... Or they may not. In this episode, we find out all about Mr D's childhood. What birth order place did he hold in his family? What was his own early education like? At what point did he start wearing blankets as runway-ready outfits, complete with accessories? Did he always have that little bit of something special for a life in show business? All will be revealed! Join us in our new For the Love of Teaching Facebook group, where we chat about the podcast, feature live vids of guests, and talk...
Feb 27, 2020•7 min•Season 2Ep. 139
Research shows that kids need to move and take brain breaks to improve their concentration and brain activity. In this episode I run through some simple yet effective brain break ideas to try with your class! Join us in our new For the Love of Teaching Facebook group, where we chat about the podcast, feature live vids of guests, and talk teaching! Have you subscribed to For the Love of Teaching? Don't forget! It means you'll be the first to know whenever a new episode is released. For the Love o...
Feb 23, 2020•9 min•Season 2Ep. 137
Okay teachers: hands up if you’ve ever lost your voice! After a sports carnival, a performance rehearsal, playground duty or even just a regular day in your classroom? You’re not alone! Research shows that teachers are three to five times more likely to experience voice problems than the general population, with up to 20% of teachers acutely affected each year (Pemberton, 2008). Despite this, many of us haven’t learnt much about our voice, let alone how important voice care is for teachers. It’s...
Feb 22, 2020•17 min•Season 2Ep. 137
Whoa! It's one thing to drop an obscenity in front of your teacher, but it's a whole other game when you then try to lie about it! Teaching definitely keeps you on your toes. Join us in our new For the Love of Teaching Facebook group, where we chat about the podcast, feature live vids of guests, and talk teaching! Have you subscribed to For the Love of Teaching? Don't forget! It means you'll be the first to know whenever a new episode is released. For the Love of Teaching is a podcast by Teach S...
Feb 20, 2020•7 min•Season 2Ep. 136
Clean Up Australia Day is an excellent opportunity to teach our students about environmental issues such as litter and pollution. From single-use plastic, to waterway pollution, right through to the dangers that humans' discarded rubbish pose to our flora and fauna, it's a great teachable experience with practical connections. Jill and I talk in this episode about the upcoming schools' Clean Up Australia Day on 28 February, and show you just how easy it is to get your school involved. You'll fin...
Feb 16, 2020•12 min•Season 2Ep. 135
Sarah is an assistant principal and classroom teacher. She shares her journey to becoming an Opportunity Class teacher in this episode. Sarah uses a research-based approach, combined with project-based learning, to help her class of high-achieving students reach their goals. We discussed what it means to be a gifted and talented student, what traits gifted and talented students possess, and Sarah gave some great tips for classroom teachers on differentiating to higher-ability learners in their s...
Feb 15, 2020•21 min•Season 2Ep. 134
Teachers are often called upon to do lots of things that aren't on the job description. In particular, young, eager, bright-eyed and bushy tailed early career teachers! Mr D fell into a trap of accepting too many extra curricular activities, but he soon figured out how to manage them! Join us in our new For the Love of Teaching Facebook group, where we chat about the podcast, feature live vids of guests, and talk teaching! Have you subscribed to For the Love of Teaching? Don't forget! It means y...
Feb 13, 2020•6 min•Season 2Ep. 133
February 14 is traditionally known as Valentine's Day, but more recently has become renowned for the celebration of libraries! On today's episode, we chat about some of the different ways you and your class can celebrate library lovers and our magnificent librarians and library aides! Join us in our new For the Love of Teaching Facebook group, where we chat about the podcast, feature live vids of guests, and talk teaching! Have you subscribed to For the Love of Teaching? Don't forget! It means y...
Feb 09, 2020•11 min•Season 2Ep. 132
Do you, as an educator, feel adequately equipped to teach your students about cyber safety? Do you feel comfortable in your duty to report any incidences of misconduct against students in the online space? The internet is an incredible resource, a wonderful utopia of seemingly endless knowledge. The keeper of interesting and diverse communities and ever-changing technologies. As teachers it’s both out privilege and responsibility to integrate the cyber world into the lives of our students. But j...
Feb 08, 2020•29 min•Season 2Ep. 131
You'd think that chatting with a class of Grade Ones about what's going on in their lives would be a fairly innocuous speaking and listening task, right? That's what Mr D thought when he filled in for a colleague. But he was wrong! No good deed goes unpunished, as they say! Join us in our new For the Love of Teaching Facebook group, where we chat about the podcast, feature live vids of guests, and talk teaching! Have you subscribed to For the Love of Teaching? Don't forget! It means you'll be th...
