We welcome Dr Fiona Heath-Diffey to the studio today to talk us through her doctoral research into the experiences of primary student teachers getting to grips with the idea of teaching PE.

Fiona has previously joined us to talk about physical literacy - the idea that PE lessons should give pupils a lifelong healthy relationship with exercise and their bodies, rather than teachers taking an elitist view centred around creating elite sports people.

In her research, Fiona uncovered some compelling stories about primary student teachers as they worked on their PE teaching skills, and about how their own lived experiences of sport and exercise had a bearing on their learning.

Thanks to Fiona for battling through some serious lurgy to tell us all about it!

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Recorded in Studio B2.15 at Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Cyncoed Campus on 7th March 2025

For teachers it's the Easter break, and so we like to bring you another of our selections of the interesting, humorous and strange things we have been reading or otherwise consuming lately.

This time around, Tom's taking a look at what it's like to be a 'progressive activist', while also musing on the power of the legally-enforced lunch break. Meanwhile, Emma has a book recommendation and a bit of a rant about the dusty old tropes wheeled out every time a TV drama is set in a school.

Many laughs were had along the way, and we hope it whiles away a bit of time for you too. (And don't tell our colleagues where we hide when we're trying to get work done!)

Normal service will be resumed in two weeks' time.

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Recorded in Studio B2.15 at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus on 11th April 2025

Back in our non-camera-enabled studio, we've got some thoughts for you today about how observation can be made more purposeful. Often found as an initial activity at the start of student teacher placements, it can sometimes be a missed opportunity if student teachers simply stand at the back and try to make sense of what's going on in a busy classroom in an unfamiliar school.

That's why we got some top-quality school colleagues in to discuss the challenges of making observation purposeful, and some simple strategies to give things a little more structure. They produced some clips, and we're bringing you those today.

After that, we flip things around and look at those moments where mentors are observing student teachers and giving feedback. What can we do to make those experiences even richer?

We hope there's something in there to get you thinking if you work with student teachers, whether inside or outside Wales.

Thanks to all our colleagues who helped with this project: Sioned Dafydd, Lucy Donovan, Nia Lockett, Lauren Rees, Scott Morgan, Rhian Staples and Rhian Wyn Griffiths.

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Recorded in Studio B2.10A at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus on 28th February 2025.