061 - Pit Pony Jay Dehaan - Classroom to Curriculum Innovation Manager - Part 1
Jay Dehaan didn’t grow up wanting to be a teacher. In fact, he hated school. He left education with no qualifications, spent five years in a wheelchair as a child due to Perthes disease, and was told by Citizens Advice that his family would be better off if he signed on.But somehow, against the odds, Jay found his way into the classroom.In this episode, Jay shares his early life with brutal honesty. We talk about growing up in chaos, being excluded by the very system he would later work in, and the life-changing moment his partner Sarah enrolled him on a college course without asking.This is a story of trauma, tenacity, and the long, winding road into teaching. Jay is real, warm, and unfiltered. We loved this conversation, and we know you will too.Send us a message.Buy Us a Coffee ☕️ Loving the Pit Pony Podcast? We’d be so grateful for your support! We’ve set up a Buy Me a Coffee page where you can make a small donation to help keep the podcast running. https://buymeacoffee.com/thepitponyclub Voice Message Us: https://www.speakpipe.com/pitponypodcast Interested in coming to our conference? https://www.tutorsconference.co.uk If you've been affected by any of the issues raised in our podcast there are organisations who can help: Education Support The Samaritans Mind Andy's Man Club Join Us: Subscribe to the Pit Pony Podcast Sign up to our mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/i1L5ck Thanks for listening 🙏Edited with finesse by our Podcast Super Producer, Mike Roberts of Making Digital Real
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060 - Gareth Dale - Classroom to Childrens Author / Private Tutor Part 2
In Part 2 of this powerful conversation, Gareth Dale continues his story - from barely holding it together in the classroom to discovering his voice as a children’s author and private tutor.We talk about what happens after the funeral, the long shadow of trauma, and how Mr Dale - the teacher persona - became both a mask and a means of survival. Gareth shares how he began to write feverishly at night, eventually turning his grief into a series of children’s books that now connect with pupils across the UK.We explore identity loss, the rigid expectations of the education system, and the moment Gareth realised that stepping away wasn’t failure - it was freedom. There are revelations here about purpose, healing, and what it means to truly live after tragedy.⚠️ Content warning: this episode contains themes of child loss, separation, and emotional trauma.This one stays with you.Send us a message.Buy Us a Coffee ☕️ Loving the Pit Pony Podcast? We’d be so grateful for your support! We’ve set up a Buy Me a Coffee page where you can make a small donation to help keep the podcast running. https://buymeacoffee.com/thepitponyclub Voice Message Us: https://www.speakpipe.com/pitponypodcast Interested in coming to our conference? https://www.tutorsconference.co.uk If you've been affected by any of the issues raised in our podcast there are organisations who can help: Education Support The Samaritans Mind Andy's Man Club Join Us: Subscribe to the Pit Pony Podcast Sign up to our mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/i1L5ck Thanks for listening 🙏Edited with finesse by our Podcast Super Producer, Mike Roberts of Making Digital Real
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059 - Gareth Dale - Classroom to Childrens Author / Private Tutor Part 1
In this deeply personal episode, we sit down with Gareth Dale - a teacher from 2005 to 2023 - to explore a story of love, loss, and the emotional toll of showing up in school when life is falling apart behind the scenes.Gareth takes us through his early teaching journey, the formative years in tough inner-city schools, and the moment his life changed forever with the birth - and tragic loss - of his newborn daughter, Clara.He opens up about the trauma, the masking, the shock that followed, and the moment writing a school Christmas play helped him find meaning again. We talk about grief that doesn’t follow rules, the safe spaces school can offer (and sometimes can’t), and the emotional weight teachers carry - especially when life outside the classroom shatters.This is a story about identity, survival, and how creativity became a lifeline.⚠️ Content warning: this episode discusses baby loss and grief.Send us a message.Buy Us a Coffee ☕️ Loving the Pit Pony Podcast? We’d be so grateful for your support! We’ve set up a Buy Me a Coffee page where you can make a small donation to help keep the podcast running. https://buymeacoffee.com/thepitponyclub Voice Message Us: https://www.speakpipe.com/pitponypodcast Interested in coming to our conference? https://www.tutorsconference.co.uk If you've been affected by any of the issues raised in our podcast there are organisations who can help: Education Support The Samaritans Mind Andy's Man Club Join Us: Subscribe to the Pit Pony Podcast Sign up to our mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/i1L5ck Thanks for listening 🙏Edited with finesse by our Podcast Super Producer, Mike Roberts of Making Digital Real
