You're not failing. You're just caught in a trap designed for struggle. Modern parenting is drowning us. We have more information than ever, yet parents are more anxious, burnt out, and disconnected than they've been in generations. We're told to manage behaviour, enforce rules, and stay in control – but not how to stay emotionally present during meltdowns or manage the old wounds that get pressed when our children's behaviour hooks something deep inside us. After twenty-five years working with families, therapist Lisa Taylor knows the truth: the real problem isn't your child's behaviour. It's the invisible heartprints from your own childhood – the emotional imprints that still shape how you respond when stress runs high and nothing goes to plan. The Perfect Parent Trap offers something different. Not another technique to master, but an invitation to break free from inherited patterns of control, perfectionism, and fear. When you learn to respond to the child in front of you instead of reacting from the child within you, everything shifts. This isn't about doing more. It's about being more present - with yourself first, then with the people you love most. Your children don't need you to be perfect. They need you to be real.

What does it mean to live a life of good character? And how do we form such character in ourselves and those we teach? Character is how we live our lives as individuals and in community. It's how we strive to belong, fulfil our potential and do what is good and right in the world. It's how we wrestle with ourselves and the world to make a mark and measure up. Through the metaphor of the stonemason's chisel – making marks that are both distinctive and enduring – Dr Phil Cummins reveals character as the wrestling between who we are and who we might become. Drawing on decades of experience working with schools worldwide, he shows how we are formed through this wrestling, always the wrestling, in a life that might come, in time, to be both worthwhile and well-lived. A person of good character can be seen and recognised as one who pursues what is best, who seeks to know, love and do what is true and beautiful in the world. Yet for all our good intentions, we cannot ever quite be the best versions of ourselves, no matter how much we would like this to be the case. We need relationships of character apprenticeship that show us we are not good enough yet – and then help us to grow. Written with clarity, wisdom and a distinctively Australian perspective on equity and excellence, this essential guide challenges educators, leaders and anyone committed to human flourishing to embrace the formation of character for lives of purpose, integrity and service to others.

Many teachers don’t see themselves as writers – a disconnect often rooted in their own restrictive school experiences where writing meant following rigid assignments with little room for creative freedom. Yet writing alongside students transforms teaching, allowing educators to demonstrate the authentic struggles and joys of the writing process while building their own confidence with words. In Notebook Notions, experienced educator and writer Alan j Wright shares the lessons learned across a rewarding career, revealing how the simple act of keeping a writer’s notebook can revolutionise both your teaching practice and your relationship with writing itself. Drawing from years of experience as a teacher who writes – and a writer who teaches – Alan offers practical wisdom on launching and sustaining a writer’s notebook practice. From collecting raw ideas and embracing inspiration to moving notebook entries into finished projects, this book provides a clear pathway for educators ready to model genuine writer agency in their classrooms. With warmth and candour, Alan reminds us that becoming a writer requires the same courage as learning to ride a bicycle: you must simply climb on and start pedalling. Your notebook journey begins with daring to fill that first blank page.

‘As you read, you will not only fi nd practical strategies to use tomorrow, but also the courage to centre what matters most — empowering learners for lifelong success.’ Dr Shyam Barr In a world of rapid change, students need more than content – they need the skills to think, adapt and thrive. Traditionally, education has focused on what to learn, but the real power lies in teaching students how to learn. Dr Rosalyn Muir presents a compelling case in Developing Executive Functioning in the Primary Years: SOWATT can we do to empower learners? for intentionally teaching students how to “drive their learning”, by developing the executive functions and self-regulation skills that enable lifelong learning. Building on the success of her earlier work, Developing Executive Functioning in the Early Years: SOWATT can I do?, Dr Muir uses the practical SOWATT framework – Self-regulation, Organisation, Working memory, Attention, Thinking flexibly and Thinking about thinking – to guide teachers in making educational aspirations a reality. Practical, evidence-based and inspiring, this book equips teachers with the tools to develop capable, self-directed learners – ready for today and prepared for tomorrow.

