Recently published

Every child has a right to a life where they’re respected for who they are and have friends who value them. This insightful and practical guide delves deep into the complex issue of school bullying. Completely revised and updated, this edition of Field’s best-selling resource explains what bullying is, the injuries and trauma it inflicts, the underlying reasons behind it and the need for more effective interventions. Field presents valuable tools and tactics that busy teachers, parents and counsellors can use to empower students to effectively manage bullying. These skills and strategies can be applied in various contexts, whether by mental health professionals, educators, parents, or even peers who want to support bullied students. Despite the seemingly daunting nature of school bullying, Bully Blocking offers hope and a path forward. Field's evidence-based approach and practical solutions make this book an essential resource for anyone looking to help students navigate the challenging terrain of bullying, equipping them with the social survival skills they need to thrive in today's complex social landscapes.

Writing for Young People offers insight and advice to aspiring writers and educators on how to set up a writing business and the process of crafting projects centred around young readers. Delving into important aspects such as workspace organisation, time and money management, and overcoming procrastination, Writing for Young People equips writers and educators with the tools to shape the literary landscape for young people. This book draws from Hazel's industry experience and offers essential tips and activities for various genres, including non-fiction, young adult, children's picture books and educational materials. It covers a range of topics, from crafting book proposals, conducting research and preparing manuscripts.

We know education is not a level playing field. Those living with early adversity are starting school significantly less likely to complete their education than their peers who have things easier. When educators and schools understand childhood trauma, they are well placed to embed wellbeing practices into every interaction, and when those interactions are trauma-informed and responsive, students’ lives are positively impacted in a deep and enduring way. Safe to Learn offers readers an understanding of behaviour through the lens of trauma and adversity, and provides practical strategies for primary schools and educators to become trauma-informed and responsive in a way that best supports all students, regardless of their life experiences. This book offers guidance for schools to introduce, or expand, a whole-school model of integrated wellbeing practice and support for individual teachers to learn how they can make a significant difference to their students. It also provides the tools to identify which interventions may benefit a student or class as well as ideas for tracking and showing wellbeing growth.

The pressures of our job as teachers are enormous. Often time-poor, overworked and underappreciated, we must also manage complex relationships with students, parents, and colleagues. These are human problems – and human problems require human solutions. Gratitude Practices for Teachers is a guide for educators and leaders navigating the daily challenges of teaching. Far from recycling simplistic gratitude platitudes, Dr Kerry Howells and Dr Jo Lucas offer a series of deep gratitude practices educators can use straightaway to create meaningful change. With chapters addressing problems such as exhaustion, toxic staff relationships, perfectionism and angry students, this book is a go-to guide to support educators through everyday difficulties.  Whatever your challenges are right now, discover how you can grow your resilience, nurture robust and respectful relationships, and replenish your joy and passion for education by practising deep gratitude. 

Teaching is a profession that includes moments of joy, fulfillment and deep engagement, but challenges and demands within the educational world can often lead to burnout. In The Sustainable Teacher, Melissa shares practical strategies to help teachers find a better balance. Using 10 key principles including intentional planning, effective time management and collaboration, this invaluable book offers advice, empathy and real-life stories to assist educators in their teaching careers. The Sustainable Teacher is recommended for readers who want to transform their approach to teaching through growth and self-empowerment. Teachers at all career stages will find inspiration to navigate their teaching journey with more energy, enthusiasm and resilience.

Connecting with Your Teens is a simple, practical, down-to-earth guide for all parents and teachers who want to bond with their teenagers while also helping them to develop important life skills. This fun and effective book contains chapters that can be followed chronologically throughout the year, or by selecting a ‘life skill’ that may need to be learnt. Each chapter explores different understandings of these life skills, offers fun and engaging activities to develop these skills as a family and includes personal narratives relating to each life skill. Learning these skills will not only help your teen navigate the sometimes-tricky stages of adolescent life but ultimately thrive through the rest of their lives to come. A very useful resource for all families. - Gail McHardy, CEO, Parents Victoria Inc. Smart. Concise. Practical. This will make a difference. - Dr Justin Coulson, Parenting Expert and Author Essential reading for any teen parent. - Fergus Watts, Chairman, Reach Foundation

