Ever wonder why brilliant educational ideas don't always translate into classroom reality? In this conversation, Shane Leaning sits down with author Chris Youles to explore the messy truth about implementing change in schools and why sometimes it's easier to influence other people's schools than your own.

Chris, Assistant Head Teacher and author of the brilliant Teaching Story Writing in Primary (Bloomsbury), shares his honest reflections on the gap between writing about best practice and actually making it happen. With characteristic candour, he admits that despite literally writing the book on teaching writing, he still struggles with implementation challenges in his own school. We dive into the psychology of professional development, explore why past CPD trauma affects how teachers receive new ideas, and discover Chris's brilliant concept of "death by a thousand blows" for sustainable change.

This episode will resonate with anyone who's ever wondered why that amazing training session didn't quite stick, or why resistance to change persists even when everyone agrees the ideas are good. Chris offers practical insights into reframing change around student outcomes, the importance of consistency over perfection, and how small, frequent adjustments can create lasting transformation.

Links:

Chris Youles' Books:

• Teaching Story Writing in Primary: Curriculum-aligned, classroom-ready resources and strategies (Bloomsbury, 2024)
• Sentence Models for Creative Writing: A practical resource for teaching writing (John Catt Educational, 2023)

Writing Systems and Approaches:

• Jane Considine's "The Write Stuff" system - Transforming the teaching of writing
• The Write Stuff book by Jane Considine

Reading Resources:

• Christopher Such's work on reading fluency and deep discussion
• Primary Reading Simplified: A Practical Guide to Classroom Teaching and Whole-School Implementation by Christopher Such
• The Art and Science of Teaching Primary Reading by Christopher Such

Episode Partners

Teacher Development Trust

International Curriculum Association

Join Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensive

Shane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.

You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com

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