Testimonials

“When it comes to ability, what you say about yourself matters less than what others say about you.”

Hi John, Many thanks for such a successful event yesterday. I have received fantastic feedback from the guests and everyone really enjoyed it!
Andrea Dawber Young Presidents Organisation WA Events Co-Ordinator World Presidents Organisation Perth Chapter Administrator

“John, you must be the closest thing to David Attenborough in our field. Well Done! What you have taught us was done in a way that made the technical into knowledgeable. Thank you for the most inspiring, useful session ever!”
Principal attending the Queensland Association State School Principals Annual Conference, Qld, Australia

“As I had witnessed John in action at various professional development conferences, I knew he would be engaging but I underestimated the overwhelmingly positive response from each of the three audience groups (teachers, students and parents). His ability to describe the physiology of the brain and the impact on memory and learning with relevance, humour and action was remarkable. Despite the wide range of ages, from 6 to 60 year olds, he “spoke” to each with appropriate references and pitch so the message penetrated deeply. In John’s interactive, dynamic, entertaining workshops we gained a rich understanding of our brain and metacognition and how it relates to our learning, and indeed how we can be more effective learners.”
Wendy Linderman, Principal, International School of Saigon, Vietnam

“Dear John, thank you for your excellent presentation to the judges. The issue of the impact of alcohol and other drugs upon the brain, and particularly the difficulties experienced by the young in our community are or vital concern to judges both as members of the community and in their capacity as judges. You opened the eyes of everyone in attendance.”
Brian Martin, Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Australia

“Dear John, the feedback I received from participants was so positive with comments stating you were entertaining and educational. He was a ‘brilliant’ presenter and gave us food for thought.”
Suzanne Buchan, Human Resource Manager, Sidney Kidman and Co, Australia

“It was a treat meeting you at the Neuro-leadership Summit. Would like to stay in touch. Mentioned you in my Psychology Today blog. You were spectacular and I appreciated your passion for making a contribution and difference. It shines through.”
Dr Mark Goulston, Hostage Negotiator FBI, Los Angeles, USA

“As the local counterpart for AusAID’s educational development in the South Pacific I would like to say how much I enjoyed and appreciated working with Mr John Joseph. Mr Joseph is caring, considerate, compassionate, approachable, firm but kind-hearted. He has both substance and style. He is very sensitive to culture and personal differences and yet he continually upholds the quality and essence of his work. To me, he is ‘one of a kind.’ Mr Joseph was seen and received as just the right person to answer our questions and even those we never really dreamed existed. What a joy to be encouraged after years of defeated effort in a system where most students fail.”
Mele’ana Puloka, Chief Education Officer, Kingdom of Tonga

“John, have enormous respect for your professionalism and talk of your brain-based learning approach wherever I go. Only last week, I came across a cluster of schools using the BBL principles as the core strategy in school pedagogy; a discussion which again prompted me to mention your work. Your valuable message about how teachers can optimise their teaching effectiveness has been inspirational for thousands of teachers.
Hon. Rod Welford, Minister for Education & Training, Government of Queensland, Australia

Adults at John’s workshops are as fascinated to learn from his reflections on his cancer journey as they are about his core business of educating today’s youth. He engages with his audience on a great variety of topics and people leave his presentations feeling uplifted, challenged, inspired and wanting to hear more from him. After workshops there is always a long line-up of participants wanting to speak with John in person – having a strong desire to meet this extraordinary man in person. I have learnt more from John about educating young people and about navigating life’s hurdles than from any other individual. I feel privileged to know John and to have been able to introduce him to my husband and our two little girls. We all treasure the time we spend with John and his lovely wife, Cathy. He is one of God’s special people.
Rebecca Forrest, Counsellor, Seymour College, South Australia

“John, you are exceptional in every way. It has been an absolute privilege to have you here at Wesley. The buzz in the Great Space, the total engagement of the children, the delight and sheer joy of learning was evident throughout each day. You are amazing. You engaged everyone, children, teachers and parents in the most extraordinary way. Australia is indeed blessed to have an educator of your calibre.”
Kim Anderson, Head Prep. Wesley College, 2 day workshop for staff, students and parents, Australia

“Dear John, all ages can reap the benefits from this innovative brain training. We really think that this kind of program should be held in schools itself so that every teacher knows about it. It compelled us to have a fresh look and critical review at the ongoing practices in our schools in the name of discipline and academic results. This talk came as an eye opening for all. With high regards,”
Tsering Dhondup, Academic Section (Modern) Department of Education, Central Tibetan Administration, Dharamsala, India

“Hi John, we want to thank you for your guidance through dynamic and thought-provoking workshops. While you have been busy visiting some of our other campuses, our teachers here have been sharing their experiences. The level of ‘table talk’ focused on our ongoing curriculum development has changed significantly in how we are thinking about the context of our student’s learning habits and how we can design our learning programs to effectively engage students and their families in very powerful ways. Thanks for enriching our professional growth program. We look forward your return. Next time we want you directly involved with our students so they too can engage with what lies behind their learning endeavor and experiences.”
Dr. Richard Swann, Principal, Yew Chung International School of Shanghai, Gubei Campus, China