In Talking Sex, Vanessa Hamilton fearlessly explores the complex topic of human sexuality. Drawing from extensive experience and contemporary research, this groundbreaking book challenges readers to reconsider outdated beliefs about sex and sexuality education. It’s packed with conversation starters, tips and strategies to empower adults to provide the accurate, comprehensive, age-appropriate information children need for a fulfilling and safe journey through life. Talking Sex covers a variety of topics including sexual safety, diversity, reproduction, pleasure, consent and sexual health — because, after all, most conversations about human sexuality have hardly anything to do with what we commonly think of as ‘sex’.   Your children are getting a sexuality education every day from the world around them. But is it the one you want them to receive? Who do you want to tell your child about each topic related to sex, human sexuality, consent and respect? Hopefully the answer is you. Children don’t need ‘sex ed’, they need sexuality education, information and conversations. Become the askable and tellable adult that children need you to be.

Scripts allow hesitant students to be able to assume the protection of a character and play a role or explore issues which may concern them in real life. Issues contains a collection of scripts, discussion prompts and activities for use in the classroom, as a way of opening up students to understand and process topical and sensitive issues in their world, from a range of perspectives. The art of performing harnesses the students’ engagement in the subject and offers a chance to immerse themselves within the protection of a character or role. This book gives middle school and secondary school students a chance to discuss contemporary topics or problems during the classroom rehearsal and performance of these scripts. There are enough parts for the whole class to participate, and conversation prompts and activities are provided to extend and deepen classroom discussion. Extensively workshopped and already used in classrooms nationally, this large collection of student performance scripts allows students and teachers to improve their ability to understand, navigate and discuss sensitive issues in the classroom.

High Impact Reading Instruction and Intervention in the Primary Years is a call to action for passionate teachers, education assistants, principals, and deputy principals who believe in the transformative power of literacy. With a focus on evidence-based practices and the science of reading, Julie Scali equips educators with accessible and practical knowledge to elevate their teaching to the next level. In the first part of the book, Julie lays the foundation for high-impact literacy instruction and intervention, emphasising the importance of data-informed practice, high expectations, explicit instruction, daily review, and response to intervention. With an unwavering dedication to student success, she guides educators through the fundamentals that will empower them to create classrooms where every student can thrive. The second part of the book dives into the science of reading, unravelling the complexities of how children best learn to read. Julie connects research to practical examples, providing educators with insights on implementing structured literacy in the classroom. Unlock the potential of young minds and nurture a love for reading that will last a lifetime.     Access resources and templates from the book here.

Leading with the Social Brain in Mind puts relationships front and centre of the important work that educators do. The number and different types of relationships that educators maintain on daily basis can be undervalued and underestimated. Specifically, it challenges system and school leaders to investigate how social brain theory affects the unintended results of collaborative interactions in their own complex organisational environments. Designing environments for collaboration in schools is a complex task and requires a lot of skill, especially in those where many institutional practices and structures are so widely accepted that they are rarely questioned. This book discusses the importance of collaboration in schools, explores silo mentality and asks educators to reflect on how their decisions are impacted by implementation barriers. It is an invaluable read for educators who want to understand associations among cognition, complexity and collaboration in leading change initiatives in schools.    

Rachel Stewart is a parent engagement specialist and mother of three. In Creating Connections: Inspire your child to thrive in their learning, Rachel explores the vital role of parents (and carers) in their children’s education, in particular during the transition to learning at school. With touching anecdotes from her own life, Rachel describes how the adults who care for children can learn alongside them - with children, families and teachers forming a powerful learning team. With a focus on compassion - for self and for others - Rachel encourages parents to reflect on their life and grow their awareness of how their experiences might influence their parenting style. She encourages a close relationship between parents and teachers for the benefit of the child and invites parents to build a relationship with their children that encourages a love for learning and growth as unique individuals. Importantly, Rachel explains how to stay connected while letting go. Creating Connections provides the support and affirmation craved by any parent who has wondered if they are doing a good job.  

