Sarah has taught in London Primary schools for 12 years, studied for an MA Educational Psychotherapy and previously worked at BBC Creative Services. Sarah is passionate about education equality, pupil voice, teacher wellbeing and the development of the whole-child. She knows the education landscape is ripe for change and wants to enable both practitioners and their pupils to build the life skills needed to thrive. The value she is trying to live by at the moment is
If we all learned how to live our values as children the world would become a much better place, and that’s why I am passionate about The Big Think. I also help run the UK Values Alliance and World Values Day, an annual campaign which celebrates values by engaging millions of people in more than 100 countries.
My value is LOVE – in the end every other value comes from it. It’s a many-splendored thing.
My interest in the transformative potential of education started when, as a teenager, I spent a year on Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) teaching in a primary school in jungle conditions in the Solomons. My Company Secretarial career provided a broad range of opportunities. I have been the HVF’s Secretary since it was founded in 1995 and its CEO since 2009. Perseverance sustains me.
I am a Play Therapist working with young people who have experienced trauma. As a Trustee, and as a result of my previous role as Head Teacher, I strongly support The Big Think and believe the opportunities to explore Values alongside feelings is excellent grounding for future lives. I feel most connected to the value of PEACE - Inner Peace is something I work with everyday.
I love sharing the practices of yoga, mindfulness and relaxation to students of all ages. I have over 20 years of teaching experience and founded Calm for Kids in 1998 which trains school teachers and yoga teachers in how to bring the benefits of these practices to children and young people.
The value I’m trying to live by at the moment is COMMUNITY.
Making a difference and connecting through small actions in our everyday lives; a smile, a greeting or an act of kindness can have a profound effect on those we interact with.
Hello. I am Galia Durant AKA Monstrous Pencil. I like making, drawing, bashing, singing, moulding and plotting. I am one half of multi-award winning electronic toy wielding band Psapp. All of The Big Think’s values are dear to my heart, but KINDNESS comes out top at the moment. As a parent, I want to guide my children with KINDNESS and teach them that awareness of other people’s emotions is key to the way we live.
I am Montessori trained and currently work in a local primary school on intervention programmes for literacy. The TBT programmes empower children to voice their opinions in a safe and nurturing environment, guided by core values that shape their decision-making. The human value I’m most connected to is LOVE. LOVE brings peace! LOVE heals! LOVE is joy! LOVE is beautiful!
Sophie is an experienced Educational Psychotherapist and Senior Mental Health Lead working in primary and secondary schools across London. Sophie has been supporting children and their families with their learning and emotional wellbeing for the last 25 years, in education as a class teacher and Special Educational Needs Coordinator and for the last ten years, after completing her MA in Educational Psychotherapy, as an Educational Psychotherapist.
The value Sophie tries to incorporate into her life and work is CURIOSITY. Sophie loves that through her therapeutic work with children and their families she often learns something new and unexpected everyday.
Avantika Taneja (Avanti) has been a facilitator, content developer, project and people manager in educational charities for 15+ years, growing and developing school-based programmes in financial literacy, social action, PSHE, careers and employability. She feels strongly (and is backed by research) about the capability of primary age children to engage with a complex world. She loves writing stories for children, including for The Big Five, so her chosen value is CURIOSITY.
Rob received his design training at the University of California at Santa Barbara and the University of Leeds (MA in Design). He has over 20 years’ experience in the design industry, mostly working with clients in education, the arts sector and book publishing. A keen meditator and practitioner of qigong, he is trying to live by the value of TRUTH as he wants to understand life.
My background has always been in administration and organisation. I believe teaching values from an early age enables children to develop essential life skills and gives them a moral compass. The Big Think does this brilliantly. My value is PEACE, around which other values can flourish.
Bjorn Baillie writes music for albums, radio, television, films and himself. His fingers work on both guitar and piano.
Bjorn is trying to live by LOYALTY – because the most important things in my life are my friends and having LOYALTY to each other means support, respect, trust and love.
Peter Hellicar is an award-winning artist, designer, musician and skateboarder.
Peter is trying to live by the value of CURIOSITY. The universe in all its wonder is something that engenders endless curiosity. Being inquisitive, daring to ask why? CURIOSITY is the spark that initiates exploration.
I am FCCA Qualified and have been working in charity sector accounting for 6 years. The BIG Think is so close to my heart as I am passionate about character building programme. The value most important to me is LOVE.
