Collaborative Education

My next guest is Benedict Hren who is currently the Director of the Centre for Abundance at The Arbor School in Dubai. Ben has a science and education background and holds a post-graduate degree in ecological landscape design. Ben has worked with environmental organizations and schools in the US, the UK, Qatar and the UAE for more than 40 years. He is the former Head of Education of WWF-UK and, while seconded to the UK Sustainable Development Commission, was the project manager for the Department for Education and Skill’s Sustainable Schools programme. Ben worked for ACS International Schools for nine years. He was a member of the founding staff of ACS Doha International School and served as the Head of the Centre for Inspiring Minds. In his current role, he leads the development of the Arbor School’s mission-driven school culture and curriculum, grounded in ecoliteracy, sustainability and environmental justice. 

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After taking a year off from my podcast, I have returned. I am thrilled to have Vanessa Bell as my next guest. Vanessa and I met in Toronto this past summer to discuss her work as an embodied movement coach. 

Her work helps people to understand how their body moves. Movements created in childhood tend to be habitual and sometimes people will need to re-pattern them to walk better, play a sport or relieve them of pain. Vanessa works with clients to bring a lot of awareness to what people are already doing and uses deliberate language to correct patterns in movement.

We discuss the work of Moshé Feldenkrais who developed a type of exercise therapy. Vanessa says Feldenkrais "[goes] back to when our body was first learning to navigate with gravity down on the ground and doing basic movements." By watching her clients move she is able to break down movements to create new patterns. Vanessa also places emphasis on language and teaching people to better communicate how they are feeling in their body.

Vanessa admits she was not planning to work with children. However, after her clients recognized the benefits of Vanessa's work (a combination of a calming and energizing effect) they encouraged her to expand her clientele to children and teenagers. Vanessa discusses her experience working with adults versus adolescents, and ways she has supported teenagers who come to her studio. In addition, Vanessa gives her opinion to the question 'How to grow curiosity?'

This episode is really special and one that has lots of information about movement, childhood and strategies to support teenagers.

Vanessa's website is:

My next guest is Sue Ellar. Sue is a a health and vitality coach, wife and mother of two teenage children. Sue is passionate about coaching people to lead healthier lifestyles. We discuss the impact food has on a person's quality of life.

Recently, Sue has been coaching a family of four to help them make better choices through a nutrition program. After a couple of weeks of working with them, the children and adults have noticed a shift especially the teenagers. Sue reminds us that in order to see long term results it is important to "make delicious meals" and "gradually replac[e] junk food." By using "positive associations and positive experiences" like making designs on plates with food, children will more likely try it. During this episode, Sue shares effective strategies she uses with her clients and great recipe ideas.

We discuss many topics including the food industry, school lunches, sugar and the harmful dieting mentality. In addition, Sue talks about ways that families can have fun prepping, cooking and eating together. Sue emphasizes "the fun, the flavours, the textures, the crispiness, [and] the variety" of food. When families make tasty and healthy food, Sue states that it creates "fun, lovely [and] good quality time [together] and teamwork."

Sue and her family's journey of their release of weight is inspiring and has made her an incredibly supportive coach to her clients. According to Sue "[we] don't function well when we're overweight." After experiencing low energy, tiredness and stiff joints, Sue wanted to make a change. Last summer she began the nutrition program and now helps others achieve sustainable results. This episode has so many take aways for children and adults to live a happier, pain-free and enjoyable life through good nutrition. Enjoy listening to this episode and be prepared to take notes.

Check out Sue's website at:

Michelle Lane-Barmapov is a qualified Casa Montessori teacher (3 to 6 years of age) and early childhood educator who is trained in applied behaviour analysis (ABA). With over 25 years of experience in working with children, Michelle shares her journey of supporting children with differences.

According to Michelle she "always had an interest in working with children that needed support." After working with a 6-year-old boy with autism, she wanted to learn about different methods and approaches to help children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Therefore, Michelle got trained in ABA therapy. She feels that it is important to "work with the development of the child" and conduct an assessment with the child and his/her family to identify what external reward would work best for them.

