise 

Connect with Brett:

• Twitter - @MRsalakas
• LinkedIn - Brett Salakas 
• Website - salakas.live

Uniquely experienced, Brett’s innovation, curriculum insight and passion to deliver results set him apart. His reputation for innovation in the education industry is truly global. He has been the keynote speaker at multiple international conferences, in Australia, Asia, Europe and North America and has run Professional Learning for schools and systems both in Australia and in North America.

Brett is a teacher, leader, poet and the founder of #aussieED (the largest online network of teachers in Australia) and the co-founder of both the ED Poets Society and #TheWalkingED.

Brett has leadership experience within the Public Education System, Catholic and Independent systems as well as being a Curriculum and Digital Technologies Officer while teaching in Singapore. Couple that with the rare experience of having taught from Kindergarten to Year 10 and you will find that Brett brings a blend of deep pedagogical awareness and flexibility that allows him to rapidly adapt to and understand complex educational contexts.

My guest this episode, Allyson Apsey, shares her mission to bring joy to the lives of others and the origins and impact of her serendipity journey, and how that guides the work she does with educators and students. She discusses her goal of hope for creating schools where teachers can feel both fulfilled and have energy for their lives beyond school. Allyson loves supporting educators as everyone works to be happy and effective people for the benefit of all, as when our teachers thrive our students thrive.  Allyson's Inspirational, Influential and Impactful recommendations: Person - Jessica Gomez Book - Stolen Focus by Johann Hari Podcasts - Super Soul Sunday with Oprah Winfrey; Brene Brown  Cause - support our educators Dream Travel Destination - England, Scotland, Ireland  Connect with Allyson: Twitter - @AllysonApsey Instagram - @allysonapsey Facebook - Allyson Apsey LinkedIn - Allyson Apsey TikTok - @allysonapsey19 Website - Serendipity In Education Allyson Apsey has been an educator for 24 years; an award-winning school leader for 19 of those years. She is passionate about students and staff and leads others through their strengths. She tries to be transparent, vulnerable and supportive, and she doesn’t ask questions unless she wants the answers.

My guest this episode, Rachael Lehr, shares how the ideas and big dreams of others and books have inspired and influenced her teaching, learning and life journey. She also discusses her belief in the power of people and the human spirit as being vital for personal growth, and how she hopes to leave people better, and sparkle, through her presence, influence, or relationship with her. 

Finding Your Leadership Sparkle

Rachael's inspirational, influential and impactful recommendations:

• People - Find people who inspire you, see you and challenge you, and connect any way you can.
• Book - Stolen Foucs by Johann Hari
• Podcast - Education Research Reading Room by Oliver Lovell
• Cause - Think local and find one your community needs.
• Dream Travel Destination - Europe

Connect with Rachael:

• Twitter - @rachaellehr
• Facebook Pages - @Dayton Primary School @ACEL WA
• LinkedIn - @Rachael Lehr

My guest this episode, Tammy Robinson, shares how in the midst of grief she discovered her life's purpose and, in the process, healed her heart. She talks of her desire to empower young people and show them they are important, valued and respected. Tammy's goal is for the young people she supports to know that kindness is free, and to teach them that, as a community, we can create a ripple effect of kindness. 

Tammy's inspirational, influential and impactful recommendations:

• Person - Sally Steele 
• Book - 'Dare More, Care Less' by Sally Steele
• Cause - Beyond DV
• Dream Travel Destination - United Kingdom

Connect with Tammy:

• Facebook - Formally Ever After

Tammy runs Formally Ever After, a community program in Logan, Queensland. She is a mother of four (three adult children and her 12 year old daughter), and her partner enthusiastically helps with the program. Tammy works in the Aged Care industry as a Lifestyle Carer, and working with our elderly has always been her passion. In 2019 she lost three very important people in her life, and in 2020 she lost a fourth loved one. These tragic losses reminded her how precious life is and how important it is to be kind to one another. It also reminded her that if time is we have to give another, then we should give our time. Tammy believes we need to use our experiences in life to help lift others and to show our children and young adults that kindness is free.  

My guest this episode, Tammy Baart, shares how identity has impacted her own life and learning journey, and her hope to be role model and provide a platform to celebrate Indigenous success. She talks about her passion for ensuring all children achieve success and exceed their own expectations, and her mission to support young people to know who they are and where they belong in the world. Learning about and reconnecting with her culture, has Influenced Tammy's sense of belonging and view of the world. 

Tammy's inspirational, influential and impactful recommendations:

• People - Joanne McEachen (The Learner First)
• Book - 'The Dreaming Path' by Paul Callaghan, 'The Yield' by Tara June Winch
• Podcast - Mojo Crowe with Ben Crow
• Cause - Know Your Country; Team Mills Foundation 
• Dream Travel Destination - To see the Northern Lights

Connect with Tammy:

• Linkedin - Tammy Baart
• Instagram - @misstammy_blakignited
• Facebook - Blak Ingnited

A proud Dharug woman, Tammy, has grown up reconnecting with her culture; firmly believing that we must harness the power of education and its ability to create future opportunities.  As the first in her family to graduate high school, Tammy is the epitome of a lifelong learner and acknowledges that we all play a role to play in shaping future leaders.

