"Get on board or get left behind" is not an argument for AI in schools. It's just pressure.
Teachers deserve time to understand what they're adopting. The research on school change is brutal - most of it fails.
Urgency isn't a reason to stop asking questions.
11.03.2026 09:39
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Ok. I'm excited! Today I released the 151st episode of Education Leaders.
To celebrate, I've created a special recording for you. So many listeners might be wondering what's behind the podcast and what I get up to when I'm not behind the mic. Here's your chance to find out.
buff.ly/rJYC5S1
10.03.2026 07:38
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China Festival of Education Speaker: Shane Leaning
YouTube video by EducationScape
See you in Shanghai!
youtube.com/shorts/W3A4p...
10.03.2026 00:02
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"I can never have the same cultural understanding of China that a local leader can."
Simon said this matter-of-factly. No ego. Just clarity about why co-leadership isn't optional. It's necessary.
Worth a listen: buff.ly/BxAMGBN
09.03.2026 09:39
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Simon described students who have a Chinese and an English name, a Chinese and a Western identity. He suggested that might actually signal a school that hasn't done its job properly.
That reframe sat with me all week. buff.ly/BxAMGBN
#SchoolLeadership
08.03.2026 09:38
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International Women's Day Reflection from Emma
08.03.2026 05:13
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Happy International Womenβs Day.
I am stronger because of you π₯°
08.03.2026 02:48
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Simon's shift from that to genuinely listening as a leader, especially across cultures, is the bit of this conversation I keep coming back to.
Listen here: buff.ly/BxAMGBN
07.03.2026 09:39
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If culture isn't monolithic, what use are the "culture maps" we rely on to understand the communities we lead in?
Simon spent 10 years in mainland China and says the generalisations only get you so far.
Listen here: buff.ly/BxAMGBN
#InternationalSchools
06.03.2026 09:38
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Live Coaching Session: A Coach Gets Coached On His Own Video (Real & Unscripted)
YouTube video by Shane Leaning
You know you should probably get some coaching yourself.
You've just been... busy.
I said the same thing. Then Jim Thompson - co-author of Video Coaching Done Well - coached me live, on camera, in front of an audience.
New Coaching Done Well β www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbP3...
06.03.2026 03:26
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Shane Leaning taking a selfie at the front of a large, light-filled hall at Wycombe Abbey Hangzhou. Behind him, around 80 teachers are seated at tables in small groups, mid-discussion during a professional development workshop.
Every teacher rehearsed each technique five times this week at Wycombe Abbey Hangzhou. Not watched it. Rehearsed it.
Techniques drawn from Teach Like a Champion and Teaching Walkthrus.
Already heard from one teacher who's tried it. Already noticing a difference.
05.03.2026 08:38
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I've called myself a global citizen for years. Simon made me question whether that's actually a useful identity to give our students or whether we're setting them up to belong nowhere.
New episode: buff.ly/BxAMGBN
04.03.2026 09:38
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The tappers thought 50% of listeners would guess the song.
Actual success rate: 2.5%.
You've got the music in your head. Your team has just got the taps.
buff.ly/HboUtSO #EducationalLeadership
02.03.2026 09:38
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The benefits of paraphrasing in a tricky conversation.
01.03.2026 10:00
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Prepared this episode thinking I was going to talk about communication.
Ended up sitting with how often I've walked away from a conversation certain we were aligned. We weren't.
buff.ly/HboUtSO
01.03.2026 09:38
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The thing that always makes the difference: actually practising the conversation, not just learning the model. First go, clunky. Second go, proper coaching. Super proud of this group π
01.03.2026 00:53
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Just wrapped two days running a coaching masterclass in Shanghai. Eight leaders, loads of snacks, two full coaching rehearsals with feedback in between. The shift from rehearsal one to rehearsal two was brilliant to watch.
01.03.2026 00:53
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Signal. Restate. Check.
That's it. Three steps. Paraphrasing done properly surfaces misunderstandings before they become two weeks of confusion.
Latest episode: buff.ly/HboUtSO
28.02.2026 09:39
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Day two of my Leading as a Coach Masterclass in Shanghai.
Today we rehearse!
28.02.2026 00:10
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Managers overestimate how clear their feedback is by over 40%.
Nearly half. And it's worse when the message is uncomfortable.
Worth thinking about.
Listen here: buff.ly/HboUtSO
#SchoolLeadership
27.02.2026 09:39
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All set up and raring to go! π
8 of us in Shanghai for two days of Leading as a Coach. Getting practical, getting vulnerable, and having fun doing it.
Itβs chucking it down outside but we wonβt let that dampen spirits.
Letβs do this!
#EducationLeaders #LeadingAsACoach #Shanghai
27.02.2026 00:08
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Communication Masterclass | How to Paraphrase β ShaneLeaning.com
You explained it clearly, they nodded, and two weeks later three people did three completely different things. This episode tackles one of the most common and costly communication breakdowns inβ¦
I asked "does everyone understand?" They all nodded. Two weeks later: three people, three completely different interpretations.
It wasn't poor communication. It was no habit to verify it. That's what this episode is about.
Listen here: buff.ly/HboUtSO
26.02.2026 08:38
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I agree. This campaign treats these days like they have no impact.
26.02.2026 02:51
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Thoughts on this ad campaign?
Combine 5 INSET days in to 1 week a year to support family holidaysβ¦
Iβm not convinced.
www.instagram.com/reel/DVIamIs...
25.02.2026 11:35
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We're live in 5!
Facebook: buff.ly/JDNHhyF
LinkedIn: buff.ly/JBoO5DH
Youtube: buff.ly/mdoUTU9
24.02.2026 17:55
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Do you have an Advice Monster?
Michael Bungay Stanier says we all do. Tell-It, Save-It, or Control-It.
In that moment it takes over, you're basically telling the other person they're not good enough.
Which one are you? π
#leadership #educationleaders #coaching
24.02.2026 07:38
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A sixth-form student found the school online, did all his research, then persuaded his parents it was the right one.
The school didn't reach him. He found them.
That says everything: buff.ly/OenfUlu
#SchoolLeadership
23.02.2026 09:38
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"Authentic leadership isn't what you say about yourself. It's what others say about you."
Selina Boyd changed how I'm thinking about school storytelling.
New ep: buff.ly/OenfUlu
22.02.2026 09:38
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Running weather is back in Shanghai.
Feeling grateful π
Wherever you are in the world, have a cracking Sunday!
22.02.2026 02:22
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