The Tattooed Teacher

Phil Murdoch
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  • Education

The Tattooed Teacher Podcast is a conversation‑based podcast exploring the person behind the educator. Hosted by a teacher who knows there’s more to life than the classroom, each episode goes beneath the surface on identity, purpose, creativity, educator wellbeing, burnout, growth, and what it really means to show up as yourself in education. You’ll hear honest conversations with teachers and inspiring guests from around the world—sharing real stories and lived experiences that challenge the traditional image of what an educator “should” be.

  1. 3d ago

    Why the Trades Have Never Been More Exciting for Women in Australia with Tenille Reilly

    On this episode of The Tattooed Teacher Podcast, I chat with Tenille Reilly, Women in Trades Manager at Busy At Work and member of the National Association of Women in Construction Australia, about what it really takes to get women into trades and keep them there long enough to build something meaningful. Tenille shares how she went from being pushed into hairdressing as her only trade option at school, to now leading a program that has seen over 250 women come through the Busy Sisters platform in just seven months. This is a conversation about breaking down barriers, building real pathways, and changing the way industry thinks about who belongs on a work site. We explore what really matters when it comes to women in trades and disengaged youth: why girls have always been more inclined to mask their disengagement at school, and what that means for how we identify and support them the difference between reactive support and the proactive mentoring model Tenille is building, one that supports both the apprentice and the employer from day one why grit and resilience matter more than size, gender, or background when it comes to making it in the trades how the traditional school grading system quietly erodes confidence in young people who think differently why Tenille believes trades will become the most sought-after career pathway in Australia and university degrees will start to lose their edge We also talk about neurodivergence, the importance of finding your people, why a D on a report card can take years to undo, and why some of the best recruiters in the business are the ones who stop hiring for the obvious candidate. A key thread throughout the episode is simple but important: once someone finds their purpose, your job is done. They will be self-motivated, self-propelled, and they will find joy and purpose in work. This is a rich, energetic, and personal conversation for educators, parents, industry leaders, and anyone who believes the trades deserve far more respect than they get. #womenintrades #apprenticeships #vocationaleducation #tradeswomen #busysisters #educationaustralia #disengagedyouth #tradescareers #thetattooedteacher #podcast You can find Tenille: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tenille-reilly-01095b232/ https://busysisters.com.au/ https://www.busyatwork.com.au/ 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

  2. Jul 30

    Character Before Curriculum - What Boys Need Most From School with Richard Bishop

    On this episode of The Tattooed Teacher Podcast, I chat with Richard Bishop, Director of Alumni and Community Relations at Trinity Grammar School, to unpack his journey from corporate accountant to one of the most committed figures in boys education I know. Richard shares how a conversation in thongs changed the entire direction of his life, and why 26 years later he's still all in on the same school he once attended as a boy. We explore what really matters in boys education and school community: why boys schools don't create the problem society is labelling them for, and what they actually teach: character, nuance, compassion, and a biblical foundation for what it means to be a good manthe power of embedding yourself in the full life of a school, not just the classroomwhy a service mentality is one of the most important things you can build into a young man before he leaves schoolthe mental health crisis hitting this generation and the role social media is quietly playing in itwhat it looks like to watch the seeds you planted as a teacher grow into something real years laterWe also get into the strength of community built on Christian tradition, mentoring old boys into the generation that comes after them, and the random moments in lifts in New York and at Sydney Opera House bars that remind you why you never really leave this profession behind. A key thread throughout the episode is simple but important: anyone can stand in front of a class and deliver a curriculum, but if you build the relationship first, you'll teach it a whole lot better. This is a warm, honest, and deeply personal conversation for teachers, school leaders, parents, and anyone who believes the long game in education is always worth playing. You can find Richard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-bishop-2572b156/ https://alumni.trinity.nsw.edu.au https://www.trinity.nsw.edu.au/ 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

