Share

Education Leaders
Rethinking feedback | A conversation with Ross McGill
Shane welcomes globally renowned educator Ross McGill, known worldwide as Teacher Toolkit. Ross shares his groundbreaking approach to feedback and assessment, challenging traditional marking practices and offering practical alternatives that can transform how schools approach feedback while reducing teacher workload.
Ross introduces a comprehensive framework of nine different feedback approaches (feedback, feed up, feed forward × written, verbal, nonverbal) that enriches assessment practices beyond simply marking books. He shows that what matters most is whether students trust the feedback they receive and know how to act on it, not just what form the feedback takes.
You can find the full video of this conversation inside the Education Leaders Community.
- Teacher Toolkit website
- The Teacher Toolkit Guide to Feedback (Ross's latest book)
- Verbal Feedback Research Project (UCL research mentioned)
Episode Partners
The International Curriculum Association's Global.Learn.Connect Netherlands: Learn more
The University of Warwick's International Programmes | Learn more at warwick.ac.uk
Thank you for tuning in, and as always, if you found this episode useful, please share your experience. You can find me online on LinkedIn and Bluesky. My website is shaneleaning.com and email address is shane@shaneleaning.com.
About the host
Shane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports international schools globally. He co-founded Work Collaborative and hosts the chat-topping school leadership podcast, Education Leaders. Previously, he worked as Regional Head of Teaching Development for Nord Anglia Education. Passionate about empowering educators, he is currently co-authoring 'Change Starts Here.' As a CollectivEd Fellow, Teacher Development Trust Associate, and TEDx speaker, Shane has extensive experience in the UK and Asia and is a recognised voice in international education leadership. Learn more at shaneleaning.com.
Thank you for tuning in, and if you found this episode useful, please share. You can find me on LinkedIn and Bluesky.
Shane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports international schools globally. Passionate about empowering educators, he is currently co-authoring 'Change Starts Here.' Shane has extensive experience in the UK and Asia and is a recognised voice in international education leadership. Learn more at shaneleaning.com.
More episodes
View all episodes
105. New Bestseller: Change Starts Here
10:40||Ep. 105In this special episode, Shane Leaning discusses his new best-selling book "Change Starts Here: What if Everything Your School Needed Was Right in Front of You?", co-authored with Efram Learner. Shane shares why they wrote the book, its core philosophy, and how it can help school leaders drive meaningful change by looking inward to their communities rather than constantly seeking external solutions. Pre-order "Change Starts Here" on AmazonKey PointsThe Confidence Crisis: Many schools are experiencing a confidence crisis, constantly looking outside for solutions from consultancies and companies, inadvertently outsourcing their thinkingA Different Approach: Instead of providing prescriptive solutions, the book offers 40 powerful questions organized into 8 stages to unlock the wisdom that already exists within school communitiesBased on Design Thinking: The framework adapts the British Design Council's Double Diamond model for educational settingsAlready a Bestseller: The book has achieved bestseller status within a week of pre-orders being available What Makes This Approach DifferentEmbraces Complexity: Change involves people, and people are complex - this book doesn't try to oversimplify that realityCommunity-Centered: Involving multiple perspectives leads to better quality change and develops genuine buy-inEngages Head and Heart: Questions engage with feelings as much as thoughts, helping people follow through even when change becomes challengingWho Is This Book For?School leaders (primary audience)Teachers developing minds in their classroomsParents supporting their childrenHR managers thinking about recruitment challengesCEOs of school groupsAnyone who believes in community-led change Episode PartnerThe International Curriculum Association: Learn more104. Guest Episode | Change in schools from within
53:06||Ep. 104A Call Across the Pond- Guest AppearanceShane Leaning appears as a guest on another podcast.Time zones don't matter when the conversation is this good! This bonus episode features Shane Leaning as a guest on "A Call Across the Pond: Transforming Relationships at School, at Home & Beyond" with Tara Gretton and Vicky Essebag.Episode Highlights:Why most professional development doesn't lead to lasting change in schoolsHow the outsourcing of knowledge has led to a crisis of confidence in schoolsThe four key stages of effective, community-led changeWhy "buy-in" is the wrong approach to school changeThe importance of seeing challenges as perceptions rather than factsHow my podcast journey has evolved and the incredible lessons I've learnedThe critical need to restore respect and status to the teaching profession globallySubscribe to their podcast:A Call Across the Pond: Transforming Relationships at School, at Home & Beyond104. How to partner with parents | A conversation with Christina Hidek
