Long reads

After observing a noticeable increase in mental health concerns among their students, Sydney’s Waverley College decided to take a bold and proactive step. In this article, Head of Wellbeing James Horrocks shares how they trained every staff member – from teachers and administrators to support staff – as a Youth Mental Health First Aider.

The Butterfly Foundation’s BodyKind Online Education program will be available to schools in early 2025. In today’s article, Head of Prevention at Butterfly Danni Rowlands discusses what the program is exactly, some of the results of the pilot evaluation of the program, and discusses how it supports a safer online experience for young people in Australia. 

In his first Teacher column Professor Martin Westwell, Chief Executive of the South Australian Department for Education, discusses a worrying trend in education and PISA 2022 evidence that ‘our greatest strength in education is the professional judgement of our teachers’.

In this 3-part series on student engagement, Dr Amy Berry and Dr Kellie Picker are sharing insights from their study Student perspectives on engaging in learning at school. In today’s final instalment, the authors share 3 questions posed to focus groups participating in the study, and insights students offered on the topic of disengagement.

New PISA analysis by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) reveals the core mathematics areas where Australian students performed strongly, and where they are likely to need more help. The report also shares teachers’ views on teaching maths. Find out more in this article.  

In this 3-part series on student engagement, Dr Amy Berry and Dr Kellie Picker are sharing insights from their study Student perspectives on engaging in learning at school. In today’s article, they share student perspectives on learning at school, and explore what it means to be a good learner. 

In today’s Q&A, Teacher speaks with the National Excellence in Teaching Awards 2024 winner of the Founders’ Principal for Leadership Award, Angela Phillips from Westminster School in South Australia. She chats about her work to establish engaging professional learning opportunities, increase the number of Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers, and her latest initiative – a Micro Rewards scheme for staff.

What are the essential skills we need for learning and life, and how can teachers help students to develop them? The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) has been working with more than 30 countries to identify 5 essential skills and design a suite of free educator resources. Dr Claire Scoular shares more details in this expert Q&A.

‘Educational provision includes what students learn … how they will be taught … and the culture in which they will be taught ... Gifted students benefit from the opportunity to interact with differentiated versions of each of these.’ Professor John Munro explains 3 areas of differentiation, and shares examples of what this could look like in the classroom.

In his first Teacher column for 2025, Professor Geoff Masters AO poses these questions: will schooling be different for children born this year, and if so, how? He then offers 3 suggestions for how learning at school might evolve by 2040.