Do you want to engage students, prevent disruption, and maybe even teach a decent lesson? The Teaching Game offers a very practical approach that can be applied immediately. You’ll discover how to manage a classroom, deliver curriculum, provide effective feedback, use data, plan for the next unit, write an assessment piece, teach students on the spectrum, and care for your own wellbeing. This book is for those who are: About to embark on their teaching career Thinking of joining the teaching ranks Wanting to further develop their teaching skills Mentoring early-career teachers    

As educators we all recognise the power of using data to inform our work. A key piece that is often missing is how we engage students in their data story. When we use data with students they become data-informed learners. They have a better understanding of their ability as a learner and can articulate their goals and challenges more clearly. We can support our students through targeted conversations, working in partnership to help them improve. There are three main purposes for using data with students: goal setting, learning dispositions or behaviour, and the quality of student learning or understanding. There are five main modes by which we do this: data walls, success criteria, student-generated assessment, deliberate conversations and data on walls in classrooms. In this book, Dr Selena Fisk unpacks these purposes and modes, giving practical ideas for implementation in schools and classrooms. She offers guidance in having constructive data-informed conversations with students, while building a culture of psychological safety where data use is productive and transformational.   Praise for this book: This book offers readers an important glimpse into what it takes to ensure that students can answer my 5 questions: What are you learning and why? How are you doing? How do you know how you are doing? How do you improve? Where do you go for help? When they can, we know that they are all 'Data-informed Learners'! This makes this book a rich piece of school improvement literature. Dr Lyn Sharratt - International Consultant and Author  

Talkin’ Chalk will inspire confidence, knowledge and understanding in every new teacher who reads it. Author Rebecca West, a Top 10 Finalist of the 2021 Global Teacher Prize and creator of YouTube channel Talkin’ Chalk, shares her invaluable top tips and experiences from two decades of teaching. This book offers real advice about how to set up your classroom, plan and monitor your workload, build relationships, reflect on practice and much more. The useful tips and editable templates make it a practical and indispensable resource. Talkin’ Chalk is a prerequisite to teaching your first class, and will remove any fear or angst from beginning teachers. Click here to download the templates in Word. Click here to download the templates in PDF.  

Ask the Animals aims to encourage the natural curiosity of young children. Unfortunately curiosity in a child’s early years weakens with time, and during school they become accustomed to mainly seeking correct answers to questions asked by their teachers. Curiosity involves asking questions about something which you know little about. These questions usually start with WHY or HOW and help children to gain knowledge of their own accord. In this book 16 animals are introduced with an illustration and a fun rhyming poem, and are followed by a range of WHY and HOW questions to strengthen curious thinking. Ask the Animals shows young children the importance of asking questions and develops their critical and creative thinking.   Download the animal templates here  

People Interacting is an extensive resource of interactive games that can be used to help students develop a breadth of social skills. The 150 activities have been designed for a range of abilities, ages and levels of maturity. Each activity is clearly set out with a focus, time, materials, the procedure and points for discussion. The selection of activities cover warm ups, self development and responsibility, communication and relationships, and problem solving and decision making. Each procedure, variation and discussion topic has been tried and tested and chosen specifically because of the value it provides to students. Combining the activities with conversational prompts to encourage reflection and discussion, People Interacting aims to encourage and aid the development of the student as a total person by exploring mind, body, emotions, values, and attitudes. The activities enable students to make sense of what they experience in terms of their own needs – their ability to solve problems, to develop a positive self-concept and to develop their social and interpersonal skills more broadly.   About the authors: Ken Hancock was a Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of South Australia and Flinders University. He taught in-service courses in humanistic education and person-centred education throughout his life. He also worked in schools in the areas of behavioural management, social learning, and staff development. Barry Blaby was a Principal of primary schools in Adelaide. He has had many years’ experience as a teacher, administrator and teacher educator, and trialled all the activities in this book in pre-school to tertiary level settings.