  3. Jul 22

    Why most Professional Development doesn't change anything with Glenn Solomons

    On this episode of The Tattooed Teacher Podcast, I chat with Glenn Solomons, founder of Cheeky Learning and education consultant, about his journey from architecture student to classroom teacher, and eventually to one of the most interesting questions in professional learning: what actually changes when people walk back into school on Monday? Glenn shares how a creative background in art and design gave him a tolerance for failure that most leadership roles don't teach you, and how a single Monday afternoon PD session sparked an obsession that eventually took him out of the classroom and into his own consulting business. We explore what really matters when you're trying to make professional learning stick: why most PD is still an information dump and what to do insteadthe implementation gap: the distance between what you learn at a workshop and what you actually do when you get back to your deskacknowledging the collective genius in the room and why 200 years of teaching experience shouldn't be ignoredwhat it actually takes to go from teacher to consultant, and why having something genuinely different to say is the only thing that mattersbeing comfortable with failure, whether you're mixing paint colours wrong, teaching HTML to a class who knows more than you, or trying to find your first consulting clientWe also get into the education buzzword problem, why design and art teachers have been doing critical and creative thinking for decades before it had a name, and the real reason most professional development doesn't change anything. A key thread throughout the episode is simple but important, whether it's a student in your classroom or a teacher in your workshop, the best learning happens when you acknowledge what people already know and build from there. This is a rich, honest conversation for classroom teachers, school leaders, and anyone thinking about how to make professional learning actually work. #education #professionallearning #leadership #PD #educationconsulting #teacherdevelopment #edtech #thetattooedteacher #podcast You can find Glenn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenn-solomons-5a3373128/ cheekylearning.com.au cheekymousedesign.com.au 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

  4. Jul 16

    What No One Tells You Before Starting University with Selena Dhondea-Tenakov

    On this episode of The Tattooed Teacher Podcast, I chat with Selena Dhondea-Tenakov, Coordinator of Uni Prep Schools at Edith Cowan University and Sessional Academic in initial teacher education, about what it really takes to bridge the gap between high school and university for the students the system has most often left behind. She currently runs a program across 45 Western Australian high schools that gives marginalised and first-in-family among other students a genuine pathway into university before they even finish Year 12. We explore what really matters when education meets equity: why students who struggle to sit a three-hour exam are often the ones who thrive most at university, and how Uni Prep Schools is proving it the practical stuff no one teaches before university; how to write an essay, how to read a journal article, where to park on day one, how much money you actually need in your first semester how Selena's team built the AI Thinkery, a set of 10 activities that pull back the curtain on artificial intelligence so students can engage with it critically rather than just use it the change fatigue hitting educators right now, and why we never properly reflected on what COVID online learning actually taught us why inviting parents into middle school for longer might be one of the most important things we're not doing We also discuss how to help early career teachers survive, the wisdom of going regional, what boys really need in a classroom, and a tattoo story that goes all the way back to indentured labourers in Mauritius. A key thread throughout the episode is simple but important, a hand up looks different for every student, and the job of education is to figure out what that looks like before it's too late. This is a rich, honest, and personal conversation for teachers, school leaders, university educators, and anyone who believes the door to learning should stay open for longer. #education #equity #firstinfamily #universitypreparation #AIineducation #teacherlife #highereducation #thetattooedteacher #podcast You can find Selena: https://www.linkedin.com/in/selena-tenakov-7b640916a/ https://www.ecu.edu.au/centres/access-and-equity/academic-pathway-programs/ecu-uniprep-schools/overview https://www.acses.edu.au/publication/nesting-enabling-programs-in-senior-schooling/ National Association of Enabling Educators Australia https://enablingeducators.org/ 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

  5. Jul 2

    Is Education Keeping Up With Gaming Culture? with Vindhya Barwal

    On this episode of The Tattooed Teacher Podcast, I chat with Vindhya Barwa, Head of Reputation & Influence at Colony Group and Sessional Academic at UQ teaching Gaming Cultures, about what happens when marketing, storytelling, and education merge and why the games your students are playing are more layered than you realise. Vindhya shares how she found her way into the world of PR campaigns for Netflix, Maccas and Prime Video and why she never wanted to fully leave the classroom behind. We explore what really matters when education meets culture: why gaming cultures is one of the most diverse elective courses at UQ, and what an accounting student and an environmental science student can teach each other about video games how procedural rhetoric works, the idea that every game is quietly trying to persuade you of something what brands keep getting wrong when they try to reach gaming audiences, and why you have to actually be a gamer to get it right parasocial relationships, the line between entertaining and exploiting, and why balance is Vindhya's philosophy both in the classroom and with clients what international students actually bring into Australian universities and why mistaking language for intelligence is one of our biggest blind spots We also cover AI in education, teachers as content creators, how indie developers can pitch to big brands without getting taken advantage of, and the board game that Vindhya reckons should be in every classroom to teach sales skills. A thread throughout the episode is simple but important: whether it's a brand talking to gamers, a teacher trying to hook a class, or a student finding their voice, authenticity is everything and people can always tell when it's missing. This is a rich, wide-ranging conversation for educators, marketers, and anyone who's ever wondered what gaming culture can teach us about the real world. You can find Vindhya: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vindhyabarwal/ 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

