Teachers Talk Radio

What’s Really Causing Teacher Burnout?: Points of View

Teachers are exhausted, overwhelmed and, in many cases, walking away from the profession. But what is really behind the rise in teacher burnout? Is it workload, poor behaviour, endless accountability and SEND pressures or something deeper in the culture of education itself? In this Points of View, we ask why so many teachers are struggling to sustain the job, whether school leaders and governments are doing enough, and what practical changes could actually make teaching manageable again. Has the profession reached a tipping point or can burnout be turned around?
With Dave Brown, Liz Webb, Lucy Trimnell and Maud Waret. 

Educational AI: Tool or Tyrant? The Late Show with Christopher Vowles

Christopher talks with computer science academic and university teacher Dr Jeremy Straub about the recent history of Artificial Intelligence; its impact on our educational institutions; and the ways in which it might reshape and redefine our notions of education, research and training in the near future.

How can you de-stress?: The Sunday Breakfast Show with Phin

We talk how to de-stress in the classroom. Join us!

Can Task Design Limit Cheating?: The Saturday Breakfast Show with Darren Lester

Darren explores whether better task design can reduce cheating in schools and assessments. Drawing on the research of Wenzel and Reinhard (2020), he examines how the structure and design of tasks can influence student honesty, motivation, and decision-making during tests and classroom assessments. From authenticity and challenge to accountability and engagement, this show looks at the evidence behind why some assessment tasks may encourage academic integrity more effectively than others.

Is teaching getting harder?: The Twilight Show with Tony Harwood and Yannick Berland

Yannick and Tony reflect on the changes in the profession with reference to 10 key areas, and give an opinion for each on whether they have got better or worse. At the end of the show, the hosts will compare notes and consider survey results across the UK in order to make a final conclusion: Is teaching getting harder?

Teach Like Your Heart Is On Fire: The Late Show with Tim Smale

What does it mean to teach with your heart truly in it? This week on The Late Show, Tim Smale and Khanh-Duc Kuttig are joined by the amazing Christian Mba, vice principal, middle leadership developer, and author of Teach Like Your Heart Is On Fire.
Together they explore the questions at the heart of Christian's book: why you became a teacher, whether knowing your purpose changes what happens in the classroom, and what it really takes to sustain genuine passion across a career.

The "Bedroom Generation" - Is the UK writing off young people?: Points of View

Nearly one million young people in the UK are currently out of education and work. Alan Milburn’s explosive new report warns of an "economic catastrophe" driven by lockdown scars, social media rewiring, and a broken welfare system. In this show, join JP, Rae, Carl and Jo as they ask the tough questions. Are schools doing enough to build resilience? Has technology created an anxious generation that the system is simply giving up on?

Test Anxiety and School Avoidance: The Saturday Breakfast Show with Darren Lester

Darren explores the relationship between test anxiety and school avoidance, examining how anxiety around exams and assessment can contribute to absenteeism, emotionally based school avoidance, and disengagement from learning. Drawing on current educational and psychological research, he discusses the warning signs teachers and parents should recognise, the impact of exam stress on student wellbeing, and the practical strategies schools can use to support anxious pupils before attendance becomes a wider concern.

Make it make sense: Why are we more interested in banning books than banning social media? - The Morning Break with Liz Webb

In March, Index on Censorship reported on a school in Greater Manchester that had pulled 200 books from the school library shelves after the Head raised an issue with one book.
With huge parental pressure in the US to censor young people’s access to certain literature, particularly that relating to race, gender and sexuality, is the UK following suit in this worrying trend?
In a world where our young people carry access to a whole world of unrestricted material in their pockets, why has the war been waged on literature rather than smartphones and social media?

A Culture of Threat: Misogyny, Masculinity, and Modern Schooling: The Twilight Show with Louise Pickering

Louise Pickering meets with Vivienne Porritt OBE to discuss:
The concept of masculinity
The impact of social media on boys and men
The research/evidence behind the concerns
How misogyny and sexism manifest in schools
How schools can design effective systems and establish a healthy culture that safeguards girls and women