Super Teachers Unite

Teachers think that by doing an honours, Master’s or even PhD in education that they will open more doors and increase their chances of being promoted. This simply isn’t the case. In today’s episode I share my thoughts on whether I think teachers should study further.Join other Super Teachers online:Facebook - @SuperTeachersUnite Instagram - @super_teacher_fTwitter - @Super_Teacher_FWebsite - www.phoenixed.co.za

Not all teachers are as efficient and effective as other’s. It is our mission to discover what are the traits and habits that make good teachers great and during our recent episodes we have asked our guests to describe the traits and habits of the teacher that made the most impact on their lives.During this episode we compiled the answers of our guests in one, easy to listen to, compilation episode.Join other Super Teachers online:Facebook - @SuperTeachersUnite Instagram - @super_teacher_fTwitter - @Super_Teacher_FWebsite - www.phoenixed.co.za

Finding a job as a teacher is becoming increasingly difficult and we’ve found that employers are looking for more than just the basic job competency when they hire candidates. In all our recent episodes we asked our guests what it is that they deem to be the traits that make certain candidates stand out from the rest.In this episode we compiled the answers of our guests to this question in one, easy to listen to, compilation episode.Be sure to go to www.goteach.co.za to find more helpful job hunting tips. Join other Super Teachers online:Facebook - @SuperTeachersUnite Instagram - @super_teacher_fTwitter - @Super_Teacher_FWebsite - www.phoenixed.co.za

What does professional big wave surfing and teaching have in common? Turns out there are lessons to be learnt from chasing the storms out on the ocean. Matt Bromley is a professional Big Wave Surfer who chases storms for a living, surfing some of the largest big waves on the planet. Matt is an eight etmes cover boy of various local and international surf magazines, South African Surfing Captain and enthusiastic story teller. His passion is to empower people and their businesses to ride their big waves.During this episode we explore the lessons from surfing the biggest waves on the ocean and how teachers can implement these lessons in their lives and in their teaching.Join other Super Teachers online:Facebook - @SuperTeachersUnite Instagram - @super_teacher_fTwitter - @Super_Teacher_FWebsite - www.phoenixed.co.za

You can go work in any industry of your choosing. That’s the message that Kim Craig shared with us during this episode.The legal industry has the same challenges that education has. Both can be extremely conservative and reluctant to change. Many traditional approaches are now obsolete and we need to rethink our processes. Teachers already possess so much of the skills needed in the workforce. Why not broaden your horizons.Kim Craig is the co-founder of Bold Duck Studios and she has great success in assisting law firms with adapting to change.  Kim has been driving change for the past 20 years on how lawyers and business professionals deliver legal services to their clients.  She broke down barriers and the stigma of “nonlawyers” playing a critical role in the efficient and effective delivery of legal services. She took an entrepreneurial leap three years ago to co-found the first business design agency in the legal arena where Kim and her partner combine their expertise and discipline in business design, process optimization, and change management to build new businesses and service models for their clients.In this episode she shares:Why she employs teachers in her firm.How principals and teachers can adapt their processes.Why curiosity is such an important trait for teachers to have.Join other Super Teachers online:Facebook - @SuperTeachersUnite Instagram - @super_teacher_fTwitter - @Super_Teacher_FWebsite - www.phoenixed.co.za

Learning requires some discomfort and little progress is made when we are in our comfort zone. One entrepreneur that isn’t afraid of discomfort is Kirsty Bisset.Kirsty Bisset is a serial entrepreneur with 8 businesses under her belt - 1 of which she still owns, 3 of which have been successfully sold or merged, 1 which has failed, and 3 in which she holds shares. Kirsty shares with us how schools can move out of their comfort zones to improve their brand and shares how digital technologies can be used to improve the learning experience.She has recognition from the likes of Fast Company, Destiny Magazine and Fairlady magazine. Kirsty thrives to build brands and businesses in the fintech, FMCG and retail space through holistic digital strategies and rollouts. She is currently the MD of the Durban arm of HaveYouHeard - a strategic communications agency servicing clients globally.When not doing that, she’s a prolific writer, a snowboarder, and advocate for gender equality.Join other Super Teachers online:Facebook - @SuperTeachersUnite Instagram - @super_teacher_fTwitter - @Super_Teacher_FWebsite - www.phoenixed.co.za

