The Curious Case of Nick Kyrgios
Up until about 12 months ago, when talking about Australian tennis you could quite comfortably lump Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios into the same too hard basket. Kyrgios had just returned from a ATP suspension for giving up during a match at the Shanghai Masters, whilst Tomic was embroiled in a war of words with Roger Federer after Rog suggested […]
Read MoreIs “by teachers for teachers” always a good thing?
This is an excerpt from my latest Australian Teacher Magazine column. In schools it is not uncommon for outside agencies to be brought in to consult on initiatives, but should the consultant lack a background in education they can be quickly dismissed by a less than enthusiastic staffroom. After all, what would they know? Yet […]
Read MoreShould You *Reward* Good Behaviour?
I’ve been doing a lot of work around Carol Dweck’s Mindset theory of late. This complements the approach I take to engagement in school (or any environment) which I largely base on Ryan & Deci’s Self Determination Theory. The essence of what I explore is that authentic engagement is achieved when: Relationships have been established […]
Read More“Just jump in the deep end!” – Worst Advice Ever!
There’s a reason I started to take my then three-year-old son to swimming lessons. It’s because, left unattended, he would have – most likely – jumped in the deep end without the pre-requisite skills to live to tell the story. Neither he or his mum were too keen on that scenario. Hence the weekly lessons. Just […]
Read More3 things I learnt about success from Mountain Biking
Last year, as part of the Yr 11 PDHPE Preliminary Course, I took twenty Year 11 students on a mountain biking camp. We rode through the Stromlo Forest in Canberra by day, and camped in sub zero temperatures by night. For anyone interested in doing similar, I cannot recommend Will & the team at MtnBike.com.au highly […]
Read MoreJust a Boy Who Likes Turtles
Of late, in my talks around the country, I have read this poem [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Rv1r8CVr2k?hl=en&fs=1] I first heard this poem as part of a talk that my friend and unoffical mentor Richard Gerver gave in the UK last year – which you can view at the end of this post. The overwhelming response from the […]
Read MoreWhat’s wrong with Performance Related Pay? – Latest SMH Piece
It is generally accepted in most professions that the better you are, the more money you can command. Many teachers would agree the top in their field should be rewarded accordingly. So why is it that the Gillard government’s proposed performance-related payment scheme is not being welcomed with open arms? Read my full article in the […]
Read More