Our guest for this episode of School Improvement is Judith Weir, Principal of Our Lady of Mercy College (OLMC) Heidelberg. We caught up with her at the start of the school year here in Australia, to talk about leadership, strategic planning, how to balance competing priorities, the impact of COVID on student wellbeing and the importance of professional mentoring.

‘Underpinning PAT is recognition that every student is at some point in their long-term progress and is capable of further progress given learning opportunities at an appropriate level of stretch challenge.’ In his latest Teacher column, Professor Geoff Masters AO explores what makes ACER’s progressive achievement (PAT) resources special.

As a teacher, how can you create an inclusive space for all students to thrive? In this article, Sue Pickett, Additional Needs Coordinator at Eltham High School in Victoria, shares five tips for structuring your classroom and lesson so that it is accessible for all students, including those with additional needs.

What is involved in moving museum content online for educational purposes? What are the benefits? What are the challenges? In this Q&A, we speak with Melina Mallos, former Education Manager at the Museum of Chinese Australian History, about the process of digitising museum content.

Readers often get in touch with Teacher to share how their school is making a difference to student outcomes. New South Wales educator Mary Semaan contacted us recently to talk about how the teaching and leadership team at Al Sadiq College has been working to improve primary students’ writing skills.

How do you relax and unwind when you have spare time outside of work? Do you like to listen to music, read novels, sew, paint, or perhaps watch a movie? These are just a few examples of engaging in the arts, and research shows this engagement has a positive impact on our mental wellbeing.

Effective classroom management can be bolstered by an informed understanding of student behaviour, and a reliable toolkit of tips and strategies. In this article, we outline five further readings that examine effective approaches to classroom management.

We know that participating in sport and physical activity benefits health and wellbeing. New research has found it also has a small positive effect on students’ academic performance, particularly in mathematics and science.

In her first video for 2022, Mathematics teacher Holly Millican shares three engaging activities for teaching lower secondary students about directed number. She also shares some resources and worksheets.

‘I am still an advocate of moving for wellbeing, but the way that I do that movement has been adjusted. My biggest take away, so far, has been that changing how you move is okay, just as long as you do move.’ Teacher Aimee Blazek shares how she adjusted her exercise regime while pregnant so she could still move her body.