The Art of Teaching

Next is a conversation I recently had with Casey Ellis, a global leader in cybersecurity and the founder of Bugcrowd. Casey has spent his career thinking deeply about risk, trust and what happens when you invite smart, curious people into complex systems. Through Bugcrowd, he helped pioneer crowdsourced security, connecting organisations with ethical hackers from around the world to find problems before they become crises. In this conversation, we explore leadership under uncertainty, the ethics of technology, and what education, schools, and systems can learn from the way cybersecurity approaches prevention, responsibility, and human behaviour. It’s a thoughtful discussion about vigilance without paranoia, openness without naivety, and why good systems always start with people. I think you’ll find this one stretches your thinking well beyond cybersecurity and straight into the heart of leadership and learning.

With over fifteen years of experience as a teacher in special education, John has worked across Schools for Specific Purposes (SSPs) and support units in primary schools within public education. Now serving as an Assistant Principal Special Education, he is deeply committed to building the confidence, knowledge and capacity of colleagues and teachers, so inclusive practice is not an add-on, but a shared responsibility across the school community. John’s work is grounded in the belief that every student deserves to be seen for their strengths, potential and possibilities. He leads with care, clarity and high expectations, advocating for learning environments where difference is understood, valued and supported. Disability does not mean inability. Here is John's article: https://cpl.nswtf.org.au/journal/semester-2-2025/is-inclusion-truly-inclusive/

I’m joined today by Dr Vanessa Urch Druskat, a leading organisational psychologist whose work has reshaped how we think about emotional intelligence in teams. Together, we explore what helps groups think clearly, collaborate well and stay steady under pressure. We talk about trust, shared norms and the often invisible emotional work that underpins strong teaching teams and healthy school cultures. It’s a grounded, practical and quietly powerful conversation for anyone who leads, teaches or works closely with others. Here is a link to her resources: https://www.vanessadruskat.com/about

If you ask ten people what instructional leadership means, you’ll probably hear ten different answers. At its heart though, it’s the everyday work of helping teachers grow and helping students learn in ways that are intentional, evidence-informed, and grounded in trust. It isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about creating clarity, building shared purpose, and keeping everyone focused on the practices that genuinely shift learning. Instructional leaders make learning visible, link practice to impact, and cultivate the confidence and capability of the people around them. They stay curious, reflect openly, and use evidence to guide improvement rather than to judge. This idea sits at the centre of the work led by Peter DeWitt and Michael Nelson, who together lead the Instructional Leadership Collective. Their approach shows that instructional leadership isn’t something held by one person. It lives in teams, in the way we talk about learning, in walkthroughs and planning sessions, and in those quiet, hopeful moments when someone says, “Let’s try this together.” When we define instructional leadership clearly, we can collectively grow it. And students feel the difference long before the data catches up.

Today’s episode is something a little different. I sat down with the amazing Ash from Rainbow Sky Creations for a raw and honest chat, and this time I found myself on the other side of the microphone. It felt a bit strange being the one answering the questions, but Ash has a way of making you feel safe enough to tell the truth about your work, your why, and the messy bits in between. We talked about teaching, life, purpose, and what it means to try and make a difference in this wild and wonderful profession. It’s a conversation filled with heart, a few laughs, and some vulnerable moments that I’m really proud to share. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed being part of it.