Late last year, Matt Orchard from Apollo Bay P-12 College in regional Victoria was named winner of the 2022 Telstra ARIA Music Teacher Award. In this article, he tells us about the music program he’s run for over 20 years.

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.

‘[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.

Student storytelling can often give a glimpse into what’s happening in their lives, their interests and passions, and the issues that are on their mind. The latest instalment of the Australian Children’s Word of the Year reveals online safety is a top concern for students.

What leadership styles were important for principals as they navigated the challenges associated with COVID-19? How can school leaders partner with community to bring sustained change? In this edition of Researching education: 5 further readings, we share 5 readings on the topic of leadership, which address these questions.

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.

‘Teachers having space to discuss their emotions and the issues that evoke them leads to a higher probability of finding creative and collaborative ways to manage them,’ Dr Jean Hopman writes in her article on how to navigate the emotional work of teaching.

In our annual Teacher magazine reader survey, we ask you to share one piece of advice with a fellow educator. In this infographic, we share some of the responses we received on the theme of learning to let go.

In our most recent annual reader survey, many of you told us you’d like more content on the topic of student wellbeing. In this edition of Researching education: 5 further readings, we share 5 readings on the topic of gender diversity in schools from researchers in Australia and overseas.