What happens when artificial intelligence becomes the smartest presence in every classroom? In this essential follow-up to their acclaimed first guide, Dr Nick Jackson and Matthew Esterman team up with Amy Wallace – a Year 12 graduate who brings the student voice to this urgent conversation about AI’s role in learning. The Next Word: AI & Learners moves beyond the basics to tackle the complex realities students face today, from banned apps to cognitive offloading, from deepfakes to digital wellbeing. The authors dive deep into the science of learning and investigate the crucial question: is AI a helpful prosthetic or a dangerous crutch? Most importantly, this isn’t just another book about students – it’s a book with them. Amy’s perspective illuminates how young people actually want AI to shape their futures and what authentic learning looks like when machines can seemingly learn everything. With practical insights for educators and real-world tools for navigating education’s AI-integrated future, The Next Word: AI & Learners ensures you’re part of the conversation that’s reshaping how we think about learning itself.

Connecting Whole-School Literacy tackles the reality that many secondary students arrive with literacy skills years below grade level, yet every subject demands specific reading, writing, speaking and listening abilities. Author Hayley Harrison, drawing from twenty years of classroom experience, promotes the understanding that literacy development cannot fall solely to English teachers – it must become every educator's responsibility. This practical guide not only explains the research around how students learn to read and write, but also demonstrates how teachers across all subjects can effectively support struggling readers and writers while extending advanced learners. Harrison bridges research -into practice with immediately usable strategies, activities and frameworks designed for busy secondary teachers. The book provides explicit explanation of current understanding in the process of literacy acquisition alongside concrete tools for vocabulary instruction, reading comprehension, writing development and oral communication that respect subject expertise while building teacher confidence. Whether you're seeking to better understanding and support individual students in your class or lead and implement whole-school literacy reform, this resource offers the roadmap for transforming student outcomes through collective, cross-curricular literacy instruction that recognises every teacher as a teacher of literacy. View the downloadables here.

In this deeply personal and practical guide, educator Emma Bird takes you on a transformative journey that begins with the most important question: Who are you as a mathematics educator? Drawing from her own experiences of maths anxiety and her path to becoming a passionate advocate for quality mathematics education, she reveals how our beliefs and past experiences profoundly shape our teaching practice. Through honest reflection and research-backed strategies, she guides teachers through examining their own mathematical journey before they can truly transform their students' learning experiences. Teaching Primary Maths goes far beyond traditional teaching methods to explore what truly matters – creating inclusive, engaging and conceptually rich learning environments where all students can thrive. Emma Bird addresses critical topics including maths anxiety, engagement, and the power of creativity, curiosity, and playful learning in mathematics. Whether you're a new teacher feeling overwhelmed by mathematics instruction or an experienced educator ready to deepen your practice, this book provides the practical tools, current research, and real-world examples you need to nurture not just mathematical knowledge, but mathematical confidence and resilience in every student. Your work as a mathematics educator matters deeply – and this book will help you make that impact last a lifetime.

School transformation isn't about programmes – it's about people, pedagogy and place working in harmony. In School by Design, Anne Knock reveals how understanding complexity theory can revolutionise your ability to create thriving learning ecosystems. Drawing from her PhD research exploring the shift from solo to co-teaching as a response to educational complexity, Anne Knock demonstrates that without fundamental changes to how we think about school structures, meaningful transformation remains elusive. This guide explores five essential elements of transformative learning environments and practical strategies you can implement immediately. Whether you're a school principal, educational leader, or teacher seeking to amplify your impact, School by Design offers a unique blend of theoretical insights and real-world application. Anne's research shows that the most effective educational transformations understand how to align vision, culture and practice through collaborative approaches. With compelling stories of famous minds who struggled in traditional systems, evidence-based frameworks and actionable tools, this book will help you master the art of educational transformation and become the kind of leader who creates schools where every learner can flourish.

