Australian Teacher Magazine

EducationSurvey

EducationSurvey 2013: Your comments – class sizes, student behaviour, politics

OUR annual EducationSurvey asked school staff across Australia for their views on the issues affecting the sector. Thousands of people took part. In part four of our wrap up, here are just some of the comments we received on topics including class sizes, student behaviour, and a few messages for politicians from our readers. CLASS SIZES “Class […]

News

FBI seeks victims of global pedophile

WASHINGTON, April 24 – The FBI is hastily seeking to identify victims of a serial pedophile who drugged and molested dozens of children over four decades teaching at international schools around the world. William James Vahey, 64, took his own life in March in a Minnesota hotel room while the subject of an international sex crimes probe […]

Canberra schools locked down by police

CANBERRA, March 25 – Police locked down several Canberra schools on Tuesday afternoon while they searched the streets for a man reported to have a gun. ACT police responded at 1.40pm AEDT in Tuesday to an unconfirmed report that a man had been seen with a gun in the inner-south suburbs of Manuka and Red Hill. During […]

NSW students’ paid trip to Anzac service

SYDNEY, April 25 – One hundred New South Wales school students will be among lucky ballot winners at next year’s Anzac Day centenary service at Gallipoli. The NSW Government will put up $1 million to enable the students and chaperones to take part in the anniversary dawn service in 2015. The service at Anzac Cove […]

Education union will come round: Cranitch

DARWIN, April 14 – He was the head of the Australian Education Union’s NT branch before running as an independent in the Blain by-election, infuriating teachers when he preferenced the Country Liberals ahead of Labor and helped them win. But Matthew Cranitch says educators are now closer than ever to ending their months-long impasse with […]

Qld alpaca deaths spark new cruelty laws

BRISBANE, March 28 – People who torture animals will face seven years’ jail under new laws to be introduced in Queensland. Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie has moved to toughen penalties after youths escaped jail time last year for bashing two alpacas to death at a southeast Queensland school. “We have shared the community’s frustration when offenders […]

Girl hurt in SA school explosion

ADELAIDE, April 14 – A four-year-old girl has burns to her upper legs after a gas canister exploded at a school north of Adelaide. The girl was taken to hospital and is expected to make a full recovery while three other people were treated for minor injuries. The Metropolitan Fire Service said the incident at […]

ALP pledges Tasmanian schoolkids bonus

HOBART, March 2 – Tasmanian Labor has pledged to pay its own schoolkids bonus if re-elected, with the federal scheme set to be axed. Premier Lara Giddings has used her party’s official campaign launch to unveil the policy should the ALP be returned on March 15. Giddings said the State Government would pay low-income families […]

Catholic priest sorry for abuse: court

MELBOURNE, April 8 – A Catholic priest who sexually abused 15 schoolboys has become a sorry and shameful pariah, known wherever he goes as “the pedophile priest”, a court has heard. Frank Gerard Klep, 70, abused the boys at Salesian College Rupertswood from 1973 to 1984. In the aftermath, he endured a spectacular fall from […]

Shorten and Abbott clash over WA schools

PERTH, April 1 – The holy policy trinity of education, health and crime has taken centre stage in the West Australian Senate election campaign, with Opposition Leader Bill Shorten leading a teachers’ march while Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s cabinet met 39 floors above him. A teachers’ strike to protest against education cuts by WA’s Liberal state government attracted […]

FBI seeks victims of global pedophile

Opinion

Help needed to combat truancy

It is clear that having students turn up to school every day, ready and raring to learn is fundamental to their development. Schools all around the country have employed different strategies and techniques to combat truancy including reward systems, organised outings, retracting welfare payments, finger scanning technology, and more. This should encourage parents, carers and […]

Cartoon – December 2013

AUSTRALIAN Teacher Magazine’s cartoonist, Linus, gives his take on the latest education issues.