“John, I met you briefly at your book signing and I just wanted to write and tell you how powerful and literally life-changing the conference has been for me. I have never been exposed to the ‘brain-based’ content and I am now so very captivated by it all!! It harnesses so many things I believe about education and has such depth and research validation. Thank you for all your hard work. I know those who attended were all intensely blessed by all that occurred. Thank you so very much.
Lanelle Cobbin, 3-day Learning with the Brain in Mind Conference, NZ

“Dear John, Your workshops squarely addressed the traumas of our past. I could not wait to give a 2-hour précis of your session while your ideas were still fresh in my mind. I was really overwhelmed by your choice of topic. We are faced with a highly complex situation which you have now tested. Please never forsake us, We need you.”
Tille, Eastern Cape Province Educator, University of Fort Hare, South Africa

“I just wanted to let you know that you completely exceeded our expectations with your presentation on Friday. I imagine you are fairly used to this sort of feedback but take into account comments such as “I just want to sit down and hear it all again – right now” which was said to me by a teacher reluctantly exiting the theatre. 100% of staff want you to return to work with staff and students and parents. Many commented it was the best pupil free day they had ever experienced. Many thanks for all that you do. Much appreciated.”
Joy Ganter Principal, Glenmore High, Rockhampton, 200 delegates, Australia

“Mr. Joseph’s workshop was exceptionally well presented, being both informative and entertaining. He literally captivated his audience with his clear verbal skills and excellent PowerPoint presentation. This has been one of the most professional and engaging presentations that I have attended and I would recommend Mr. Joseph without hesitation.”
Denise Skinner, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Community Bridging Services, South Australia

“Dear John, I commend you on a very entertaining and informative presentation. You have the ability to engage your audience and make learning fun. The visual images were excellent and useful to understand the concepts of brain function being discussed. The topic was relevant to our purpose and I am sure the whole audience (90+) took away something very positive with them. I have attended your seminars before and you never fail to deliver”
Azi Mian Bradbury, Coordinator, Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of South Australia

“Dear John, On behalf of the Centre for Excellence in Teaching I want to thank you for your significant contribution to the journal “CLASS.” Without the time you have given and your considerable expertise “CLASS” would not have had the impact that we understand it has had on the education community.”
Steve Stanley, Director Centre for Excellence, Western Australia

“John, I was in your afternoon session yesterday at Caulfield Racecourse. This was one of the most impressive presentations I have seen in my career both at Swinburne and my involvement in producing major events. Your content and delivery was excellent. Can you please let me know when you are presenting in Melbourne in the future as I am keen on having all my staff involved with this.”
Damian Barber, Event Management Coordinator, Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management, Swinburne University TAFE Division

“When John Joseph began his introduction; I was captivated. Everything about him caught my attention, his body language, his voice, and most of all his words and supporting digital imagery on the big screen in front of me. He understood what was happening in my very own home. He knew what I was enduring with my own two daughters. I listened intently to his every word. As I left the auditorium almost an hour later, I vowed to alter my own evening routine to fit in with my children. To alter their addictive nightly routine to fit in with their futures. No more would they see their Mum going to bed before them. Instead we would all change our bed-time routines to fit in with our new freedom, freedom from being trapped by the lure and obsessive use of the Internet. I have to persuade my children that this is the right path; but somehow I think John Joseph may have already done that for me.”
Melanie Tennant Admissions Officer International School, Chiang Mai, Thailand

“Dear John, Thank you so much for the energy you put into all the events at our school. The school is really buzzing with excitement! The feedback keeps coming in. The way you are able to establish a connection with the various stakeholder groups is phenomenal. Very few people deal with this range of target audience. You have a skill for packaging messages so people laugh, almost cry, but deeply reflect. Fabulous stuff.”
Kate Dalton, PYP Coordinator, Vienna International School, Austria

“Dear John, your sole presentation to parents and professionals exceeded all expectations. Your ability to engage the group, hold their interest, stimulate and challenge with such a well-researched and classy presentation about a topic that could have been ’dry’ was refreshing. You provided sound material, good strategies and hope… that left people wanting to hear more.”
Julie Francis, Manager, Department of Human Resources, Parenting SA

“Dear John, staff found your presentation to be ‘engaging’ in the extreme. Not only was the content of great interest but your delivery was entertaining, refreshing and appropriate for our office – you picked your style perfectly. timeliness and your ability to read your audience served you well. Well done! Looking forward to our next event!”
Kerri Cristanti, Human Resource Manager, Superannuation Management Corp. of South Australia

Dear John, on behalf of YPO Sydney I just wanted to say thank you again for a wonderful evening and what a pleasure it was to meet you. Lisa, Nicky and I benefited enormously from the time spent with you and I have no doubt that what we all learned from your presentation will impact our lives for many years. The feedback that we received from all those that attended was wonderful and it rated 9.6 out of 10 which is not an easy rating to achieve at a YPO event! I wish you every success in the future and hope that you will continue to impart your knowledge and experience to as many people as possible.
Matt Carly, Carly Property Group, Sydney NSW YPO

“Dear John, thank you for coming half way around the world to be with us in Istanbul. You were sensational! Your workshops were overflowing. People were spellbound by what you had to say about the brain and how the way it works affects teaching and learning. Your presentations and content were just so effective. We learnt a lot from you.”

