The Learning Bridge with Richard Gerver

Introducing The Learning Bridge hosted by Richard Gerver, the newest show on the Be Podcast Network.

Over the last three decades, Richard has worked first as a teacher and nationally-acclaimed school principal in the UK, before becoming a speaker and author covering human potential, leadership, and change for the past 15 years.

Richard has never stopped learning. “It's amazing the number of times I've said to myself, ‘I wish I'd known that when I was working in school,’” he says. “Whether it's the insights I've gained from working with major corporations, elite sports, third sector organizations, or inspirational leaders like Barack Obama.”

Richard has become more convinced than ever that the future for our children could be so bright — much more optimistic than some are projecting right now. But then in order to unlock that future and that potential, we need to listen more, to collaborate more, and to build stronger and better bridges that span the world's of education and beyond.

In this series, he’ll bring you conversations with amazing people from a variety of backgrounds. People like Gill Hicks, the last survivor pulled from the horrors of the 7/7 bombings in London as she talks about peace, reconciliation and radicalization; Juan Verde, who left a humble childhood in Gran Canaria to end up working with three US presidents; Dwain Chambers, World Champion British sprinter who competed again everyone from Carl Lewis to Usain Bolt; Premier League soccer coach Edu Rubio; BAFTA award-winning broadcasters and musicians Carrie and David Grant; and more.

Each of the guests has a personal connection to kids and to learning, and they share inspiring stories from their lives. This is a series you will want to hear again and again.

About Richard Gerver

Richard is a sought-after speaker, bestselling author and world-renowned thinker. His career began in education, first as a teacher and then as a school principal, when he turned the fortunes of a failing school and its pupils around in just two years.

Now regarded as one of the world's leading thinkers on human leadership and organisational transformation, Richard has worked with an extraordinary range of people, from elite athletes to former US President Barack Obama. Named UK Business Speaker of the Year three times, Richard has been invited to speak on the world’s most recognised stages, including TED, the RSA and the BBC.

With his unique insight into our development from infants to adults, Richard helps us understand the nature of our personal and professional responses to risk, change, creativity, and development.

Follow Richard on Twitter @richardgerver and on LinkedIn.

In this episode, I’m excited to share my conversation with Erin Bailey, Vice President of Literacy Programs and Research at Reading Is Fundamental. This episode is part of our National Literacy Month series of podcasts, presented in partnership between the Be Podcast Network and Reading Is Fundamental (RIF).

You’ll hear about the latest in literacy research, bringing joy to the classroom, the greatest successes in developing readers, and more.

About the host

Richard Gerver is a sought-after speaker, world-renowned thinker, and bestselling author of books including Change and Simple Thinking. His career began in education, first as a teacher and then as a school principal, when he turned the fortunes of a failing school and its pupils around in just two years.

Now regarded as one of the world's leading thinkers on human leadership and organisational transformation, Richard has worked with an extraordinary range of people, from elite athletes to former US President Barack Obama. Named UK Business Speaker of the Year three times, Richard has been invited to speak on the world’s most recognised stages, including TED, the RSA and the BBC.

Follow Richard on Twitter @richardgerver and on LinkedIn.

About today’s guest

Erin Bailey, Ed.D., joined Reading Is Fundamental in 2021 and currently serves as the Vice President of Literacy Programs and Research. Her role includes serving as the subject matter expert and developing, curating, and managing content and professional learning for educators and families on literacy. Dr. Bailey has been an educator in U.S. and international classrooms. Her teaching experience spans from PreK-8 including roles as a classroom teacher, literacy specialist, English language learning specialist, and university instructor.

Explore more BE Podcast Network shows:

• Leading Collaborative Response: https://bit.ly/4dkzMlG
• The Fabulous Learning Nerds: https://bit.ly/3OOoDiu
• Transformative Principal: https://bit.ly/3vPSMY3
• The Authority Podcast: https://bit.ly/48dhakQ

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Edu Rubio, a UEFA pro coach who has been assistant manager for such storied clubs as Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Ham United Women, and Crystal Palace FC, is a wonderful guest on this episode of The Learning Bridge.

Edu talks about his young life and his journey into professional football (soccer). He discusses the disappointment of realising that he would never make it as a player and how he coped with the setbacks to reimagine his career as a coach. He also shares incredible insights into the world of elite sport and the mindsets of high-performing athletes, having coached at the pinnacle of both men’s and women’s soccer as well as working with some of the most gifted children in the game.

Further, Edu shares the lessons he picked up from working with one of the world’s most celebrated coaches, Julen Lopetegui, who has led the Spain senior national team and clubs such as Real Madrid, Sevilla, and Wolverhampton.

Subscribe to The Learning Bridge wherever you get your podcasts: https://thelearningbridge.bepodcast.network/subscribe

About the host

Richard Gerver is a sought-after speaker, world-renowned thinker, and bestselling author of books including Change and Simple Thinking. His career began in education, first as a teacher and then as a school principal, when he turned the fortunes of a failing school and its pupils around in just two years.

Now regarded as one of the world's leading thinkers on human leadership and organisational transformation, Richard has worked with an extraordinary range of people, from elite athletes to former US President Barack Obama. Named UK Business Speaker of the Year three times, Richard has been invited to speak on the world’s most recognised stages, including TED, the RSA and the BBC.

Follow Richard on Twitter @richardgerver and on LinkedIn.

