We Change Brains Angela Falkenberg on National Advocacy, Student Anxiety and the Power of Primary Education

What if the most powerful thing a school leader does every single day is something most people never even see?In this Season 4 episode, Drew Janetzki sits down with Angela Falkenberg  National President of the Australian Primary Principals Association  for a conversation about national advocacy, student anxiety, principal wellbeing, and the profound power of primary education to change lives.Angela brings to this conversation a career that began in remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory, moved through leading primary schools in South Australia, and now sees her carrying the national voice for over 7,600 primary school leaders across Australia.In this conversation you will hear:-> Why Angela believes primary education is the only profession in the world that every day intentionally sets out to change brains-> The story of children born with their fists closed — and what it means for every educator who has ever believed in a student-> APPA's national research into childhood anxiety: why 81% of principals flagged it as a significant issue, and what happened next-> How NSWPPA's Anxiety Project : now operating in 143 schools with 82 trained implementation coaches :  grew from that national foundation-> Why leadership is not appeasement  and what principals need to hear about saying no-> What the data on principal wellbeing is telling us, and why positioning it as an individual responsibility is no longer good enough-> Angela's own story of resilience and why goodwill is finiteThis is a conversation about national advocacy, the courage it takes to lead, and why the work of primary school principals matters more than most people will ever know.--- ABOUT ANGELA FALKENBERG ---Angela Falkenberg is National President of the Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA), representing over 7,600 primary principals across government, Catholic and independent sectors. Her career spans teaching in remote Aboriginal and Anangu communities in the Northern Territory, leading primary schools in South Australia, and serving as President of the South Australian Primary Principals Association. She is only the second female president in APPA's 52-year history. Angela holds positive psychology training through Penn University and is a passionate advocate for principal wellbeing, equity in education, and the esteem of the teaching profession.--- ABOUT APPA ---The Australian Primary Principals Association is the national voice for primary school leaders across Australia. Learn more and access APPA's position papers and research at www.appa.asn.au--- THE ANXIETY PROJECT ---NSWPPA's Anxiety Project is a whole-school approach to managing student anxiety, now operating in 143 NSW schools. Independent evaluation shows teacher confidence to address anxiety rose from 27.6% to 71.3%. Learn more at nswppa.org.au--- CONNECT WITH NSWPPA ---Website: nswppa.org.auProfessional Learnings Podcast: professionallearningsnswppa.buzzsprout.comLinkedIn: NSW Primary Principals AssociationSocials @nswppa  APPA @appaLinks and References:To view  our Professional Learning Offerings, visit:https://www.nswppa.org.au/professional-learningTo view our latest offerings, visit: https://www.nswppa.org.au/catalogue