Unlearn Something

Unlearnsomethingpod

Two teachers unlearning in their classrooms and sparking conversations in yours.

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Episodes

27. What happens when things goes wrong? Identifying challenges in the classroom
Apr 13 2024
27. What happens when things goes wrong? Identifying challenges in the classroom
** Trigger Warning **This episode includes discussions about challenging experiences in the classroom from a teacher's perspective. If this is something that might upset or cause harm, check out another episode of the Unlearn Something podcast!In this episode, Miss S and Miss D discuss some interactions during the school day that made us question ourselves. Let's face it, teaching in the current climate is a challenge and what are some of the things that make it even more challenging? Some of the things that teachers experience are WILD and in this episode we share some of these experiences and what we would expect to be in place to support teachers.  What are some of the challenges that you face? How did your leadership team support you and manage the situation? What support works for teachers in schools now when we are facing different challenges and unprecedented circumstances? Links Place2Be - https://tinyurl.com/56u392mvKid's Company and Camila Batmanghelidjh - https://tinyurl.com/ynas6atw Kooth - a free, safe, anonymous online emotional wellbeing community for children and young people - https://www.kooth.com/Frank - support for children and young people who want advice about drugs and other substances - https://www.talktofrank.com/ If you have any comments or feedback to give us please email us on unlearnsomethingpod@gmail.com, and we will get back to you and (with your permission) read out your email on the show.Music credit: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music?tag[]=spotlight&sort=relevanceYou can sponsor the Unlearn Something Podcast by buying us a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unlearnpod
25: Celebrating the BLAM book launch in Birmingham, UK
Mar 23 2024
25: Celebrating the BLAM book launch in Birmingham, UK
Welcome to episode 25 of the Unlearnsomething podcast. Thank you for listening and supporting us. We are enjoying the process, meeting some wonderful people and hopefully sparking some conversations in your classrooms!This week we share our reflections on our road trip up to Birmingham for the BLAM book launch. Another bonus is that Miss S was part of a Black educators panel on why the BLAM resources are so necessary. Miss O was cheering and whooping in the audience and making a fuss. BLAM is an organisation led by young Black women (big up Ife and the team) that has published educational resources to support the teaching of Black history for 7 - 11 year olds. These books are best for KS2. Not only are they publishing educational resources, BLAM are community advocates, fund and provide enrichment programs promoting Black British history for children and young people AND if that wasn't enough, there is a service that provide Black people access to therapy with certified Black therapists. Truly transformative!We loved spending time with these motivated and inspirational people and had a great time doing the quiz too. Do you know what two twos means? Miss S did, Miss D had no clue.  If you have any comments or feedback to give us please email us on unlearnsomethingpod@gmail.com, and we will get back to you and (with your permission) read out your email on the show.Music credit: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music?tag[]=spotlight&sort=relevanceYou can sponsor the Unlearn Something Podcast by buying us a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unlearnpod
22: Britain's Crumbling Schools
Feb 15 2024
22: Britain's Crumbling Schools
Welcome back to our latest episode of the Unlearn Something Podcast! We are two teachers unlearning in our classrooms and sparking conversations in yours. In this episode Miss D and Miss S,  review the BBC Panorama investigative documentary into the state of many of Britain’s school buildings including schools  managing a building material known as Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC). We discuss the timeline leading to the current UK school  building crisis and the conditions education staff and pupils are expected to work in. Show Notes Watch: BBC Panorama documentary on BBC iplayer  - https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001vnjc/panorama-britains-crumbling-schoolsRead: List of schools affected by RAAC and what you need to now about the new guidance. - https://www.gov.wales/anti-racist-wales-action-plan-contentshttps://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/12/06/new-guidance-on-raac-in-education-settings/Managing asbestos is school - https://www.hse.gov.uk/education/asbestos-faqs.htm#Music credit: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music?tag[]=spotlight&sort=relevanceYou can sponsor the Unlearn Something Podcast by buying us a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unlearnpodIf you have any comments or feedback to give us please email us on unlearnsomethingpod@gmail.com, and we will get back to you and (with your permission) read out your email on the show.Music credit: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music?tag[]=spotlight&sort=relevanceYou can sponsor the Unlearn Something Podcast by buying us a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unlearnpod
20. Anti Racism and Diversifying Recruitment in Corporate Sectors: An interview with Romain Muhammad
Jan 5 2024
20. Anti Racism and Diversifying Recruitment in Corporate Sectors: An interview with Romain Muhammad
