SUMMIT BLOG

In today's educational landscape, creating truly inclusive learning environments requires more than just physical accommodation – it demands a deep understanding of neurodiversity and innovative approaches to support all learners.

Compounding is the magic that helps grow your super!  The easiest way to think of it is a snowball rolling down a hill, getting bigger as it rolls. Every little bit helps.

At Australian Teacher Aide, we believe that teaching assistants can have a profound impact on student learning when they are equipped with the knowledge and skills to support learning and teaching.

In educational settings, relationships form the bedrock of daily interactions. Educators are inherently relational, focusing on nurturing and supporting both students and colleagues.

As a Teacher – Librarian with over 25 years experience in working across 3 different schools, I have, for many years, been concerned about how much our staff and students rely on Google to do their research. In the last few years, this concern has extended to social media sites as well.

What role does the teaching assistant play in a student’s academic journey? Research shows that teachers are not trained to work with teaching assistants, and the lack of role clarity is one of the biggest concerns about teaching assistants (Jackson. C., et al. 2021).

For many students, traditional classroom settings provide an excellent structure for learning. However, for others, a different approach is needed—one that allows them to pursue elite sports, explore creative passions, engage in hands-on learning, or learn from home due to personal or family circumstances.

For many educators, this uncertainty feels like a storm cloud looming overhead. The lack of clarity about the future, combined with the usual pressures of teaching, creates a perfect recipe for stress. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Leadership in schools isn’t just about managing people and policies—it’s about shaping lives, inspiring communities, and navigating an increasingly complex world. The demands placed on school leaders are immense, from driving academic success to fostering a positive school culture.

Inclusive education requires shifting from traditional models of education, where students are passive recipients of knowledge, to collaborative models where students are active partners in shaping their learning experiences.

Enter the Leadership Coaching Framework—a simple yet transformative approach designed to help leaders break this cycle. At its core, this framework shifts the focus from managing tasks to empowering people.

In today's educational landscape, fostering a culture of wellbeing is paramount. A holistic approach to mental health and wellbeing in schools involves not only educators and students but extends to the entire school community.

The challenges facing the teacher workforce are intensifying, with factors such as workload, recognition, and classroom conditions impacting teacher wellbeing and, consequently, retention within the profession. To address these issues, St Joseph’s College Toowoomba has implemented strategic Staff Development and Engagement Plans over the past two years.

The challenges facing the teacher workforce are intensifying, with factors such as workload, recognition, and classroom conditions impacting teacher wellbeing and, consequently, retention within the profession. To address these issues, St Joseph’s College Toowoomba has implemented strategic Staff Development and Engagement Plans over the past two years.

I’ve always believed that the most meaningful educational programs often have a spark of creativity - the kind that lights up students’ eyes and makes learning feel less like work and more like an exciting discovery. In 2020, I first came across reading-to-dog programs. These initiatives pair struggling readers with a human volunteer and dog team, offering a calm, reassuring space to practice reading aloud.

Let’s talk about flourishing. It’s not just about doing well personally but thriving collectively, too. For educators, this means finding ways to thrive amidst the daily challenges of teaching, leading, and balancing life. Professor Tyler VanderWeele from Harvard University gives us a pretty inspiring take on flourishing. He says it’s “a state in which all aspects of a person’s life are good”—basically, complete well-being.

The topic of well-being is currently very common in the education sector along with other industries. There is a popular push for employers to look after their employees by providing well-being strategies. Education authorities are developing well-being frameworks, promoting their efforts to look after their employees.

Leadership in any context is both a privilege and a responsibility. Picture this: you’re stepping into a school where things have been a bit of a mess—staff morale is low and parents don’t trust the system anymore. Your first instinct might be to dive in and fix everything, but hold up! What if the real power move is to pause, listen, and genuinely connect with the people who make up this community?

There's an awful lot more discussion and insight into neurodiversity these days, with diagnosis methods evolving beyond the standard criteria that's been used for far too long. As a result, more people are now disagnosed, or have a neurodivergent family member, student, peer, or colleague. So, understanding what neurodivergent really means, how it differs from person to person, and how individuals can be helped and accommodated in social settings to feel properly included is steadily growing.

As a school leader, I know firsthand how heavy the load can feel as the term progresses. The start of the term may feel fresh, but it’s often the best time to reflect and prepare for the challenges ahead. This very thought inspired my research question: “Who is Caring for the Carers?”

In today’s fast-evolving educational landscape, the integration of technology into teaching and learning is not just a luxury—it’s a necessity. Our approach is rooted in a shared vision, deliberate strategies, and a strong culture of collaboration, all aimed at using technology to support authentic teaching and learning experiences.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that over 90% of children with disabilities attend mainstream schools across the country. This statistic initially surprised me, even though I was part of that very group during my time as a student.

In today's rapidly evolving educational landscape, the journey from classroom teacher to educational leader requires more than just theoretical knowledge—it demands practical skills, real-world application, and a supportive professional network. This reality stands at the heart of an innovative professional development stream at the upcoming National Education Summit, designed specifically for aspiring and current teacher leaders who are ready to elevate their impact on student learning outcomes and simultaneously, grow their leadership.

In Australia, the journey from school to work can be fraught with challenges, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people. Socioeconomic barriers, cultural disconnection, and historical disadvantages often hinder their opportunities for meaningful employment and career development.

Educators have increasingly noticed a significant drop in student engagement between Years 7 and 9, often referred to as the “big dip”. A study of NSW Department of Education, which tracked nearly 8,000 students, revealed a notable drop in motivation and engagement during these year levels.

‘A blueprint for classroom management – authentic techniques you can implement immediately’ is a workshop led by Ash Curmi, an experienced teacher and mentor with 11 years in the field. Ash will be presenting in the Knowledge Centre at the National Education Summit in Brisbane 2025.

Another National Education Summit Melbourne pencilled into the books. For those who spend much of their time attending education spaces, this one always holds the potential to be a good one. Participants get the sense of being a part of the community, not just amid a stream of vendors selling their wares. A real sense of shared camaraderie permeates the lofty roofed spaces.

Preventing failure – sounds a negative way of looking at things, but in reality it’s anything but negative! It’s something we all need to be aware of in our schools, but it’s also a huge challenge for busy teachers with many different needs to address in their classes. 

Whilst working with a student for many years as a withdrawal teacher for behaviour support, his teachers kept asking me to provide them with strategies and to work with him to make better choices. They seemed to think he was conniving, manipulative and purposefully choosing to lie in order to get out of being in trouble or facing consequences.

In today's interconnected world, the ability to communicate in multiple languages is more valuable than ever. As educators, we recognize the importance of equipping our students with skills that extend beyond the traditional curriculum, fostering a global mindset from an early age.