What could solve the challenge of teacher shortages around the world? What inspires teachers to become teachers in the first place? How do teachers find a connection with their students?

In this episode, Nina talks to Carlos Vargas, Head of the Teacher Task Force Secretariat at UNESCO. The Teacher Task Force was formed in 2008. Its mission is to fill the gap in quantity of teachers and quality of teaching, to provide equitable, inclusive and quality education for all. “We forget that the working conditions of teachers are the learning conditions of students”, Carlos says. He argues that motivation will suffer if teachers do not have good working conditions or believe they’re making a difference.

Next, Nina meets Teemu Kuutila, a teacher of primary and middle school children in Jyväskylä, in the north of Finland. Teemu loves his job, and finds teaching very rewarding. He tries to be a good role model, he uses humour, and he brings personality into his teaching. “My advice would be to share about your personal life with the students. I've noticed that it has a tremendous effect”, Teemu says.

Nina then talks to science teacher Hina Mahmood, in Bahawalpur in Pakistan. Hina takes an integrated approach to teaching science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM), giving students projects that involve applying knowledge to real world situations. “I love my subject area and want to share that enthusiasm with my students”, Hina says. “ I chose this profession because teachers influence the thoughts, values, beliefs of the students, helping to mold the next generation of citizens.”

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Guests and resources
Carlos Vargas-Támez - Teacher Task Force website, resource centre, Strategic Plan, on YouTube, on X, on LinkedIn
Teemu Kuutila - on YouTube
Hina Mahmood - Roots Ivy International Schools on Instagram

Teachers are one of the most influential and powerful forces for equity, access and quality in education. They provide children with the knowledge, skills, attitude and tools needed to reach their full potential.

Join Nina Alonso for the fourth season of the podcast in which she shares powerful stories from teachers around the world, talking in their own words about their own experiences. Every episode, Nina invites international experts on learning and child development to give their thoughts on the big topics in education.

How does teacher wellbeing impact student wellbeing? How important is sleep for learning? What does strong school leadership look like? Explore these questions and many more in our fourth season, and hear from inspiring teachers and amazing guests.

Contact

Join us on social media: https://twitter.com/BOLD_insights and https://twitter.com/VoicesTeachers

Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices here: https://boldscience.org/podcasts/teachers-voices

Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning when you subscribe to BOLD’s newsletter here: https://boldscience.org/

Get in touch with us: podcastteachersvoices@gmail.com

The final episode of Teachers’ Voices season 3 opens with Sister Zeph, winner of the 2023 Global Teacher Prize, talking directly to teachers. “You are a future maker”, she says. These words inspired the rest of this mini-episode, which explores futures literacy. What is futures literacy? What do students gain from futures literacy? How can teachers incorporate it into their classrooms?

Former teacher Michelle Blanchet, co-author of the Startup Teacher Playbook and Co-Founder of The Educators’ Lab answers these questions for Nina. Michelle is based in Geneva, Switzerland. Futures literacy is “a way to encourage young people to use their imagination and their agency to adapt, invent, recover, prepare for all the changes that we're experiencing”, Michelle explains.

Teachers’ Voices will be back for season 4 later this year.

Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.

Guests and resources

Sister Zeph - LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Global Teacher Prize
ZWEE Foundation of Sister Zeph - Facebook, Instagram

Michelle Blanchet - LinkedIn, Twitter/X
The Educators’ Lab - Twitter/X, Medium, Facebook

UNESCO - Futures Literacy

Contact

Join us on social media: @BOLD_insights and @VoicesTeachers.

Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices.

Subscribe to BOLD’s newsletter.

Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning at bold.expert.

Get in touch with us: podcastteachersvoices@gmail.com.