Robert Favretto hasn’t just survived 45 years navigating the vibrant chaos of primary school – he’s emerged with a treasure trove of hilarious stories! In Chalk Full of Laughs, Favretto swings open the classroom door and invites you into a heartwarming, laugh-out-loud collection of true tales. Prepare for everything from students who took directions so literally it defied belief, to show-and-tell moments that spiralled wildly off-script, and the countless unpredictable surprises that kept him firmly on his toes (and occasionally sent him diving for cover). Brimming with genuine warmth, sharp wit, and wisdom earned the hard way, these stories celebrate the joy, the madness, and the sheer fun of life at school. Perfect for teachers, parents, or anyone who's ever sat at a student's desk, this book is guaranteed to leave you smiling, snorting with laughter, and fondly remembering just how wonderfully unforgettable school days can be – especially in Mr Fav's class!

The Curious Cat and the Quest for School Improvement: Reclaiming Wonder in Education reveals how curiosity – once the heartbeat of vibrant schools – has been quietly squeezed out by compliance cultures, standardised testing, and the relentless pursuit of measurable outcomes. Dr Wayne Craig explores how this erosion has left educators feeling depleted, students disengaged, and school improvement efforts spinning without true transformation. Compounding the challenge, the persistent influence of school socioeconomic status (SES) continues to shape outcomes in ways that traditional reforms have failed to address. Yet curiosity isn’t lost – it’s simply waiting in the margins, ready to reignite the wonder that makes learning meaningful and sustainable change possible. Through the metaphor of the curious cat, this book presents a compelling framework for renewal built on three pillars: curiosity as the spark for genuine learning, moral purpose as the ethical foundation of educational work, and school capital as the conditions that allow inquiry to flourish. Moving beyond surface-level reforms, it offers practical guidance for teachers, leaders, and systems ready to move from compliance to curiosity, from implementation to investigation. This is not another improvement strategy – it’s an invitation to remember what makes schools truly alive and to nurture the questions that lead to transformation from the inside out.

Driving School Improvement: Practical strategies and tools is designed to support school leaders in practical, adaptable and context-specific ways to advance their school’s improvement journey. The focus of the book is implementation. A broad collection of tools, activities and pro formas are provided, which have been used successfully in a range of schools. School leaders can begin at their school’s point of need and select the path that is most valuable to their setting. This second edition builds on the success of the original resource and, with extensive feedback from the field, delivers significantly expanded, refined and updated research, case studies and techniques to help schools meet the implementation challenge. With the help of Driving School Improvement, whole-school improvement can be embedded so that it becomes truly sustainable, resulting in measurable long-term progress in learning outcomes for schools, teachers and students.

Kit goes to school with her friends Harley and Vanya, and always tries her best at everything she does. Arlo is too loud, too close, just too... much. But when a moving van pulls up next to Kit’s house one weekend, Kit and Arlo find out they have a lot more in common than they thought. Join Kit, Arlo and their friends as they navigate school, home life and friendships, and learn more than a few things about how to get along. Kit and Arlo Find a Way: Stories about consent for 8–12 year olds is a much-needed consent teaching resource for Grades 3 to 6. An action-packed and relatable fictional chapter book, Kit and Arlo is a page-turning journey of upper primary school kids – Kit, Arlo, Harley and Vanya – developing and exploring friendships with plenty of ups and downs. Entertaining and compelling as a standalone narrative, Kit and Arlo’s secret weapon is that it contains all of the complex components of consent and includes respectful relationships education in an age-appropriate format. Teachers and parents can read the story, chapter by chapter, and then use the discussion points and ‘read and respond’ notes to facilitate conversations around consent in child-friendly ways. For schools and families needing a more in-depth consent and respectful relationships curriculum, a dedicated Kit and Arlo resources platform houses evidence-based teaching activities, videos, webinars, podcasts, resource links and lesson plans designed to tie in with the story. Kit and Arlo Find a Way is a vital resource for schools and families doing the essential work of empowering kids with decision-making skills that will carry through to their interactions and relationships later on in life. The Educational Publishing Awards Australia (EPAA) also recognised the importance and quality of this resource, awarding Kit and Arlo Find a Way wins for both the Educational Chapter Book and Outstanding Primary Resource categories.  NSW government schools should navigate to the NSW Department of Education’s Student Wellbeing external programs catalogue here to learn more about accessing this resource.  Key topics include: body boundaries and safety verbal and non-verbal cues developing a sense of self, personal strength and self-determination understanding that the responsibly of ‘yes’ or ‘no’ should be shared understanding that shared activities should have enthusiastic, affirmative and ongoing consent having the courage to withdraw consent understanding gendered stereotypes, coercion and power imbalances learning to have empathy for others managing disappointment when someone changes their mind how to be an upstander when someone is being harmed the keys to respectful relationships and better friendships. Teaching consent to children For schools and families needing a more in-depth consent and respectful relationships curriculum, a dedicated Kit and Arlo resources platform houses evidence-based teaching activities, videos, webinars, podcasts, resource links and lesson plans designed to tie in with the story. Consent is integral to human relationships throughout our whole lives. It is complex and also surprisingly simple. The basic principles of consent must always apply to all of our connections, including with family, friends, work and play.  However, people are complex. In different situations, we can experience a range of different feelings, thoughts and emotions. In order to be sure that someone wants to share an experience with us equally, and that they are giving affirmative permission. We need to make important choices and decisions to ensure we always have and give consent.  Download the resources here.

