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PODCAST

Diary of a Teacher

Diary of a Teacher is a spoken diary of my experiences in education to date. I record short eps about everything from report writing to reflective practice. I share honest reflections from the classroom, lessons I"ve learned the hard way, and insights from educational research that shape how I teach.

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All Episodes

14:53

3: Active Relaxation for Teachers

Diary of a Teacher ·

2021/01/04

What do you do when you have 'nothing to do'? In this episode I talk about active relaxation, which basically involves doing stuff that isn't work but that is relaxing/meditative. Seeing as we've done Christmas/New Year and there are three weeks left of school holidays, I wanted to I talk about how I've tried to make the most of my time off, and how I plan to see the rest of the school holidays out. For me, napping on the couch all day is not the answer to curing boredom, though I admit there has

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11:45

2: What Don't They Teach You at University?

Diary of a Teacher ·

2020/12/28

Sarah from NZ (great name!) wants to know about what a university teaching degree doesn't cover. I have only done one degree in teaching, so I can only speak in depth about the university in which I was enrolled. I've combined my experience and that of other junior teachers to answer this question. Write to me: hello@spongeeducation.com. Visit the website: https://www.spongeeducation.com.

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11:52

1: When Students Teach Teachers

Diary of a Teacher ·

2020/12/21

Welcome back for another season. In this episode, I talk about how students enjoy spending time in nature (even though they'll tell you it's boring). Nature teaches students what is important; that much is clear. Whilst I expected students to enjoy their school camp (a much needed break from the city), I wasn't expecting them to become champions of environmental change in such a short time. They ended up teaching me about what we need to do to preserve our natural world. Write to me:

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12:29

20: My Biggest Failure

Diary of a Teacher ·

2020/11/16

This week I discuss my biggest teaching failure. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the discomfort! Write to me: hello@spongeeducation.com. Visit the website: https://www.spongeeducation.com.

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10:44

19: Mentoring Junior Teachers

Diary of a Teacher ·

2020/11/09

Throughout my first two years of teaching I have had an excellent mentor helping me to keep it together. As part of celebrating my pleasingly reduced need for mentorship this year, I've recorded this reflection on what made my mentor so supportive and helpful. Are you mentoring a junior teacher? What do you find most effective when it comes to supporting them? Write to me: hello@spongeeducation.com. Visit the website: https://www.spongeeducation.com.

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08:23

18: Teaching Full Time and Studying Part Time - Smart...

Diary of a Teacher ·

2020/11/02

I'm erring on the side of studying part time being a smart move. So far, my part-time study has been really interesting and it keeps me in the student seat. I'm always going to want to be learning something, so this is a good way to do it in a structured format. I'm still figuring out how to do both teaching and studying at the same time, with varying degrees of success. There are a couple of strategies that are working well for me right now, and I mention both in this podcast. Got ideas or

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09:35

17: My New Project Outside of Teaching

Diary of a Teacher ·

2020/10/19

I've enrolled in an Honours program at the University of Sydney, to find out the answer to a question I've pondered for a while: How much do high school teachers know about university teaching? And how much university lecturers know about high school teaching? In this episode I talk about initial progress and preliminary findings, and how I'm finding a balance between work and study. Write to me: hello@spongeeducation.com. Visit the website: https://www.spongeeducation.com.

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12:14

16: Teacher Burnout: The COVID Edition

Diary of a Teacher ·

2020/10/12

We've all worked much harder than we were expecting to work this year. For some of us, it's really starting to take a toll. In this episode, I talk about general vibes in the teaching community around coping with workload this year, and how we're feeling at this point in 2020. Also discussed are some ideas to consider when talking with a colleague or friend who you think is approaching burnout. Write to me: hello@spongeeducation.com. Visit the website: https://www.spongeeducation.com.

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10:46

15: Are We Over-Surveying Our Students?

Diary of a Teacher ·

2020/10/05

Do you survey your students? If yes, how often? We've all been surveyed by the companies with which we interact. Surveys seem to slide into my inbox almost daily, but I ignore the majority of them. I'm too busy to respond to each one. With this in mind, how should we design surveys so that we get the information we need from our students without irritating them? I've got three ideas. Write to me: hello@spongeeducation.com. Visit the website: https://www.spongeeducation.com.

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11:56

14: The Social Dilemma - What Teachers Need to Know...

Diary of a Teacher ·

2020/09/28

This week I watched a program on Netflix called 'The Social Dilemma' and learned plenty about its current role in our society, especially for young people. Well worth a watch if you're curious about how social media is impacting you and/or your students. Write to me: hello@spongeeducation.com. Visit the website: https://www.spongeeducation.com.

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14:52

13: Creating Positive Learning Experiences when...

