In The Classroom

Catriona Vo
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  • EDUCATION
  • MONTHLY

In The Classroom is a podcast where we talk about all things teaching and learning, education and research. Join me as I sit down with everyday educators, and explore what’s going on in the field and what this means for sustaining us teachers. Expect insightful interviews as you hear from teachers and educators on the ground who are shaping the future of education. We dive deep into the challenges and opportunities in education, as well as ways to stay connected with other teachers, scholars and thought leaders.

  1. How to Sharpen Your Perception in the Classroom with Doug Lemov

    5 HR AGO

    How to Sharpen Your Perception in the Classroom with Doug Lemov

    Join Catriona Vo in conversation with Doug Lemov, one of the most influential educators of our time and the author of Teach Like a Champion. Doug Lemov is a former teacher and school principal, and a leading voice in education. He is the author of Teach Like a Champion, which has sold more than one million copies and been translated into over a dozen languages. This episode is a practical exploration of how teachers can sharpen their perception in the classroom. Doug and Catriona focus on the everyday decisions that shape teaching and learning, from what teachers notice in classrooms to how they prepare lessons that support deep thinking for all students. The conversation draws on cognitive science, classroom video, and rehearsal-based practice, making it particularly relevant for teachers, mentors, instructional coaches, and school leaders. In this episode, Doug reflects on: 🧠 Why perception is the foundation of effective teaching, and how teachers learn what to notice in classrooms 🎥 The role of mental models and shared language in improving teacher decision-making 📚 The importance of background knowledge for critical thinking and student understanding 🧩 Cognitive load theory and what it means for both student learning and teacher preparation 📝 How lesson preparation differs from lesson planning, and why preparation frees teachers to be more responsive 🎾 Why practice, rehearsal, and collaboration help close the gap between “getting it” and doing it well in classrooms Subscribe for more episodes: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InTheClassroomWithCatrionaVo Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-classroom/id1759259385 Spotify Podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/show/3gXivWW3IjMKy9cRYJLjrp?si=fc7b8fefd0274591 Connect with Doug: 🌐 Teach Like a Champion: https://teachlikeachampion.com/ 📘 Teach Like a Champion (Book): https://teachlikeachampion.com/books/teach-like-a-champion-3-0/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglemov/ Follow us! TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@intheclassroomwithcat Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intheclassroom.au Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/In-the-Classroom/61563582592279 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/in-the-classroom Website: https://intheclassroom.com.au

    35 min
  2. Let’s talk Inclusive Education with Associate Professor Melissa Fanshawe

    3 MAR

    Let’s talk Inclusive Education with Associate Professor Melissa Fanshawe

    Join Catriona Vo in conversation with Associate Professor Melissa Fanshawe as they explore what inclusive education looks like in classrooms, and how teachers can design learning that supports every student. Melissa is an Associate Professor of Education at UniSQ with more than 25 years of experience in Queensland schools. Her work focuses on access, inclusion and participation, specialising in support for students with blindness and low vision. Melissa serves as the LEGO Foundation’s Ocean Ambassador for LEGO Braille Bricks and is co-president of the South Pacific Educators of Vision Impairment, and an executive member of the Australian Braille Authority, driving innovation for equitable learning. In this episode, Melissa shares: 🧠 Why inclusion begins with mindset 🗣️ Practical ways to differentiate learning and what universal design looks like in practice 💻 The surprising ways AI and assistive technology can support accessibility Resources mentioned: ADCET: https://www.adcet.edu.au/ Subscribe for more episodes: https://linktr.ee/intheclassroom.au Follow us on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intheclassroom.au/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/intheclassroom.au LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/in-the-classroom-podcast/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InTheClassroomWithCatrionaVo Website: intheclassroom.com.au Connect with Melissa Fanshawe: 🌐 UniSQ Profile: https://research.usq.edu.au/researcher/80131q222 🌐 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-fanshawe-7a753026/

    29 min
  3. Every Student at the Table: Teaching History with Louise Brown

    3 MAR

    Every Student at the Table: Teaching History with Louise Brown

    Join Catriona Vo in conversation with Louise Brown, an experienced History teacher with over 20 years in the classroom across the UK and Australia. Louise is the Head of the Sociocultural Faculty at St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School in Brisbane and President of the Queensland History Teachers' Association. She is passionate about teaching and learning, creating conditions in her classroom where all students have a seat at the table. In this episode, Louise and Catriona discuss how teachers can design lessons that draw on students' background knowledge and tackle complex texts. Louise also reflects on professional longevity, sharing what has helped her sustain growth, challenge, and connection across a long teaching career. In this episode, Louise reflects on: 🧠 The Science of Learning principles and how to open up richer conversations in classrooms where students are confident to think, speak, and engage 📘 Key considerations for building lessons that make complex ideas accessible for students 🌱 Practical ways teachers can keep learning, reflecting, and growing over time Louise also writes about teaching in her blog From Bradford to Brisbane at https://secondarysource.com.au Subscribe for more episodes: YouTube Apple Podcasts Spotify Podcasts Follow us: TikTok Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Website