Educational Publishing Awards Australia 2023 Shortlist - Secondary Teacher Resource Practical Writing Strategies is the perfect guide for educators looking to take their students' writing to the next level. This book balances the process and product of writing with a clear Writing Cycle in six stages: Purpose, Exploration, Ideas, Skills, Collaboration, and Publication. Each stage includes engaging activities to help students understand and value the writing process. Practical Writing Strategies teaches genuine writing not just as an assessment task, but as a means of self-expression, exploration, creativity, and knowledge building. With Practical Writing Strategies, you will learn how to guide your students to become confident and successful writers.  

Child protection training, undertaken by educators, maintains a general knowledge of what to do if concerns arise. The purpose of this book is to help the early childhood sector to be working from a position of earlier identification and prevention. This book is a step-by-step guide to champion children’s safety and wellbeing. As a practical tool, it will give clarification and confidence about what to do to create a culture of child safety at your education and care organisation.   Praise for this book: This book is a must-have for every early childhood professional’s bookshelf. Nicole takes a confronting topic and turns it into something real, something tangible, something not so scary. Full of practical examples, links to reputable resources and opportunities for reflection on current thinking and practice makes this book a useful resource for early childhood professionals at all stages of their career.- Sarah Louise Gandolfo, Professional learning project coordinator, Early Childhood Australia The topic has so many layers to unpick, so everything in it is important. I would definitely use it as a resource when needing further clarification. So very proud of the passionate and hardworking advocate she has become and continues to be as she explores and gains new knowledge to share with us all. - Karryn Grunden, Early childhood teacher Congratulations on your phenomenal book. The early years sector will really benefit from your hard work. We must start teaching protective education from the age of three at the latest, and your brilliant book will definitely help.- Holly-ann Martin OAM, Child abuse prevention education specialist The most valuable resource an early childhood educator can have right now is this book. A powerfully written text that provides not only a detailed yet easy-to-read summary of all Child Safe Standards, but cleverly and importantly a working document. This book allows educators and all those within our community to understand, to reflect and to be better when considering best practice. - Michelle Smith, Early childhood teacher I really enjoy your writing style and choice of language and expression. I only had to google one word to find its meaning! I loved it. You write beautifully.- Susie Rosback, Owner early childhood centre I believe that everyone will benefit from reading this and working through the suggestions, ideas and helpful/practical supports you have provided. As I read through your book, I created an extended version of a Quality Improvement Plan for Child Safe Standards. You have supported me to achieve a quality benchmark to implement all of the Standards.- Lorrelle Orrman, Early childhood director

“Philanthropy responds to a vision more than a need. Its best advocate is the voice.” A strong philanthropic culture enhances a school’s capacity to provide an exceptional education and improve outcomes for all students. The School Philanthropy Handbook explores the role of modern philanthropy in independent schools and provides a framework to establish an enduring culture of giving that will outlast short-term fundraising tactics. Gavan Woinarski’s future-focused model of school philanthropy empowers educational leaders to create a compelling vision and bring people together to connect and inspire prospective donors. He offers practical guidance on how to sharpen funding strategies, unify working groups, develop major gift plans, improve database management and practise good stewardship to secure real philanthropic support. Featuring a wealth of wisdom, tips and templates—with some fascinating stories shared along the way—the School Philanthropy Handbook offers a refreshed look at how schools can embrace a culture of philanthropy that delivers benefits for years to come.     Praise for the book:   It is rare to be able to access the deep expertise and wise counsel of a genuinely expert practitioner in such a concise and well-structured book. So many great messages and much values-based guidance. Definitely a must read. Emeritus Professor Glenn Bowes AO   A combination of vision, values, strategy, compelling communication via stories and practical advice make this a significant resource for school leaders. Philanthropy is not fundraising. If you are unsure of the difference, this is the book for you. Allan Shaw   There are a number of things common across third sector organisations; one is the need for friend and fundraising, another is how inexperienced the sector is in achieving either. This book provides an accessible, ‘hands on’ guide, written by an expert in the field with supportive tools to start or refine your approach to attract and retain philanthropic support. Whilst the book has a school focus, the contents extend to all third sector organisations. Dr John Ballard The accumulated wisdom and experience in this book are invaluable. It is a resource every independent school needs. Gabby Montagnese   I admire anyone who has the courage to write about culture. And I particularly admire someone who encourages a culture of giving to support something as essential as education. This book should be compulsory reading for anyone contemplating a school fundraising program. It contains the wisdom of a lifetime’s devotion to this critical task. Simon McKeon AO