David Chojnacki, Executive Director, NESA, 5-day residential conference for 1,200 delegates, Istanbul, Turkey

“Dear Mr Joseph, In November of last year you held over 800 teachers enthralled by your keynote speech at KORCOS in Seoul. In fact, the teachers have been clamouring to have you back (isn’t it great to be wanted!). That being so I formally invite you for a return visit to Seoul to open our 2008 KORCOS Conference. A continuance of this year’s topic would be gratefully appreciated.”
Timothy Gray Head, British School, Seoul Foreign School, South Korea

“Dear John, I’d like to thank you for the excellent conference I attended at Canterbury High School in England. In fact because your research is so thorough, I actually would have liked longer to discuss this, even including ‘some hands-on work’, even though I was a little bit squeamish at the thought, I really believe that the young people given the opportunity to do this, benefited greatly from it. You certainly proved to be an excellent speaker/ performer/facilitator and really kept your audience captivated. Your delivery was just right, mixing a range of different styles. I truly feel very privileged to have attended this presentation.”
Paul Grant, Associate Head of School – Foundation Studies, North West Kent College, United Kingdom

“John led 320 students and 20 teachers through the Amazing Brain workshop. My opinion of the quality of the presentation is that it was the best I have ever seen in 15 years in the education system. Pre-workshop planning, organisation, communication and preparation were extremely thorough and efficient. The actual workshop content and delivery kept students (from ages 5- 13) and staff (ranging from graduate teachers to teachers with more than 30 years experience) thoroughly engaged, interested, motivated and enthralled for the entire 6 hours. In fact, two weeks later, they are still talking about the ‘Brain Man’ and their learnings.”
Kelly Edgar, Principal Delaney’s Creek State School, Queensland, Australia

“More than 540 teachers from 17 state schools attended John’s full-day presentation at Townsville. His ability to present in a clear and precise manner captivated his audience. Secondly, John worked with a range of schools modelling excellent pedagogy and engaging pupils in learning about their brains, its functions, learning styles, emotions, diet, nutrition and memory. The success of these programs is clearly evident from pupil enthusiasm and teacher excitement. There are numerous requests for his return.”
Derek Hedgcock, Qld, principal of Staff College

“John Joseph, affectionately known as “the brain man’, is one of the very few Educational Consultants I have heard that is able to captivate his audience but also presents with the credibility of actually getting his hands dirty in the classroom doing action research projects with schools and teaching students in the ‘classroom’. He presents knowledge about the brain through hands-on practical activities like cutting up a brain, designing a brain out of plasticine, looking at incredible graphics and listening to real life stories allowing for a very wide range of learning styles to be connected to real life experiences. John journeyed to Katherine 3 times in 12 months working with students, parents and teachers in our town, remote schools and school of the air. Each visit has left us wanting to know more and with a new level of understanding of ‘how the brain works’ and thus an increased capacity to achieve the core business of education – the teaching and learning of ALL kids in our classroom. I recommend John to you as someone who will make a significant impact to your learning and I look forward to working with him in the future.”
Bryan Hughes, Principal, Clyde Fenton School, Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia

“Your presentations were exceptional and have given me many critical questions to follow up on when I return to school. You made this conference truly meaningful for me. I will be in touch.”
Jeff Fischmann, Director , Qingdao No. 1 International School of Shandong Province (QISS), China

“Hi John, Excellent to have met you again today and to hear the updates on your work. We’d be delighted to showcase many of your workshops in the 2011 IB conference in Melbourne.”
John Switzer, head of regional development

“Hello John, We have just returned home to Teda,Tianjin, China after the EARCOS conference in Manila. It was a great experience and you were a big part of it. Thank you for your great presentations. Thank you so much for your unique, refreshing contributions to education today!” Cynthia O’Shea, Teda International School, China

“The juvenile Justice System staff were so impressed that their Training and Development Committee want to ask you to present the same workshop to their personnel.”
Gerri Walker, Principal, Youth Training Centre, Australia

“What a catalyst your workshops have proven to be! Tassie Catholic Schools are buzzing with enthusiasm and excitement. Individual teachers have literally taken up the ideas and run with them.”
Denise Frost, Tasmania, Co-ordinator Professional Development, Australia

“Thank you for sharing your expertise with us today. All of the Cabra Dominican College have been inspired by your passion and knowledge.”
7 hour brain-compatible workshop for 80 secondary school staff, Australia

“Hi John, Thanks so much for the fantastic work you did with both our staff and students. Feedback from the kids was that it was one of the best experiences they’d ever had at school.“
Julie Nixon, Plenty Park PS, Melbourne, staff day for 77 teachers and student workshops for 205 students, Australia