Welcome back to our next episode of the Unlearn Something Podcast!This episode we have another special guest. Romain Muhammad is a recruitment specialist, his social media platforms have over 35K subscribers, he is studying an MA, he is writing a book and today we discuss how we can better prepare students for a career in the corporate world. We - Miss D, Romain and TeacherFriend -  discuss big questions such as: how we engaged with education as young people, what must the education system and educators to better prepare our young people for a career in the corporate world and the differences between DEI and decolonisation work. Romain shares such a wealth of knowledge and it is very exciting to hear about his plans for his work in this area. He is a young Black British man making waves in his fields and we will be here cheering him on. What a talent!Show Notes Find out more about Romain and his work at @romainmuhammad_  and @blackmindstate on Instagram and also at https://www.diversifyworld.com/Bookshop recommendations Verso Books https://www.versobooks.com/en-gbJudd St Books https://juddbooks.com/wp/Anti Racism Action Plan (Wales) https://www.gov.wales/anti-racist-wales-action-plan-contentsIf you have any comments or feedback to give us please email us on unlearnsomethingpod@gmail.com, and we will get back to you and (with your permission) read out your email on the show.Music credit: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music?tag[]=spotlight&sort=relevanceYou can sponsor the Unlearn Something Podcast by buying us a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unlearnpod
19. History and Geography in UK Schools: An interview with Leila from Energy Garden and Black British Studies
Dec 27 2023
19. History and Geography in UK Schools: An interview with Leila from Energy Garden and Black British Studies
Hello!Welcome back to the next episode of the Unlearn Something Podcast!Today we have Miss D interviewing the amazing Leila from Energy Garden and the brains behind Black British Studies on Instagram. We delve into a lively conversation about History and Geography and how it is taught in UK schools and what we need to do to improve it. Leila sheds light on the successes and challenges of being a Head of Department in secondary schools and coming up against resistance to change - even when it means a more impactful and equitable outcomes for students and professional development for teachers. We also get the chance to celebrate and discuss Leila's work with Energy Garden and her other projects; including Black British Studies on Instagram. I also suggest that Leila needs to find the time to write a book.  I really enjoyed this interview and I hope that you enjoy listening as well!** I referred to Energy Garden as EduGarden more than once during the episode. I apologise for this error. Show NotesYou can find more of Leila's work at @black_british_studies on Instagram, more from Leila and her work at Energy Garden https://www.energygarden.org.uk/ Facing History UK - https://www.facinghistory.org/about/locations/united-kingdom Historical Association -  https://www.history.org.uk/Geographical Association - https://geography.org.uk/If you have any comments or feedback to give us please email us on unlearnsomethingpod@gmail.com, and we will get back to you and (with your permission) read out your email on the show.Music credit: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music?tag[]=spotlight&sort=relevanceYou can sponsor the Unlearn Something Podcast by buying us a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unlearnpod
18. Police Presence and Searches in Schools: We don't need them
Dec 7 2023
18. Police Presence and Searches in Schools: We don't need them
Hello!Welcome back to the Unlearn Something podcast where two teachers have conversations about our classrooms in the hope that this will spark a conversation in yours. This week we talk about where and when police are currently in some schools and what impact this might have on our young people. Miss S shares some of her experiences of how police work in secondary schools and we lament the criminalisation of some of our young people through this process. Show NotesCheck out this book  - 'The New Jim Crow: The Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colourblindness' Michelle Alexander (2010) No Police In Schools https://nopoliceinschools.co.uk/resources# Here you can find a range of resources related to the No Police In Schools campaign, and the wider issue of police in schools. Nearly 1000 police officers operating in UK schools: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jan/16/police-officers-operating-uk-schools Over-policed and under-protected: the road to Safer Schools https://www.runnymedetrust.org/publications/over-policed-and-under-protected-the-road-to-safer-schools School based police officers:https://www.met.police.uk/foi-ai/metropolitan-police/d/may-2022/school-based-police-officers/If you have any comments or feedback to give us please email us on unlearnsomethingpod@gmail.com, and we will get back to you and (with your permission) read out your email on the show.Music credit: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music?tag[]=spotlight&sort=relevanceYou can sponsor the Unlearn Something Podcast by buying us a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unlearnpod
16. Teaching is no JOKE! Teacher Burnout and how to recognise it
Nov 25 2023
16. Teaching is no JOKE! Teacher Burnout and how to recognise it