In 2005, Michelle won the Premier's Award for creating the Toronto Montessori School for Autism (TMSA). The school focused on using ABA therapy and the Montessori approach for children with autism. Due to lack of funding, the school closed in 2010.

As a former Montessori student, Michelle remembers that her Montessori experience was a peaceful time. Michelle shares with us the three qualities that she believes make a great Montessori teacher. In addition, she talks about one of the many Montessori principles she likes.

Currently Michelle is a professor at Sheridan College in the Early Childhood department training adults to become teachers, as well as completing her Doctorate in Health at the University of Bath. Upon completion of her master's degree, Michelle plans to continue her research on the Montessori approach with children who are autistic.

This conversation with Michelle was inspirational, insightful and packed with lots of useful information. Michelle is passionate about helping children which is very evident through her work.

For more information about the work Michelle is involved in and discusses in this episode, visit the links below.

Montessori ABA books:

I was excited to speak with Larisa Makuch on this week's episode. She is a speaker, Master Results Coach, author, trainer and Institute head of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Hypnotherapy, mother, and wife. Larisa is a consultant of Bob Proctor Gallagher Institute and works with adults to discover and achieve their goals. Her son, Lukian is only three years old, however, Larisa had been planting the same seeds with him as her clients. She shares with us tools parents and educators can implement into their repertoire to foster decisive, joyful and unstoppable children.

With over twenty years of experience working with children, Larisa has great advice and tips that can be used for young people to become their best selves. Larisa talks about four areas which build positive habits in her son's daily life. They include communication (language), decision making, confidence and money. By instilling good habits at an early age, it becomes easier to apply throughout one's life. Larisa states that, "Everything we believe is true. Everything we say is true." Therefore she reminds us that our words hold power and to be mindful of how we speak.

We discuss being good role models to children. According to Larisa, if we '[t]each great responsibility, great love, great compassion, great feelings, great energy" we will set the example. Larisa states that '[u]ntil a child is 7 to 9 years of age their conscious mind doesn't filter things the same way as after that. Children absorb everything around them- language, ideas, habits and feelings. And since kids are creatures of habit it is important to acknowledge this and help them to grow, develop and learn.

This powerful conversation with Larisa is one that has a lot of valuable resources and information. Whether you are a parent/caregiver, teacher, or are interested in the work Larisa does, you will benefit in listening to this episode.

To follow Larisa Makuch, click on the links below:

Jo Jones is the Play Development Officer in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales. As the Play Development Officer, she organizes play opportunities in the community, is an advocate for play, engages in social services and looks into funding options for play provisions across the Vale.

The play provisions welcome children 4-11 years of age. There are lots of different activities and opportunities to encourage children to explore, learn and grow. According to Jo, the play work approach is 'child centred.' She has noticed that as a result of play young people grow socially, physically, intellectually, creatively and emotionally.

Many of the activities are outdoors which include arts and crafts, and den building. Jo discusses how there is no outcome for play therefore it takes the pressure off of children to achieve an end result.

Jo talks about the outdoor program 'Woody Wonders' which educates young people to learn about the ecological systems. The activities are based outdoors and give young people an understanding about their environment- plants, trees and habitats.

One of the observations Jo shares is the "children who perhaps don't thrive in an education setting can actually thrive in a play setting." Once children are given the time, space and permission to play they can become more confident, self aware and build social skills.

We discuss the importance of play and ways parents can support their child. In addition, Jo shares her personal experiences and observations working with young people. Given the current climate, my conversation with Jo is relevant since it is so important to help children thrive post pandemic through play.

For more information about the topics discussed in this episode, go to:

Joining me on this week's episode is Brett Girven who is the principal of The Arbor School in Dubai. The Arbor School is an ecological school based on the British curriculum. It has six climate-controlled biodomes and beautiful learning gardens for students to explore. These green spaces also know as 'living classrooms' are fantastic places for children to learn, meditate and read.