37:01||Ep. 104In this episode, I speak with Christina Hidek, an expert in parent engagement, about the vital role of parent communities in schools. We explore the numerous benefits of empowered parent groups and how schools can build strong, collaborative relationships with parents. Episode HighlightsThe wide-ranging benefits of engaged parent communities for schools, students, and parents.Uncovering hidden parent talents and skills to enrich the school community.Moving beyond traditional parent involvement like bake sales to more strategic partnerships.Real-world examples of how parents have helped schools solve critical challenges.Strategies for overcoming barriers and adversarial relationships between schools and parents.The importance of open communication and mutual goal-setting.How to effectively support and empower parent groups.The school leader's role in fostering positive parent-teacher relationships. Key TakeawaysEngaged parent communities are invaluable assets to schools.Schools should actively seek to understand and utilise the diverse skills and talents within their parent community.Open communication and collaboration are essential for building strong parent-school partnerships.School leaders play a crucial role in fostering a positive and productive relationship with parent communities. Links MentionedChristina's Facebook Community: Superstar PTO Leaders Group Episode PartnerThe International Curriculum Association: Learn more103. Why your teachers have seen it all before
15:04||Ep. 103When you announce a new initiative, do you ever get "that sigh" from your experienced teachers? You know the one - followed by "Isn't this just that thing we did back in 2005?" Today we're looking at the inevitable cycle of change in education and how to lead through it with integrity and purpose.In this bite-sized leadership episode, Shane explores why education seems to move in cycles, with approaches and methodologies appearing to come back around under new names:Why education moves in cycles: Our system is obsessed with change, there are only so many fundamental ideas in education, and new leaders often feel pressure to make their markEvolution vs cycles: The most productive way to view educational change is as an evolution rather than disconnected cyclesPractical leadership advice: Rethink change for change's sake, connect new initiatives to what came before, focus on evolution not revolution, and honor institutional knowledgeEpisode PartnerThe International Curriculum Association: Learn more102. Can schools do flexible work? A Conversation with Neil Renton & Julie Wellacott
31:53||Ep. 102In this episode, I speak with Neil Renton, headteacher, and Julie Wellacott, HR professional, who are pioneering flexible working approaches in UK schools through their work as Flexible Working Ambassadors.Episode Highlights:What is flexible working? Giving teachers greater control over how much, when, and where they workHow Neil's school has transformed to employ 50 teachers with some form of "part-timeness"The mindset shift required from school leaders to embrace flexibilityWhy "reason-neutral" approaches prevent bias when considering flexible working requestsSimple starting points for leaders wanting to explore flexible working optionsResearch showing that one-fifth of teachers who leave the profession move to part-time roles outside educationHow flexible arrangements like sabbaticals and phased retirement help retain experienced educatorsCreating a school culture where staff feel comfortable requesting flexibilityKey Takeaways:Flexible working isn't just about part-time hours - it encompasses location, scheduling, and workloadThe cultural shift required is substantial but pays dividends in retention and teacher wellbeingSmall, incremental changes can make a significant difference to individual teachersStart with an honest assessment of your school's current approach to flexibilityBoth research evidence and individual stories can help persuade reluctant leadersLinks Mentioned:Neil's Article in SecEdFlexible Working ToolkitEpisode PartnerThe International Curriculum Association: Learn more101. How to delegate