“Good evening John, I was one of the lucky ones that went to the Glenfield Conference in Sydney in late January and participated in your workshop. I am trialing some of what I learnt with my class and we’re all learning so much. The kids love it! Thanking you so much.”
Liz Hutton, Teacher, Sydney Australia

“Hi John, this is Sarah Raheel from Karachi Pakistan. We met in NESA 2008 in Bangkok. I invited you to come to my Foundation Public School and share the remarkable knowledge you have for the professional development of our teachers. That knowledge you have shouldn’t be kept within you but should be shared across the boundaries. I am waiting to see you soon in my beloved country PAKISTAN.”
Delegate from NESA, Pakistan

“As a result of your 6 ½ hour seminar all staff are now reviewing their classroom practice. I have not seen a day of adult learning that has had such a positive impact.”
Tim McLeod SA, primary school Principal, Australia

“Dear John, Thanks for the uplifting and thought-provoking workshops at EARCOS last weekend. I felt extremely fortunate to listen to your work and experience your enthusiastic spirit!”
Petra Pruehss, Kindergarten Teacher at Western Academy of Beijing, China

“As a qualified Careers Adviser I was very interested in the learning styles software, and found the way that it was linked to career ideas was very good. I truly feel very privileged to have attended this presentation and will certainly discuss this with my colleagues.”
Careers Counselor, Kent County, England

“Hello John, Community members are still talking about your visit. You really brought us together for a shared and revitalizing experience. Soon, we will send you photos of your workshops here. We have taken so many, it will take time to select the best! We are grateful to have them to remember and reflect on an uplifting and stimulating educational journey that we shared together. Thank you so much for facilitating it.”
Workshops for more than 1000 educators, students and parents Mary Catherine Chua, The Beacon School, Manila, Philippines

“Dear John Thanks for a great presentation at APIS on the 11th John. I was thinking about the impact of even if a small part of your message sank in to all participants. Multiply that by 361 and that sets up enough momentum for change.”
Ross Hall, Principal, American Pacific International School, Chiang Mai

“Your workshop squarely addressed the traumas of our past. I was really overwhelmed by your choice of topics. Please never forsake us.”
Tille – 2-day workshop in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.

“I don’t know what to say except thank you very much! Namir speaks so highly of you and I can see why!”
Hadi Khatib Managing Editor The Middle East Educator, Dubai

“Hi John. Thankyou!!!!…..We saw you in Istanbul IB conference earlier this year….Most inspiring, educational and entertaining …is it possible to get you on film??”
Lee, Helsingborg International School

“I haven’t stopped talking about the ‘Learning with the brain in mind’ conference as I found it so fascinating. There is so much that can be used in the classroom and in staff development events. It was a very enjoyable day.”
Abi Smith, teacher, United Kingdom

“Dear John, I was inspired by you at the IBO conference. I would be really excited to have you come to our schools.”
David Robinson, Principal Taipei Adventist American School

“Hi John, We cannot thank you enough for the great job you did with our staff and students. I have received many positive comments. It was not only really interesting and enjoyable, but also very relevant for all of us. I can say with no doubt that you are one of the best guest speakers I’ve ever listened to.”
Tom Farrell, Superintendent, Kaohsiung American School, Taiwan

“Dear Mr. John, thanks you for the valuable and interesting lecture! You’ve made Saw look like a scientific movie now! We had a blast! There will be more neurologists in the future now. You’re a prodigious inspiration!”
Year 11 and 12 students at International School Ho Chi Minh City CCC, Vietnam

“Dear Peter, Please pass on my thanks to John. It was a really illuminating course it has certainly fired my imagination up in regard to teaching and learning innovations. The day was a real eye opener for me it was very well put together I was not bored once! He is an excellent and engaging speaker as well as an approachable person. Thanks so much I would be interested to hear more from John.”
Thanks Isabel Hack, Teacher, Kent County, England

“John has worked with staff and parents from United World College, South East Asia over the past 3 years. His presentations are lively, thought provoking and relevant to contemporary teaching and parenting. He always challenges our understanding of the brain and through the dynamic use of graphics and interactive discussion, John makes learning fun. He is a gifted presenter and educator who inspires passion in teaching and learning. Some of the feedback comments following his presentation to parents and staff includes:
“It was one of the best PD talks I’ve ever attended”.
“His style was superb – had me hooked from the first minute”
“He made everything very easy to understand”
“John’s discoveries regarding short and long term memory processes has immediate implications for the revision of text content”
Ian Moody (Head of Counseling, United World College of SE Asia, Singapore)

“Dear John, I received the Parenting DVD on Friday afternoon and I have already watched it over and over… It is FANTASTIC!!! My husband and I watched it together and we thoroughly enjoyed the hilarious anecdotal stories and could relate so much to it. I’m extremely grateful that the Principals from our PEC Group brought John to our conference earlier this term to share his invaluable knowledge and keep us on the straight and narrow with all his wonderful facts and information. My kids need all the help I can get so for that we are eternally grateful. I’m officially starting up the John Joseph Fan Club!!”
Parent at Parenting Conference, Sydney, Australia