Established in 2018, The Arbor School is a very forward thinking school which Brett joined in 2019. So what makes Arbor School such a desirable school? Brett explains that there are 3 pillars of the school which make it unique. These include ecoliteracy, sustainability, and global and environmental justice. Growing up and studying in New Zealand, gave Brett the opportunity to see "how humans interact with the biological living systems." After completing a degree in Zoology and a post graduate degree in Environmental Science, Brett became a biology teacher and continued to coach sports.

Brett and his family moved to the Middle East more than 10 years ago. He discusses the ethos of The Arbor School as well as the philosophy (known as the ecosophy). Brett shares examples of lessons that engage students with tangible materials while using the ecoliteracy approach.

Community building is another important aspect of The Arbor School. Brett states that "[t]he [Arbor] children need to come out of this with a different view of the world." Therefore by making connections in the community to host yoga, art and culinary classes encourages sustainability.

During our conversation, Brett elaborated on the concept of the school, his vision of The Arbor School in ten years and his memorable moments as Principal. Whether you are an educator or a parent, this episode is one that you will definitely enjoy and learn from.

For more information about The Arbor School, go to:

My guest this week is Paula Coop McCrory. Paula is an educator, artist, content creator, mother, wife and writer. We discuss Paula's experiences of raising her three sons through empowerment, emotional awareness and intelligence, trust and communication.

After her youngest son was born, Paula decided to start a Pinterest account as a hobby and outlet for her to express her creativity. What started as a hobby and a form of therapy became an account that had over 4 million followers. Her great taste in fashion, art, style, home furnishings, food and travel appealed to a large marketing company who bought Paula's account. Today, Paula is taking a break from social media to focus on parenting and writing.

In this episode, Paula talks about her own stories of growing up with two parents who greatly influenced her. Paula shares with us an important lesson she was taught after taking up gymnastics, "Better to try and to fail then, to not try at all and [recognizing that] no experience is wasted." Paula instills this belief in her children. By encouraging her sons to acknowledge their feelings and then express themselves, Paula thinks this is a better approach as opposed to them always acting out physically.

We also discuss Paula's own experiences of teaching and being a parent at a Montessori school. According to Paula, her sons learned a lot in their earlier years of education including the "way they learn and their approach to learning and even their approach to self." When her children transitioned from a Montessori school to a public school, Paula noticed they became more confident and made their own choices in what they wanted to learn.

This episode is full of interesting information and stories. Whether you are a parent or an educator, you will benefit from listening to my conversation with Paula.

To follow Paula Coop McCrory, click on the links below:

Vince Sanderson is a qualified secondary science teacher who now works for Wales Restorative Approaches Partnership (WRAP). He goes into schools to train teachers, parents and caregivers about the Restorative Approach. The approach is one that Vince describes as a 'way of being.' He explains that it is about building, maintaining and repairing relationships.

There are techniques and tools that adults can apply to enhance their relationships with others. One example is being aware of the words we use. Vince references Dr. John Gottman who observed how people handle conflict. For Vince, separating the behaviour from the person was key and something he is aware of when he speaks to his son. Once people are mindful of this concept, then they can convey to the child that they disagree with the behaviour, however, they are still loved. This will help children's self-esteem and not shame them.

Currently, Vince is creating courses for families in order for them to "have happier relationships." He has done practical work and shares his experiences with others. In the past, Vince has used the book, Fire Child, Water Child: How Understanding the Five Types of ADHD Can Help You Improve Your Child's Self-Esteem and Attention by Stephen Cowan to better understand children's behaviour. In the book, there are specific strategies and activities that parents, caregivers and educators can use to support children.

Vince explains that there is a "correlation between behaviours we see and difficulties outside of school." Therefore there is a difficulty with relationships. Subsequently, strong relationships must be built. Vince suggests ways to improve relationships including Circle Practice.

Vince and I discuss Tony Robbins and how he has applied some of Robbins' techniques in classrooms. One technique is talking with a student about the benefits and consequences about a situation to put things into perspective. Ultimately we want to "increase accountability and responsibility for [children's] actions so they make better choices."

The conversation with Vince was really interesting and insightful. Given that Vince refers to the Restorative Practices as a philosophy, he truly believes that it works and will have a positive long term effect on children.

