6 reasons every teacher should read aloud every day
When my year 3 teacher, Mrs Margaret Browne, told us she had to pull on a pair of gloves before she could start reading our new class novel, I don’t …
positive climate
10 books to teach friendship, kindness and Gratitude
Does this sound like you?: “We’ve had so many social issues this week- Our students have forgotten how to get along with each other!” While everyone was worried about the …
Why is literacy important? (A lesson from 2020)
As far as books go, 2020 has turned into Margaret Wild’s ‘The Sloth Who Came to Stay.’ You know the picture story book about the busy family forced to adjust …
A Community transmission worth spreading
Olfactory memory. Have you ever smelled a smell and immediately been reminded of a place, person or thing from your past? That’s olfactory memory: the recollections of odours. For me, …
Stress, anxiety and remote learning: What teachers need to know
“Change is the only constant in our lives.” Whoever said that quote sure knew what they were talking about! Our lives now change on a daily basis- yesterday we entered …
New Zoom security features every teacher needs to know about
I’m on the Zoom train. I’ve been on it for the past 3 years and I have no plans of getting off any time soon. Now, I need to start …
5 alternatives to the dreaded “write about your holidays” prompt.
I once had a neighbour ask me about orienteering as she said she thought her son might like it. I gave her all the information about our next event and …
5 ‘getting to know you’ activities for the start of the year
If we want our students to be risk takers in their learning, we must create an environment in our classroom where they feel safe to take risks. So much of …
Learning to run, running to learn
I recently completed a 50km ultramarathon in Australia’s stunning Blue Mountains. With 2400 metres of ascent and descent and over 8130 stairs on the course, it was no easy feat! …
Education lessons from the dog trainer
We recently booked our youngest cavoodle, Lola, into dog school to help her learn some manners (being cute isn’t enough in this world!). Before Lola could attend any classes however, …