2nd edition.  By Hazel Edwards OAM ISBN 9781922607447   Grief and Loss in Schools aims to support teachers and schools by providing discussion topics, play scripts and engaging activities to allow students to work through thoughts and feelings they may be having. With this book, Hazel Edwards hopes to dispel the taboo and uncomfortable feelings associated with this subject, and encourage schools and teachers to open up conversations. Hazel provides guidance to initiate a comfortable setting for students to express their thoughts, concerns and questions, and for teachers to address any misconceptions. Featuring stories from Hazel’s experience and research, as well as practical and thought-provoking questions, and role play scripts based on various scenarios, Grief and Loss in Schools is a welcome resource. It will help teachers encourage conversations that will benefit the mental health of their students and school communities.   Educator-author Hazel Edwards has written books for children, teachers and adults. Her best-known publication is the children’s picture book classic There’s a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake (1980), now a series of picture books, classroom play scripts, a musical stage production and a short movie. As an aspiring young author in Grade 6, Hazel wrote her first (unpublished) book. After primary teacher training, she taught secondary school students and lectured at teachers’ college. She has published over 220 books across genres and subjects. She has also scripted for screen, stage and puppetry. She has obtained many awards including an OAM for Literature in 2013 and Monash University awarded her the 2022 Distinguished Alumni for Education.  

Outdoor Education at School contains sets of practical activities and problem-solving lessons for primary school students. Designed to be done completely within the school grounds and with minimal amount of equipment, these lessons and activities will appeal to the teacher who has little experience in outdoor education and will act as a valuable resource to the experts in the field. The contents are based not only on learning in the outdoors but on learning about and for the outdoors. Specific topics covered include: Environmental studies Initiative games Navigation Bushcraft Mapping Students will enjoy the variety of topics covered while learning skills in personal development, self-esteem, resourcefulness, independence, leadership and cooperation. The lessons are not organised in year levels but in developmental progression from simple and introductory to complex.  

Differentiation for Gifted Students in a Secondary School aims to provide secondary school teachers with a raft of ideas and strategies to differentiate teaching, learning and the curriculum for gifted students. Interweaving theory and research with everyday practice, this book offers guidance and suggestions from Australian experts who work every day with gifted students. With appropriate strategies to support gifted students in a variety of classes, subjects and situations in a secondary school, this book considers a range of known and emerging concerns relating to the education of gifted children from differentiating the curriculum, wellbeing, creativity, transitioning between school settings, the science classroom and STEM projects. Differentiation for Gifted Students in a Secondary School is a unique resource that will help new and experienced teachers with inspired and practical strategies to respond to the needs of their gifted students. The inclusion of several case studies helps exemplify these for readers.   Editor, Dr Susan Nikakis sure knows a thing or two about gifted and talented students. She has a special education graduate diploma, masters and doctorate in gifted education, and holds positions at the University of Melbourne, the Victorian Association for Gifted and Talented Children Association and as a Senior Gifted Education Programs Officer.   Chapter contributions from: Mark Smith Amy Horneman Carmel Meehan Geraldine Nicholas Christine Ireland Shelley Waldon Arrigo Dorissa  