For more information about the Restorative Practices, go to:

On this week's episode, I speak with Edward Wyn Jones. Currently, Edward is the principal at EtonHouse Broadrick in Singapore. He and his family have been living there since January 2020. Previously, Edward was Head of Primary at Craighouse School in Chile for just over two years. Originally from Wales, Edward and his family returned to the UK briefly before settling in Singapore.

Edward mainly shares his experiences as Head of Primary in Craighouse School and his role as principal at EtonHouse. Edward says both have the "same difficulties, same frustrations but it's just got a different name and a different country." Fondly remembering Craighouse School, Edward felt that he and his staff "really gelled to a great team."

Edward discusses one of his proudest moments in education. The production of the Lion King at the school in Santiago showcased students talents in the performing and creative arts. He noticed, "[p]eople working together to make sure that every child had experiences that they will remember for the rest of their lives."

Edward recognized that people will have that 'feel factor' about a school 10 to 15 minutes after being there. He noticed EtonHouse had that "warm feeling, that friendly, community feeling." Edward felt the same way about the school in Wales (Ysgol Gymraeg Cwmbran) where he was Headteacher for 13 years.

This conversation with Edward was a great opportunity to hear from a principal at a prestigious international school and learn more about his journey. It is evident that Edward is passionate about facilitating and supporting children to give them enriching learning experiences especially in the performing and creative arts.

Resources:

EtonHouse International School Broadrick (Singapore)

Alison Davies is my next guest. She is an elementary teacher, registered holistic nutritionist, trainer in neurolinguistic programming (NLP), Time Line Therapy (TLP) as well as hypnotherapy. 

In this episode, Alison shares her experiences of raising her daughter who has been diagnosed with a developmental disorder and epilepsy. Subsequently, she talks about the pros and cons of labels in education. Alison has focused on her daughter's strengths rather than letting a label define who she is. As a result, her daughter went on to represent Team Canada in the World Cheerleading Championship for special abilities.

Alison believes that "kids want to feel valued and heard but within boundaries." She tells us how it's important to give children choice with a limitation. Applying this theory has worked well with her two children and it could be beneficial with yours.

We cover a lot of topics in this episode including procrastination (which Alison refers to it as a "dopamine crash"), the value of meditation and breathing exercises, growth mindset and ways to get exactly what we want using a NLP technique. Sharing her own experiences and techniques with us, the conversation with Alison Davies is one that is powerful and enlightening.

Resources:

Psychologist, Carol Dweck studied mindset which Alison and I discuss.

Anastasia Baczynskyj joins me on this week's episode to discuss successful youth programs she's created, educational resources and her own experiences of home schooling. Anastasia is the Children's Programming Director at The Ukrainian National Federation of Canada and mother of two children.

Anastasia talks about how she turned an 'unloved' camp into the leader of heritage style camps and increased the revenue by 250% in four years. She now helps run the four separate leadership programs and feels fulfilled when she hears the children "gloriously laughing."

In addition, Anastasia shares her experience of home schooling and offers suggestions on how to incorporate learning with your family. While schools were closed due to the pandemic, Anastasia identified a gap in children's learning and developed educational resources.

This conversation with Anastasia is one that I highly recommend you listen to and share with others.

Link to The Ukrainian National Federation of Canada (Toronto Branch):

Today's guest on 'Collaborative Education' is Rebecca Wagner. She is a massage therapist, Mindset Results Coach and hypnotherapist. As well, Rebecca is the mother of two boys.

Rebecca shares her expertise in working with both the mind and body to help people. She discusses a variety of topics including daily habits you can implement in your life to better serve yourself and your children, the power of mindset and the impact of our words.

As a mom, Rebecca gives useful advice to other parents during this challenging time. She suggests, "Do what you can" and find the balance for you. According to Rebecca, discovering what type of learner your child is through an Internal Representation System will help parents support their child's learning in the best way possible.

Follow Rebecca Wagner on Facebook, Instagram and her podcast to learn more about the work she does.

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