Articles

Researchers from the University of Queensland are determined to help teachers to improve the air quality in their classrooms, improve students’ cognitive performance and decrease the risk of contracting COVID-19 at the same time.

According to new data from the Mission Australia Youth Survey, the environment is now the number one concern for young people. In today’s episode of Teacher Staffroom, we run through some of the ways that schools are tackling issues of sustainability in their communities, both here in Australia and internationally.

What do you do with copies of old textbooks, battered novels and random pages? While recycling for the benefit of the environment is always a go-to option, Dr Jason DeHart offers some creative ideas for what you can do with old book copies and other ephemera that are lying in classrooms and back rooms.

The latest winners of the annual Prime Minister’s Prizes for Excellence in Science teaching are George Pantazis from Marble Bar Primary School in Western Australia, and Veena Nair from Viewbank College in Victoria. They both join us in this episode to discuss the work they’ve been recognised for.

In his first video for Teacher, English and English Language teacher, Steven Kolber, shares how teachers can encourage their students to learn with dance as a physical memorisation technique, to assist with the memorisation of important concepts.

How can a teacher’s workload and autonomy at the start of term impact their levels of emotional exhaustion and intentions to quit the profession by the time they reach the end of the term? Dr Rebecca J Collie and Dr Annemaree Carroll share the findings of their Australian research and the implications for teachers and schools.

If you’ve moved between schools or made the transition from graduate to the staffroom, it’s likely you’ve benefited from a school-based induction program. But, what about those who may miss out because they are employed for short periods? That’s the focus of a new Australian research study.

In today’s podcast, we’re joined by Dr Carly Sawatzki from Deakin University to discuss the state of financial education across Australia. She also shares how opportunities for teaching about finance are framed within the Australian Curriculum and provides examples of other educators teaching financial education exceptionally well.

‘[The start of the school year can] mean a challenging transition for those who struggle with stressors about returning to the classroom.’ Dr Tom Brunzell, Director of Education at Victoria’s Berry Street School, discusses lessons learned on student re-engagement and attendance that could be helpful to other schools.

In today’s expert Q&A, ACER Research Fellow Dr Amy Berry explores the challenges teachers face when engaging students in the classroom, the impact this has on students’ wellbeing and sense of belonging, and how teachers can cultivate a culture of engagement in their classrooms.