“Dear John, thank you so much for getting our ‘Brain Week’ underway. You are an awesome presenter and you are the key reason why the program is so successful. Thanks heaps!”
Year 8 staff team at The Friends School. Workshops across 6 years for more than 2,000 students, plus hundreds of staff and parents, Tasmania, Australia

“…John Joseph mentioned that you don’t always need a lot of intelligence in order to be successful in school, what you need most is motivation and confidence. Mr. John Joseph’s workshop was so interactive and so interesting I didn’t even get a chance to jot down any notes. I was so into his ideas and his experiments, and I am rarely so into talks and lectures. It was great being able to learn what we could do to increase our brain developments. John Joseph is a true inspiration for me and I’m sure, for the people that have worked with him during workshops. His nonstop humour and stories that make things much more believable will make you smile all the way through the workshop. I’m so thankful and I will truly cherish this unforgettable opportunity, and I hope to see and work with him again in the near future!”
Grace Harn, Year 12 Student Kaohsiung American School, Taiwan

“Dear Ian, I am a huge believer in positive feedback so I wanted to thank you BIG TIME for organising for John Joseph to visit UWCSEA. He was as inspiring as he was informative. My only sadness was that none of my three children had the privilege of hearing him speak and interacting in one of his sessions! Thankfully you mentioned that he has visited UWCSEA for the past three years so I would like to request that he comes for longer and that more grades – certainly from MS and 6th grade upwards – are lucky enough to hear and participate in one of JJ’s sessions. Speaking personally I would happily pay for my children to participate in such an inspiring forum. Please forward this e-mail to John. We all like to hear praise and in this case it is very justly deserved.” With kind regards,
Aloise Price, Parent of 3 children attending United World College, Singapore

“Hi Mr John, I am a person who asked for your email and had a stuttering problem. I am Tin. I am now in grade twelve. Your lecture yesterday really inspired me a lot. I am always excited about brains and their miraculous features. If it is possible, can I stay in contact with you from now on? As I said, neurosurgeon is what I desire for. So I think we both have something in common. You and I are brain-lovers. I guess that you will be my best guide ever.”
Nguyen Trong Tin, International School Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

“Your talk has been the subject of a great deal of discussion around the Centre with the unanimous view being one of wonder sparked and mysteries unraveled. From those who didn’t attend there has been a unanimous expression of regret.”
Jo Freeman, Community Childcare Centre, South Australia

“Dear John, Wow! Thanks for a great evening! I am just sitting at my desk as you and your wife are travelling back to Adelaide. Once again you have given me inspiration ….this time it is on sooooo many more levels than 11 years ago. Now I see it as a mum, as a wife and as a teacher. Thank you very much for your willingness to come up to Bute. The chatter in the room was very positive and you have sparked some really valuable conversations among the parents. I look forward to crossing paths with you another day.”
Amanda Wheaton, Principal, Australia

“Hi John, I found this presentation excellent and intend getting the library to purchase copies of several of the books you have. Thank you so much for re-invigorating my interest in learning. You followed a tough act brilliantly. Look forward to hearing from you in a couple of weeks.”
Lynn Shelton, Access Dept, Wantirna TAFE, Australia

“Dear John, Our son Dylan started at Guildford Grammar School in year 7 this year, which was the reason that we attended your lecture at G.G.S.on Wednesday 23/02/2011. We thought your lecture was very enlightening and your presentation fantastic. We didn’t think that we would be given so much valuable information in such an entertaining and refreshing way, it was totally unexpected.” Thankyou very much.
Mrs Bi and Mr Phil Walsh, Perth, Australia

“Hi John, really great to experience your workshop at the EARCOS pre-conference last week. You’ve given us a whole new insight into education and leadership at AIS and I plan to share that with the staff next Monday. Thanks very much.”
Sally Neaves MYP Coordinator, Australian International School Saigon, Vietnam

“Thank you for your wonderful contribution to our conference. Feedback from staff, students and the wider community has been fantastic! Our heartiest thanks.”
Neil Richards MBE, Principal, Yokohama International School, Japan

“This was quite simply the best presentation I can ever remember attending. I learnt more today than in any other PD conferences in 20 years of teaching.” I will follow your work with great interest.”
Deputy Principal, Australia

“Thank you for conducting an outstanding conference, ‘Assessment with the Brain in Mind’ for 65 educators from 13 small schools. Your ability to read the needs and energy of the audience is outstanding.”
Janet Gifford, Principal, Australia

“I have never seen a staff so invigorated by a speaker before. There has been a constant buzz in the staff room ever since and many teachers thinking of ways to utilise what they have learnt.”
Sally Ferguson, SA, Lutheran Education Conference for 440 participants, pre-school to year 12, Australia

