Thinking Connections — Helping Teachers and Leaders feel more Confident, Capable, and in Control
Practical support that builds clarity, confidence, and capability for teachers and leaders.
Anthony Haskell
Educational Consultant & Coach
After working for nearly thirty-five years as a teacher, leader, coach, and consultant, I kept noticing the same pattern: capable, committed educators who were working incredibly hard — but still feeling stuck. That observation became the foundation for the Cognitive Domains Integration Model (CDIM™), a framework built not from theory alone, but from what I saw actually shifting practice in real classrooms and staffrooms.
The Framework Behind the Work
The Cognitive Domain Integration Model
When teachers and leaders understand how they think, they make better decisions, respond more steadily under pressure, and build capability that lasts.
Anthony is the designer of the Cognitive Domain Integration Model (CDIM) — a practical framework developed through more than twenty years of engagement with metacognitive research, educational leadership, coaching, and professional practice.
CDIM identifies five integrated cognitive domains that shape the quality of human thinking. Together, they provide a rigorous basis for assessing and developing thinking capability across education, leadership, and organisational contexts:
- Awareness — the capacity to notice and attend to what is happening in thinking and practice
- Intentionality — the ability to act with purpose and direction rather than habit or impulse
- Cognitive Flexibility — the skill of shifting perspective and adapting thinking to new or complex situations
- Decision Quality — the rigour and clarity brought to judgement and choice under uncertainty
- Reflective Capacity — the discipline of examining experience to deepen understanding and improve future action
But understanding the framework is only half the picture. The harder question is why so many capable teachers and leaders still struggle — even when they're working as hard as they can.
Sound familiar?
Two things are quietly draining your school right now
Most schools aren't short on effort. They're short on the right kind of support.
Early Career Teachers are overwhelmed and burning out
New teachers aren't struggling because they lack skill. They're struggling because the job is fast, complex, and emotionally demanding — and they haven't yet built the habits, confidence, and steadiness to stay afloat.
Leaders are stretched thin and carrying too much
Leaders are navigating constant pressure, rapid decision‑making, and competing demands. They need clarity, steadiness, and support — not more noise.
For Principals & School Leaders
Build the school others want to work in
The schools that retain great teachers, develop strong leaders, and sustain a culture of growth don't leave those things to chance. They build them deliberately — starting with how people think.
01
Staff Retention
ECTs leave when they feel unsupported and overwhelmed — often before anyone realises they're struggling. The Thinking Assessment Tool gives you an early-warning picture of where each teacher's thinking is under pressure, so you can intervene before they disengage.
02
Leadership Pipeline
Great teachers don't automatically become great leaders. Without a deliberate development pathway, middle leaders are left to figure it out under pressure. Structured programs grounded in the CDIM framework build the cognitive and relational skills your pipeline actually needs.
03
Culture of Thinking
When ECTs, middle leaders, and senior leaders share a common framework for how they think and work, the school develops a shared professional language. That's not a poster on a wall — it's a culture that sustains itself at every level.
The Diagnostic Tool
Thinking Heatmaps & Recommendations
Using the Thinking Assessment Tool, your school receives a visual heatmap of thinking strengths and gaps across ECTs, middle leaders, and senior leadership — with targeted recommendations so you know exactly where to focus professional development investment.
Ways of Working
What Working With Me Looks Like
Every engagement is grounded in the CDIM framework and shaped around the real conditions of your school. Here is how schools and educators typically work with me.
01
One-on-One Coaching
Teachers & Early Career Teachers
Personalised coaching that builds thinking capability, classroom confidence, and professional clarity. Designed for ECTs navigating their first years and experienced teachers seeking deeper professional growth.
02
One-on-One Coaching
Middle & Senior Leaders
Targeted coaching for middle and senior leaders who want to think more clearly, lead more intentionally, and make better decisions under pressure. Grounded in the five CDIM domains.
03
School-Based PD Workshops
Whole Staff & Teams
Practical, research-informed professional development delivered on-site. Sessions build a shared language around thinking and translate directly into classroom and leadership practice.
04
Middle Leader Programs
Aspiring & Established Leaders
A structured program for middle leaders navigating the demands of leading teams while remaining close to teaching. Builds the cognitive and relational skills needed to lead with confidence.
