In schools, we can fall into the trap of working in silos. That might be individually, only as Stage groups or in faculty teams. If this is the case, it is even more important that as a school, every teacher knows what the end goal is. What sort of person does our school want to have walking out the doors on their last day as a student? Importantly, do the school’s goals align with what the students want? Too often I have seen school leaders pushing for academic results when it is quite clear that the majority of the students are not that way inclined.
Why we need systems to optimise learning
When you sign up to become a teacher, no-one ever tells you that one of the most important things you need to teach students is how to enter a classroom! Every teacher joins the profession to make a difference in the lives of young people. Teachers want to inspire and motivate! They definitely do not dream about how exciting it’s going to be putting their class into a seating plan! However, if you can get your routines, structure and organisation right, you might just be able to teach that amazing lesson that you prepared!
How the Dunning-Kruger Effect continues to get me!
Have you ever walked into a cafe and been disappointed with the service and overall experience? You look at the costs of their products/services and think, “How hard could it be?” That’s basically the Dunning-Kruger effect. It’s been described as “a cognitive bias in which people wrongly overestimate their knowledge or ability in a specific…
Bring the cafe to the classroom
My happy place to go to is the cafe. I love sitting down with my strong flat white, ordering the most outrageous meal on the menu and chatting with friends and family. However, we can’t go out to a cafe at the moment, so bring the cafe to the classroom! Our students need to feel…
Why Australian education needed COVID-19
Despite most people having devices that can (literally) answer any question asked of it within a couple of seconds, many schools in Australia have still been handing out worksheets and working from textbooks older than I am! COVID-19 is the disruption that education in Australia needed. Without a doubt, it is terrible what COVID-19 has…
How meeting your new class is like getting married on MAFS
Walking into a new class is just like walking down the aisle on Married at First Sight! You need to make a good first impression! Look good, smell good and feel good. That’s your classroom that I’m talking about. When your students first walk into your classroom, you want them to immediately feel comfortable. Love…
How to make every minute meaningful
If you are not spending your time increasing your resources, then you are spending resources and losing time. So, spend your time on the things that matter.
Why I won’t hold my child back from starting school
There has been a growing debate over what age is best for kids to start kindergarten. I ask educators and parents around the world as to what they think the best age is.
Why Project-Based Learning should be used in every class
Project-based learning is a way of developing students’ learning through having them “engage in a real-world problem or answering a complex question,” as stated by PBL Works. Many disengaged students struggle to find a connection with what they are learning in the classroom, to the outside world. I recently attended the iOnTheFuture 6 Conference and John Larmer and Suzie Boss from PBL Works and they spoke about allowing young people to feel like “real-citizens.” Project-based learning is an awesome way of bridging that gap and allowing students to develop their skills that are vital for any job in the 21st Century.
How to communicate with your child like an FBI negotiator
Do you ever feel like you just can’t win with your kids? Picture this, you have five minutes before you have to leave and all of a sudden your little darling decides they no longer want to go to their friends party. Even though, they were just raving about how excited they were ten minutes earlier! How ridiculous!
This leads to you calling out their crazy behaviour and being met with a firm “No!” You then change your approach and try being understanding and yet they still refuse to leave. So, you go back to being the boss because you are the boss, right? However, you are met with hysterical screaming that would have your neighbours thinking you were a mass murderer!