Minnis Journals

For Education Leaders

Enhancing Clarkson Community High School’s Performance Culture in 2019
The question of how to move a teacher from their current level of effectiveness to a higher level of effectiveness is a challenging question and there is not one simple solution. Australian schools have generally been stronger on the development part than the appraisal part; however, an effective approach to performance building must balance both. Read more

Five marketing tips for your school in 2020
The new decade marks a new era for many, presenting a new opportunity to review what is working and what needs improving in your school, there are five key factors critical to contemporary school marketing strategies. Read more

Using tech to make maths fun
Teachers using technology like learning management software to keep track of students’ progress and set personalised tasks, collaborative classroom apps that allow students to work together and share their work with the group, and even educational video games that demonstrate mathematical concepts in an engaging way have reported that it helps students’ interest in maths.
Academics Catherine Attard and Kathryn Holmes of Western Sydney Uni drew on case studies of 10 teachers who were recognised by their peers as exemplary users of technology, to identify how they have taken advantage of new technologies in their classrooms. Read more

Does NAPLAN build resilience?
Resilience is the ability to push through negative emotions and keep going when a situation is stressful or unsettling. Dr Selina Samuels, Chief Learning Officer at Cluey Learning, argues that NAPLAN offers young people the perfect dose of this very thing. Read more

Professor Viv Ellis is new Monash Dean of the Faculty of Education
Monash University has welcomed Prof Viv Ellis as the newly-appointed Dean of the Faculty of Education, following an international search.
Prof Ellis is a leading educationalist and joins Monash from King’s College London, where he is the Professor of Educational Leadership and Teacher Development.
He has also held various roles including Founding Co-Director of the Centre for Innovation in Teacher Development, and Director of Research in the School of Education, Communication and Society.
Read more

Home educators need support
With nearly 20,000 Australian children now being taught by their parents at home, education researchers are calling for greater support for them. Many, mostly female, parents had given up well paid jobs to home school their kids and by doing so have saved the government thousands of dollars per child.
Many are choosing to home school because their child suffers a significant developmental or medical condition so some help would be welcomed. Researchers surveyed 385 guardians of 676 home-schooled children to draw a more accurate picture of the phenomenon. Read more

Skills and Thrills collaborates with Flexischools as children's activities partner
Kids activities provider Skills and Thrills has announced a collaboration with Flexischools, making it easier for parents to book children’s activities. Flexischools is an online ordering, payments and communications platform for parents, schools and suppliers.
As part of the collaboration, Skills and Thrills becomes Flexischools kids’ activities and experiences provider and the offering has been integrated into Flexischools’ recently launched app, parents can now discover offers and content from their trusted partners across a number of new categories. Read more