If you had 30 minutes to talk with hundreds of HSC Music students, what would you tell them? I had this opportunity last Friday at the HSC Music Day in Newcastle NSW, with the specific brief of guiding students and staff through the mandatory written Aural Exam, which comprises 30% of the external Higher School… Continue reading My advice for HSC Music Students
Music teacher happiness is a classroom without desks. Seven weeks into my new role, I finally ripped the band aid off and removed the desks** from my music room. For many years, desks had been a staple of the space. They were part of the traditional classroom setup and, understandably, part of the routine students… Continue reading Why My Music Room Has No Desks
Australia’s new under-16 social media ban came into effect yesterday, and the public reaction has been fascinating to watch, especially in the comment sections of posts I, ironically, viewed on Facebook. It is a complex issue, and many people are genuinely and deeply opposed to the ban, often due to concerns about cybersecurity, government overreach… Continue reading THE AGE-OLD QUESTION: WHEN DO SAFETY CONCERNS WARRANT RESTRICTIONS OF FREEDOM?
What do you do with 100+ energetic primary students stuck indoors on these rainy days? You bring the music, movement and magic of Musical Corners! 🎧🎸🎻🎤ChatGPT and I came up with this game where each corner of the hall represents a music genre, Pop, Rock, Hip-Hop, and Classical. Today I finally had the chance to… Continue reading 🎶 Musical Corners – Wet Weather Magic! ☔️
Recently I had the opportunity to be a panel member for an Assistant Principal role at my school (for context, K-12 central school in rural NSW public system). I put my hand up to be on the panel as I always enjoy reviewing applications to see how people approach the process and to ensure I… Continue reading 5 steps to writing a strong school leadership application
I recently heard a Simon Sinek quote which went along the lines of, “wellbeing improves in the workplace when leaders recognise they are not responsible for the outcomes of the workplace, rather they’re responsible for the PEOPLE who are responsible for the outcomes.” I’ve always been passionate about the importance of wellbeing in schools, for… Continue reading Improving school outcomes: The case for an emphasis on wellbeing
Sunday May 19, 2024 With a recent change in role and workplace I’ve been inspired to re-engage with my website blog posting in response to the educational topics I’m reflecting upon. Today marks nearly 13 months since my last post, the delay serving as an indication of how much pressure I was under in my… Continue reading Cultivating Curiosity: A Key to Success in Australian Workplaces
As an educator and school Principal, I recently had the opportunity to attend the inaugural AISNSW Cyber Security Symposium, hosted at the Microsoft building in North Sydney. This conference was an eye-opener for me, as I learned about the urgent need for schools to actively address cyber security (CS) threats. One of the first statistics… Continue reading Cyber Security – The Rising Need in Education
The implications of AI and ChatGPT in education, for teachers and educational leaders. Discuss the pro's and con's of AI and the likely disruption it will cause. Discuss plagiarism concerns and submission of assignments.
Chris English, Key Takeaways from The National Positive Education Conference, 2022
Chris English 