In this episode we dive into one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of student development: learning to fail well. Starting with a look at why many young people today struggle with setbacks, we explore the emotional and psychological weight failure can carry in a high-pressure, always-on world.

You’ll hear from a group of Grade 7 students who offer surprisingly mature and rational reflections on their own experiences with failure, as well as a few teachers who share light-hearted (and sometimes cringeworthy) anecdotes from their own journeys. School counsellor Katie joins us to unpack the psychology behind failure and what educators and parents can do to support students who find it especially difficult to cope.

The episode is packed with practical, research-backed advice on how to help students build emotional resilience, reframe setbacks, and develop the long-term mindset they’ll need far beyond the classroom.

Because failure isn’t the end of the road - it’s how we learn to grow.

Music created by Alexander Farquhar

linkedin.com/in/vaughan-kitson

As referred to, this episode of the Freakonomics Radio podcast provided some valuable take-aways:https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519?i=1000710343936

In this episode, we hear from two university counsellors to explore how today’s students are navigating an increasingly complex future. With insights drawn from the 2025 Future of Jobs Report, we unpack the global trends influencing university applications - from the rise of AI and green careers to shifting priorities around employability, skills, and global mobility. What degrees are students choosing? How are they thinking about the future of work? And what advice should they be hearing now? Tune in for a timely conversation that connects the classroom to the rapidly changing world beyond it.

While smartphones have become near-ubiquitous extensions of teenage life, their role within the school environment remains deeply contested. On one hand, they offer connection, convenience, and access to information; on the other, they can fragment attention, erode interpersonal communication, and heighten anxiety. As educators and wellbeing advocates, we're constantly balancing the developmental needs of adolescents with the evolving digital landscape. Is our responsibility to integrate technology meaningfully, or to create intentional space away from it?

In this first episode of the new-look GAP podcast, we explore some of the rationale for schools deciding to go phone-free. We also hear from the students themselves - it's important to hear what our main stakeholders have to say!

Many schools around the world have already gone phone-free. We have been waiting and watching, but it looks like the time has come to pull the plug, bite the bullet, take the plunge - the transition is going to be interesting indeed!

Parents, educators and students can learn a lot from this fact-packed episode.

Tools like Bricked or Forest are excellent conversation starters with your children about how they can self-manage device use healthily.