Teaching Together

Welcome to another episode from the learning lounge! Today's special guest Matt Pitman, author of The Connection Curriculum, joins in for a powerful conversation unpacking some of the big, confronting questions for educators everywhere. We think about who our school system is serving, what does it mean to truly connect with students and help them find meaning in their learning. We also explore how school refusal and teacher bur...

Today we’re getting honest about the emotional and professional expectations we had walking into the classroom and how reality has reshaped those over time.

We open up about the emotional energy that teaching demands from us, some of the realities of which neither of us quite expected. We also challenge some of the professional expectations that we once thought were non-negotiables — think Pinterest-worthy displays, colour-coded pla...

In this episode, we’re talking all things Proficient Teacher Accreditation. Whether you’re at the beginning of your accreditation journey or mentoring someone through it, this episode has got something for you. Sierra shares a few of her top tips to keep the stress levels low (did someone say proficiency party??) and Grayce shares how she has found the process to be so far.

We unpack the steps involved in NSW with plenty of practic...

We are back for Term 2 and are super keen to bring you this conversation with Tom Mahoney, a passionate educator and PhD candidate at Deakin University. Tom's work involves exploring the impact of educational ideologies on education and educators, and seeks to look for ways to help teachers critically reflect on the ins and outs of their practice. We hope you find this discussion really helpful, maybe even challenging, as we consid...

In today's Recess Digest episode we continue exploring some more of the "Habits of Mind" that relate to creative thinking. We discuss some of the challenges that appear when students believe that they aren't creative, and share some ideas and strategies to help give your students procedures for developing creative thinking processes.

Helpful Links 💡

⁠⁠Habits of Mind Institute⁠⁠

⁠⁠Project Zero - Thinking Routine...

With NAPLAN testing in full swing, we’re diving into the real purpose of formative and summative assessment—how they work together, shape student learning and our own practice.

Of course, we can’t have this conversation without stepping onto our soapbox about standardised testing. Are we assessing what truly matters, or just what’s easiest to measure? And what does that mean for the way we teach?

Join us today for a challenging conve...

We know how important it is to equip students with strong writing skills, but how do we ensure writing is truly integrated across all subjects—not just in English? In this episode, Christine Teahan, the Co-Director of Academics at The Writing Revolution, joins in for a discussion on why writing instruction matters at every level of education. Christine shares valuable insights on how teachers can embed explicit writing instruction ...

How do we make sure that our fast finishers aren't just doing 'busy work?' In this episode, we explore the research on extending and challenging students in the classroom, drawing on insights from the latest AERO practice guide. We’ll break down what meaningful challenge looks like in the classroom and share some practical techniques and strategies that you can draw on to effectively extend and challenge all learners, not just your...

Mistakes happen, but do your learners see mistakes as roadblocks or learning opportunities? As we head into a new school year and work towards building safe and positive classroom environments, we have a chat about the research on error climate in the classroom and explore how students’ perception of mistakes shape their motivation, confidence, and willingness to take risks.

We’ll share some practical strategies to help students bui...

BONUS EPISODE ALERT! 🚨

Hey Teachers! We hope you have been loving your school holidays and enjoying a well-deserved rest. As the start of Term One approaches, we wanted to bring you some bonus content to help with your planning and to give you a little bit of inspiration as you prepare for this school year. We are joined today by Andrea Hillbrick, an educational consultant who draws on her vast knowledge and experience as a teacher...

As the year comes to a close, join us as we craft some adorable clay fridge magnets for Grayce's kindy students and and spend some time reflecting on her first year as a teacher.

We also dive into the festive season with a lighthearted discussion about Christmas gifts—teacher presents, thoughtful gestures for colleagues, and ideas for managing the gift budget. It's a little different to our usual format, but it’s the perfect way to ...

In this special episode, we chat with one of our friends, Hannah, about the ups and downs of her first few years as a teacher. Together, we reflect on first-year challenges, favourite teaching moments and the lessons that come with more time and experience in the classroom. Hannah shares her journey to obtaining approval to teach in the NSW Department and the importance of working together with your colleagues...especially when you...

Today's second Recess Digest episode continues exploring some more of the "Habits of Mind" - Metacognition, Flexible Thinking and Questioning. We feel that these dispositions are all really closely related and that fostering them in your classrooms doesn't happen without intentional planning and purpose. Listen in for some ideas and strategies to develop routines and habits in your classroom that build these essential habits for ou...

In today's (slightly longer than usual) episode, we’re breaking down key strategies from the 'Great Teaching Toolkit' to help you promote deeper learning and critical thinking in your classroom. We guide you through six core elements—Structuring, Explaining, Questioning, Interacting, Embedding, and Activating—giving you practical tips and examples that you can start using right away.

You’ll learn how to simplify complex ideas withou...

In today's episode, we’re here to help you feel more confident and prepared for your teaching placements. From packing your teacher-bag to managing lesson timing and taking care of your voice, we’ll share practical tips that make a big difference. Whether you are heading out on your first or final placement, this episode episode is packed with essentials to guide you through.

Helpful Links 💡

Voice Care for Teachers

Protecting Your Te...

Imagine this. You have spent all weekend writing detailed feedback comments all over your students' assessment tasks, only to have them look at their score and throw the rest of the paper away. Sound painful? Join us today as we explore the powerful impact feedback can have in your classroom and how you can make feedback more effective for you and your students without adding to your workload. This episode is full of practical stra...

Welcome to the very first of our Recess Digest episodes, where we aim to bring you quick ideas and helpful insights in the time it would take for you to eat your recess! Today we dive into two "Habits of Mind" that are essential for both students and teachers: persisting and managing impulsivity. These are skills that not only help in academic success but also support emotional intelligence and long-term resilience. We'll share som...

The 3 R's - Reading, Writing and Arithmetic - are probably more commonly referred to these days as literacy & numeracy. We know, as teachers, that these facets of learning are essential and need to be integrated across all curriculum areas, but that is easier said than done!

The release of the National NAPLAN results last week sparked a great deal of conversation in the media around the state of literacy in Australia. While we a...

Most of us would agree that creative thinking is important for our students to develop, but cultivating it and teaching students how to 'think creatively' is not an easy task. Join us today as we unpack some of the latest PISA results assessing creative thinking across the globe and explore some frameworks and structures that you can use in order to better cultivate creative thinking in your students (and maybe even in yourself)!

Re...