Episode #24 Creating a holistic classroom

cafs community and family studies disabilities diversity impact inclusion teacher wellbeing understanding Apr 13, 2022

In this episode of The Learning Network Podcast, I am joined by the inspirational Angela Lockwood to chat about the importance of being aware of all the different needs of the students in your classroom & prioritising the wellbeing of both you & your students.

Angela is an occupational therapist & author who, for the last 20 years has been working in classrooms to provide school based Occupational Therapy services. After a life threatening head injury during a game of hockey, Angela was inspired to dedicate herself to supporting people overcome challenges they face, focusing on the inclusion of children with diverse needs.

During the interview, Angela points out that children's needs are changing, with a significant increase in diagnosis of developmental & learning disabilities, therefore a growing amount of pressure for teachers to modify, tweak or completely alter lessons. This stress often makes teachers lose sight of what is really important.

Angela asks you to reflect on what drove you to become a teacher in the first place, pointing out that it is often a heart lead decision; wanting to make impact on the lives of the kids or feeling inspired by a teacher you had when growing up.

We chat about leading with your heart and not your head as one of the most important ways to make a true difference to the lives of those smiling faces looking up at you & dive in to some of the practical ways you can do this in your classroom.

So join us for an episode that will touch your heart, make you think about important things in your class &, if you're anything like me, may even give you goosebumps!

Listen to the episode & read the shownotes at thelearnnet.com/24.