There are a myriad of reasons why girls in Australia aged 15–17 may choose to quit sport. They may find that the values of sport participation are not meaningful for them. They may lack the necessary knowledge and skills to ...
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Why Australian educators predicted the violence in Christchurch 5 years ago: opinion
Notwithstanding the news coverage of the Christchurch terrorist attacks in New Zealand, where more than 50 innocent victims died as a result of the carnage on 15 March 2019, the elephant in the room remains. While the mainstream media desperately ...
More »Etiquette: a beacon of hope for the next generation
Etiquette is experiencing a resurgence among educators, and the reason why reveals an interesting trait of modern society. In our time-poor society, people increasingly choose to enter or not enter into relationships based on a quick assessment of values alignment, ...
More »Taking a fresh approach to cybersecurity in the education sector
As we approach the middle of 2019, education institutions the world over are no doubt bracing for a busy year of learning against an ever-increasing number of cyber-attacks. For many, their natural defence mechanism is to deploy new technology and ...
More »What does effective professional learning for teachers look like?
Parents routinely roll their eyes any time a school announces a student-free professional learning day for its teachers. Many parents consider these days an inconvenience and struggle to see their purpose. High quality, continuous professional learning (as opposed to one-off, snapshot professional ...
More »Why I believe that the future of education is virtual
“Oh, that’s what it looks like!” the student exclaims. A Year 12 biology student is in my office at lunchtime – or at least, that’s what it looks like on the surface. In her world, she’s actually inside a cell, ...
More »The beautiful simplicity of name tags on the first day of school
Wasted classroom time: it’s the bane of my existence, especially at the beginning of the year when I don’t know the students yet and they don’t know me. Just like most teachers, I want every minute of that first day ...
More »Self-care: the critical reason why school staff and leaders must prioritise their own wellbeing without feeling guilty
The reality of schools (for as many years as I have worked in education) is that teachers, Principals, and school staff more broadly run the gauntlet each term at frenetic pace, often collapsing physically and emotionally at the finish line. ...
More »Professor urges schools to ditch VET/uni dichotomy
A Murdoch University professor has criticised schools for encouraging students to choose between a VET or university pathway. Barry Down, a VET and student engagement specialist, says this dichotomy has become unrealistic. "The reality is that society requires smart workers and citizens with ...
More »English grammar – how can teachers upskill?
In recent years, there has been ongoing discussion about whether mainstream primary and high school teachers are sufficiently prepared to fully implement the language components of the Australian Curriculum. Over the past decades, educators have successfully delivered the functional genre ...
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