05
Early Career Teacher Programs
Cohort-Based Support
A cohort program that gives ECTs the thinking tools, reflective habits, and professional support they need to move from surviving to thriving in their first years of teaching.
06
Thinking Heatmaps & Recommendations
ECTs, Middle Leaders & Senior Leadership
Using the Thinking Assessment Tool — grounded in the CDIM — schools receive a visual heatmap of thinking strengths and gaps across their staff cohort, paired with targeted recommendations. Know exactly where to focus professional development for ECTs, middle leaders, and senior leaders before pressure becomes a pattern.
"The consistent outcome across every engagement: teachers feel more confident, more capable, and more in control of their professional practice."
Anthony Haskell
How to Get Started
Book a 15‑Minute Conversation
A short, pressure‑free conversation to understand your context and challenges.
Choose the Support Pathway
Early Career Teachers, leadership teams, or whole‑school capability development.
Build Confidence and Capability That Lasts
Simple, practical support that creates real change.
Free Resources
Where Do You Want to Start?
Both tools below are a simple starting point — a few minutes of structured reflection that gives you and your school a clearer picture of where support will make the most difference.
Early Career Teachers
ECT Confidence and Clarity Check™
A short self-reflection tool that helps early career teachers identify where they feel confident — and where they need more support. Available to schools and individual ECTs.
For Schools
Offer to your ECTs as part of induction or support — surfaces where each teacher needs help before challenges grow.
For Individual ECTs
Complete independently — no school involvement needed. Get a clearer picture of where you stand and what support would help.
Middle Leaders
Middle Leader Thinking & Influence Review™
A structured self-reflection tool that helps middle leaders examine how they think, how they lead, and where their influence is strongest — and where it could grow.
For Schools
Offer to your middle leaders as part of a development or support program — surfaces where each leader needs targeted support before pressure becomes a pattern.
For Individual Middle Leaders
Complete independently — no school involvement needed. Get a clearer picture of how you think and lead, and where growth will make the biggest difference.
Voices from the Field
What Teachers and Leaders Are Saying
Early Career Teachers
Before working with Anthony, I felt like I was constantly on the back foot. Our conversations helped me slow down, understand what was actually happening in my classroom, and make clearer decisions. I started walking into lessons feeling more confident and in control. My students responded immediately — and so did I.
Emily
Early Career Teacher (Primary)
I often felt stretched and unsure in my first year. Talking with Anthony helped me understand what was behind those moments and how to respond with more clarity. His calm, practical approach made things feel more manageable. Over time I became steadier, more organised, and more settled in the classroom. It made the day-to-day feel much more workable.
Liam
Early Career Teacher (Secondary)
Working with Anthony helped me grow into the teacher I wanted to be. I stopped second-guessing myself and started trusting my judgement. My routines became stronger, my lessons felt smoother, and I felt more capable every week. For the first time, I felt like I belonged in this profession — and that I could stay.
Kate
Early Career Teacher (Secondary)
Middle Leaders
As a new middle leader, I often felt caught between wanting to support my team and not knowing if I was doing it 'right'. Working with Anthony gave me clarity and confidence. He helped me understand how I think, how I lead, and how to approach difficult moments with steadiness. Our conversations were honest, supportive, and exactly what I needed to grow into the role.
Sarah
Year Level Coordinator
After several years in middle leadership, I thought I had to just 'push through' the pressure. Anthony helped me step back, see my patterns, and lead with far more intention. Our work together sharpened my decision-making, strengthened my confidence, and helped me support my team with greater clarity. It was the most professionally grounding experience I've had.
Daniel
Head of Learning Area
Latest Thinking
From the Blog
From Observation to Framework: How the CDIM Came to Be
The Cognitive Domains Integration Model didn't emerge from theory. It emerged from a pattern observed over decades — educators who could describe what they did, but not why they made those decisions.
Read the article
Five Questions That Accelerate Early Career Teacher Growth
Most teachers reflect. Fewer reflect in ways that actually change their practice. These five questions cut through the noise.
Read the article
The Middle Leader Problem: Caught Between Two Worlds
Middle leaders are the most structurally exposed people in a school — asked to lead at a scale where authority and influence don't always match.
Read the articleAbout Anthony Haskell
Nearly 35 years in education. Leadership specialist. Teacher mentor. Capability builder.