Rebecca Vukovic

Six years ago Professor Geoff Masters AO penned a column for Teacher on the ‘big five’ education challenges facing Australian schools. This year, ACER has been running a five-part webinar series exploring each challenge in greater detail, and in today’s podcast, we run you through some of the highlights.

Being a school principal can be isolating, but principals who participate in mentoring gain access to support from a trusted peer who has a first-hand understanding of the unique aspects of the role. Here, we speak to Linda Mitchell, Principal of Fitzroy High School in Victoria, about what she’s gained by having a mentor.

Can doing martial arts improve our cognitive function and mental health? In today’s Q&A, we speak to Dr Paloma Mari-Beffa, a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Bangor University in the UK about her research into the way martial arts make us more alert and vigilant, boost our concentration and improve wellbeing.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a group of stress symptoms that can develop after one (or sometimes more than one) traumatic event. Dr Joanne Beames, from the Black Dog Institute, joins us today to discuss the signs and symptoms of PTSD, how prevalent it is in society, and explain ways people experiencing it can find help and support.

Staff at Cedar College in South Australia are determined to improve the proportion of female students choosing to study Science, Technology, Mathematics and Engineering (STEM) subjects in senior high school. Here, we speak with Digital Technologies and Maths teacher Trudi Wynn about the strategies they’ve employed to entice more girls to consider studying STEM.

The ability to make sound financial decisions and manage money is important, but it can also be challenging. Here, we speak to Dr Jack Noone, a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Social Impact at UNSW about the importance of financial wellbeing, the factors that can influence it, and the people that may find themselves most at risk.

The nutrient values of foods are altered when you cook and store them. But how much is lost? And, are there some cooking methods that are better than others? Here, we speak to Dr Evangeline Mantzioris from the University of South Australia to find out more.

Australians of all ages swim to keep fit and healthy, and as a form of relaxation. In today’s article, Dr Rebecca Olive from the University of Queensland discusses the multitude of physical and mental health benefits of ocean swimming, why it’s good for the ocean ecology as well, and suggests ways to get started in a local swimming group.

Depression is more than just a low mood – it's a serious condition that affects your physical and mental health. Dr Grant Blashki, a practicing GP and Lead Clinical Advisor at Beyond Blue, discusses what it feels like for the person experiencing depression, how prevalent it is in society, and how to start a conversation that could save a life.

In the final installment of our three-part series on small group tutoring, we discuss what effective small group tutoring looks like in practice, the importance of building relationships with students, and why students need to be at the centre of this work.