The Head Room Podcast

by Richard Reid Coaching

Welcome to the Head Room Podcast — for people who want to become better listeners, better learners and better leaders.Whether you're an educator, a student, a business leader or simply someone who’s curious about personal and professional growth, you’ll find content here that helps you think more deeply, communicate more clearly and lead more intentionally.If you care about growing yourself and helping others grow too — you’re in the right place.Subscribe to join a community committed to having conversations that really matter.

  1. The Wisdom of Heads

    26/01/2025

    The Wisdom of Heads

    In this episode of HeadRoom: Curious Conversations for Leaders in Education, we sit down with Dr. Denry Machin, a seasoned educator, school leader, and thought-provoking author, to delve into the complex realities of headship. Together, we explore the delicate balance between the challenges and celebrations of school leadership – from the pressures of navigating the daily demands of headship to the immense satisfaction of shaping a thriving school community. Denry shares candid insights on: Striking the right balance between strategic leadership and being present in the classroom.The paradoxes of headship – the tensions between policy and practice, pressures and passions.The importance of making space for mistakes and learning in leadership.How focusing on one impactful priority can drive meaningful change.Reconnecting with your why when the pressures feel overwhelming.Whether you’re an experienced school leader or stepping into headship for the first time, this episode offers a wealth of inspiration, encouragement, and practical strategies to navigate the unique highs and lows of school leadership. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: How to manage the paradoxes of headship while staying focused on what truly matters.Strategies for balancing office responsibilities and classroom presence.The role of self-reflection and curiosity in effective school leadership.Tips for building resilience and maintaining passion amidst challenges.About Our Guest: Dr. Denry Machin is an experienced educator and school leader with a wealth of insights on leadership. Known for his candid reflections through his writing, Denry inspires leaders to think deeply about their roles, embrace both the highs and lows, and lead with purpose. Connect with Denry - linkedin.com/in/denrymachin/ Books The Wisdom of Heads - bit.ly/WoHeads International Schooling: The Teacher's Guide - www.teachabroad.ac My Educated Life - sendfox.com/lp/1wxdp6 (register for advance copies) Articles Find a Smile - https://foxly.link/OJyDuq What It Is To Be Wise - https://foxly.link/fIcCQY Define Problems To Solve Them - https://foxly.link/QXfwoy Problems, Every Day Problems - https://foxly.link/lnZiyC Headship is Hard - https://foxly.link/W2sEVS

    1h 1m
  2. Level Up Your Listening with Oscar Trimboli

    23/02/2024

    Level Up Your Listening with Oscar Trimboli

    How good are you at listening? We are all familiar with the phrase – you have 2 ears and 1 mouth therefore you should listen twice as much as you speak. However, how many of us as school leaders, can legitimately claim we listen more than we speak? In our schools we strive to train our young people in the art of communication however the emphasis can so often be on how they present to others rather than how they receive or listen to others. Regardless of how good we think we are at listening I’m fairly sure there’s room for improvement. In today’s podcast episode I have the perfect guest to help us dive into these issues a little deeper. Joining me from across the globe in Sydney Australia is Oscar Trimboli. Oscar is the author of the award winning book How to Listen and host of the Apple award winning podcast Deep Listening. He is on a quest through his Deep Listening Ambassador community to create 100 million deep listeners in the workplace. On the front cover of ‘How to Listen’ Michael Bungay Stanier states –‘When Oscar has something to say about listening, listen. He’s the best in the world.’ Whether at student level, at staff level or at system level we need to raise our game in how well we listen so that those we converse with feel seen, heard and valued. Check out Oscar's website for more information on his listening quiz, his books, his podcast and his amazing resources. www.oscartrimboli.com

    1h 4m
  3. 21/01/2022

    The Buzz Academy with Tracey Ezard.

    Does your school have 'The Buzz'? Join me in conversation with Tracey Ezard as we discuss how you can develop a collaborative staff learning culture in your school. See Tracey's message below for more details and a special offer for Head Room listeners to access the 'Buzz Diagnostic'. Please note this episode is not sponsored. A message from Tracey: Getting a good sense of how strong our buzz is (Is it a buzz? A hum? Or are those just crickets chirping?) can be a challenge when we’re sitting in the middle of it. To gauge what is going on we need to sit back and reflect on ourselves and our school. ‘The Buzz’ Diagnostic will guide your reflection. It has been undertaken by over 9500 educators and support staff over the last three years, giving great insights into school culture, as well as giving benchmarks for each school. It is suggested that schools undertake the diagnostic annually to monitor the growth in their professional learning culture. The Buzz Diagnostic, when undertaken by the members of your staff, will give you insight into how they see The Buzz at your school. Individual staff members assess their individual contribution to the three pillars of The Buzz, as well as how they perceive the school as a whole.  It asks about three core areas of learning intelligence: mindset, environment and belief. ·       Mindset. The way people in the learning community think. ·       Environment. The actions a learning community takes to stimulate professional learning. ·       Dialogue. The quality of the conversations learning communities have. In each of these areas, there are some questions about how you feel as an individual educator, and how you feel as an educator within your school community. When you’ve finished the Buzz Diagnostic, you will receive an individual report with feedback on important actions for your professional reflection practices. If your school is participating in a whole school diagnostic, they will receive an aggregate summary report, however individual responses will still be kept confidential as your responses will be collated with feedback from other staff. The diagnostic takes about 10 minutes to complete and is often done at a meeting time to ensure high levels of participation. To access the whole school Buzz Diagnostic, request an access code via this link or complete an individual assessment here. So, what’s The Buzz at your school like? eBooks Glue e-book PDF Buzz e-book PDF Buzz Academy - www.thebuzz.academy Tracey’s website - www.traceyezard.com

    32 min

About

Welcome to the Head Room Podcast — for people who want to become better listeners, better learners and better leaders.Whether you're an educator, a student, a business leader or simply someone who’s curious about personal and professional growth, you’ll find content here that helps you think more deeply, communicate more clearly and lead more intentionally.If you care about growing yourself and helping others grow too — you’re in the right place.Subscribe to join a community committed to having conversations that really matter.