Feb 06, 2020•6 min•Season 2Ep. 130
If you're a teacher, chances are that you've been asked in your social circle: "How do I choose a school for my child, or perhaps: "How do I choose THE BEST school for my child?". If you're a parent, chances are you've put plenty of thought into selecting a school for your kids. Send them where you went? Send them to the closest school? Send them to a school with values aligned to yours? Send them somewhere with stellar testing results? This week, celebrated teacher-turned-author Gabbie Stroud l...
Feb 05, 2020•6 min•Season 2Ep. 129
In this episode Jill and I explore alternatives to laminating our school resources. We talk about what we've done in the past (full disclosure, I was a laminating addict), and what we've learned about ways to reduce plastic use in the classroom. We chat about the Instagram teachers leading the way by throwing out the challenge to minimise (if not cease) laminating their classroom resources in 2020. Join us in our new For the Love of Teaching Facebook group, where we chat about the podcast, featu...
Feb 02, 2020•17 min•Season 2Ep. 128
Teacher Shandell's created an amazing life; teaching and raising her family on the beautiful Gold Coast, Australia. In this episode, she talks with me about what's kept her in the profession for over 30 years, how going part time saved her sanity when her kids were little, and she reflects on all of the changes she's seen in education in the three decades she's been teaching Aussie primary school kids. Love Teaching? Join us in our new For the Love of Teaching Facebook group, where we chat about...
Feb 01, 2020•18 min•Season 2Ep. 127
What do classroom pet snakes actually eat? Where do you buy their food from? How is it prepared by the store? There are some questions you should just never Google. Join us in our new For the Love of Teaching Facebook group, where we chat about the podcast, feature live vids of guests, and talk teaching! Have you subscribed to For the Love of Teaching? Don't forget! It means you'll be the first to know whenever a new episode is released. For the Love of Teaching is a podcast by Teach Starter. We...
Jan 30, 2020•4 min•Season 2Ep. 126
January 26 provides us with the impetus for classroom discussions and activities about Australian history, culture and identity. It’s easy to steam ahead with a celebration of all things “green, gold and sausage rolled”. However, as teachers, it’s important to acknowledge our individual contribution to how our nation’s histories are told and to how our students come to identify what makes Australian culture “Australian”. Join me for lots of ideas for presenting a rounded exploration of Australia...
Jan 26, 2020•10 min•Season 2Ep. 125
In this episode, I ask clinical psychologist Pejman Hoviatdoost and The Chalkboard writer and teacher Emma Stuart to weigh in on the big issues teachers will face returning to school following the devastating bushfire crisis being called Black Summer. We discuss how signs of anxiety or stress related to the fires might manifest in students, and address the importance of being honest with children about traumatic news events. Pejman and Emma also share practical tips for both student and teacher ...
Jan 25, 2020•15 min•Season 2Ep. 124
Mr D has spent many years trying to work his way to the lower grades - after all, kindergarten is where all the funny joke material is! But on this particular day, Mr D became the subject of his joke in a very painful way. Join us in our new For the Love of Teaching Facebook group, where we chat about the podcast, feature live vids of guests, and talk teaching! Have you subscribed to For the Love of Teaching? Don't forget! It means you'll be the first to know whenever a new episode is released. ...
Jan 23, 2020•5 min•Season 2Ep. 123
Have you organised your 2020 teacher planner yet? In this episode Jill and I talk about the beautiful range of fully customisable, professionally designed teacher planners available at Teach Starter. This year's newest design, the Inspire Planner, is a beautiful, colourful and happy way to organise your planning and map out your year! If you're one of our Ultimate or Plus members, have you remembered to claim your FREE Teach, Inspire, Plan Sticker Book? These gorgeous teacher stickers are a spec...
Jan 19, 2020•11 min•Season 2Ep. 122
This week I'm chatting with Rachel from @agoodlittleteach on Instagram, all about why she adores being a grade six teacher, as well as her passion for fashion and sharing all of her teaching and wardrobe highlights on Instagram with the #teachergram tribe! We talked about practical workwear planning, school camps and her perspectives on teaching lower grades versus upper years! Join us in our new For the Love of Teaching Facebook group, where we chat about the podcast, feature live vids of guest...
Jan 18, 2020•17 min•Season 2Ep. 121
Were you lucky enough to see Mr D's comedy show, Indoor Recess, on his Australian tour last December? Perhaps you bumped shoulders with him at the Let's Meet Mr D event at Teach Starter HQ! Whether you spotted Mr D in real life or not, you'll want to hear what he really thinks about this fair land or ours! Join us in our new For the Love of Teaching Facebook group, where we chat about the podcast, feature live vids of guests, and talk teaching! Have you subscribed to For the Love of Teaching? Do...