“I was fortunate today to witness a full day PD presentation by John Joseph from Focus Education Australia. It was the BEST presentation I have seen in my teaching career. MUCH, MUCH better than the CC provided PDs of recent years. Down to earth yet very knowledgeable, John demonstrated an intimate understanding of what goes on in schools and how people best learn. He also has a terrific sense of humour. I have never before given a public ‘rap’ for a commercial PD presenter. If you have a chance, attend one of his presentations.”
Bruce Hancy, Head of Society and Environment, Kolbe Catholic College, Western Australia

“John Joseph worked with 257 students from Yrs 3 – 7. His presentation was of high quality, very successfully adapted to a level of understanding of children. All teachers and myself were delighted with the outcomes of the day as it demonstrated and reinforced the skills and strategies John presented at a full-day conference to 530 teachers from 26 local schools last week.”
Graham Dixon, Sunshine Coast, Qld, Principal, Australia

“District Leaders, whether from preschool, primary or secondary sites have found your presentation relevant, thought-provoking, interesting, stimulating and challenging. Just as significant has been the range of incidental conversations between District Leaders since the 2-day conference. Your presentation continues to provoke learning conversations between colleagues and is a part of their consideration as they work with students at their sites.”
Catherine Nikkerud, SA, District Coordinator, Australia

“Having heard you speak before I was not surprised that you held over 100 participants spellbound for 3 hours. Comments ranged from, “Thanks for arranging a fantastic seminar” through to “That’s the best seminar we’ve had at this school” and “That’s the best seminar I’ve been to in my career!” (from a very experienced teacher).
M J Eiola, Grace Lutheran College, Australia

“The information presented was amazing and his examples and explanations were clear and easy to understand. A fantastic professional learning opportunity. It is an amazing program that every child will benefit from. What a fantastic workshop! It will definitely help us to help students be more happier and more productive at school.”
High School Teacher at a 3-day Mind Your Brain workshop, Melbourne, Australia

“We greatly appreciated your open and relaxed manner which created a dynamic learning environment. Their enthusiasm is illustrated through the following quote, “John Joseph is inspirational, and left me feeling motivated in terms of reflecting on my own practise, and considering future directions.”
Staff Development Officer, ACT Dept of Education and Training, Australia

“I started the evening ‘nodding off’ and John’s presentation soon had me alert and attentive. Thank you very, very much for your gift to us and our children.”
Myles Pearce, at Parents and Learning workshop, Australia

“Dear John, thank you so much for your thought-provoking conference sessions at the recent Early Years Conference in Brisbane. I have just finished reading your book and am full of energy and excitement regarding the change in how I manage classroom behaviour through using the understanding of the Four Emotional Rooms. Whilst I have always planned using an understanding of the child, I have followed a common school process re behaviour management. I now have some great ideas how to modify this for our Early Years school campus.”
Kathy Charlish, Teacher, Australia

“Many thanks for such an inspirational day. You kept us glued to the content and gave us a new insight into our students and the ways in which they learn. We have come away with many seeds of new ideas and ways in which we could restructure what has become traditional. You gave much food for thought, information which has the potential for radical changes.”
Sandra Jesshope, Craigmore Christian School, Australia

“The workshop was an outstanding success and set the tone for our school’s year. The material was extremely realistic to our classrooms and personal life situation. The workshop has given the school a unified approach to learning.” Cathie Wilson, Principal, Australia

“Your workshop had a profound impact on staff. Many teachers are now seeking ways to include the material in classroom programs. Thus the outcome couldn’t have been better. The graphics were absolutely brilliant and a marvelous innovation. I have never witnessed pictures of this quality before.”
Robert Cussel Principal, primary school conference, Australia

“Hi John, Thank you again for the outstanding presentation yesterday! Our staff were very enthusiastic about the day and are now discussing where to from here!”
Kathy Roman, Principal, Carina State School, Australia

“I’m stuffed but I had the BEST day today and what a wonderful high to leave teaching with … after 33 years! Thank you so much for all that you do – we will build on it at Palmerston and make it a true learning community. My head is just a-buzzing with ideas!”
Retiring teacher-librarian after a student workshop, Australia

“Your presentation at our conference last Friday was outstanding! The material, especially the 3-D images of brain cells, has made such an impact on everyone who was there. Informal feedback was received by all of the committee throughout the day and it was not uncommon to find groups analysing situations at their breaks.”
Louise Mason, SA, Lutheran Schools Association, Australia

“The content for our 89 staff was diverse, challenging, interesting, adapted to the needs of each individual sector and appropriately sequenced. Staff were virtually unanimous in their approval and were keen to hear more from John. The sentiment commonly expressed was ‘The best PD session we have ever had.’ And this was from a relatively challenging audience!”
Bev Saegenschnitter, SA, Director of Staff Development, Westminster School, Australia

“On behalf of the Centre for Excellence in Teaching I want to thank you for your significant contribution to the journal “CLASS.” Without the time you have given and your considerable expertise “CLASS” would not have had the impact that we understand it has had on the education community.”
Steve Stanley, WA, Director Centre for Excellence

