Keeping Great Teachers with Dr Haili Hughes, Mind the Gap, Ep.129 (S7,E2)

<p>On this episode of <em>Mind the Gap</em>, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner are joined once again by Dr Haili Hughes, Associate Professor at La Trobe University in Melbourne, for a wide-ranging conversation about teacher development, retention, professional identity, and the conditions that help teachers thrive. Drawing on her recent books <em>Coaching for Adaptive Expertise</em> and <em>Love the One You’re With</em>, Haili explores why retaining experienced teachers requires more than recruitment initiatives or performative wellbeing, arguing instead for cultures built on strong relationships, professional trust, meaningful development, and leadership that removes barriers so teachers can focus on teaching. The conversation also tackles the de-intellectualisation of teaching, asking what happens when consistency becomes prescription and teachers are reduced to simply following techniques rather than understanding principles and making informed decisions. Haili makes the case for professional agency rather than unfettered autonomy: shared mental models, playbooks and codified practices matter, but they should provide the knowledge teachers need to think, adapt and exercise judgement in their own subjects and contexts. Along the way, they explore mentoring and coaching, the importance of making expert teacher thinking visible, the value of purposeful rehearsal, and what Haili’s move from England to Australia has taught her about different education systems.</p><p><br></p><p>Haili Hughes is a distinguished figure in the field of education, currently serving as an Associate Professor at La Trobe University and formerly the Director of Professional Development at All Saints Multi-Academy Trust. With a rich background that spans over 16 years as a teacher and leader in secondary schools, Haili has contributed significantly to UK education. Her work extends to advising on Initial Teacher Training (ITT) policy for the Department for Education (DfE) in the UK, facilitating programs like the Early Career Framework (ECF) and various National Professional Qualifications (NPQs). Haili has also authored several educational books and is a recognised speaker at educational conferences worldwide, where she shares her expertise on mentoring and teacher retention. You can subscribe to her substack for free here: <a href="https://hailihughes.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://hailihughes.substack.com/</a></p><p><br></p><p>Tom Sherrington has wo