Explore more BE Podcast Network shows:

• Transformative Principal: https://bit.ly/3vPSMY3
• The Authority Podcast: https://bit.ly/48dhakQ
• Morning Motivation for Educators: https://bit.ly/42dLGJa
• Tell Me This: https://bit.ly/4b7muIc
• (00:00) - Edu Rubio
• (02:36) - Edu Rubio's Journey to Coaching
• (05:15) - The Impact of Major Sporting Events
• (10:28) - The Importance of Discipline in Achieving Excellence
• (17:43) - The Role of Parents in Youth Sports
• (41:53) - The Challenges of Coaching Elite Athletes

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

In the premiere episode of The Learning Bridge, we have the distinct pleasure to hear from BAFTA award-winning broadcasters, legendary music industry veterans, and parents of four children, Carrie and David Grant.

Hear about the very different, yet similarly challenging childhoods Carrie and David each navigated. We discuss their journeys into the entertainment industry, as well as the growth of their relationship, and their various roles as singers, presenters, talent show judges, and singing coaches to the stars.

We also talk about their family and in particular their four neurodivergent children. Carrie and David discuss what they’ve learnt about their children and how they champion each of them. They also explain what the education system needs to understand about the challenges they and millions of parents like them face. Carrie talks about her own recent diagnosis of being autistic.

It is a deeply personal and candid episode, which will provoke us all to think differently and to strive to be better.

Subscribe to The Learning Bridge wherever you get your podcasts: https://thelearningbridge.bepodcast.network/subscribe

About the guests

Carrie and David Grant are BAFTA award-winning broadcasters, vocal coaches, leadership coaches and campaigners. Their TV and music career has spanned over 35 years and they have been awarded a MOBO award and a BASCA for their lifetime services to the music industry.

David has had 14 hit records and been nominated for 2 Brit Awards. David was awarded an MBE in 2019 for his lifetime services to music. Carrie is a reporter for BBC 1’s The One Show and together with David hosts the Saturday Breakfast Show on BBC Radio London. In 2018 Carrie was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from the University of Bedfordshire and in 2020 an MBE for services to Music, Media and Charity.

Carrie and David have 4 children and are passionate campaigners about adoption, autism, ADHD, invisible disability and inclusion.

Learn more about them at https://carrieanddavidgrant.com

About the host

Richard Gerver is a sought-after speaker, world-renowned thinker, and bestselling author of books including Change and Simple Thinking. His career began in education, first as a teacher and then as a school principal, when he turned the fortunes of a failing school and its pupils around in just two years.

Now regarded as one of the world's leading thinkers on human leadership and organisational transformation, Richard has worked with an extraordinary range of people, from elite athletes to former US President Barack Obama. Named UK Business Speaker of the Year three times, Richard has been invited to speak on the world’s most recognised stages, including TED, the RSA and the BBC.

Follow Richard on Twitter @richardgerver and on LinkedIn.

• (00:00) - Carrie and David Grant
• (00:57) - Introduction and Podcast Overview
• (02:14) - Guest Introduction: David and Carrie Grant
• (04:03) - David and Carrie's Personal Journey
• (05:15) - Transition into the Arts and Entertainment Industry
• (06:20) - Impact of Fame and Success
• (06:38) - Raising Neurodivergent Children and Advocacy
• (09:34) - Reflections on Personal Growth and Self-Perception
• (27:18) - The Power of Honesty and Constructive Criticism
• (28:53) - The Struggles of Neurodivergent People
• (30:13) - The Importance of Truth and Honesty in Relationships
• (33:02) - The Challenges of Parenting Neurodivergent Children
• (37:24) - The Power of Emotional Intelligence and Understanding
• (45:45) - The Future of Education and Leadership

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Catherine Atkinson, the Labour Party parliamentary candidate for Derby North (UK), shares insights into her upbringing and how she went from being a strong-minded and opinionated child to shattering the glass ceiling to become a lawyer at the highest level.

Catherine explains what drove her, who encouraged her, and what we can do for more of our children to give them the very best chance of success. She talks about how and why she got involved in UK politics and what she hopes to achieve by being elected to the UK Parliament in Westminster in the next General Election.

She also offers powerful thoughts on what we need to do to encourage more of our young people to become actively involved in politics and to ensure that democracy can thrive in challenging and uncertain times.

Subscribe to The Learning Bridge wherever you get your podcasts: https://thelearningbridge.bepodcast.network/subscribe

About the host

Richard Gerver is a sought-after speaker, world-renowned thinker, and bestselling author of books including Change and Simple Thinking. His career began in education, first as a teacher and then as a school principal, when he turned the fortunes of a failing school and its pupils around in just two years.

Now regarded as one of the world's leading thinkers on human leadership and organisational transformation, Richard has worked with an extraordinary range of people, from elite athletes to former US President Barack Obama. Named UK Business Speaker of the Year three times, Richard has been invited to speak on the world’s most recognised stages, including TED, the RSA and the BBC.

Follow Richard on Twitter @richardgerver and on LinkedIn.

Explore more BE Podcast Network shows:

• Transformative Principal: https://bit.ly/3vPSMY3
• The Authority Podcast: https://bit.ly/48dhakQ
• Morning Motivation for Educators: https://bit.ly/42dLGJa
• Tell Me This: https://bit.ly/4b7muIc

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.