Healthy subject balance essential

I have very fond memories of when I began my teaching career in the 1980s. At that stage I was working in the primary school sector (later transitioning into secondary school roles) and teaching was challenging but also enjoyable. There was a sense of fun evident in the schools where I worked which did not […]

Help needed to combat truancy

Signature strengths and the role they play in wellbeing

CAN you really teach character at school? Positive education is a model of education built around the concepts that underpin Positive Psychology — the Science of Wellbeing. One of the core concepts of positive psychology is understanding and using character strengths. Leading researchers in the field, Martin Seligman and the late Chris Peterson established 24 […]

The Hard Word: Current school canteen guidelines fail the nutrition test

THE current guidelines developed by government to assess foods and drinks for sale in school canteens are unregulated, outdated and based on a weak nutrient criteria that ignores sugar. As a consequence, health education in our schools – with particular reference to healthy eating curriculum and its practice – is deficient. The current school canteen […]

Classroom

MindPlay focus on mental health

BRINGING the complex issue of mental health to the dramatic stage is certainly no simple task. But a creative drama competition is allowing students at Dungog High School to do just that. The annual MindPlay event is encouraging the schools’ Year 11 students to draw upon their own experiences of mental health to develop and […]

InBrief: Driving prep, Hosting experience, Irish festivities, Harmony day, Beach activities, Young persuaders

Learner drivers’ chat HORSHAM – Year 10 Nhill College students have enjoyed an informative presentation about the joys and responsibilities of getting their car license. Murray Robinson from Keys Please discussed the conditions for learner drivers, such as remaining alcohol free, and the dangers for probationary drivers. Focus on hospitality BARACK HEIGHTS – Year 12 […]

Creative thinking and learning festival

WHEN teacher and creative arts enthusiast, Serena Petriella, took part in a literacy festival at a previous school, it sparked an idea that eventually saw an inspiring week-long event come together which had teachers and students breaking out hidden talents, and working and learning in new and exciting ways. “I loved the idea of a […]

S-press in class: Relationships so important

RELATIONSHIPS with family and friends are vital protective resources for disadvantaged teenagers, according to a recently published wellbeing report. S-press’ March/April edition explores the findings of the Youth Connections — Subjective Wellbeing Report, written by RMIT’s Dr Adrian Tomyn. The report looks at how ‘at risk’ teenagers have responded to a range of questions about […]

Top 10: Celebrity high school dropouts

Becoming a high school dropout is widely considered to be a career-stopper, or at the very least a giant hurdle in your career goals. However, there are several world famous and highly successful exceptions that prove that this isn’t exactly a rule of thumb. Despite never receiving that lauded high school graduation certificate, these members […]

Coutts’ 10k run a real stretch

EACH and every year, principal Anne Coutts chooses a charity dear to her heart and then sets herself a challenge to raise as much money as she can for it. In May, she has decided to support the National Breast Cancer Foundation by running 10 kilometres in the Mother’s Day Classic. This year’s challenge is […]

Quiet achiever’s big impression

IN a culture that is increasingly seduced by bold headlines, bright colours and spectacle, it is easy to gloss over the contribution of the quiet achiever. Occasionally a spirit of quiet determination breaks through the cacophony. In this case, it is a young English and literature teacher, Tamsin Moran, who is quietly changing the world, […]

PD

APPLE juicy networking opportunity

THE benefits of professional development are usually spruiked in terms of what the delegates take away from the experience. But in the case of The Teacher’s Guild of NSW’s Annual Poster Presentation Lecture Evening (APPLE), the benefits are experienced by presenters and delegates alike. “APPLE was initiated in 2010 by me, on behalf of the […]

Association Focus: Early Childhood Teachers’ Association

EARLY Childhood Teachers’ Association (ECTA) was formed in 1973 when 21 teachers employed in the first State Preschool Centres to open in Queensland, formed the State Preschool Teachers’ Association. In 1976 the name was changed to ECTA, which today is a professional body that services the professional needs of teachers working in all sectors offering educational programs for children from birth to eight years of age. ECTA is a […]

