Teaching, Leadership & AI: What actually matters in schools with Jon Burnett

On this episode of The Tattooed Teacher Podcast, I chat with Jon Burnett Head of Teaching and Learning Systems and Improvement, to unpack his journey from music graduate to educational leader.Jon shares how stepping into the unknown and often the deep end shaped his career, and why saying “yes” to new challenges helped him grow both as a teacher and a leader. We explore what really matters in teaching:building strong relationships with studentslearning through experience (not just theory)the importance of mentorship for new teachersand why you never truly “arrive” in this profession We also discuss AI in education, looking at how schools can use it in a practical way—saving time, reducing workload, and giving teachers more space to focus on what matters most: people. A key thread throughout the episode is simple but important: Education is human first—everything else comes second.This is a rich, honest, and deeply practical conversation for classroom teachers, school leaders, and anyone wrestling with what education should look like when AI is already in the room.You can find Jon:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-burnett-sunshine-coast/you can find me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-murdoch-%F0%9F%A4%99-68a846b1/YouTubehttps://youtube.com/@thetattooedteacher01?si=tJy1U6Huz684CtZEFollow DJ Fruit Salad:https://www.instagram.com/djfruitsaladofficial/Sponsored byThe BUSY SchoolThis episode is brought to you by The BUSY School— a network of special assistance schools for Year 11 and 12 students who've disengaged from mainstream education. Small classes, real industry connections, and completely free for students. If you know a young person who needs a different kind of school, The BUSY School could be exactly what they're looking for. The BUSY School is part ofThe BUSY Group — an Australian not-for-profit approaching its 50th year, operating across Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Find out if there's a BUSY School near you at ⁠⁠busyschools.edu.qld.au⁠⁠Supported byThe Design & Technologies Resource SiteAn Australian platform built to help creators, educators, and podcasters increase their visibility and connect with Design & Technologies educators.https://andacod.com.au/TeacherPD Australiahttps://teacherpd.com.au/Australia's Premier Teacher PD Directory