“Your workshop gave us all an insight into many aspects of student behaviour and lack of learning that we were obviously not taking into account in our normal practices. To provide a full day of enlightened work to a high school staff of over 70 is a huge feat and your presentation and professionalism was outstanding and excellent value for money.”
Cathy Cameron, Secondary Principal, Australia

“Your professional, humorous address was both motivational and practical, with real strategies and knowledge that could be applied immediately in day-to-day school life. One staff member claimed ‘It was the best PD day I’ve had in 18 years.”
Michelle Bentley, SA, Annesley College- Workshop for 80 staff, Australia

“Hi John, I attended all your sessions at the recent Catholic Education Conference in Perth. I was fascinated with your delivery at all of the workshops; and I was amazed at how you managed to present such humorous anecdotes on what must have been some incredibly difficult, personal and traumatic, previous experiences. Thank goodness people such as yourself can share intimate encounters in an effort to improve the ‘lot’ of teachers and students alike. I will endeavour to embrace some of your suggestions with my more ‘trying’ students in the future. Your book will hopefully be a useful tool to this end.”
Sincere thanks, Mary Pat Charlton, 1 of 350 delegates, Australia

“I attended your parent seminar on Monday night at Sandgate State High School. It was brilliant and very entertaining after I had sat through Professional Development all day as a teacher. Thanks for the inspiration to keep on teaching. “ Christine.
Sandgate District High School, 163 teachers, Australia

“Thanks for a great on-line course. A wealth of fantastic information that I am hoping to merge more into my teaching as I cooperatively plan with teachers. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and inspiration.”
Libby, St Pauls College, participant in 8-week on-line course, Australia

“When Spence spoke at “The Brain Expo Down Under,” I had the pleasure of sitting in on John Joseph’s presentation in which he overviewed the Emotional Rooms….I think you will find the book intriguing, thought-provoking and an invaluable guide in your quest for high school redesign ideas. (It is also loaded with brain research, full-color graphics, and a wealth of information not often obtained here in the states.) I know I am not doing this resource justice in my description and I hope John will forgive me for that.”
Roz Rogers, USA

“Hi John, Let me express my sincere gratitude for your seminar yesterday. It was literally thrilling and I was deeply absorbed (even during my down-time!!) Thank you again for your time and best wishes.”
Rob Colaiacovo, Assistant Head of Mathematics, Prince Alfred College, South Australia, 101 delegates, full day conference

“Thank you for such fantastic presentations to the parents/Southern Highlands community members and the boys at Tudor House. The feedback from both days has been phenomenal. It has generated a lot of heavy-duty reflection amongst the adults & a lot of excitement for the boys. One Year 6 lad sought me out to tell me that the your workshop on the 20^th May was, “ the most I have ever learned during my entire school-life”. No wonder you have called it the ‘Amazing Brain Workshop’!”
Phyll McLaughlin, Director of Enrichment, Tudor House School for Boys, Australia

“John, on behalf of the ECTA Conference Committee, I would like to thank you again for your presentations on Saturday – everyone was talking about you at the Wine & Cheese. We went through the evaluations on Saturday night and nearly 99% rated your presentations as “Excellent” Some even placed ticks above that!”
ECTA (Early Childhood Teachers’ Association) Conference June 2008 for 485 delegates, Toni Michael, Australia

“I really enjoyed the day – John made complex concepts incredibly easy to follow. The space for discussion was excellent. I have been interested in brain based learning for a while, and have looked at various models, but this is definitely the most accessible and opened up lots of new ideas for me. Resources are excellent and I will be recommending them to schools. I’m sure that this would go down really well at the A S K training days for Advisory Service staff, and I will pass on recommendation to our Principal Adviser for CPD”.
Michele Gregson, Teacher Adviser – Art & Design, Advisory Service Kent United Kingdom

“John is a truly amazing facilitator, a huge amount of information was covered and although I learnt a lot, I left yearning for more! The interactive presentation was innovative and the experiences and stories that John shared with us were memorable and amusing. I have informed my Head of School how useful this course would be for students and teachers. I also hope that we will be able to purchase some of the resources and I look forward to further training with John.” Barbara Lines, Teacher, England

“Met you at the amazing Leading Learning conference at the King’s School earlier this week. I have heard nothing but your name on people’s lips ever since…. THANK you for your inspiring work – and your incredible gift for passing it on to people.”
Teacher of Chinese, Sydney, Australia

“I just wanted to again say thank you so very much for your presentation yesterday. We didn’t even have to read the feedback sheets to know that you were extremely well received. Many people have asked that you come back again next year!”
Organiser of Special Ed Conference for 250 delegates, Queensland, Australia

“Professional development has never been so relaxed and real. I wish I had all your ‘stuff’ in my brain so it could flow out so easily. What you have opened up to us all will help us to make a real difference to the lives we touch.”
Kate, primary school teacher in northern Queensland, Australia

“It has been utterly glorious to work with you and learn from you. You have been an inspiration to me and to our staff. I now look forward to the 3^rd day of workshops.”
Debbie, primary school teacher in northern Queensland, Australia