  6. Jun 25

    Teaching Is a Performance and AI Doesn't Know the Script with Holly Wedd

    On this episode of The Tattooed Teacher Podcast, I chat with Holly Wedd, Head Teacher of Mathematics in Coffs Harbour, to unpack how she's gone from never wanting to set foot in a school again to becoming the 2026 Premier's Teaching Scholarship recipient, a 2025 Schools Plus Teaching Fellow, and the holder of a growing list of awards in just eight years of teaching. Holly shares how a maths teacher why she is trying to change the way people feel about maths — from a subject you "get through" to one that's as creative and engaging as any other. We explore what really matters in the maths classroom: connecting content to real-world application, not just the syllabus the shift from "getting the right answer" to explaining your reasoning the balance between rote learning and spaced retrieval practice building a classroom that's genuinely safe to fail in We also discuss AI in education, including the research on cognitive offloading and what happens to a student's thinking when AI does it for them, and how Holly uses AI tools to differentiate lessons for a full range of abilities in minutes instead of hours — without a single student feeling singled out. A key thread throughout the episode is simple but important: AI can save you time, but it can't read a room, manage a classroom, or replace the relationship you build with your students. This is a thoughtful, energetic, and deeply practical conversation for maths teachers, school leaders, and anyone curious about where AI actually fits in a real classroom. You can find Holly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-wedd-ohs/ 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

  7. Jun 18

    Teaching, Leadership & AI: What actually matters in schools with Jon Burnett

    On this episode of The Tattooed Teacher Podcast, I chat with Jon Burnett Head of Teaching and Learning Systems and Improvement, to unpack his journey from music graduate to educational leader. Jon shares how stepping into the unknown and often the deep end shaped his career, and why saying “yes” to new challenges helped him grow both as a teacher and a leader.  We explore what really matters in teaching: building strong relationships with students learning through experience (not just theory) the importance of mentorship for new teachers and why you never truly “arrive” in this profession  We also discuss AI in education, looking at how schools can use it in a practical way—saving time, reducing workload, and giving teachers more space to focus on what matters most: people.  A key thread throughout the episode is simple but important: Education is human first—everything else comes second. This is a rich, honest, and deeply practical conversation for classroom teachers, school leaders, and anyone wrestling with what education should look like when AI is already in the room. You can find Jon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-burnett-sunshine-coast/ 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

  8. Jun 11

    From Kansas to Korea: The Accidental Global Educator with Nick Steffen

    On this episode of The Tattoo Teacher Podcast, I chat with Nick Steffen — EdTech innovator, design teacher, tech coach, stand-up comedian, and one of the most adventurous educators you'll ever meet. Born and raised in Kansas, Nick has built maker programmes from scratch in China, trained engineers in Ohio, and is currently coaching teachers and students in South Korea — with Munich, Germany up next. Together, we explore hands-on learning, maker education, AI in the classroom, stand-up comedy as teacher professional development, neurodiversity in STEM, and the power of saying "Yes, And" to every student idea — asking the questions educators everywhere are wrestling with right now: How do we teach students to think when AI can do the thinking for them? How do we build maker culture with no space, no budget, and no shop? And what happens when you stop being the expert in the room and start being the best learner in it? This is a practical, funny, and genuinely inspiring conversation for design teachers, tech coaches, school leaders, and anyone who believes the best classroom moments happen when something doesn't go to plan. You can find Nick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-steffen-a02a63188/ https://www.instagram.com/nicksteffencomedy/ 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

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About

The Tattooed Teacher Podcast is a conversation‑based podcast exploring the person behind the educator. Hosted by a teacher who knows there’s more to life than the classroom, each episode goes beneath the surface on identity, purpose, creativity, educator wellbeing, burnout, growth, and what it really means to show up as yourself in education. You’ll hear honest conversations with teachers and inspiring guests from around the world—sharing real stories and lived experiences that challenge the traditional image of what an educator “should” be.

Information

  • Creator
    Phil Murdoch
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    68
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Phil Murdoch
  • Show Website
    The Tattooed Teacher