Meet Steve Carter
The Story Behind The Heart of Learning
The Heart of Learning is a space dedicated to helping educators and individuals reconnect with calm, clarity and a deeper sense of themselves amid the demands of modern life.
I’m Steve Carter—an educator, Teacher Wellbeing Officer and doctoral researcher whose journey in education spans more than 30 years across independent, state and Catholic school systems.
During that time, I have had the privilege of working as a primary teacher, coordinator, Head of Curriculum, Assistant Principal and Curriculum Mentor across literacy, numeracy and digital technologies. I have always loved the craft of teaching—but more than anything, I have cared deeply about the people within it.
Over the years, I began to notice something that could not be ignored: remarkable educators quietly carrying stress, fatigue and pressure, often while placing their own needs last. I saw it in colleagues, and at times, I felt it within myself.
That realisation became a turning point.
It led me to explore another layer of education—one that supports the inner world of the teacher and recognises that wellbeing is not separate from effective teaching, leadership or learning.
I began training and developing my practice in Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), meditation, breathwork and nervous-system regulation. I also stepped into my current role as a Teacher Wellbeing Officer, supporting educators with practical and accessible approaches to stress reduction and self-regulation.
The Heart of Learning was born from this journey.
My doctoral research now explores heart coherence as a supportive strategy for teacher wellbeing, bringing together lived experience, practical wellbeing approaches and emerging evidence.
Through individual sessions, group programs, resources and reflective writing, I offer gentle and accessible pathways for reducing stress, restoring balance and building resilience.
Today, my work is about helping people reconnect with calm, clarity and a deeper sense of purpose—not only in their work, but in their lives.
This is not about escaping the pressures of modern life. It is about developing the inner steadiness to meet them with greater presence, awareness and compassion.
Because when we support the human behind the role, everything begins to shift.
My Journey
My journey in education spans more than 30 years across independent, state and Catholic school systems. During that time, I have worked as a primary teacher, coordinator, Head of Curriculum, Assistant Principal and Curriculum Mentor in literacy, numeracy and digital technologies.
I have always loved the craft of teaching—the creativity, relationships and possibility found within learning. Yet what has mattered most to me has always been the people: the students finding their confidence, the educators giving so much of themselves and the communities working together to help young people flourish.
Over time, I began to notice the hidden cost carried by many dedicated educators. Beneath their professionalism were often stress, fatigue and a sense of constantly placing their own wellbeing last. I recognised this in colleagues, and at times, within myself.
That awareness changed the direction of my work. It led me beyond curriculum and pedagogy to explore the inner experience of the educator—how we regulate stress, reconnect with ourselves and remain grounded within demanding environments.
This journey ultimately became the foundation of The Heart of Learning.
My Approach and Research
My approach begins with a simple understanding: lasting wellbeing is not created by avoiding every source of pressure, but by developing greater capacity to meet life with calm, awareness and self-compassion.
I draw upon meditation, breathwork, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) and heart-focused practices to help people understand and regulate their responses to stress.
These approaches are gentle, practical and designed to be used within everyday life—not only when things become overwhelming.
Alongside this work, I am undertaking doctoral research exploring heart coherence as a supportive approach to educator wellbeing.
Heart coherence is associated with a more ordered pattern of heart-rate variability and reflects the interaction between breathing, emotional state and the autonomic nervous system. My research brings together lived experience, educator wellbeing, nervous-system regulation and measurable physiological change.
The Heart of Learning is therefore grounded in both evidence and humanity. I do not believe wellbeing should feel clinical, complicated or disconnected from real life. My aim is to translate research into accessible practices that help people feel steadier, more connected and better able to flourish.
Why the Heart of Learning Exist
The Heart of Learning exists because wellbeing cannot be separated from the person who teaches, leads, supports or serves others.
Too often, stress is treated as something individuals should simply manage better, while the deeper pressures affecting their nervous systems, relationships and sense of purpose remain unaddressed. Wellbeing can then become another task to complete rather than a meaningful way of reconnecting with ourselves.
I created The Heart of Learning to offer something gentler, deeper and more practical.
Its purpose is to help people understand what is happening within them and develop accessible ways to return to greater calm, clarity and balance. Through breathwork, meditation, Emotional Freedom Techniques, heart-focused practices and reflective learning, people can build the inner steadiness needed to meet life’s demands without continually losing themselves within them.
Although this work began through my experience in education, its message reaches beyond schools. Every healthier workplace, family and community begins with people who feel more regulated, supported and connected.
When we care for the human being behind the role, we create the conditions for people—and the communities around them—to flourish.
Contact us
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