‘The change over the last 20 years in what and how students read has emphasised the importance not only of assessing students’ capacity to read, but also what they have learned about the credibility of what they read.’ In her latest Teacher column, Dr Sue Thomson delves into international PISA 2018 data on reading literacy and digital literacy skills.

In this monthly series, we take a look at some further readings available on a particular topic, including open access research papers from various online databases, and Teacher archive content you might not have come across yet. This month we’re looking at teaching spelling.

‘I started out teaching with my heart and soul overflowing, committed to the success and wellbeing of my students. But over time I became conflicted.’ Teacher and counsellor Anne Miller shares how for years she struggled with the administrative demands of teaching, and why she’s now an advocate for valuing the importance of a teacher’s heart and soul.

A series of consultations undertaken by the Commissioner for Children and Young People in Tasmania has identified that young people in Tasmania believe a more responsive education system would improve their overall wellbeing, and further, what they think specifically needs to be improved.

Findings from an action research project in three West Australian schools suggest the use of quality mentor texts when explicitly teaching how to write narratives can improve students’ storytelling ability. Ron Gorman and Dr Sandy Heldsinger share more details about the teaching and assessment strategies used, and samples of student writing.

What do you need information on? Evidence-based practice? Tutoring in schools? Oral language? Data interpretation? The ninth Teacher alphabet brings you quick links to popular content that you might find useful. Download the PDF for a hyperlinked version.

Students, parents, curricular and extracurricular activities, playground duties, administration and those Friday afternoon meetings are just some of the elements that contribute to teacher burnout and stress. In today’s article Donna Smith, an experienced teacher and sessional tutor at the University of the Sunshine Coast, shares four fundamental pillars that have been identified in the research literature in promoting resilience.

After an unprecedented one-year postponement, the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics are scheduled to begin on 23 July and 24 August. While billions of fans around the world tune in to their favourite sporting moments from home, the question remains – Does elite sport performance act as a catalyst to increased mass sport participation?

Do teachers in state schools encounter the same work stressors as their colleagues working in the private sector? And if so, what are those stressors? Jude Brady and Dr Elaine Wilson from the University of Cambridge in the UK have collected and analysed data from 40 teachers to find out more.

A new Australian study exploring reading enjoyment, reading frequency and student achievement has challenged the gender stereotype that boys prefer non-fiction, underscoring the importance of all students being given access to a wide range of genres and text types from an early age.