Teachers supporting teachers: Episode 1 Podcast with Leesa Downes

Episode 1

Conversation with Leesa Downes

Say hello to Leesa Downes, she is a teacher heavily influenced by Reggio Emilia, and currently working in an International Baccalaureate school that is delivering Primary Years Program (PYP) in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. She is currently teaching prep, or the foundation year level, and working with inquiry learning and through a strengths-based approach influenced by positive psychology. Leesa has been in leadership and coaching roles throughout her career, with the aim to always bring the best out in others.

We talk about the current climate of COVID-19 and that this brings the school an amazing opportunity. Looking at doing what they deliver really well and what this can look like in the home environment. Leesa speaks through different digital platforms and strategies for pausing and checking in as the school supports all teachers, families and young people. We highlight that possibility exists to explore relationships and connections in different ways.

Using Seesaw and Zoom as digital tools to support students with their learning, as well as a combination of home-schooling strategies, Leesa encourages us to pause and check in - there is excitement with opportunity but there is also an awareness around what this means for areas of inclusivity and diversity. How do we support everyone during this time? What boundaries need to be set? What does learning look like at home? Who has access and to what? How do we check in with parents? How can we as teachers support parents during this time? Leesa also discusses what is it like to work with a team where communication, openness and honesty have been core to making this shift.

Change is happening everywhere; change is happening every day. COVID-19 might be new, different and dynamic, but we need to be flexible. But this is what learning and teaching is all about. The classroom changes minute by minute. Leesa shares how this moment right now is timely to help us to stop. We are now being invited to think about the dynamics of the classroom and being a teacher, and indeed how we can work with students, parents and the wider school community. Face-to-face is not the only way we learn, and we now are invited to think more broadly about what leaning is, can be, and what opportunities exist. Leesa asks us to think about, how do we use the privilege of being a teacher to help others?

Leesa invites us to be extraordinary at building positive relationships and illuminates that this is something a teacher really needs to be able to do - to support learners, peers, colleagues, parents and the wider school community. There are so many different ways to do this and Leesa talks about this through a strengths-based approach and inquiry-based learning demonstrating how these approaches assist greatly in getting to know the whole person. We connect with the need to be empathetic and compassionate, with this moment in a time really highlighting this need as well as the language you use with each other, and yourself, being vital for the building, maintaining and sustaining of relationships.

We chat about the pressure of being a teacher and taking care of yourself. Top tips shared involved highlighted not getting involved in other people’s vortex. We explore this and how you can set boundaries for yourself in how you engage with others, ideas and conflicts. A leading question is: Who owns that issue?

The Mess and the Magic of change adaption by Leesa from Michelle McQuaid’s work is unpacked as a wonderful self-care strategy. Leesa walks us through the ideas behind mess and magic. She highlights that Mess exists; it can be really messy with so many pressures. Sit in this mess and reflect. What is it I need to do, change, or approach in a different way? Then she invites us to think about how we can reframe and shift this mess to magic. Where:

M = making sure you are meaning lead. Everything you do is lead by your purpose. Who do you want to be? How do you want to show up each day? What do I need to do? What are my next steps now? How does the change matter to you? How does it match the meaning and my purpose? How do you align?
A = Activate your strength and the strengths in others. What can you bring? What can others teach you? What can you highlight in someone else?
G = Generative conversations. Who are the people you can have a conversation with? What conversation can you have and with whom to support you with the change?
I = Invite a conversation with someone else to help you to learn more. Whose energy can you use to help you keep growing?
C = Taking feedback on to help you keep growing? Where is the learning? What are we learning? What does this look like?

And as Leesa shares she is burning with ideas to support your wellbeing, with top tips of:

Be flexible and aware.
Assess, adapt and act on what is right for you.
Rethink and extend the 80/20 rule. Often our time is 80% fixing something and then only 20% of the students’ strengths is used, developed or highlighted, flip this.
Boundaries must be put in place, joint number one rule with relationships. As a teacher you always give your time first, you need to put your self-care and wellbeing in place so you can care for yourself and then care for others. Put the boundaries in place so you look after you.
Find a mentor where you can talk openly about frustrations and celebrations and they can also provide you with honest feedback. Find someone who challenges you.
Prioritise your wellbeing.

Towards the end of the conversation we talk about applying for jobs and undertaking the interview. Leesa focuses on applying for jobs by encouraging you to ask for help, reach out. She recommends you apply with courage, curiosity and confidence. And reminds you that confidence builds; find some ways to do this through your courage and curiosity but also be aware of how you may need to develop your skills around talking with others, how to manage stress, and how to celebrate you.

Leesa highlights don’t apply for everything, and invites you to really research the school so that you are finding a school that you become a part of the community that aligns to your values. Does the school align to where you want to be or is it just a job?

Interview tips for graduates, and experienced teachers, are shared illuminating that you need to research the school before you attend and share lots of examples. Leesa reminds you to be honest if you haven’t had an experience but to share how you would approach it while showcasing your values, meaning and purpose of who you are as a teacher. Let you shine and who you are when you are interviewing. Build off experiences from professional experience and weave this through the interview with honesty. As you show a little of you, you build trust with the interview panel. Honesty and authenticity are key to this.

Leesa encourages you to find time to practice interviews and connect with a mentor who gives you honest feedback. Ask for support, and practice your response in different ways.

And a top tip, that is often forgotten about in the interview process is that you really need to utilise the opportunity to ask questions at the end of the interview. This is a critical time, and sometimes we get caught up in asking about logical aspects, such as pay rate, leave, start dates etc. Leesa invites us to reconsider this time in the interview and to ask questions of the panel that highlight your strengths and interest in the school. She gives examples: I was just wondering, this school is known as an exploratory school in x, why do your students wake up in the morning to be energised to come to school? What would you say is your school is greatest strength? We are encouraged to connect with questions that you can ask that helps you to utilise the question time in an interview, this is your key time to ask questions and show you have researched the school and are looking for a school that aligns to your meaning, passion and why while finding yourself in the right place, that is the right school for you right now. Leesa encourages you to approach this with a strength-based approach and be brave enough to shine in this way.

Best advice ever as a teacher Leesa has received includes two points: 1) find your unique way and opportunities to enable all your leaners to be shine, to be empowered to do anything, and celebrated, and 2) nothing without joy! Stop, adjust and act again. If it doesn’t bring you joy stop doing it, reframe it. Find the joy in something that is hard, what purpose does this have for me in my role and how can I connect to it. There is a continuum in life, and bring it back to the magic. Reflect and then move. A crappy day is ok, bring yourself from the mess to the magic.

Enjoy this conversation between Narelle and Leesa, our giggles and insights, including the delivery of a coffee in the middle! All a part of a casual but meaningful conversation shared in this episode. And celebrate how ideas change as you listen; when this episode was recorded the series was going to be video based, and within 24 hours the idea of these interviews emerged into a small podcast series, so excuse the reference to a video, replacing this with podcast as you listen.

Enjoy!

Strategies and tips to take away