Thirteen Years Well Spent

Susan Taylor

What was school like for you? This podcast chats to young adults about what, from school they use in life and what they have learnt since. In the cumulative stories of real people, lets find out if school is doing as it claims - prepare young people for life.

Episodes

  1. 4d ago

    12 Matt Pitman Educator Reflection

    Dr Matt Pitman's name has become synonymous with "connection" in Education. His books "The Connection Curriculum" and "The Connection Connundrum" and the "Digital Literacy Handbook: How to Think, Act and Stay Smart Online" are all available through Matt's website.  Guests have frequently shared their appreciation of teachers who 'saw' them in some way, or spoke to them 'as people' or cared. In this episode Matt and I chat about what this means for teachers and possibilities for greater authentic connection between the people in our school rooms. No teachers are surprised that quality learning happens in the space of positive relationships. This might be articulated by various school based programs, but is the way we live it, rather than the posters on the wall that make the difference to our young people.

  2. Jul 12

    11 Riley

    Riley's story offers insight into how anxiety came up for him, the thinking and attitudes that he himself, his family and his teachers found that enabled him to work with and his incredibly high level swimming achievements. Riley was able to leverage both the pressure and the competition of sports to help with learning at school. It is through relationship first that motivated him to improve, with teachers who were able to get the balance right.

  3. Jul 5

    10 Sof

    I wasn’t expecting Sof’s response to what to take out of school. - judgement!  Right. Sof talks about how grades are judgements. As I read through educational research, especially in an era where ‘evidence based practice’ is expected, the evidence is nearly always spoken of in terms of student outcomes - in other words grades. I wonder if that increases teacher tendency to push for better grades, and the inevitable judgement that comes.  Sof brings nuance and humanity to our thinking around school based education. She appreciates the complexity teachers move in, and invites us to consider meeting the humans in the room where they are to ignite their natural curiosity.

  4. Jun 28

    9 Lucy

    Yes, a duck. One of Lucy’s memories was being told off, strongly, for drawing a duck on the ‘blank’ page of her test. It was not until her late 20s that Lucy received a dyslexic diagnosis, and everything made sense.  Lucy’s story reveals that even with dyslexia a child can ‘crack the code’ of school and be successful in tests, but post school had to unlearn the assumption that your identity and worth are bound to test results.

  5. Jun 21

    8 Jazz

    Jazz wants teachers to know about neurodivergence and how to support it in ways that are respectful and helpful to the people in the room. She has some great ideas, some of which come from less than optimal experiences.

  6. Jun 13

    7 Rebecca

    Every story is part of the picture, and this one gives the perspective of lived SEND experience. (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities). Rebecca offers important insights into the different ways school both enabled and disabled her. She describes bullying and some rocketing successes!

  7. Jun 6

    6 Christian Williams

    This is the first of our educator episodes. The aim is that every five episodes an educator and I chat about the previous guests stories, bringing our perspectives, experiences and actions. In this episode Christian and I notice the incredible variation in the five stories so far. We reflect on the connection, ATAR, competition and life skills. And, I reveal a hatchling plan, seeking feedback from you whether you are in education or not.

  8. May 31

    5 Liam

    Liam thought his years in school based education were well spent, but not because he got good grades, because he had great friends that he still regularly goes camping with. Liam has some great ideas for how existing subjects like English and Maths could be re-mastered towards skills that are more relevant for life.

  9. May 24

    4 Clair

    Clair does not think her years at school were well spent. She sees herself as not cut out for school, but did get a lot in terms of social interactions and sport achievements. Clair joins other guests in suggesting that schools teach more life maths particularly in terms of shopping, counting back change, buying houses and tax. While Clair did not feel successful at school, she is proud to be a business owner now.

  10. May 17

    3 Jonathan

    Jonathan tells us about the choices he made, quite deliberately, to either get good grades or put his energy into being social. He talks about the importance of working at his level of competence and how grateful he was when teachers were able to do this effectively. Jonathan was very specific and explicit that the real point of school is to prepare young people for the world after school. Like Bella he would like to send the message that ATAR results do not define you, so it would be great if there was less pressure around this.

  11. May 10

    2 Grace

    Grace tells us about the importance of listening and watching the people in our rooms so we can respond well to them as individual humans. While she talks about content levels, it is being seen and cared for that made the difference. She describes gentle communication and 'nudges', suggesting that some of these communications skills as well as some more general financial and political life skills could be taught in secondary schools.

  12. May 2

    1 Bella

    Bella tells us about the value of social skills and practical knowledge like cooking. She discusses struggles with the school system, feeling overwhelmed by tasks and the pressure to compare oneself to peers. Bella emphasizes the importance of self-discovery and happiness, suggesting schools focus on personal growth rather than comparison. She advocates for more awareness and support for neurodivergent individuals in education. Bella looks forward to exploring different paths and finding what brings her happiness in the future.

  • 12 Episodes

About

What was school like for you? This podcast chats to young adults about what, from school they use in life and what they have learnt since. In the cumulative stories of real people, lets find out if school is doing as it claims - prepare young people for life.

Information

  • Creator
    Susan Taylor
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Thirteen Years Well Spent
  • Show Website
    Thirteen Years Well Spent