Hello!We are back with another episode and in this episode we are talking about teacher burnout. We talk about what is feels like, how to recognise it and what we can try and do about it.There is a problem though. we cannot avoid burnout ourselves in our individual classrooms. It is a much wider school, network and sysytemic problem. We need to ask ourselves why so many of us are feeling tired and stressed most, if not all the time. There are measures we can take day by day to protect and care for ourselves; but the reason a lot of us are feeling burnt out is because of the sheer mass of unprecedented challenges that face teachers today. ECTs are quitting, teacher trainees are dropping out of their courses, supply teachers are hard to find. Today we discuss this and a lot  more. Its a long listen and we hope that its relatable. Check on your teacher friends because some of us are really struggling. Show Notes 'How to Recognise Teacher Burn Out' https://schools.au.reachout.com/articles/how-to-recognise-and-manage-teacher-burnout'Teacher Burnout and Turnover Intent' Natalie Rajendren  2019 https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar_url?url=https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Helen-Watt/publication/338923051_Teacher_burnout_and_turnover_intent/links/5e7d6cc8458515efa0ada568/Teacher-burnout-and-turnover-intent.pdf&hl=en&sa=X&ei=zO9hZYChDo6V6rQPv--5-Ak&scisig=AFWwaeb6fLOiL3lLi0kDR58zCnKD&oi=scholarrIf you have any comments or feedback to give us please email us on unlearnsomethingpod@gmail.com, and we will get back to you and (with your permission) read out your email on the show.Music credit: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music?tag[]=spotlight&sort=relevanceYou can sponsor the Unlearn Something Podcast by buying us a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unlearnpod
12. Unlearning Perfectionism during UK Black History Month
Oct 18 2023
12. Unlearning Perfectionism during UK Black History Month
Hello and welcome to the next episode of the Unlearn Something podcast! We are sharing what is happening in our classrooms hoping to spark a conversation in yours. This week we are talking about what is happening in our classrooms - students feeling lonely at school, pupil behaviour and harsh detentions and how we need to remember that the human brain isn't fully formed until their mid 20s.We are also unpacking perfectionism around UK Black British History Month and what it looks like in schools. Any Black History is good, and we need to strive to do better for our kids, families and communities. We are sharing good practice, what we want do, what are able to do, recognising that is sometimes different and other ways to make the most of the time that we have during Black History Month here in the UK. Show NotesWant to see  more Black Joy and Creativity? - Check out @the.hair.poet on Instagram Want to see the UK Black Curriculum? - Look for @theblackcurriculum on InstagramWant Black British History - search for @kaynekawasaki, @blackbritishstudies and @black_british_histories on Instagram  If you have any comments or feedback to give us please email us on unlearnsomethingpod@gmail.com, and we will get back to you and (with your permission) read out your email on the show.Music credit: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music?tag[]=spotlight&sort=relevanceYou can sponsor the Unlearn Something Podcast by buying us a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unlearnpod
9. ESN (Educationally Sub Normal) Schools in the UK - Then and Now
Sep 7 2023
9. ESN (Educationally Sub Normal) Schools in the UK - Then and Now
Hello everyone, welcome back to the Unlearn Something podcast!This week we are talking about ESN (Educationally Sub Normal) schools in the UK and what impact they might have on school communities today. ESN schools were introduced in the UK in the early 20th century and continued for decades. According to an article published by the BBC in 2021,  in 1967, 28% of pupils placed in ESN schools were from Black immigrant families, almost double the 15% in mainstream schools. In this episode, we discuss and share some useful resources to learn more about ESN schools in the UK, the impact it had on pupils and families and the potential for the legacy of this to continue in our school communities today. There is an exhibition at the Black Cultural Archives in Brixton, London about children who were sent to live in the UK from the Caribbean. The exhibition includes some first hand interviews with people who attended ESN schools and showcases some primary sources. It is showing at the BCA until September 9 2023. Like, share and rate us 5 stars!If you have any comments or feedback to give us please email us on unlearnsomethingpod@gmail.com, and we will get back to you and (with your permission) read out your email on the show.Music credit: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music?tag[]=spotlight&sort=relevanceShow Notes (further reading)BCA exhibition - Over a Barrel: Windrush Children, Tragedy and Triumph https://www.bcaexhibits.org/exhibits/over-a-barrelMiss D - BBC documentary 'Subnormal' https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000w81h/subnormal-a-british-scandalMiss S - Book about ESN schools in the UK 'How the West Indian Child is Made Educationally Sub-Normal in the British School System' by Bernard Coard https://www.newbeaconbooks.com/black-british-fiction/a4wyiz9c6te8qqmndaeqldp9nte7rdSmall Axe: Education - Written and Dir by Sir Steve McQueen https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000qfb1  Leigh Day Solicitors is working with clients affected by being misclassified as educationally subnormal and severly affected by their expereinces to achieve compensation for what happended to them. For more inforamtion contact fswaine@leighday.co.ukIf you have any comments or feedback to give us please email us on unlearnsomethingpod@gmail.com, and we will get back to you and (with your permission) read out your email on the show.Music credit: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music?tag[]=spotlight&sort=relevanceYou can sponsor the Unlearn Something Podcast by buying us a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unlearnpod