Art of Teaching
Guest: Janine Stratford
Today, I’m joined by Janine Stratford, recipient of the 2024 Most Influential Educator Award.
Janine’s work brings together evidence-informed practice, personalised coaching and a deep understanding of professional growth. Through her thoughtful approach, she has supported educators and leaders to strengthen their capabilities, navigate career development and achieve meaningful goals.
Janine is committed to creating inclusive learning environments where people feel supported, challenged and equipped to grow. Her influence reaches beyond individual coaching. She continues to develop leadership capacity, strengthen professional communities and contribute to better outcomes for educators and students.
The Wellbeing Classroom with Nicholas Bond
Hosts: Nicholas Bond
Guest: Janine Stratford
What separates leaders who leave a lasting legacy from those who simply stay busy?
Today, I’m delighted to welcome Janine Stratford back to The Well-being Classroom. Janine is the Founder of Coaching Focus, recipient of the 2024 Most Influential Educator Award, and a highly respected leadership coach, career strategist, and consultant.
With 28 years of experience in education, she helps teachers, middle leaders, and school executives achieve meaningful career growth while leading with clarity, purpose, and confidence. Janine is also the author of the highly acclaimed book Leading for Tomorrow Today: School Leadership with Purpose, Alignment and Lasting Impact, which forms the foundation of today’s conversation.
Janine Stratford: Strategic Thinking & What Got You Here Won’t Get You There
Hosts: Meg Durham
Guest: Janine Stratford
When we skip the thinking, we often create more work for ourselves.” Janine Stratford
When was the last time you gave yourself time to think?
In this episode, Meg Durham sits down with Janine Stratford, author of Leading for Tomorrow, Today: School Leadership with Purpose, Alignment and Lasting Impact, to explore the role of strategic thinking in the day-to-day reality of school life.
Edu Salon with Dr Deborah Netolicky
Guest: Janine Stratford
Deborah Netolicky talks with Janine Stratford about being a relational, strategic leader in schools. Janine is a Leadership Coach, Career Strategist, Founder of her company Coaching Focus and facilitator passionate about helping educators lead with clarity, confidence, and purpose. After 28 years in schools, including as a Deputy Principal, Janine started Coaching Focus in 2015 to empower school leaders to step up, stand out, and make a lasting difference. She saw too many great educators doubting their leadership potential and wanted to change that. Janine partners with educators and leadership teams across Australia and New Zealand, providing leadership development, coaching, and coach training that inspire growth and impact. A Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and Certified Professional Behavioural Analyst, she helps leaders understand themselves and their influence so they can lead with authenticity and strategic intent.
The Wellbeing Classroom with Nicholas Bond
Hosts: Nicholas Bond
Guest: Janine Stratford
What does it truly take to build a leadership brand in education that’s anchored in well-being?
Today, I’m joined by Janine Stratford, an acclaimed leadership coach, career strategist, and was awarded by Australian website- The Educator as 2024 Most Influential Educator. With years of experience guiding educational leaders, Janine specialises in turning skilled teachers into confident, strategic leaders. She’s also writing a book on leadership in education—focused on helping leaders get out of the weeds and into big-picture, strategic thinking.
Stepping into [ed]Leadership with Rachel McCall and Toni Maddock
Hosts: Rachel McCall & Toni Maddock
Guest: Janine Stratford
“Lead with Clarity, Confidence, Consistency, and Consideration – Janine’s 4Cs.”
In this episode, Janine shares practical strategies for educators to position themselves as leaders, communicate their value, and embrace growth. From overcoming imposter syndrome to navigating interviews and internal applications, this is a must-listen for aspiring leaders.
Topics Covered:
- Branding yourself as an expert
- Coaching mindset vs. advice
- Leadership roles for middle leaders
- Embracing the discomfort of growth
Launch into Teaching’ with Julia Padgett
Host: Julia Padgett
Launch into Teaching is for new and early-career teachers who want to become the next generation of outstanding practitioners. This isn’t a podcast about planning lessons, setting up a classroom or writing school reports. It’s about understanding the bigger picture of how schools work and exploring what makes a great teacher and colleague.
Julia Padgett and Janine have a long history of connection from Julia’s previous leadership role at Braemar College and they have maintained the connection and relationship as Julia moved to Kilvington Grammar.
Julia writes ‘In this episode, Janine and I discuss how to navigate difficult conversations with colleagues and parents. We consider how you might prepare for these. We also chat about leadership and searching out role models and mentors’.
B.O.P. ‘I Decided’ with Ian Edwards
Host: Ian Edwards
Guest: Janine Stratford
Ian Edwards is a professional business and executive coach, and founder of two companies, Planalife and Business on Purpose. He interviewed Janine as a guest on his ‘I Decided’ podcast in March 2024. The whole purpose of the “I Decided” series is to inspire people, young and old, that when they have a passion in their hearts they need to pick it up with two hands and to run with two feet. To give all you have, to all you do. He states ‘ the beauty of knowing these people, many for decades, means I have been able to observe their life over a long period of time and watched them live their lives in a very authentic, significant way’.
Ian writes ‘Janine was a client of mine for 2 1/2 years just prior to and during the COVID Pandemic. Her tenacious passion for her clients and her industry kept her relevant and passionate during the COVID-19 Pandemic. When many others in her industry folded, Janine pivoted and kept supporting her clientele through an extremely difficult season in education, thrusting her even further forward as a respected pioneer in leadership development in education’.
The Teaching Village’ with Jenna Shepherd
Host: Jenna Shepherd
The Teaching Village Podcast, hosted by Jenna Shepherd, is a platform for new teachers to learn tips and tricks from education experts, have conversations about everyday teaching, develop strategies that help us navigate our new environment, and learn more about those in our own teaching community.
Jenna writes ‘Janine and I chat about her career journey over the last 35 years. She has developed career and leadership programs for people at all stages of their career through her company Coaching Focus. We explore some practical tips and tricks that early career teachers can employ to build their capacity in the workplace, and the importance of having a mentor and coach as a guide through the oftentimes, confusing waters of the first few years of teaching’.
The Animated Teacher’ with Katrina Harte
Host: Katrina Harte
Katrina Harte wrote this blog post after attending The Leading Edge: Women In Education Conference in 2022.
She writes ‘This blog post is a little different from my others. Earlier this year I attended an online conference run by Janine Stratford called ‘The Leading Edge: Women in Education Conference’.
The conference was designed to provide personal insight and practical strategies specifically for women in education who are ready to take the next step in their career and progress into various leadership roles.
During the conference I learnt so much about my own leadership style and things I should watch out for and be aware of during my leadership roles. In this blog post I am going to share my key takeaways and some of the immense value I got out of the course’.