16:41||Ep. 101Have you ever found yourself drowning in tasks that others could do, but somehow you're still doing them yourself? Today, Shane Leaning shares a framework that completely transformed how he delegates - and might give you back hours of your week.In this episode, Shane explores the nine levels of delegation developed by the late Tim Brighouse, a renowned British educationalist. This framework provides a clear spectrum from essentially no delegation to complete handover of responsibility.Key Insights:Most leaders default to lower levels of delegation due to habits, politeness, or control preferencesClarity is crucial - most delegation problems stem from unclear expectationsMatch your delegation approach to both the task complexity and the person's experienceCultural differences significantly impact how delegation is received and should be consideredProgressive delegation can develop team members' skills and confidence over timeThe same person might handle different tasks at different delegation levels depending on contextChallenge:Try being explicitly clear about your delegation level in at least three conversations next week. Use the framework and see what happens when you're transparent about expectations.Episode PartnerThe International Curriculum Association: Learn moreThank you for tuning in, and as always, if you found this episode useful, please share your experience. You can find me online on LinkedIn and Bluesky. My website is shaneleaning.com and email address is shane@shaneleaning.com.About the hostShane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports international schools globally. He co-founded Work Collaborative and hosts the chart-topping school leadership podcast, Education Leaders. Passionate about empowering educators, he is currently co-authoring 'Change Starts Here.' As a CollectivEd Fellow, Teacher Development Trust Associate, and TEDx speaker, Shane has extensive experience in the UK and Asia and is a recognised voice in international education leadership. Learn more at shaneleaning.com.100. LIVE | Trust, Traction and Technology
47:25||Ep. 100In this special bonus episode, Shane Leaning and co-host Chris Scorer introduce the new Education Leaders community platform and discuss what makes a great educational community. The conversation explores the challenges of navigating online spaces for both educators and students, finding balance in a digitally saturated world, and creating meaningful connections among education professionals globally.Episode Highlights:Introduction to the Education Leaders Live community platform, hosted on EducationScapeHow the platform serves as a space for leadership discussions, peer coaching, and resource sharingThe importance of creating both online and offline spaces where meaningful connection can happenPerspectives on the challenges of digital saturation for today's studentsInsights on balancing productivity with necessary downtime for both educators and studentsWhat makes a truly effective educational community - including trust, authentic engagement, and psychological safetyResources Mentioned:Education Leaders Community: educationleaders.liveEducationScape platform and appNetflix series "Adolescents"The Anxious Generation by Jonathan HaidtSchools Week and FE Week (EducationScape publications)Festival of Education (UK)"Limitless" program (device-free experiences for students)A Hair, Brain and Tortoise Mind by Guy ClaxtonJoin the community at educationleaders.live to participate in future live sessions, access exclusive resources, and connect with education leaders worldwide. Education Leaders Live sessions happen every two weeks.99. The problem with grades | A conversation with Amarbeer Singh Gill & Jennifer Curran
30:13||Ep. 99Grades give us comfort and numbers feel concrete. But what if our obsession with quantifying learning is actually getting in the way of understanding it? Today, we're rethinking assessment.Shane Leaning speaks with Amarbeer Singh Gill and Jennifer Curran from Ambition Institute about assessment in education. The conversation challenges our reliance on grades and numbers, exploring the limitations of traditional assessment methods and offering insights into more meaningful approaches to understanding student learning.Key Topics DiscussedThe difference between attainment and progress, and why they require different assessment approachesWhy grades can be misleading without shared understanding of their meaningThe false sense of security that numerical scores can provideThe importance of ongoing formative assessment in the classroomFinding the right balance between measuring learning and facilitating itHow school leaders can evaluate and improve their assessment practicesGuest LinksAmarbeer Singh Gill (Singh): @SinghAmarbeerGJennifer Curran (Jen): @jennimc_dResourcesProfessor Becky Allen's blog on progress Daisy Christodoulou's book "Making Good Progress"Article by Singh and Jen on assessmentEpisode PartnersThe International Curriculum Association's Global.Learn.Connect Netherlands: Learn moreThe University of Warwick's International Programmes | Learn more at warwick.ac.ukThank you for tuning in, and as always, if you found this episode useful, please share your experience. You can find me online on LinkedIn and Bluesky. My website is shaneleaning.com and email address is shane@shaneleaning.com.