🎶 Tonight I’m gonna email like it’s 1999 🎶
This is an edited version of my latest School of Thought Column in Australian Teacher Magazine. I started teaching in 1999, when within the school, communication was via the morning staff briefing and through memos or the like posted in my pigeonhole, that I might – or more likely might not – get to every […]
Read More**THIS** might just be the biggest challenge facing your school…
Of all the challenges facing Australian schools in the 21st Century, including funding, falling behind Asia, and preparing kids for jobs that don’t yet exist, there is one challenge that is not being afforded the attention it deserves, and in light of the shifting political landscape it might just be the biggest challenge facing schools […]
Read MoreCould having goals contribute to depression?
We’re told that having goals is important. At school we teach kids the importance of them whilst there wouldn’t be a boardroom in the country that hasn’t hosted a goal-setting workshop. But what if your goals were making you depressed? Read on… Last week I ran 10km. It took me just over an hour. Whilst […]
Read More5 Key Takeaways about Student Wellbeing
A couple of weeks ago the Centre for Education Statistics & Evaluation released their literature review into Student Wellbeing. You can access the entire document here. It clearly and concisely lays out all the considerations important for addressing student wellbeing in your school. It also offers dozens of research papers to explore by way of referencing. Having said that, if […]
Read More3 Common Myths About Positive Psychology
I originally wrote this for my regular Generation Next Column In my work with schools, I’m finding more and more interest arising in the area of Positive Psychology and its offshoot Positive Education. And as the interest around these grow, so do some of the more common misconceptions. I’ve found some teachers to be a little […]
Read MoreAre the smartest kids also the saddest?
Late last year, the OECD published the latest of their PISA tables. Predictably, many went into meltdown, whether it was due to their country’s position on the table, their respective government’s reaction to the results or those who detest standardised testing. But as this article shows, the tests are not all about numeracy and literacy. […]
Read MoreWhy do so many teachers leave the profession?
This is my latest #talkingpoints video. It’s designed to act as a stimulus for discussion in your school. What’s the attrition rate in your school? Is it something that is ever discussed? For more reading on this, check out this article I wrote for the Sydney Morning Herald last year, as well as this one (not […]
Read MoreBuying into NAPLAN Stress
I wrote this for my weekly Generation Next column. According to Saturday’s Sydney Morning Herald, “Stuffed toys that help children deal with ‘difficult emotions’ are being spruiked as a means to ‘assist with the stress of NAPLAN.’” As an aside, it does seem ironic that the PR firm pushing these toys is called Evil Twin. Now, I understand that […]
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