We’re at the end of term 2 in Australia and in this episode of Teacher Staffroom, we catch you up on content we’ve published recently that you might find useful at this time of year – including tax tips for teachers, leaders seeking feedback from staff to inform their next steps, and the benefits of successful partnerships with universities.

How are education systems supporting child empowerment? That’s the key question explored in a new international report that reviews the literature and shares examples of effective policy and practice in different countries, and the challenges that exist.

What do you need information on? Explicit instruction? Design thinking? Scientific literacy? Student anxiety? The 13th Teacher alphabet brings you quick links to popular content that you might find useful. Download the PDF for a hyperlinked version so you can access the content for each letter.

Researchers from Edith Cowan University have recently highlighted the ongoing importance of explicitly teaching both handwriting and keyboarding skills to students, starting in the primary years. Dr Anabela Malpique joins Teacher editor Jo Earp to discuss findings of the meta-analysis and follow-up study, and tips for helping students become hybrid writers.

As an educator, you’ll recognise the importance of providing time for young children to play and to learn through play. However, findings from a 4-year study conducted in Ukraine suggest that playful learning can be a protective factor for children, helping foster literacy and social-emotional skills in times of crisis.

New analysis of Australian PISA data shows Australian students’ feelings of safety is lowest in areas of the school outside the classroom. In today’s article, Dr Erin Leif from Monash University shares some practical considerations for schools when reflecting on how they can support feelings of safety in all areas of the school grounds

Jacaranda’s resource development team has been working to deliver an effective way for schools to branch into GenAI, all while keeping inside the established bounds of the curriculum. This exciting project has produced JacTutor – a new tool set to provide students and teachers with a safe, interactive, and responsive tutor integrated directly into their classroom resource.

In episode 10 of School Assembly Series 2, we’re speaking with principal Jo Camozzato about how she is fostering a sense of staff collaboration with a new team at Bemin Secondary College, and, of course, hear about her biggest challenge, key learning and proudest achievement from the last month.

To make your taxes a little less taxing this year, we spoke to Mark Chapman, Director of Tax Communications at H&R Block, to discuss everything teachers in Australia should know about tax time 2024 – from what you could be claiming for, to some common mistakes you might be making

‘Increasingly, schools will need to support their young people to not just develop content knowledge and skills through effective learning, but also ensure their students know how to learn, individually and with others.’ Today’s article shares how the UQ Learning Lab is helping educators to set their students up for success at school and in life.