Play-based learning has long been a means of facilitating teaching and learning in the early childhood years. The Walker Learning Approach, an Australian-designed, evidence-based play pedagogy, provides a solid base and foundation for intentional and responsive teaching in the early years. The program's systems and practices support teams of early childhood educators in a consistent approach that ensures continuity and predictability for children, educators and families. Early Childhood Play Matters provides guidance and many practical ideas on implementing the Walker Learning Approach within early childhood learning practices. Topics include: Intentional teaching How to minimise time spent on planning and documentation while producing clinical and professional records How to set up open-ended play learning experiences to promote skills How to scaffold with intention and purpose for learning How to communicate effectively as an educator How to honour and build relationships with children and families. It also includes organisational ideas and resources, a full-colour section of photographs, templates for planning, assessment and reporting activities, and a bibliography for further reference. Early Childhood Play Matters concentrates on the most formative years of education (birth to six years of age), with intentional, rich and rigorous play-based opportunities for young children. It builds upon the successful work that Shona Bass and Kathy Walker have achieved in play-based curriculum in the early and primary years nationally and internationally. Early Childhood Play Matters Resources Daily/Weekly Record Sheet Individual observation and planning record (IOPR) Statement of intent: Early Childhood Education generic planning indicator

Following the success of Play Matters 2nd ed., Engagement Matters is the next stage of the Walker Learning Approach for implementation with primary students in Grades 3-6. Engagement Matters provides a step-by-step, practical guide for teachers, emphasising student engagement, empowerment and achievement, and importantly, personalised learning. The transition from Grade 2 into the middle and upper primary years is made seamless through the provision of tips, activities and explanatory theory. Engagement Matters will equip schools with the capacity to actively engage students in their learning across all subject areas and diverse contexts. In doing so, Engagement Maters effectively lays the foundations for ongoing engagement and successful learning throughout the school life. The book contains a full colour section of photographs to highlight key themes. Download the Appendices documents for planning, assessment and reporting activities here: Planning Materials Editable Templates

In this highly successful resource, Kathy Walker demonstrates the key principles of the Walker Learning Approach that she has developed over 15 years of observation, participation and presentation in schools and child care centres across Australia. Play Matters provides practical guidance and innovative strategies for teachers working with young children from preschool to Grade 2, through a unique balance of explicit instruction in literacy and numeracy skills and personalised, explorative learning. The book promotes the active engagement of all young children, with an enhanced focus on children from diverse backgrounds as well as children with specific needs. Play Matters is packed with pedagogical features to support implementation in any educational setting. It contains a full colour section of photographs. Organisational ideas and resources are provided, along with a comprehensive bibliography for further reference and advice. Download the Appendices documents for planning, assessment and reporting activities in Word or PDF.    