50% of parents aren’t in good standing with their school fee accounts. This has a severe impact on a school’s cash flow and its ability to operate optimally. So how do we get parents to pay their school fees?Michelle Dickens is the Chief Executive Officer of TPN Credit Bureau and she shares the trends in school fee payment as well as strategies of getting parents to pay their fees, in full and on time.We further discuss whether teachers should be buying or renting property and how schools need to take note of the POPI act and the implications of the act for schools.Join other Super Teachers online:Facebook - @SuperTeachersUnite Instagram - @super_teacher_fTwitter - @Super_Teacher_FWebsite - www.phoenixed.co.za

We often excuse minor transgressions and compromise on certain aspects of our classroom management. Captain Allan Edmunds is on a mission to conquer compromise.In this episode I speak to Allan Edmunds who is an international Boeing 777 captain and former air traffic controller about the parallels in piloting a plane and running a school.We speak about getting colleagues to collaborate, leaders to listen to those they lead and why not compromising on your values are so essential.Join other Super Teachers online:Facebook - @SuperTeachersUnite Instagram - @super_teacher_fTwitter - @Super_Teacher_FWebsite - www.phoenixed.co.za

Workplace conflict can rapidly destroy a school’s positive culture and lead to a workplace environment that few people can thrive in. Nobody wants to dread going to work but this is sadly the case for many teachers and learners.In this episode I speak to Helene Smuts who is a high performance team facilitator and founder of the people development consultancy, Credo Growth. She has more than 15 years’ experience developing people and high-performance teams ranging from start-ups to blue-chip companies and today she shares how schools and teachers can create a workplace that is conducive to learning.We discuss creating classroom spaces where failing is a safe and meaningful endeavour and we learn how to deal with workplace conflict.Join other Super Teachers online:Facebook - @SuperTeachersUnite Instagram - @super_teacher_fTwitter - @Super_Teacher_FWebsite - www.phoenixed.co.za

We often focus too much on our weaknesses instead of our strengths. We see the weaknesses of others quicker than we see their strengths and this often true in the classroom as well.Brittany McCormick suffers from cerebral palsy but believes that we should see the ability and not the disability.In this episode she shares what teachers can do to create a more inclusive classroom and value the abilities of all the learners in their classroom.Join other Super Teachers online:Facebook - @SuperTeachersUnite Instagram - @super_teacher_fTwitter - @Super_Teacher_FWebsite - www.phoenixed.co.za

Teachers are massive influencers in the decision making process. Many learners consult their teachers before making career choices or subject choices. In this week’s episode I chat to Mitch Bowker, an expert on decision making.Mitch Bowker worked for Samsung and Nokia and is now building businesses across Africa and the Middle East. He is the COO of Iconic Collective. During this episode Mitch helps identify a framework we can use that will help us make better decisions.Join other Super Teachers online:Facebook - @SuperTeachersUnite Instagram - @super_teacher_fTwitter - @Super_Teacher_FWebsite - www.phoenixed.co.za

Every teacher should have a way of supplementing their income.Nic is an accomplished startup entrepreneur, global keynote speaker and bestselling author. He has sold three businesses in the past decade and has a lifetime of startup lessons learned through failure and success over an intense and exciting twenty-year career as an entrepreneur. His work focuses on helping people build incredible lives and businesses.In this episode we discuss how every teacher can start their own side hustle.Join other Super Teachers online:Facebook - @SuperTeachersUnite Instagram - @super_teacher_fTwitter - @Super_Teacher_FWebsite - www.phoenixed.co.za