With over two decades of educational leadership – in School Executive roles and Curriculum Writing – Tammy uses her experience in both the Government and Independent sectors to advocate and enable change, prioritising student needs so children and youth can be empowered to write their own narratives. Ignited by a passion and drive to find the gaps in the education system, Tammy firmly believes and advocates for all students to have access to authentic and sustainable learning pathways.

Modeling learning and leading in two worlds, Tammy is a bold and courageous Indigenous woman who has foresight and vision to challenge herself and in turn those she works with to greater heights. Understanding the bigger picture while knowing the little things matter is Tammy’s superpower.

Leading with love and compassion, Tammy brings people together to commit to creating a new and higher standard of what is possible for our children.

My guest this episode, Alice Vigors, shares her passion for creating a culture of thinking, visible learning and inquiry in teaching, leading and learning, and discusses the inspiration and influences that have helped fuel the fire on her journey. She also talks about her belief that all students should be known, valued and cared for in our schools; and that the teachers in our school are our greatest resource.  Alice's inspiration, influential and impactful recommendations: People - Rebecca West from Talkin' Chalk, Aaron Johnston from Mr J’s Learning Space Book - The Innovator’s Mindset by George Couros Podcast - Cold Coffee, No Gluesticks with Katey Street Cause - Student well-being Dream Travel Destination - Canada and Alaska Connect with Alice: Twitter - @alice_vigors Instagram - @thinkingpathways Website or Blog - thinkingpathwayz Facebook Page - Thinking Pathways Podcast - Teacher Takeaway Podcast Linkedin - Alice Vigors Alice Vigors is a dedicated and passionate assistant principal: curriculum and instruction, who uses her creativity, innovation and dedication to inspire others and build their capacity to make a positive difference to the education of all students. She has been a teacher and leader for 14 years, working in both the NSW Public and Catholic education systems. Alice has developed a website, blog and professional learning network called ‘Thinking Pathways’, a resource and information hub for sharing her knowledge and examples of classroom practice around the explicit teaching and scaffolding of critical and creative thinking skills, the implementation of visible learning practices and understanding the role of inquiry learning in teaching, learning and leading. Alice launched and co-hosts an educational podcast in March 2021 called the ‘Teacher Takeaway’ podcast to provide educators with practical takeaway ideas across a range of educational topics with three other prominent educational leaders. Alice has just written a book called the ‘Thinking Classroom: supporting educators to embed critical and creative thinking’ which is being released on the 26th October 2022.

My guest this episode, Sarah Johnson, shares how she uses her three core values of balance, resilience and faith to live her own full life. She talks about her aim to serve and guide others live their own full life focus through her passions and work. Sarah discusses how her own life journey has had a significant impact on developing her passions, skills and mission to rise and reach the masses.  Sarah's inspirational, influential and impactful recommendations: People - Latrese Younger; Megan Anderson; Neil Gupta Books - 'The Path Back to You' by Ian Cron Suzanne Sstabile; 'Gift of Imperfection' by Brene Brown Podcasts - Aspire Leadership Development Podcast with Joshua Stamper; Dare to Lead with Brene Brown Cause - Youth Mental Health First Aid and American Dream Travel Destination - Paris  Connect with Sarah: Twitter - @SarahSajohnson Instagram - @sarahsajohnson Website - sarahsajohnson.com  Facebook - Sarah Johnson Consulting  Podcast - In AWE Podcast Sarah Johnson is a former teacher and school principal, turned author, speaker, and podcaster. She is passionate about assisting others in seeking greater satisfaction in all areas of their full lives by helping them go beyond work-life balance as well as develop strong leadership foundations. [Sarah holds a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education, Master of Science in Educational Administration, a Certificate for Women in Leadership from Cornell University, and is in a Doctoral Studies program for Leadership, Learning, and Service.] She hosts the weekly In AWE Podcast where she is proud to amplify women’s stories every week. She lives her own full life focus by pursuing passions such as running, writing, focusing on family, while also honing her leadership skills through networking, teaching, and learning.

My guest this episode, Catherine Williams, shares how connecting with others inspired her teaching and positively impacted student engagement and  learning. These connections also provided the opportunity for professional learning and innovation, in addition to support, encouragement and friendship. Catherine also talks of how she now finds inspiration in nature, and the joy she finds in serving and uplifting others.  

Catherine's inspiration, influential and impactful recommendations:  

• People - Connect with people who inspire you; Roman Nowak; Laurie McIntosh; Jen Jones  
• Books - 'Kids Deserve It' by Todd Nesloney and Adam Welcome; 'Kids These Days' by Dr Jody Carrington; 'Teachers These Days' by Dr Jody Carrington and Laurie McIntosh  
• Podcast - 'On Purpose' with Jay Shetty 
• Cause - A cause in your local community; Businesses in the rural and remote locations 
• Dream Travel Destination - Canada and Alaska; Top End of Australia   

Connect with Catherine: 

• Twitter - @cathwilliams05 
• Instagram - @cathwilliams05 and @blue_wren_gardening