“HEARTIEST CONGRATULATIONS on Mind Your Brain! Whilst I expected your usual excellent standard in both quality and usability, I am very, very impressed by its highly intelligent design. It is a product that will continue to reveal its unique qualities as people get more skilled at using it. Once again, I am given yet another reason to feel very proud of my association with you, John.”
Kerry, School Counselor, Queensland, Australia

“I believe people leave your workshops anxious for more John, because you have presented information to them which they are innately interested. The content and pace of your workshops, the pitch of your delivery, the latest ICT images, the relevant handouts and readings all combine to result in highly successful outcomes. You make personal connections to new learning. You make significant impacts.”
Dale Gathercole South Australian primary school principal

“Dear John, just reflecting on the day at Wollongong University with you and reading your notes which have inspired me to write a note of thanks. Thinking back to my school days I was never confident in my ability as a learning and found so much of what you had to say refreshing and sensible. I don’t think I was ever taught to organise my thinking and still I guess I have apprehensions about my true ability. Your work really struck a chord with me. My email is to say thanks for your work and the inspiration. The depth of your work is amazing and so I find myself trying to absorb as much as I can so that I have a depth to support my theory of how learning takes place. Warm regards”
Terry Westblade, Principal, Australia

“Dear John, Thank you so much for your wonderful presentation on the brain. My students from the OC class at Tamworth South really enjoyed this workshop, as did I. You were a very entertaining and interesting speaker and we all learned so much, truly inspiring stuff!!! I will be looking out for other opportunities to listen to you speak.”
Robyn Inglis, Teacher, Tamworth South PS, Australia

“Hello John, I am just writing to thank you for a fantastic day of learning at the Brisbane Water Secondary College Conference held here recently on the Central Coast, NSW. Although I am not a teacher, I am a parent of two beautiful young boys (11yrs & 13yrs). I was in awe, from a parent perspective, listening to the information that you shared with us at the conference. I would love to attend again with my husband and two boys and give them the opportunity to hear and learn what I have learnt, so as to be able to help with our children’s learning and help us as parents to gain a better understanding of “how they tick”! Again, thank you John, for your inspiring presentation, you really opened up my eyes to beginning to understand how the mind works and what amazing potential our young people have, if given the right opportunities.”
Vivienne Corcoran, Technology Centre Support, BWSC Umina Campus, Australia

“Hi John, I attended the Victorian Adventist Schools Conference 2 weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed your outstanding presentation. You made a huge impact on us all. It was wonderful to see and catch the passion you have. Thanks very much.”
Heather Pitt, Nunawading Christian College, Australia

“Thanks John, I really enjoyed your talk at the Australian international School and we have watched the DVD as well now. We have 2 boys 5 and 6 and the information is fantastic. Thanks you very much as a parent. As head of Year 7 at my school I have subscribed to the newsletters and have sent out the first one as a weekly thing for our year 7 parents. The response so far has been very positive. Your work is very important and a big help to us parents and teachers. Thanks.“
Glen Morgan, Chinese International School, Hong Kong

“Hello John, I attended the conference you gave to the Canadian International School last week. It was a pleasure to hear you speak about the coloured rooms and the integration of practical and theoretical. It was a thoroughly motivating and productive day for my professional development and ongoing lifelong learning journey. Thanks.”
Irvin David Rich, High School Tech, Canadian International School, Singapore

“Hi John! I think you have set the schools on FIRE!! I bumped into three kids from Monday’s workshop and they were beside themselves as were the teachers.” Liz Sweaney, Country Areas Program for more than 2,000 students, Australia

“Greetings John. Just a short note to say thank you for a fantastic presentation last Friday for the TAFEDC-I intend to use some of your delivery techniques and conversation strategies. Look forward to your correspondence. Regards.”
Keith H. TAFE Lecturer, Melbourne, Australia

“Hi John, I attended your workshop in Melbourne through the TDC and please let me say I thoroughly enjoyed it and wished we could have had more time for discussion and to look at the sleep section. Thanks heaps and thanks for your passion, cheers Andrea.”
Community Services teacher, Chisholm Institute, Australia

“Good Morning John, I thoroughly enjoyed your workshops, finding them very valuable-inspirational, informative, engaging and practical. Thank you for sharing your expertise and materials. It is most appreciated. Warm Regards.”
Sharon Peters Humanities Teacher Grade 8 International School of Kuala Lumpur

“The 3 day Mind Your Brain workshop I attended in Merimbula last month was truly inspiring. I was fascinated by the content of the workshop, and enthralled by the delivery. The prospect of being able to delve deeper into research about the brain and then convert that research into inspiration for teachers to enhance the learning of their students is one that excites me.”
Susan Bourke, Teacher, NSW, Australia

“Dear John, thanks you being such an important part of the Teachers Matter Conferences, and for working with the kids for a full day. You have activated not only brains and minds but hearts and spirits as well. Rainbows and sunshine to you!”
Karen Boyes CSP, CEO, Spectrum Education, New Zealand