The Art of Teaching

Up next on The Art of Teaching is Charlie Burley.

Charlie is a former primary school teacher who knows, from lived experience, the pace, pressure and emotional weight that often come with life in the classroom. After feeling the toll that the profession can take on personal health and well-being, Charlie made a significant shift in his own career, choosing to focus on helping educators look after themselves with the same care they give their students every day.

Today, he is a qualified nutritionist, health coach, and the founder of The Teachers' Health Coach Ltd. Through his work, Charlie supports teachers and school staff to build sustainable habits that strengthen energy, resilience and overall wellbeing. His approach brings together practical strategies around nutrition, movement and mental health, helping educators manage stress, improve focus and find a healthier rhythm both inside and outside the classroom.

Charlie is also the host of the Rewriting Wellbeing Podcast, where he explores the realities of educator wellbeing and shares thoughtful conversations designed to help teachers flourish in a demanding profession.

In 2025, he released his book Healthy Habits for Teacher Life, a practical guide that helps educators embed small but powerful habits into their daily routines.

At the heart of Charlie’s work is a belief that resonates deeply with many teachers: educators deserve to thrive, not merely keep going. When teachers take care of their own well-being, they are far better placed to sustain their passion, their energy and their impact for the long run.

Here is my conversation with Charlie Burley.

Michelle Michael is an internationally recognised education leader specialising in digital innovation and artificial intelligence in education. With more than 30 years of experience across schools, government and global advisory contexts, she brings a rare blend of strategic insight and practical implementation.
As a former Director in the NSW Department of Education, Michelle played a pivotal role in shaping the state’s response to generative AI. She led the development and launch of NSWEduChat, one of the largest system-wide AI initiatives in education, supporting teachers and leaders to engage with emerging technologies thoughtfully and responsibly. She also led major reforms including the Effective Use of Mobile Devices Strategy and served as Director of Learning from Home, supporting more than one million students and teachers during COVID.
Michelle has advised governments internationally, presented to the OECD and shared the stage with global education leaders, including Sir Ken Robinson. Her leadership has been recognised with NSW Premier’s and Australian College of Educators awards.
A Fellow of Women in AI and EdSafe AI Alliance in New York, Michelle now works across a portfolio of roles. She is a Beachhead Advisor to New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, a casual academic at Macquarie University, founder of her own education consultancy and a Non Executive Director with Young Change Agents.
Michelle’s work sits at the intersection of innovation, ethics and impact, helping education systems navigate complexity with clarity and care.

Kerrie Quee is a nationally accredited Highly Accomplished teacher with over 40 years of classroom experience. Kerrie has a strong commitment to equity in education, inspiring the next generation of teachers and leading teacher professional growth. She works as an EAL/D Education Leader for the Department of Education, supporting schools to strengthen evidence-informed pedagogy and improve outcomes for multilingual learners.

Kerrie also works as an academic at Western Sydney University (WSU), contributing to the development of pre-service teachers through tutorials and as a senior advisor during professional experience.

In addition, Kerrie is a NESA HALT Assessor and a NSW HALT Association board member, working with Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher applicants across NSW. She is passionate about recognising and elevating exemplary practice, mentoring teachers through the accreditation process and strengthening professional standards across the system.

Today’s guest is Olli-Pekka Heinonen, one of the significant voices in global education and a leader who has spent decades shaping how the world thinks about learning.

Olli-Pekka is the Director General of the International Baccalaureate, guiding a worldwide community of schools committed to developing curious, capable and principled young people. Before stepping into this global role, he served as Finland’s Minister of Education and Culture and later as State Secretary, playing a key part in the evolution of Finland’s internationally respected education system.

He is also the author of Learning as if Life Depended on It, a powerful reflection on why education must help us see the world anew. Drawing on Finnish heritage, statesmanship and a deep understanding of global challenges, Olli-Pekka explores what it means to move beyond being overtrained and undereducated, and why learning is central to the future of humanity itself.

In this conversation, we explore leadership, identity, global responsibility, and what it truly means to educate for a world that is changing faster than any curriculum ever could.

It’s thoughtful, expansive, and quietly urgent. A conversation that reminds us why this work matters so much.

Heidi Horne is a Stress Strategist, keynote speaker, and Wiley author of The One-Minute Reset, available across Australia. For close to 20 years, she’s worked in high-pressure environments where burnout is common and attention is constantly pulled in a hundred directions.

Heidi believes that when stress hits, we don’t need more theory or another long program. We need something simple, practical, and backed by science. Her work focuses on powerful resets that take 60 seconds or less and can be used right in the moment, before stress hijacks focus, performance, or well-being.

Trusted by organisations including Bupa, Rydges, and Cisco, Heidi is also a regular voice across television, radio, and print media. She helps people and teams find calm and clarity when the pressure is real, not later, but right there in it.