If you’re an educator you’ll know this: teacher wellbeing has never been more important. And yet, this complex issue is often misunderstood, leading to band-aid solutions that don’t address the root cause or inspire long-term change. In this go-to guide for teachers and leaders, Amy Green provides inspiration and practical tools to unpack the many facets of teacher wellbeing. She explores the purpose of teacher wellbeing; where we’ve gone wrong in tackling issues such as burnout and stress; and what we can do to build teacher capacity and enhance school systems to support teacher wellbeing. Amy believes we all play a part in writing a better story for our teachers. With awareness and knowledge we can move beyond tokenistic activities to long-term, embedded, sustainable solutions. In these pages you will find a deeper, richer, more holistic approach to improving wellbeing. It’s a book that will inspire the real conversations we so desperately need. Together, we can bring about transformation far beyond what we imagine.   Praise for Teacher Wellbeing by Amy Green: I absolutely loved this book. The whole thing. It is absolutely needed and so timely. This is the go-to guide for school leaders and teachers who are eager to unpack the complex issue of educator wellbeing in this current crisis and beyond. Despite the best efforts of school leaders, many of us feel that we have been falling short when it comes to understanding how to proactively attack issues such as burnout for ourselves and our staff. The chapter summaries and 'Theory into Action' learning throughout provide practical strategies for the individual and collective change that is so desperately needed for teachers and school leaders. Celia King, School Leader This book emphasises why teacher wellbeing is important and that it is far more than feel-good activities. Amy highlights many things that may not initially be perceived as part of wellbeing, however through explanation, research-based evidence and links to teaching, it just makes sense. Amy shows how teacher wellbeing is crucial to school culture and that we need to be open to reflecting on and changing the structures we use to support the wellbeing of teachers. This book is a must-read for leaders and teachers alike. Dr Selena Fisk, Author, Data Storyteller This book will resonate with many school leaders and teachers. I found myself nodding along in agreement many times. The framework Amy uses for teacher wellbeing throughout this book synthesises the elements of being and doing individually and collectively so beautifully, and fits in with all we do in schools and as humans. It aligns school culture and improvement to collective wellbeing, and in a currency of change is 100% on message and what is needed right now and beyond. It is a powerful, important, yet easy read. I struggled to put it down. I want a copy for every teacher I know. Belinda Fenn, School Principal

  Developing the critical and creative thinking skills of students in our classrooms is a necessary culture that all teachers should foster. Not only does it underpin the syllabus outcomes and content indicators, but the ability to think critically and creatively, and to articulate that thinking to others, is a hugely valuable skill in today’s world. Supporting students to be critical and creative thinkers requires us as educators to be willing to build our capacity, to make small consistent shifts towards embedding practices and fostering a ‘thinking’ environment that welcomes questions, that celebrates multiple perspectives and is comfortable working in a space that requires depth of understanding. This book was written with the teacher and leader in mind and is a mix of foundational theory and practical strategies with tools you can take away and apply in your classroom or with your teams tomorrow. It is divided into five parts, with each component delving into key areas of embedding critical and creative thinking into practice.   Reviews: The Thinking Classroom does what few books have accomplished before: it guides educators in creating learning experiences that cultivate critical and creative thinking in their scholars. Alice Vigors walks readers through how to help students understand themselves better as learners and to be more reflective and aware of their own thinking. I am certain The Thinking Classroom will be a highly referenced book in my inquiry repertoire. Trevor McKenzie, teacher and author of the bestselling books Dive into Inquiry and the Inquiry Mindset series The Thinking Classroom was astutely written by Alice with so many great insights and examples of quality practice. The practical nature of this book means teachers can implement ideas in their classroom straight away. I absolutely loved reading this book. Aaron Johnston, assistant principal andfounder of Mr J’s Learning Space The Thinking Classroom is a must-have for all educators. Alice clearly and authentically articulates with an abundance of practical resources how critical and creative thinking is integral to student success. James Gray, deputy principal I love the practical nature of this book. The fact that you can scan a QR code to locate additional information and resources is brilliant. The Thinking Classroom is a must-read for every teacher and leader. Rebecca West, deputy principal andfounder of Talkin’ Chalk The Thinking Classroom is a very easy-to-read book with so many practical strategies I could apply in my classroom tomorrow. There were so many ‘ah-ha’ moments in this book and powerful statements that really helped me to see the link between my current classroom practice and the fostering of a thinking classroom. A definite must-read. Demetra Vekic, classroom teacher