In this episode Andy Woods is joined by a titan of the science education world – the widely respected Professor Michael Reiss! Michael currently works for University College London’s Institute of Education. His whole career has been deeply embedded in the science world from starting off as a teacher in Cambridgeshire to becoming a well-respected voice in science education and particularly the field of ‘bioethics’. We delve into his thoughts on integrating the three main sciences as well as taking a ‘side road’ to discuss the benefits of ‘psychodynamic counselling’, we also have an opportunity to discuss the friction we sometimes see between science and religion. There’s so much to discover in this enlightening episode!

Yes, we’re talking electricity and the wonderful world of circuits with former teacher and ‘current’ (haha!) entrepreneur Julian Hamm! Julian has been fascinated by the world of Physics and especially circuits for much of his working life. He’s worked in and out of the education sector throughout his career but has always been most passionate about circuits and the best ways to explain how they work. Through his pioneering site ‘furry elephant’ to its current incarnation – electricityexplained.com Julian has dedicated himself to demystifying this area of the science curriculum. In this episode we have a deep-dive conversation in how science teachers can model and explain the common topics that come up at the senior school level.

WARNING: some explicit language is present in this episode. Listener discretion is advised. In this episode Andy Woods is joined by the effervescent behaviour expert - Adele Bates. Adele is known for her engaging teacher training in schools and her popular book on behaviour “Miss, I don’t give a s*t" Engaging with Challenging Behaviour in Schools, Adele has learnt her craft by working in several mainstream secondary and primary schools as well as holding roles in local authority Pupil Referral Units (PRUs). In this conversation we talk about the many challenges of dealing with difficult pupil behaviour in schools. We discuss the multiple reasons behind why young people and whole classes can present challenging behaviour for teachers. In addition to this, we look at some pragmatic approaches that both teachers and school communities can apply to shape positive learning environments for the young people in their charge. Don’t delay just press play! Miss I Don’t give a Sh*t! - Adele Bates - "Miss, I don’t give a sh*t": Engaging with... by Bates, Adele (amazon.co.uk) Home - Adele Bates Education - Adelebateseducation.co.uk On X - @AdeleBatesZ

In this episode Andy Woods is joined by a high-profile enthusiast for STEM subjects and STEM careers Dr Anne Marie Imafidon! Anne -Marie is a champion of underrepresented groups in STEM and co-founded Stemettes in 2013, a social enterprise supporting and advocating for more girls and young women non-binary people between 5-25 and to participate in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) disciplines. In our conversation we hear about her love of maths and computing and her journey from school to receiving her masters in Maths and Computing from the University of Oxford at just age 20. She’s a published author of 2 books and has also been the resident maths expert on the well-loved UK quiz show Countdown. And if she wasn’t busy enough, she’s also the current President of the British Science Association! There’s so much to talk about in this episode of view from the lab so let's go! Anne Marie’s books... She’s in CTRL How to be a Maths Whizz

In this episode of VFTL I was lucky enough to catch up with Dr Jasper Green. Jasper is currently an Associate Professor and Head of Initial Teacher Education at the Institute of Education at UCL in London. Jasper has had a significant impact on the world of science teaching in the numerous roles he has held in his distinguished career. He has been a science teacher, head of department, network lead for a large MAT, and an author of a recent book called ‘Powerful ideas in science and how to teach them’. He is the creator of the respected website- thescienceteacher.co.uk and not only that but he was also the science lead for Ofsted between 2020-2022. What a CV! There’s so much to discuss in this full to bursting episode of... view from the lab. Powerful Ideas of Science and How to teach them – Dr Jasper Green Children’s Ideas in Science – Roaslind Driver Alex Johnstone’s Triangle

On today’s podcast I have an icon of progressive science pedagogy from the UK –Adam Robbins. Adam is a well-respected and knowledgeable practitioner, who for 20+ years has been committed to understanding how students learn most effectively, especially in science. He has held many different roles in schools, is a published author and is one of the founding members of the active science teaching group ‘cogscisci’. Adam regularly contributes thoughtful ideas to help teachers across the UK and beyond deliver our jam-packed science curriculum. Links... Adam’s Book – Middle Leadership Mastery - Middle Leadership Mastery: A toolkit for subject and pastoral leaders : Adam Robbins: Amazon.co.uk: Books Adam’s book recommendations: Why don’t students like school – Dan Willingham - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Don%E2%80%B2t-Students-Like-School/dp/1119715660/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1691508238&sr=8-1 Teaching Secondary Science: a complete guide – Adam Boxer - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Teaching-Secondary-Science-Complete-Guide/dp/1913622789/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=adam+boxer+teaching+secondary+science&qid=1691508808&sprefix=adam+boxer+%2Caps%2C121&sr=8-1 Running the room – Tom Bennett - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Running-Room-Teachers-Guide-Behaviour/dp/B0B1MJMFT4/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=running+the+room+tom+bennett&qid=1691508853&sprefix=runni%2Caps%2C83&sr=8-1 https://adam-robbins.com/

On this episode of the pod, I spoke to a pillar of the STEM community – Dr Ajay Sharman. Ajay is a science enthusiast who has spent much of the past 20 years building stronger connections between STEM education and STEM industry. He has had extensive experience in the bioscience sector working for several high-profile organisations but has also found time to support education in his role as a school governor, trustee, and STEM ambassador. In our conversation we discuss Ajay’s route into science and discover how STEM learning actively promotes opportunities for young people particularly in areas of disadvantage across the country. It was a real treat to talk to someone with such passion and knowledge of the sector. Don’t delay – just press play to hear Dr Sharman’s …. View from the lab. https://www.stem.org.uk/about-us/our-network/sah

In this episode of the View from the Lab podcast we're talking about the thorny issue of recruitment and retention of science teachers. Andy Woods’s guest is Sarah Longshaw from STEM learning. Sarah has deep experience of the education sector, with her 25 plus years in the classroom and has also supported schools and science teachers in her role as a trainer. In this episode we explore the many factors that could be affecting the perennial problem we seem to have in holding on to our science teachers In England. We talk through some facts and figures about the current scale of the problem, we discuss the causes, the effects, and possibly some solutions to address this current challenge we face in our schools and colleges. Useful link: https://community.stem.org.uk/blogs/daniel-pledger/2023/06/06/the-vital-role-of-cpd-in-teacher-retention

Kathy Joseph is an author, educator and YouTube maverick are who has a special interest in the history of science especially physics. In this episode I talked to Kathy about her love science and what inspired her to study it further at college before eventually become a high school physics teacher. Kathy has now had a change direction by becoming an inspirational science communicator who focuses on the history of science with her YouTube channel ‘Kathy loves physics’ and her recent book the ‘lightning tamers’ a history of the changing understanding around electricity. We have a wide-ranging chat exploring the wonders of physics as well as Kathy’s thoughts on her recent ADHD diagnosis.

On today's episode Andy Woods talks to young entrepreneur Francis Jones. Francis has been working on a new approach to support practical science for those students who have found it difficult to engage in mainstream education. Francis is a former science teacher who has taken what he has learned in schools, and turned it into a solution that has widened access to science practicals. In this conversation we hear how Francis’s STEM@Home, company (https://www.stemathome.me/) is aiming to disrupt the science education system, by changing 'where, when, and how students’ carry out their practicals whilst also maximizing safety'.