On this episode of The Tattooed Teacher Podcast, I chat with Dr Hugh Chilton, Head of Teaching and Learning at Wycliffe Christian School, co-founder and Associate Director of the Sydney Character Initiative, and co-chair of Research Invested Schools, about what it really means to form human beings well and why character education needs to sit at the centre of everything schools do. Hugh is a thinker, a connector, and someone who genuinely lives the ideas he talks about. This is one of those conversations that gave me a perspective and plenty to think on. We explore what really matters when it comes to character, education, and human formation: why the root word of education, educare, to draw out, is still the most important frame for thinking about what teachers actually do the founding vision of Scots College and how that inspired Scots X, a school within a school learning lab built around connection, choice, and challenge for Year 8 boys the three learning modes Hugh and his team designed: mastery training, interdisciplinary quests, and real world projects that asked boys to make something worth showcasing what the Sydney Character Initiative is building, including the Forming the Formers fellowship and how Australia can bring its own distinct voice to character education globally why character isn't just caught in relationships but is also taught through the content, the texts, and the craft of what we put in front of young people every day We also get into Research Invested Schools, how different types of schools have more in common than we think, Hugh's challenge to every educator to spend time reflecting on what they actually believe about being human, and why "come and behold what is true, good and beautiful together" might be the most important sentence in education. A key thread throughout the episode is simple but important: we are forming character in every interaction, every day, whether we are intentional about it or not. So let's be intentional. This is a rich, warm, and deeply thoughtful conversation for educators, school leaders, and anyone who believes that education is fundamentally about human formation. #TheTattooedTeacher #Podcast #CharacterEducation #HumanFormation #SchoolLeadership #TeacherLife #EducationAustralia #SydneyCharacterInitiative You can find Hugh https://www.linkedin.com/in/hughchilton/ https://www.sydney.edu.au/arts/our-research/research-areas/education-and-social-work/sydney-character-initiative.html you can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-murdoch-%F0%9F%A4%99-68a846b1/ YouTube https://youtube.com/@thetattooedteacher01?si=tJy1U6Huz684CtZE Follow DJ Fruit Salad: https://www.instagram.com/djfruitsaladofficial/ Sponsored byThe BUSY School This episode is brought to you by The BUSY School— a network of special assistance schools for Year 11 and 12 students who've disengaged from mainstream education. Small classes, real industry connections, and completely free for students. If you know a young person who needs a different kind of school, The BUSY School could be exactly what they're looking for. The BUSY School is part ofThe BUSY Group — an Australian not-for-profit approaching its 50th year, operating across Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Find out if there's a BUSY School near you at busyschools.edu.qld.au Supported by The Design & Technologies Resource Site An Australian platform built to help creators, educators, and podcasters increase their visibility and connect with Design & Technologies educators. https://andacod.com.au/ TeacherPD Australia https://teacherpd.com.au/ Australia's Premier Teacher PD Directory
