I entered the building industry as a labourer where I learnt to clean windows, toilets and anything else that needed it. I became a bricklayer's laborer and then a bricklayer where I worked to the age of 32. It was then I lost the use of my legs from the type of work that I was doing. My body had told me 5 years before to stop but I knew nothing else and I was terrified so I continued. I used to wear a back brace and kneepads, until finally I collapsed and was unable to continue that sort of work. I was never in a wheel chair, I just refused to accept the chair. I would crawl around on the floor. It took a year to learn to regain mobility in my legs. At the same time I had another challenge, I was illiterate. I never learnt to read or write until the age of 32. I re-entered the workforce as a salesman for a building company. I became a manager and the company grew to where it had 300 people on-site at times and a million dollars a month turnover. At the peak of this time my eldest son Ted, who was 11 went into hospital to have his appendix out and it was discovered he had cancer. He died 7 months later.

With the passing of Ted my whole life changed again. I had learnt that you cannot control the events of time but you can control your attitude towards them. In doing so I could determine the effect on the rest of my life.

I saw that what I had learnt to get myself out of bed when my back was at its worst had also made a difference to Ted when he faced his challenge, which was far greater than mine was. I saw that by Ted's attitude he could make a difference to the people around him. This began a journey for me that still continues today. I knew that if Ted could make a difference in his life, then everybody had the ability to make a difference in their lives.

I started working in corporations, helping people with the ever-changing corporation structures. I became fascinated that regardless of the situation, status or even age people consistently responded in the same way by learning a series of thinking skills. This led me to wonder how early people could learn these skills.

First were the colleges and I've got to tell you they weren't keen. They just don't let the bricklayers in to play with the kids. But through persistence, eventually a brave Councilor arranged for me to work with a group of kids who were very aggressive and were having a major impact on the college. The results were instant to the amazement of all. The kids changed their behaviour, started learning and even contributed to the college.

From the colleges I went to the high schools, primary schools and even the pre-schools. In the beginning the results were approximately 33% of the kids I worked with stopped getting suspended or isolated on a day to day basis. Another 33% reduced their suspensions and isolations up to anything like 80%.

These numbers rose to at times where 90% of the students stopped getting suspensions and started learning.

The Program has changed, I don’t work with the kids anymore, the teachers do. We do it as a whole class and teachers often report a 99% engagement with students and their learning, where previously in some cases the sustained 40% engagement was impossible. This came about through the efforts and bravery of many classroom teachers who were prepared to work with me to develop and take-on this new approach.

It then moved to the ‘whole school’ approach, working with the culture of the school by establishing learning as the heart instead of behaviour.

I continue to redevelop and renew the process based on what is working in the classroom. In the early days it was all behaviour modification, today it is all focussed on engaging the students and teachers on their ‘learning journey’. The results have been so outstanding in some cases there have been measurable changes in whole communities attracting media recognition and tertiary institutions.

I was engaged by Monash University as a part-time lecturer to work with the trainee student teachers. Monash’s Associate Professor Tony Townsend has done research, which has been published and can be found on their website.

Today there are pilot programs running in Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales, ranging from single schools to clusters of schools.

I operate through my Company, Faith International Pty Ltd. It was incorporated in the year 2000 and is a non-religious organisation.

My dream for the future is that through the classroom of our schools we will unite communities making learning the central purpose.