Today on ‘Called To Teach’ Tania speaks with teacher and author Christopher Hudson about how to build positive relationships with teachers and students. They discuss why Christopher decided to transition from being a police officer to teacher, what do positive relationships sound and look like, what skills do teachers need to implement a positive classroom environment, what causes students to engage in off-task behaviours, what are some of the best behavioural management strategies that help to create a positive learning environment. Plus so much more!

Bio:
Christopher is a lecturer at Federation University, teaching units across the Master of Teaching and Bachelor of Secondary Education (Health and Physical Education) degrees. His doctorate, which will be conferred in 2024, focused on successful rural school leadership in Australia.

As a school leader, Christopher specialised in creating and facilitating community-based personal development programs for young people who were at risk of disengaging from school. His ability to form strong school-community relationships resulted in many young people broadening their skill sets, developing positive relationships in the community, (re)engaging with mainstream education, and building positive conflict resolution skills.

In 2023, Christopher received an ACEL New Voice in Educational Leadership Research Scholarship, which recognises emerging leaders in the field. He has published academic papers and book chapters in several areas of education: the intersection of sport pedagogy and social justice, professional learning communities, teachers’ use of data to inform practice, and rural school leadership. He is also the author of a forthcoming book, 'Leading positive classrooms - adopting an educative approach to behaviour management in schools'.

Prior to entering education, Christopher worked as a Constable with Victoria Police, which is where he developed a passion for working with and alongside disadvantaged youth.Through his consultancy and lecturing work, Christopher aims to empower both teachers and students to maximise their potential for high-quality teaching and learning in schools.