As children start going back to physical school from lockdowns, they may be anxious, overwhelmed or elated to be back and with their friends. I was recently chatting with a teacher, who had not considered some of the reactions from students which has prompted me to write this quick piece and share my personal experience. […]

Do you have a learning culture in your classroom and school? This might seem to be a pointless question, schools are for learning. That’s what students go there for. Learning is what happens in a school. Isn’t it? Ponder this: Do your students arrive to class learning ready? Do they have note-taking tools ready? Are […]

Picture this. It is a stunning day with wall to wall sunshine and I’m at a resort on the coast of Australia. To escape the heat, I decided to go for a bushwalk. I briskly follow the undulating and winding path as I took in the scenery and listened to the bird calls. As I […]

Maya Angelou said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” Anyone growing up in the eighties (and beyond) will have grown up in the self-esteem era. In the 1980s, psychologists showed that high self-esteem equated to high grades at school and students with lower self-esteem tended […]

“The senses, being the explorers of the world, open the way to knowledge.” Maria Montessori A necessary disposition for students to develop is to gather information through the senses. The senses collect information about the world and send it to the brain, and the brain uses this information to make sense of the world. Sensory […]

Ahhhhh – sleep – something so many people desire more of or an improved quality nights rest. All over the western world, people are suffering from chronic sleep deficiency. In terms of brain function and productivity sleep is really important. A lack of quality sleep lowers a person’s focus, impedes decision making and increases mood […]

“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.” Lao Tzu I love questions that send my thinking in circles. One such dilemma is the question: Which happens first […]

There is growing talk in education circles about empowering students to be self-directed in their learning. Whilst there is much talk, the actual implementation of this takes years of scaffolding and planning, as well as a true understanding and change in the role of the teacher within the learning environment. This, of course, is an […]

Gratitude is the art of being thankful. The word coming from the Latin word, gratus, which means pleasing or thankful.  It is being able to show appreciation and return the kindness of others. Gratitude is about showing that you don’t take life, circumstances and people for granted. Research by Dr Martin Seligman, known as the […]

Being able to take a risk is central to being able to be a learner in a classroom. Learning requires students to move from their comfort zone, the known, into the growth zone or the unknown. Yet for many this can be a scary prospect. In their extensive research, Prof. Art Costa and Dr Bena […]