InBrief: History help, Hands-on creativity workshop, ASD PD

History syllabus help The Association of Independent Schools of New South Wales is offering a self-paced module aimed at helping primary teachers familiarise themselves with the state’s history K-10 syllabus. Available from November this year, History Syllabus Familiarisation: K-6 is a 90-minute module that includes multimedia and interactive learning experiences. It is free to use. […]

APPLE juicy networking opportunity

Technology

Microsoft expands Bing use in schools

LOS ANGELES, April 23 – Microsoft is expanding a program that gives schools the ability to prevent ads from appearing in search results when they use its Bing search engine. The program, launched in a pilot program earlier this year, is now available to all US schools, public or private, from Kindergarten through the 12th […]

InBrief: Film resources, High-tech school, Diary app

Mining/energy comp ADELAIDE – The inaugural Dirt TV competition is a student mining and energy video competition. It will award prizes to South Australian high school students who use their creativity and research skills to produce a short video clip illustrating “what mining or oil and gas mean to me”. Topics can include anything from […]

Superb virtual excursions

Q. I’m keen for my students to take part in virtual excursions but I don’t know where to start. Have you any ideas of some interesting places to explore? A. EXCURSIONS are a highlight of any school year. Our school has many, some venturing as far away as our sister school in South Korea or […]

App Review: WWF Together

This World Wildlife Fund app won a Design Award from Apple in 2013. With more than a million downloads, it was also amongst the top apps of the year. The WWF quite justifiably claim that you can “… experience the world’s most amazing animals in one app”. Endangered species are featured, including pandas and rhinos, but you can also learn about the “perseverance of Monarch Butterflies.” The most appealing feature […]

Tech Q & A

The most exciting development in ICT in our school this year… has been the incredible gains in the development of our 100 per cent online curriculum, as well really considering the design of our curriculum and the most effective ways to deliver online resources for our students. In addition we had a clear goal to “Transform learning with the iPad”. This meant providing lots of creative professional development to all […]

Careers

NEiTA recipients thrilled

DRESSED in her pink cupcake pyjamas one afternoon late last year, Kate Smith was unexpectedly presented with a nomination certificate for the ASG National Excellence in Teaching Awards (NEiTA). She was presenting at a school assembly and it just happened to be her ACT school’s pyjama day. “It just came so unexpectedly and it was […]

InBrief : Career Awards, Retirements, Appointments

Appointment Following the retirement of Sue Kitzelman from the position of head of early years at Hillcrest Christian College in Victoria, Joy Geyer has expressed her excitement at having been appointed to the role. Geyer has been teaching at Caningeraba State School in New South Wales for the past 15 years. The school newsletter says she has a passion for curriculum and will […]

First Year Out: Molly-Rose Clifton-Williamson

BECOMING a teacher was something Molly-Rose Clifton-Williamson was simply meant to do. After a positive week of work experience at a local primary school, she was hooked on the idea of seeing light bulbs switch on when her students finally get a concept, learn a new word, or learn a new skill. She landed a […]

Positive role modelling is the key

LAST year at Monash University, I attended the ACHPER Conference with a colleague and the question was asked, ‘What makes a successful leader?’ There were many responses which included a good communicator, a sense of humour, good decision maker, and an effective networker; in fact there were many responses to consider. I turned to my […]

Collaborative spirit the way forward

DAPTO High School in New South Wales is focusing on improving the quality of feedback, in a range of contexts, for students and staff. Teachers are inviting colleagues into their classrooms, in a collaborative spirit, and we are learning from each other. The principal is funding this initiative, understanding that teachers want to improve what […]

Page enjoys a new chapter

DESPITE having more qualifications than many teachers who have been in the profession for decades longer than she has, Shaileigh Page knows she still has plenty to learn when it comes to her teaching practice. The 28-year-old completed her PhD studies in September last year, and has taken up a fulltime teaching role at South […]

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