‘Every assembly I read a book to the whole school and I expect all of our teachers to be reading aloud to our kids every day.’ Christies Beach Primary School Principal Catherine O’Dea shares why encouraging students to develop a love of reading is the key aim of the South Australian school’s improvement plan.

‘At times struggling with sadness and sorrow, I found that playing a musical instrument that requires total focus … only allowed time to focus on the present and future possibilities, not on the sadness of the past.’ Barbara Calder, an educator from New South Wales, shares why she made the decision to take up the challenging hobby of learning to play the saxophone.

Music is universal across human populations as all cultures, from the most primitive to the most advanced, make and listen to music. But what is it about music that we enjoy so much? And, what impact does listening to music have on our overall sense of wellbeing? We ask Dr Margaret Osborne from the University of Melbourne.

Sexual harassment, including online sexual abuse, has become ‘normalised’ for children and young people and so commonplace for some that they see no point in reporting it to teachers and school staff, according to the findings of a review in England.

‘[Reflection] does not come naturally to many of the students in our classrooms (perhaps not even to ourselves).’ Head of Department Lia Sharma shares how the Christian Studies teaching team at Sydney’s Roseville College has been working to develop their own and their students’ skills in this area.

A new study by researchers at the University of Canberra has seen three- and four-year olds increase their daily total physical activity by 28 minutes, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity by 16 minutes. In today’s Q&A, Dr Rohan Telford and Professor Dick Telford discuss the key findings and the importance of physical literacy in developing primary school readiness.

The fundamental reason we eat food is to provide our bodies with the nutrients and energy we need to function. But, we often eat for other reasons too. In today’s article we speak to Associate Professor Esben Strodl about emotional eating, why people turn to food in times of stress and why it’s important to understand our emotional triggers.

Warming up before exercise is considered an important part of your overall fitness regime. It is said to help prevent injury, improve performance and prepare you for the task ahead. But what is the most effective way to warm-up before exercise to ensure you gain those benefits? We explore this question with Professor Anthony Blazevich from Edith Cowan University.

In his latest Teacher column, OECD Director for Education and Skills Andreas Schleicher shares preliminary findings from the organisation’s Special Survey on how systems have responded to the pandemic – from school closures and remote learning, to teacher vaccination and gradual returns to in-class instruction.

‘Walking is more than getting from one place to another.’ Assistant Principal Amanda Alcock shares how her walking routine has helped her to gain perspective, focus and gratitude, and explains why it will always be an important part of her life.