Diary of a Teacher ·

2020/08/24

2020 is a terrible year to graduate high school. So much has been cancelled due to COVID-19. However, there are still ways to make finishing school special for our senior students. In this episode I talk about a lesson that had students learning Physics and feeling special for making it to the end of their studies at high school. Also in this episode: exams. Specifically, giving them back to students. How do you do it? Any tips for avoiding upset, and for getting important individualised messages

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10:57

12: It Is Actually Possible to Enjoy PD

Diary of a Teacher ·

2020/08/17

This week, I discuss some PD opportunities I've had recently and how they've made me a better teacher. (I think.) A few of my friends absolutely despise PD. Whilst it can be dependent on topic and instructor, I think mindset is a big part of enjoying PD and getting something out of it. What do you think? Love PD? Hate it? A bit of both? Write to me: hello@spongeeducation.com. Visit the website: https://www.spongeeducation.com.

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08:16

11: School Holidays and Lonely Students

Diary of a Teacher ·

2020/07/20

And just like that, we're back to school for another term. Before I pick up too much speed, I'm reflecting on my final week of school holidays, spent skiing by day, emailing students by night. The levels of support my students needed during their school holidays were surprisingly varied. Some weren't in contact with me at all. Some just needed the odd bit of clarification. And some needed words of reassurance and opportunities to discuss stress levels at length. Pastoral support is hard to do over

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10:30

10: Thank You Past Self, For Documenting Everything

Diary of a Teacher ·

2020/07/13

In this episode, I talk about the time I've saved by documenting everything in my first year of teaching. It took a fair while to do, but having set up a system now, it's the gift that keeps on giving. Write to me: hello@spongeeducation.com. Visit the website: https://www.spongeeducation.com.

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10:54

9: Should Students Even Have Career Goals at Age...

Diary of a Teacher ·

2020/06/29

In this episode, I give a general update on end of term, accreditation progress, life events etc. Recently at school we have been helping Year 10 students with their subject selections for senior studies. In science, this involves the decision to study science or not, and if it's a 'yes' to science, we help students decide which scientific discipline(s) are the best fit for their future plans. Asking fifteen-year-old kids what they wanted to do when they leave school feels a bit odd to me. Most of

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16:01

8: Should You Discuss Your Own Mental Health at School?

Diary of a Teacher ·

2020/05/25

As a university student, I had trouble staying mentally well, primarily due to the pressure I put on myself to succeed academically. (Answering the what-do-I-want-to-do-with-my-life? question was also a massive source of stress.) Now that I am a teacher, I find myself wanting to use my experiences to help students navigate their own decisions, especially when those decisions stir up mental health challenges similar to my own. But there is a fine line between oversharing and providing targeted,

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17:36

7: Getting Back to Normal (Sort Of)

Diary of a Teacher ·

2020/05/18

In this episode, I talk about returning to school and teaching face-to-face again. School life definitely isn't back to normal (whatever that even is), but some aspects of it are starting to resurface. A philosophical delve into the current set up ensues. It's not all bad, in my opinion. I'm getting more time to focus on the actual teaching part of the job. I'm using my time at home to explore new hobbies and get back to basics. I'm not running around like a headless chicken. I'm more relaxed and a

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10:53

6: Paperwork, Paperwork, Paperwork

Diary of a Teacher ·

2020/05/11

Paperwork. I'm doing hours of the stuff. I wouldn't describe teacher accreditation as my favourite thing of all time, but it has its value, and in this episode I talk about navigating the process. I discuss what helps, and what hurts. Also included are some random digressions into gardens and cats. For these are big parts of my life now. (Actually cats always were.) Write to me: hello@spongeeducation.com. Visit the website: https://www.spongeeducation.com.

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15:26

5: Putting on Your Own Oxygen Mask First, and Other...

Diary of a Teacher ·

2020/05/06

When we're stretched thin at work, it can be hard to find time to do what we need to do to stay sane. But it's so important to find that time. In this episode, I answer a listener question about managing the daily demands on our time, as educators. How do we manage the extra demands on our time that come from students and their families right now? How can we make time for other things? (Including those all important commitments we make to ourselves such as don't eat a packet of chips for dinner

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12:34

4: Working from Home: It's Just Not the Same

Diary of a Teacher ·

2020/05/04

The whole working from home thing continues. Thankfully, so does the podcast. What's new? Not much. This week, I'm talking about isolation (#iso) and what it's like for teachers. I talk about the things I miss, and the things I don't miss. Because even though this set up isn't ideal, there is a silver lining. Enjoy. Write to me: hello@spongeeducation.com. Visit the website: https://www.spongeeducation.com.

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73 results

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