Leadership in schools goes far beyond titles, as Executive Assistants (EAs) prove every day. Working behind the scenes, EAs straddle multiple departments and functions while creating an environment in which staff and students can thrive. Few people fully understand the challenges, complexities, and rewards of their work. In The Leadership Edge, Kristine Niven draws on her extensive experience as an EA − and founder of EAs in Education − to offer insight into a role that is often marked by ambiguity in schools and the wider EA community. This book provides practical tips, strategies, and approaches to help EAs develop their personal and professional practice, while offering a fresh perspective on leadership that goes beyond hierarchies and salary brackets. Drawing together hard-won lessons from Niven’s personal journey and insights from leaders, thinkers, philosophers, and artists, this book provides EAs with a clear roadmap for developing their own leadership edge.

Connecting with Your Students is a simple, practical resource for all educators who want to build meaningful relationships with their students while developing essential life skills that drive academic success. This engaging and effective book contains 40 chapters organised across four school terms, each focusing on a different life skill. Teachers can follow the chapters chronologically throughout the year or select specific skills that align with their students’ needs. Each chapter features inspiring quotes, student-friendly definitions, ten practical classroom activities requiring minimal preparation, and real-life stories illustrating each skill in action. The activities foster positive classroom relationships while equipping students with the tools they need to overcome challenges and flourish. Learning these skills will help your students not only navigate the demands of school life but also thrive throughout their lives.   Preparing developing brains for life. Andrew Fuller  Andy shows teachers exactly how to build genuine relationships. Professor Pasi Sahlberg The secret sauce for teachers: relationships before curriculum. Andrew Dalgleish

Effective instructional leadership doesn't just happen – it's created by design. Research shows it has a greater impact on student outcomes than any other form of school leadership, yet developing this capability remains one of education's most pressing challenges. Instructional Leadership: 15 High-Impact Practices to Develop Instructional Leaders provides a comprehensive framework for building the leadership capability that matters most. Drawing on extensive research and decades of practical experience, Glenn Forbes presents five critical components and fifteen evidence-based practices proven to improve student outcomes. Whether you're a new leader seeking foundational knowledge, an experienced principal developing your team, or a system leader supporting schools, this book equips you with the tools to move beyond administrative management and become an active driver of instructional improvement.

Schools say they value relationships – but do their systems actually support them? The Relational School is for educators and leaders who sense the gap between what their school aspires to be and what it feels like to work and learn there every day. Drawing on decades of experience as a teacher, counsellor and school leader, Sue Chandler explores why well-intentioned relational initiatives struggle to stick – and what it takes to build a culture where connection, accountability and trust aren't just ideals, but everyday practice. Through compelling stories, practical frameworks and honest reflections, this book introduces the Relational Practice Bridge – a systems-level approach to embedding relational culture across leadership, policy and daily interactions. Complete with the Relational Practice Assessment Audit Tool, this is not another quick-fix behaviour management model. It's an invitation to reimagine how schools relate, lead and respond – with clarity, courage and a willingness to align what we say we value with how we actually work.

After twelve years as a principal, Jenny Cole walked out mid-meeting and never returned. That spectacular moment of burnout taught her everything she needed to know about the impossible choices facing educators today. Teach, Lead or Leave is the honest, practical guide for every big-hearted teacher and leader who's ever whispered, 'How much longer can I keep doing this?' This isn't a book about convincing you to stay or go – it's about helping you make a conscious, informed decision that aligns with who you are and what you need to live a deeply satisfying life. Through personal stories, research-backed frameworks, and real experiences from educators across Australia, Jenny offers six distinct pathways forward. Whether you choose to stay and reshape your role, step into leadership, pause to rest and reset, pivot sideways within education, ease out with grace, or leave entirely, this book provides the clarity and courage to move from restlessness to intentional action. Complete with reflective prompts, practical tools, and frameworks for understanding your values, strengths, and purpose, Teach, Lead or Leave is the coaching conversation every educator deserves when facing one of the most important career decisions they'll ever make.