    36 min

  4. 30/11/2025

    Why Teachers Feel Time-Poor with Professor Nicole Mockler

    Join Catriona Vo in conversation with Professor Nicole Mockler as they discuss the intensification of teachers' work, time poverty and complex educational change. Nicole is a Professor of Education at the University of Sydney whose research explores teacher professional identity, education policy, and media representations of teachers. Her work sheds light on the stories told about teachers and teaching in the media, and how teachers' work is becoming increasingly intensified over time. In this episode, Nicole shares: 🏛️ How education policy often oversimplifies the complexity of teachers’ work 🧠 Why professional judgment and decision-making are at the heart of teaching 📰 What 65,000 media articles reveal about how teachers are represented in Australia 🤝 Why society needs to trust teachers more Subscribe for more episodes: https://linktr.ee/intheclassroom.au Follow us on social media: 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intheclassroom.au/ 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InTheClassroomWithCatrionaVo 🌐 Website: https://intheclassroom.com.au Connect with Nicole Mockler: 🌐 Website: https://www.nicolemockler.com 🌐 University Profile: https://www.sydney.edu.au/arts/about/our-people/academic-staff/nicole-mockler.html 🌐 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-mockler-05774399/

    36 min

  5. 16/11/2025

    What Happens When You Teach Students to Read the Word and the World with Melanie Ralph

    Join Catriona Vo in conversation with experienced English and Drama teacher, Melanie Ralph. With 17 years in the classroom and more than 1000 subscribers, Mel has supported countless teachers and students through her YouTube videos, booklets and practical resources via Bare Bones Teaching. She is a passionate, reflective, and self-directed educator whose work and influence reaches beyond her own classroom to empower many practitioners on the ground in the journey of sustaining their expertise. In this episode, Mel shares: 📚 How she teaches English and its intersections with drama 🧠 How she keeps herself intellectually curious and motivated to sustain learning 💬 What she’s learned about teacher agency, boundaries, and hope in a complex profession 📢 Follow us on social media: 📸 Instagram: @intheclassroom.au 🎧 Spotify: In the Classroom Podcast 🍏 Apple Podcasts: In the Classroom on Apple Podcasts 🌐 Website: intheclassroom.com.au Connect with Melanie Ralph: 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@barebonesteaching 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barebonesteaching/ 🌐 Website: https://www.barebonesteaching.com/

    27 min

  6. 26/10/2025

    Why It’s Never Too Late to Start Teaching with David Chessell

    Join Catriona Vo in conversation with early career primary teacher, David Chessell. After more than a decade in trade and business, David made the courageous leap into teaching during the pandemic and discovered his passion for teaching. Join us as David shares what it’s like to enter the classroom as a career changer, and how relationships, care, and trust form the foundation of great teaching. In this episode, David shares: 🍎 What it’s really like to transition into teaching later in life 🧩 How to navigate the workload and uncertainty of the early years 💬 Why new teachers often don’t know what help to ask for—and how schools can better support them 🤝 The importance of trust, family partnerships, and building a classroom culture where students feel safe, seen, and valued 🎧 Listen via Linktree https://linktr.ee/intheclassroom.au 📢 Follow us on social media 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intheclassroom.au 🎧 Spotify: In the Classroom Podcast 🌐 Website: https://intheclassroom.com.au

    26 min

  7. 10/09/2025

    Why Teachers Still Matter in an AI World with Professor Danny Liu

    Join Catriona Vo in conversation with Professor Danny Liu to explore AI, assessment, and the future of learning. Danny is a molecular biologist by training, programmer by night, researcher and faculty developer by day, and educator at heart. Danny is a Professor of Educational Technologies at the University of Sydney where he co-chairs the University's AI in Education working group and leads the Cogniti.ai initiative that puts educators in the driver’s seat of AI. In this episode, Danny shares: 💡 Why we need to rethink learning outcomes in the age of AI 🔄 The shift from policing AI to exploring its possibilities 📜 How a “menu approach” helps students make healthy choices with AI tools 🤝 Why relationships are still the foundation of education—even in a tech-driven world Subscribe for more episodes: https://linktr.ee/intheclassroom.au Follow us on social media: 📸 Instagram: @intheclassroom.au 🎧 Spotify: In the Classroom Podcast 🌐 Website: intheclassroom.com.au Connect with Danny Liu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannydotliu/

    36 min

  8. 27/08/2025

    Innovating Educational Change with Dave Faulker

    Join Catriona Vo in conversation with education leader, author, and entrepreneur Dave Faulkner. From becoming a principal at just 24, to co-founding Education Changemakers, and now serving as Senior Vice President of Learning Services at Go1, Dave has spent over two decades driving innovation and impact across the education sector. He’s also the author of two bestselling books: Edupreneur: Unleashing Teacher-led Innovation in Schools and Dream Team: A Practical Playbook. In this episode, they explore: 🚸 What it’s like stepping into principalship early in your career 🚀 How Education Changemakers by Go1 grew from an idea into a global platform 📚 Why professional learning should be accessible, inspiring, and built for teachers 💡 The importance of grit, listening, and leaning into the uncomfortable as leaders 🎧 Subscribe for more episodes: https://linktr.ee/intheclassroom.au 📢 Follow us on social media: 📸 Instagram: @intheclassroom.au 📘 Facebook: In the Classroom on Facebook 💼 LinkedIn: In the Classroom on LinkedIn 🌐 Website: intheclassroom.com.au 🔗 Connect with Dave Faulkner: EC by Go1 Dave on LinkedIn

    31 min
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About

In The Classroom is a podcast where we talk about all things teaching and learning, education and research. Join me as I sit down with everyday educators, and explore what’s going on in the field and what this means for sustaining us teachers. Expect insightful interviews as you hear from teachers and educators on the ground who are shaping the future of education. We dive deep into the challenges and opportunities in education, as well as ways to stay connected with other teachers, scholars and thought leaders.

Information

  • Creator
    Catriona Vo
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    In The Classroom