Jeff Large is a podcast producer and strategist. He leads his team at Come Alive Creative in producing results driven podcasts for marketing professionals. During this episode we talk about:Jeff’s favourite teacher and his own favourite moments from his teaching career;Creating value driven schools and companies; Why we think every school should have their own podcast.Join other Super Teachers online:Facebook - @SuperTeachersUnite Instagram - @super_teacher_fTwitter - @Super_Teacher_FWebsite - www.phoenixed.co.za

Jacqueline and Gershom Aitchison are the owners of Education Incorporated Boutique school where their select educators provide attentive and personalised teaching to very small groups of children with potential.During this episode we talk about:How their school breaks away from the restrictive legacy thinking of traditional schooling.Why smaller schools are better than mega schools;What traits teachers should have that make them Super Teachers.

Now that lockdown has moved to Level 1 we find ourselves in teaching limbo. Some learners have returned to class while others still attend classes online.Matthew Hains and I discuss how he uses apps and software to teach face-to-face and online. Matthew is an expert Computer Applications Technology teacher who has assisted many teachers with tips and tricks for including tech in their lessons through his videos on social media.Join other Super Teachers online:Facebook - @SuperTeachersUnite Instagram - @super_teacher_fTwitter - @Super_Teacher_FWebsite - www.phoenixed.co.za

Innovation is a buzzword that has lost its meaning. What does it really mean to be an innovative school? In today’s episode I interview Robert Faltermeier.Robert is the director of innovation at Jeppe High School for Boys in Johannesburg, where he oversees the Ed-Tech needs of his school, however, his main role is to prepare the school, students and educators for the 21st century through innovativepedagogy and professional development strategies, while balancing the holistic educational philosophy of his school. He recently oversaw the school's transition to online learning during the recent Covid-19 lockdown that not only affected his school but many schools around the globe.Join other Super Teachers online:Facebook - @SuperTeachersUnite Instagram - @super_teacher_fTwitter - @Super_Teacher_FWebsite - www.phoenixed.co.za

Bullying is a scourge that can have devastating effects. In this episode I interview Jo Black, well-known singer, public speaker and Everyday Hero! We chat about what teachers and schools can do about bullying.Jo and his family started the BTG: Everyday Hero initiative to uplift communities and fight against the effects of social ills such as bullying.  Join other Super Teachers online:Facebook - @SuperTeachersUnite Instagram - @super_teacher_fTwitter - @Super_Teacher_FWebsite - www.phoenixed.co.za

We are all forced to spend much more time in front of a screen connected to the internet and for some this could lead to online addictions. The boundaries between work and play isn’t clear anymore and many children struggle to remain on task when distractions are just a click away.I was asked to speak on a panel about online addiction and how the move to remote teaching could contribute to our screen time and the effects of spending more time connected to the internet.Join other Super Teachers online:Facebook - @SuperTeachersUnite Instagram - @super_teacher_fTwitter - @Super_Teacher_FWebsite - www.phoenixed.co.za

Many teachers and learners want to know how to start their own business. Whether it’s just a side hustle or the next tech start up, everyone has to start somewhere.I was invited to be part of a webinar for the ATKV where Albert van Wyk and I discussed the basics of starting your own business.Enter the ATKV Entrepreneurship competition here: https://atkv.org.za/neem-deel/jeugprojekte/entrepreneurs/

I’ve recently been invited to talk at the Education Conversations event hosted by the Kagiso Trust, Bridge Foundation and the University of Johannesburg. The aim of the event was to discuss the new challenges that online teaching adds to education and then share ideas on how we can adapt to the new education environment.I’m only sharing the parts of the event where I was involved. Join other Super Teachers online:Facebook - @SuperTeachersUnite Instagram - @super_teacher_fTwitter - @Super_Teacher_FWebsite - www.phoenixed.co.za