Using a whole school approach to build effective relationships between students, teachers and wider community

Joel Richardson is Head of Health and Physical Education at St Edmunds College, Canberra, a Year 4-12 all-boys school. St Edmunds is a Catholic School in the Tradition of Edmund Rice, it educates young men spiritually, academically, socially, physically and creatively in a compassionate Catholic context.Joel discusses how he skilfully builds relationships with his students and emphasises that relationships between students, teachers and parents means ‘everything’ at the school. Relationship building is considered a continual process from when boys enrol to when they leave. Joel has some incredible techniques including advising teachers to ‘flip’ the conversation, by asking a question rather than ‘telling’ students what to do and to challenge students to be the best they can be.A must listen.