Today I’m thrilled to introduce my guest, Sarah McLoughlin, joining us on the mobile from Brisbane, Australia. Sarah is an educator with experience working alongside at-risk populations. Her passion lies in helping communities break down gatekeeping, reimagine funding systems, and design advocacy strategies that truly create lasting equity.

In our conversation, we explore some big and important questions, such as:

What exactly is self-strategic advocacy?

What drew Sarah into this work in the first place?

What is the purpose of her handbook the power of self- reflection?

How does her service model bring together the principles of safety, transparency, and power-consciousness?

What is trauma, and what are some of its symptoms?

How do we begin to heal from trauma?

What are some of the barriers that can prevent people from seeking support?

And finally, what advice does Sarah have for those working inside systems who may themselves be experiencing trauma or burnout?

This is a powerful and deeply necessary conversation — one that I believe needs to be heard, reflected on, and shared widely.

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead — and remember, BE KIND, Liisa

Sarah Ailish’s Profile

linkedin.com/in/sarahailishmcloughlin

Website

Strategic Self-Advocacy - A Teaching for Those Who Were Never Meant to Survive the System—Yet Do https://www.strategicadvocacy.com.au/

🎙️ In this episode, we meet Dr. Mari Paloniemi Lindström, a lecturer at the University of Dalarna here in Sweden. With a background of 25 years as a middle school teacher specializing in mathematics learning, Mari’s journey led her to complete her doctoral thesis on Teachers’ Professional Competence and Working Conditions in Swedish Schools.

Together, we explore the current landscape of Swedish education—its successes, its struggles, and everything in between. Mari takes us inside today’s classrooms, where challenges range from unqualified teachers being allowed to teach, to teachers asked to cover subjects without proper training in maths content and pedagogy—factors that directly affect students’ learning maths.

We also dive into why so many teachers are moving between schools each year, how the role of the school principal is shifting, and the mixed blessings of digital tools in education.

This episode is a must-listen for teachers, educators, caregivers, and anyone with a stake in education.

So tune in, reflect, and share this conversation widely. And as always—be kind. – Liisa✌

References:

Mari Paloniemi Lindström (2025) Teachers Professional Competence and Working Conditions in Swedish schools (Doctoral Thesis). Department of Education and Special Education. Faculty of Education, University of Gothenburg. Sweden.

Mari Lindström, Stefan Johansson & Linda Borger (2025) Does formal teacher competence matter for students’ mathematics achievement? Results from Swedish TIMSS 2019, Educational Research and Evaluation, 30:1-2, 137-166, DOI: 10.1080/13803611.2024.2367486

Mari Lindström, Stefan Johansson, Linda Borger (2024) Teachers’ formal qualifications and instruction in grade 4: Effects on student achievement in grade 4 and 6 The European Conference on Educational Research, ECER 2024, Nicosia, Cyprus - 2024

Stefan Johansson, Mari Lindström, Linda Borger (2023) Teachers' Formal Competence and Their Reading Instruction in Grade 4: Effects on Grade 6 Achievement 10th IEA International Research Conference - 2023

Mari Lindström, Stefan Johansson, Linda Borger (2023) Teacher Job Satisfaction and Student Mathematics Achievement: Relations to Working Conditions and Teacher Competence 10th IEA International Research Conference - 2023

Mari Lindström, Stefan Johansson, Linda Borger (2023) Does Teachers' Subject-specific Specialization Matter for Students' Mathematics Achievement and Student Assessed Instructional Quality? Results from Swedish TIMSS 2019 The European Conference on Educational Research (ECER), The European Educational Research Association (EERA) - 2022

Dr. Patrick Blessinger, a global thought leader in education, sustainability, and innovation. He is the Founder, President, and Chief Research Scientist of the International Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association (in consultative status with the United Nations). Dr. Blessinger advocates for universal education, sustainable development, and lifelong learning. He is an instructor of education at the State University of New York at Old Westbury and St. John's University (New York City) and he has been a licensed New York City public school teacher for many years. Dr. Blessinger is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education and the book series Global Perspectives on Higher Education Development. He has also received several educational awards, including a Fulbright Senior Scholar award to Denmark (Department of State, USA), a Governor's Teaching Fellow, and a National Geographic Certified Educator.

Patrick’s Profile

linkedin.com/in/patrickblessinger

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@PatrickBlessinger

https://www.youtube.com/user/patrickblessinger

In Conversation with Dr. Patrick Blessinger, IHETL Association (Part 01 of 02) (35.54min)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TtYC0dUC1g

In Conversation with Dr. Patrick Blessinger, IHETL Association (Part 02 of 02) (...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e7daYc9rCE

References: (examples of articles on LinkedIn).

Patrick Blessinger, Abhilasha Singh, and James Brown (August 5, 2025)

Overcoming Scepticism About Climate Change

Patrick Blessinger (July 7, 2025) The Rise of the Machines: From Fear to Responsibility

Patrick Blessinger (July 24, 2025) Our Symbiotic Future: Émilie du Châtelet and The Power of Integrative Thinking.

Blessinger, P., Singh, A., & Brown, J. (2025). AI-powered learning is a story about people, not machines. University World News. Retrieved from https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20250430081714569