Episode 32: Sanctuaries for Thinking: Human Formation and the Future of Education

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Where's Your Head At?, hosts Richard Henry and James Macdonald speak with researcher, author, and speaker Dr. Simon Breakspear about translating complex educational literature into actionable, real-world tools for school leaders. The discussion covers the necessity of subtractive change—or "pruning"—in additive school environments, efficient monitoring processes, and how mid-level leaders drive classroom progress. Additionally, Dr. Breakspear shares his perspectives on balancing technology and AI with core human formation, navigating changing social contracts within school communities, and maintaining focus on long-term educational impact.

Bio:

Dr Simon Breakspear is a researcher, advisor and speaker on educational leadership, policy and change. Simon develops frameworks and tools that make evidence-based ideas actionable and easy to understand. Over the last decade his capability building work has given him the opportunity to work with over 100,000 educators across more than 10 countries. Simon is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at UNSW. He has served as an advisor to the NSW Department of Education and sits on an expert steering committee for the Australia Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). Simon received his BPsych (Hons) from UNSW, his MSc in Comparative and International Education from the University of Oxford and his PhD in Education from the University of Cambridge. Simon began his work in education as a high school teacher.

We hope you enjoy this episode of WYHA, voted the number 7 international education podcast according to Feedspot. https://podcast.feedspot.com/international_education_podcasts/

Show Notes:

• 00:00 – Introduction to the podcast and episode hosts.

• 00:46 – Guest introduction: Dr. Simon Breakspear.

• 02:22 – Applied research, The Pruning Principle, and subtractive change management.

• 03:47 – Mid-level leadership protocols ("Elevated Conversations") and lean monitoring.

• 06:21 – Dr. Breakspear's career arc: From medicine to secondary teaching, Oxford, Cambridge, and applied scholarship.

• 10:04 – Current trends in global education: Cognitive science, learning evidence, and inclusion.

• 11:25 – Tech tensions: Managing AI, digital distractions, and the risk of cognitive offloading.

• 12:47 – Changing social contracts in education and shifting expectations.

• 14:48 – Future outlook: Schools as sanctuaries for human thinking and deep relationships.

• 17:15 – Combining academic rigor with character and relational formation.

• 18:31 – Reflections on career, writing block schedules, and hybrid roles for educators.

• 21:40 – Recommended reading and influential educational thinkers (Donna Tartt, K.L. Hendrick, Michael Fullan, Vivian Robinson).

• 23:36 – How to connect with Dr. Simon Breakspear and closing segment.

 

Here are all the podcasts and books referenced during the episode, along with a structured bibliography for each.

🎙️ Podcasts Mentioned:

1. Strategic Schools

   • Host: Dr. Simon Breakspear

   • Overview: Short-form podcast episodes (under 20 minutes) delivering actionable frameworks and strategies for school leaders.

2. Special Podcast Mini-Series with Michael Fullan

   • Hosts: Dr. Simon Breakspear & Prof. Michael Fullan

   • Overview: A collaborative podcast recorded during COVID-19 where Dr. Breakspear interviewed Michael Fullan, working chronologically through Fullan’s extensive body of work on educational change.

📚 Books Mentioned:

Educational & Professional Literature

1. Breakspear, S. The Pruning Principle: Streamlining School Improvement for Impact.

   • Overview: Explores subtractive change management ("pruning") in educational institutions to eliminate clutter and make room for deep, sustainable impact.

2. Horvath, J. C. (2025). The Digital Delusion: How Classroom Technology Harms Our Kids' Learning—and How to Help Them Thrive Again.

   • Overview: Critiques the widespread roll-out of classroom EdTech and examines cognitive risks like screen distraction and unnecessary cognitive offloading. (Note: Referred to verbally in the recording as "Dr. Derek Kuvie Hawvath").

3. Kirschner, P. A., Hendrick, C., & Heal, J. (2025). Instructional Illusions: Unmasking Misconceptions in Teaching and Learning. Corwin.

   • Overview: Deconstructs common pedagogical myths and instructional assumptions through the lens of cognitive science and learning design.

4. Kirschner, P. A., & Hendrick, C. (2020). How Learning Happens: Seminal Works in Educational Psychology and What They Mean in Practice. Routledge.

   • Overview: Summarizes foundational studies in cognitive psychology and translates them into actionable strategies for educators.

5. Kirschner, P. A., Hendrick, C., & Heal, J. (2022). How Teaching Happens: Seminal Works in Teaching and Teacher Effectiveness and What They Mean in Practice. Routledge.

   • Overview: Focuses on seminal works surrounding teacher growth, instructional design, and classroom effectiveness.

6. Robinson, V. (2023). Virtuous Educational Leadership: Doing the Right Work the Right Way. Corwin.

   • Overview: Applies virtue ethics to school leadership, emphasizing character, courage, empathy, and the core purpose of education.

7. Fullan, M. (Selected Works on Educational Leadership & Change, 1970s–Present).

   • Overview: Foundational literature on implementation gaps, system transformation, and sustainable educational change.

8. Delors, J., et al. (1996). Learning: The Treasure Within (Report to UNESCO of the International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century). UNESCO Publishing.

   • Overview: Famous report establishing the four pillars of education: learning to know, learning to do, learning to be, and learning to live together.

9. Taleb, N. N. (2007). The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable. Random House.

   • Overview: Cited during the conversation on predicting the future, randomness, and the "Lindy effect" (the idea that the future durability of a non-perishable thing is proportional to its current age).

Fiction Novels

10. Tartt, D. (2013). The Goldfinch. Little, Brown and Company.

    • Overview: Pulitzer Prize-winning novel mentioned by Dr. Breakspear as his current reading choice while traveling.

11. Tartt, D. (1992). The Secret History. Alfred A. Knopf.

    • Overview: Donna Tartt's debut psychological fiction novel, highlighted as a favorite previous read.

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