Ep: 286: Darius Samojlowicz: The Missing Link in School Improvement, Middle Leadership and the Work of MANSW

Tayla is an experienced secondary teacher with five years in education, passionate about supporting both student learning and teacher development. She has recently stepped into the role of Year Advisor, supporting students through their academic, personal and wellbeing journeys. Alongside her classroom role, Tayla works as an Instructional Coach, supporting teachers to reflect on and strengthen their practice. She also mentors pre-service teachers, helping them navigate the transition from teacher training to the realities of the classroom. With experience across teaching, coaching, mentoring and student wellbeing, Tayla is passionate about the practical side of teaching, what actually works in the classroom, how we continue to grow as educators, and how we create meaningful learning experiences for students.

Hannah Hobbs is a songwriter whose music has reached people around the world. For me, though, this conversation is especially personal. Hannah and I have been friends for almost 30 years, and she is genuinely one of my favourite people.In this episode, we talk about creativity, leadership and the experiences that shape the work we make. We explore what Hannah has learnt about navigating change, holding plans loosely, recognising when a season is shifting and staying open to what comes next.Hannah also reflects on songwriting, purpose, relationships and the lessons she has picked up along the way. It is a warm and personal conversation with someone I have known for most of my life, about making meaningful work, leading people well and building a life around the things that matter most.

What does it mean to do the right work, in the right way?It’s a question that has stayed with me throughout my own leadership journey.In this episode of The Art of Teaching, I have the privilege of speaking with Professor Viviane Robinson about the ideas behind her book Virtuous Educational Leadership: Doing the Right Work the Right Way.This is the third time I’ve had the opportunity to speak with Viviane, and each conversation has challenged me to think more carefully about leadership, decision-making and the impact we have on the people around us. I always come away with something new to reflect on and apply to my own practice.Our conversation explores something that sits at the heart of leadership. Knowledge and skill matter, but so do our motives, our judgement and the kind of person we are becoming through the work.Viviane challenges us to think carefully about what the “right work” of educational leadership looks like, the virtues that help us do that work well, and how those virtues are developed through the decisions and conversations that make up everyday school life.We also talk about the difference between values and virtues, why good intentions are not always enough, and what it means to lead with courage, humility and care when the work becomes difficult.This conversation gave me plenty to think about. It made me reflect on the decisions I make, the way I work with people and whether I am giving enough attention to how I lead, as well as what I am trying to achieve.A thoughtful conversation for anyone trying to lead well, stay grounded and keep students at the centre of the work

Schools are full of worthwhile ideas. The hard part is deciding which ones deserve our time and attention, and what we need to let go of to do them well.My guest today is Michael Rosenbrock. Michael has spent more than 15 years working in and with schools as a teacher, leader and education consultant. His work focuses on helping schools put good ideas into practice. He’s also the author of The Pruning Principle, a book about strategic subtraction in education.In this conversation, we explore what it takes to make change stick, how leaders decide what to stop doing, and how schools make space for the work that matters most.

What helps students feel that their learning matters? And what happens when an educator steps away from work to ask the same question of her own life? In this episode, I speak with Loni Bergqvist, an educator and school development consultant who has supported more than 50 schools to rethink how young people experience learning. We explore what high-quality project-based learning looks like, how teachers build the conditions for student agency and belonging, and why lasting change depends on working together. Loni also shares the story behind The Sabbatical Diaries. We talk about stepping back, reconsidering the place of work in our lives and making room for the parts of ourselves we’ve put aside. It’s a conversation about meaningful learning, thoughtful change and finding your way back to yourself.