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058 - Pit Pony Giselle Wild - Classroom to Safeguarding Young Lives
After 17 years in the classroom, Giselle Wild left teaching at Christmas 2024. In this episode, she reflects on a career built on creativity, care and connection - and the unraveling that began after the traumatic birth of her son.From art rooms to leadership roles, Giselle gave everything to her students. But delayed PTSD, sleepless years, and a system that demanded more than she could give eventually led to a complete breakdown.Now working for the Breck Foundation, Giselle supports young people to stay safe online - bringing her deep empathy and experience into a new role that values her in ways the classroom no longer could.This conversation is about identity, invisible trauma, and what happens when a system you love starts to erode the person you are.Send us a message.Buy Us a Coffee ☕️ Loving the Pit Pony Podcast? We’d be so grateful for your support! We’ve set up a Buy Me a Coffee page where you can make a small donation to help keep the podcast running. https://buymeacoffee.com/thepitponyclub Voice Message Us: https://www.speakpipe.com/pitponypodcast Interested in coming to our conference? https://www.tutorsconference.co.uk If you've been affected by any of the issues raised in our podcast there are organisations who can help: Education Support The Samaritans Mind Andy's Man Club Join Us: Subscribe to the Pit Pony Podcast Sign up to our mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/i1L5ck Thanks for listening 🙏Edited with finesse by our Podcast Super Producer, Mike Roberts of Making Digital Real
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057 - Pit Pony Emma Harper - Classroom to CEO / Marketing Mentor - Part 2
Emma Harper Part 2: Finding Freedom After the FallIn the second half of Emma Harper’s story, we follow her journey out of the classroom for good. After a final crisis point left her broken and exhausted, Emma made the decision to leave teaching in December 2023. What followed was not just survival, but transformation.Emma shares how tutoring became a vital part of her healing, how she built Core Plus Tuition, and why creating a safe space for both students and tutors has become her mission. We also explore how her business grew, leading to the launch of Make Your Marketing Count, her second venture supporting service-based business owners.This episode also includes a powerful epilogue, where we reflect on adult safeguarding in schools, systemic failure, and the push for meaningful change at a national level. Honest, heartfelt, and fuelled by purpose, Emma’s story is a must-listen for anyone who has ever questioned what teaching is costing them.Emmas links :http://www.facebook.com/makeyourmarketingcounthttps://www.coreplustuition.com/http://linkedin.com/emma-harper-coreplustuitionhttps://www.facebook.com/CorePlusTuition/Send us a message.Buy Us a Coffee ☕️ Loving the Pit Pony Podcast? We’d be so grateful for your support! We’ve set up a Buy Me a Coffee page where you can make a small donation to help keep the podcast running. https://buymeacoffee.com/thepitponyclub Voice Message Us: https://www.speakpipe.com/pitponypodcast Interested in coming to our conference? https://www.tutorsconference.co.uk If you've been affected by any of the issues raised in our podcast there are organisations who can help: Education Support The Samaritans Mind Andy's Man Club Join Us: Subscribe to the Pit Pony Podcast Sign up to our mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/i1L5ck Thanks for listening 🙏Edited with finesse by our Podcast Super Producer, Mike Roberts of Making Digital Real
Sharon Cawley and Sarah Dunwood talk to former teachers about exiting from the classroom and thriving.Don't forget to leave us a VOICEMAIL, quickly and easily at https://www.speakpipe.com/pitponypodcastSupport the podcast by buying us a coffee here:https://buymeacoffee.com/thepitponyclub
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