On Education - Weekly Digest
A snapshot of my output this week, ICYMI
I’m introducing a bit of structure to my newsletter schedule. Each Sunday I will be posting a digest of all of my published pieces. Friday is ‘best of the edu-internet day’ and the rest of the week I will be publishing my unsolicited opinions on everything education, as usual.
On low hanging fruit
We can be a little defeatist in education. This Grattan report is the most optimistic and solutions-focused approach I have seen yet to the problem of teacher workload.
On autonomy
Pre-prepared materials can be a godsend to busy teachers. Why are we so resistant as a profession?
On desire
The teaching workforce seems to be exempt from the rules of supply and demand, which means that the labour shortage is not going to ease any time soon. Here’s why.
On girls in selective education
Why does the gender gap persist in admissions to opportunity and selective classes in New South Wales? There may be environmental and biological influences on this issue.
On normalising discomfort
As a profession, we have a strong instinct to protect out students from stress. But what is means we are enabling a lack of resilience? Here is my case for normalising examination stress.
On the influence of environment
Here is my take on the interactions between students’ heritable traits and the environments we create. Perhaps we should be doing more to develop student capacity to thrive when these supports are ultimately taken away at university.
Finally, my favourite Twitter account this week. I love the way Michael asks the questions that many of us are privately thinking, mostly with the subtext, “Are you sure that’s a good idea for your school and students?”