Performing arts are often the first subjects reduced in schools - yet for many students, they’re where confidence, creativity, connection and engagement are built in ways other learning environments often can’t replicate.

Beyond performances and productions, subjects like drama and dance can play an important role in how students express themselves, build relationships and connect with learning more broadly.

In this episode, Michelle Ludecke and Siobhan Judge explore the changing landscape of performing arts education in schools, the challenges of sustaining these programs within an increasingly crowded curriculum and the growing pressure placed on teachers working to keep arts education visible and valued.

(00:00) Why Performing Arts Are Being Sidelined
(03:30) What the Arts Truly Offer
(06:32) Beyond Hobby Status - Parental Perceptions
(09:15) The Skills Students Gain Through Performing Arts
(13:45) Inclusion, Belonging and Student Identity
(16:06) Extracurricular Programs and Access to the Arts
(18:18) The Pressure on Performing Arts Teachers to Keep the Arts Alive
(21:08) Advocacy, Visibility and School Priorities
(27:46) What It Looks Like When Schools Truly Value the Arts
(35:18) Supporting Arts Education in Schools

Special Guests:

Dr Michelle Ludecke
Senior Lecturer, School of Learning and Teaching
Faculty of Education, Monash University
Researcher specialising in arts education, creativity and learning.

Siobhan Judge
Acting Inclusion Leader and Performing Arts/English Teacher

If you’re enjoying Let’s Talk Teaching, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review!
You can follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Facebook, and share your thoughts on the show by using the hashtag #letstalkteachingpodcast. You can DM us with any questions or ideas, or if you’re not on socials, email us at edu-alumni@monash.edu.

If you’re interested in hearing more about the short courses, undergraduate and postgraduate study options that Monash Education offers, please visit our website.

We are grateful for the support of Monash Education in producing this podcast.

Embedding Indigenous perspectives in schools isn’t just about what we teach - it’s about what educators themselves still need to understand, and why meaningful change often begins there. Beyond curriculum content, this conversation explores history, reflection, relationships and responsibility in education.

From Acknowledgement of Country to lessons on colonisation, many schools are trying to engage with this work in meaningful ways. But for teachers, questions often remain around how Indigenous perspectives should be approached in practice, and what genuine engagement actually looks like beyond a single initiative or resource.

In this episode, Jay Phillips and Jaya Blandthorn discuss the role of truth-telling, reflection, relationships and community connection in education, the discomfort that can emerge through this work, and why meaningful change often begins with educators examining their own understanding of history, teaching and identity.

(00:00) Moving Beyond Adding ‘Content’ to the Curriculum
(03:51) What We All Need to Understand First
(04:46) Navigating the Colonial Load
(07:10) Shared Histories and Lived Experience
(11:48) Truth-Telling and Moving Past the Tip of the Iceberg
(15:41) Educator Positioning and Self-Reflection
(19:54) Why History Should Be Uncomfortable
(22:38) Who Carries the Burden of Indigenous Education?
(27:47) Trauma through the Generations - Jaya's Story
(28:40) Community-Led Learning and the Parbinata Initiative
(33:25) Avoiding 'Shiny Object Syndrome' in Indigenous Education
(37:42) Personal Responsibility and the Path Forward

Special Guests:

Professor Jay Phillips
Deputy Dean of Indigenous Strategy, School of Education and Culture
Faculty of Education, Monash University
Focused on how educators engage with Indigenous perspectives in teaching and learning.

Jaya Blandthorn
Project Officer - Parbinata Initiative
Monash University
Working towards embedding Indigenous knowledge systems into school learning through community engagement.

Resources:

• Parbinata Initiative

If you’re enjoying Let’s Talk Teaching, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review!
You can follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Facebook, and share your thoughts on the show by using the hashtag #letstalkteachingpodcast. You can DM us with any questions or ideas, or if you’re not on socials, email us at edu-alumni@monash.edu.

If you’re interested in hearing more about the short courses, undergraduate and postgraduate study options that Monash Education offers, please visit our website.

We are grateful for the support of Monash Education in producing this podcast.

Not every student behaviour is defiance, disengagement, or disruption. As trauma-informed practice becomes a growing focus in education, teachers are increasingly being asked to respond to complex student needs with understanding, safety and connection.

In this episode, Emily Berger and Yihan Sun explore what trauma-informed practice actually means in schools and early childhood settings, and why the conversation is far more nuanced than simply changing the way behaviour is managed.

Together, they discuss the realities educators are facing, the challenges of responding to students in meaningful ways, and why many teachers are still trying to understand what trauma-informed practice looks like in day-to-day classrooms.

(00:00) Understanding Trauma-Informed Practice
(03:29) Looking Beyond Behaviours
(07:48) How Trauma Impacts Learning
(12:19) Understanding Trauma-Related Needs
(14:45) Fear, Safety and Student Behaviour
(20:45) The Importance of Safe and Trusted Adults
(22:18) Supporting Teachers to Do This Work Well
(24:02) What Sits Within a Teacher’s Role?
(27:44) Why Whole-School Support Matters
(33:42) Practical Advice for Educators

Special Guests:

Emily Berger
Associate Professor, School of Educational Psychology and Inclusion
Faculty of Education, Monash University
Educational and development psychologist specialising in trauma-informed practice and educator. wellbeing.

Yihan Sun
PhD Candidate, Monash University
Researching trauma-informed approaches in early childhood education settings.

Resources:

Trauma-Informed Practice:

• Australian Childhood Foundation
• Emerging Minds

Wellbeing & Mental Health Support

• Beyond Blue
• Headspace
• Lifeline Australia

If you’re enjoying Let’s Talk Teaching, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review!
You can follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Facebook, and share your thoughts on the show by using the hashtag #letstalkteachingpodcast. You can DM us with any questions or ideas, or if you’re not on socials, email us at edu-alumni@monash.edu.

If you’re interested in hearing more about the short courses, undergraduate and postgraduate study options that Monash Education offers, please visit our website

We are grateful for the support of Monash Education in producing this podcast.