Jan 16, 2020•8 min•Season 2Ep. 120
"Black Summer" is Australia's worst bushfire season on record. Lives, homes and livelihoods have sadly been lost. Communities have been left devastated. Schools have not been spared. Worst of all, it's not over - weather forecasters warn that drought condition combine with dry heat and wind, more fires are imminent. Among the unprecedented events of the summer so far, with the tragedy being reported around the clock in a 24-hour news cycle, we've also seen incredible acts of bravery, compassion,...
Jan 12, 2020•26 min•Season 2Ep. 119
When teaching is such a huge part of your identity, how does starting a family change things? If you're about to join the teacher mum or teacher dad squad, this is the episode you need in your life. Having a child and maintaining a career can be a juggle, but it's definitely doable. Listen to Vanessa, a teacher of ten years, on how having her son Dawson changed her views on teaching, made her reassess her career path, and how she coordinates the juggle in order to have a happy mum life and still...
Jan 11, 2020•21 min•Season 2Ep. 118
Looking for a fresh take on education? Teach Starter’s For the Love of Teaching is the podcast for teachers by teachers. Because challenges crop up, and some things aren’t on the lesson plan. But teachers are incredible, teaching is a gift and together we’ve totally got this. Season two begins January 12. You can subscribe in Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Join us in our new For the Love of Teaching Facebook group, where we chat about the podcast, feature live vids of g...
Dec 14, 2019•1 min•Season 2Ep. 117
Find out what happens when you get five Aussie school kids, Mr D and a microphone in a room! Listen as the kids grill Mr D and ask him all the hardest questions they could think of about America. For behind the scenes fun, visit the For the Love of Teaching Facebook group, where we chat about the podcast, feature live vids of guests, and talk teaching! Have you subscribed to For the Love of Teaching? Don't forget! It means you'll be the first to know whenever a new episode is released. For the L...
Dec 12, 2019•13 min•Season 1Ep. 116
In late 2019, Teach Starter surveyed 670 Australian primary school teachers on the topic of teacher wellbeing. In this episode, we unpack the results of the Teacher Wellbeing Survey with Amy, Teach Starter's product manager, and find out how Aussie teachers are really feeling. Full results will be available in The Education Pulse, our new quarterly report on teaching trends, perspectives and sentiments. Thank you to all of the amazing teachers who participated in the first survey of its kind. If...
Dec 10, 2019•24 min•Season 1Ep. 115
We recently ran our Teacher Wellbeing Survey 2019 and the results were overwhelming. Teachers are tired. While we're empathetic, we're certainly not surprised. You guys do an incredible job and by this time of year, it's starting to take its toll. In this episode we share some easy to use tips and tricks for beating fatigue and saving some energy. We've both been where you are now, feeling absolutely shattered and pushing through to the next break. We get it! Have you subscribed to For the Love ...
Dec 08, 2019•13 min•Season 1Ep. 114
Minami has been a casual relief teacher for five years. She's also a PhD candidate at Macquarie University, studying the perspectives and challenges of relief teachers. In this episode, Minami talks about why people choose to enter relief teaching roles, how many are finding fulfillment professionally as casual teachers, and she tells us about the findings of her research. In particular, Minami speaks about the qualities that school executive staff are looking for when hiring relief teachers, an...
Dec 07, 2019•24 min•Season 1Ep. 113
Every Friday in 2019, Mr D joined me, telling stories that made us all laugh, cry and cringe! It takes a special gift to put such a positive, happy slant on educating, and Mr D definitely has that. Thanks for joining us this year as we talked about everything from hotdogs to hangovers. We both look forward to seeing you again next year. Season 2 of Friday Funnies begins January 17! Can't wait? For behind the scenes fun, visit the For the Love of Teaching Facebook group, where we chat about the p...
Dec 05, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 112
Not everyone celebrates Christmas! Living on this beautiful, multicultural planet, there are bound to be classmates in your room from cultures and backgrounds which don't observe Christmas. If you're after some inclusive ideas which are still fin and celebratory leading into the holidays, you've come to the right place! Have you subscribed to For the Love of Teaching? Don't forget! It means you'll be the first to know whenever a new episode of The Buzz goes live. For the Love of Teaching is a po...
Dec 01, 2019•9 min•Season 1Ep. 111
Student teachers, this episode is all about you! Join me alongside Georgi from @teachingwithg as we chat about forming positive relationships in schools, approaching mentors for help with questions and the best way to take on the LANTITE test! Join us in our new For the Love of Teaching Facebook group, where we chat about the podcast, feature live vids of guests, and talk teaching! Have you subscribed to For the Love of Teaching? Don't forget! It means you'll be the first to know whenever a new ...
Nov 30, 2019•26 min•Season 1Ep. 110
