Level Up: Preparing for Challenges in Learning and Life

It's an exciting time of year for our high potential students. The Australian STEM Video Game Challenge is now in the judging stages, the Australian Mathematics Competition was held earlier this week, Round 2 of The ASX Schools Sharemarket Game starts next week, and the Maths Olympiad and The Tournament of Minds are well underway. In addition to these, my school also runs a Writing Experience/Competition and a Poetry Recitation Competition. 

Opportunities like these push students outside their comfort zone and help them discover that growth comes from facing challenges head-on. This is exactly what we want for them. 

But pause for a moment. Remember the last time you faced a challenge - the kind that made you wonder if you were out of your depth. That moment of uncertainty. That fear that you might not succeed. As educators, we are quick to cheer our students into the unknown, yet we can feel the same tremble when we're the ones stepping forward. Growth is hard, and sometimes hurts. So how we can better prepare both ourselves and our students to meet those challenges? 

Safe and Supportive Environment

We start by fostering a safe and supportive environment. One where all ideas are valued, errors are stepping stones, and that it's okay to say, "I don't understand." We help each other when we struggle, and  celebrate  questions that deepen our understanding. 

When we feel safe and supported, we are more willing to take the risks that lead to growth.

Motivation

We are not all motivated by the same things. Some students thrive on competition, others would rather avoid it. 

In 2024, I worked with a student on his passion project, creating a game for The Australian STEM Video Game Challenge. He lost interest after a month, claiming he didn't like competitions. All that changed however, when he went to PAX and saw what winning looked like: tickets to PAX and a hoodie featuring the winning game. He had found his motivation. I have never seen him so committed to anything before. We pushed through the tough days, where the trouble shooting seemed to go nowhere, and he learned far more than coding - time management, resilience, persistence. By the time he was done, his game was impressive and the complexity of the code blew me away. I was so proud of him when he pressed the "submit" button. For him, it was tickets and a hoodie. For me, it's personal growth. What is it for you?

If we are going to commit to something, it needs to have personal meaning for us. 

Understanding "How to Play"

A lot of learning happens the first time you try something new. This is true for us as much as for our students. In my first year with The Tournament of Minds, I read the instruction manual cover to cover, but it just didn't click until I actually saw it in action. I leaned on the advice of those who had done it before.

When I judged the Spontaneous Challenge in my second year, I saw how teams could work effectively to develop their responses. Additionally, when one of our STEM teams progressed to the state and then international finals, I could identify the skills that students needed in order to succeed: STEM knowledge, teamwork, and time management - all without teacher intervention.

When we understand the game, the rules, and what success looks like, we can focus on what matters most.

Practice

Once we know what's required, we need to practise the skills. For The Maths Olympiad and The Australian Mathematics Competition, I've found that spaced practice at home builds both familiarity with question types, and capacity for problem-solving. When students can grapple with questions without the pressure to perform, they develop strategies to calm their fears and to piece together a solution step by step. In class, sharing different solutions shows there's more than one way to answer, which frees students to find the process that works for them. 

When we have spaced practice to develop skills without performance pressure, we feel more confident and prepared when the moment comes.

Opportunities to Iterate

In the rush of the school year, we often skip the chance to iterate. One thing I love about the ASX Schools Sharemarket Game is that there are two rounds each year.

In the first round, students often work in small groups, just getting a feel for the market. By the second round, they are ready to race, sometimes even doing their research in advance. This year, when my students reflected on their experience, everyone wanted to return for Round 2. Their first attempt wasn't the end, but rather the starting point.

When we have opportunities to iterate, our errors become the launch pad to our success.

I'm sure this list is not exhaustive, but these are the things that stand out to me as I watch my students and reflect on the way I tackle challenges. The truth is, whether it's a STEM competition or a career step, the principles are the same: find safety, spark motivation, learn the rules, practise with purpose and try again.

What would you add?

AirPods, Pumpkins, and the Gift of Connection

From Awkwardness to Awareness

Lately, I have been leaning into the ideas and work of Vanessa Van Edwards. She was recommended to me by a friend when I shared a personal challenge: feeling unsure about how to confidently share my ideas. We talked about how frustrating it is can be when people with great ideas are overlooked, while those with more charisma (or Woo, as Gallup StrengthsFinder puts it) seem to rise to the top. Enter Vanessa Van Edwards. I think this is part of her life's mission! 

As a self-described "recovering awkward person" Vanessa has so many inspirational ideas to share - from understanding the cues that we use, to gifting others with feel-good hormones through our interactions. I can listen to her book (yes, I'm an audiobook person) or watch her Diary of a CEO appearances over and over, and still find a gem to take away.

An AirPods Experiment

One of her recent comments was about how AirPods impact our connection with others. This prompted me to consider whether wearing my AirPods (which I often do) could be getting in the way of meaningful interactions. I decided to put it to the test.

Today, while doing the grocery shopping, I left my AirPods at home and opened myself up to interaction. It didn't take long. 

As I reached for a pumpkin, I heard someone talking beside me. I looked up to see a woman, slightly embarrassed at being caught talking to herself. 

"You feel a bit crazy when you realise you're saying things out loud," she said. 

I chuckled and told her about the AirPods theory - and we shared a moment of laughter. A moment of connection. 

That moment became even more special when we both turned up at the same register, and she said, "You look familiar." Turns out I taught her son six years ago, back when he was in Year 5. She filled me in on how he's doing, which was genuinely lovely to hear.

What I Would Have Missed

I think we both walked away from that exchange with a bounce in our step. It was a moment of recognition and warmth that could otherwise have been missed, drowned out by a podcast or shielded behind the comfort of headphones. It reminded me that there are opportunities like this all around us, but we have to make ourselves reachable to find them. 

Vanessa's work is helping me think differently about how I show up in the world - how I communicate and how I connect. There are so many small changes I’ve been making lately — and they’re adding up. I’m starting to feel more confident, more open, even a little more charismatic.

Who knows… maybe I’m catching a little Woo after all.

Back to the Blog!

It’s been a while. 

Not because I stopped thinking, or learning, or questioning — but because life filled up in other ways. Teaching, family, reflection… all still here, just lived more privately for a while. 

But lately, I’ve felt the urge to write again. Not to declare expertise, but to share thoughts in progress. To raise some questions. To stay connected to the part of me that makes meaning through words. 

If you’ve found your way here, welcome. There’s no big campaign or relaunch — just me, returning to this space when I can, to capture what I’m learning, noticing, and wondering about. 

I'm sure there are some things that need revamping and cleaning up on this site, and hopefully I will get to those. But for now, I am here sharing what it is to be me.

 

My Journey with ISTAA Experienced Teacher Accreditation #7

You know when you get busy doing life and then discover something that really needs to be made a priority? Well this post is just that. 

When I wrote the last instalment, after failing accreditation, I thought that the story of my experience had finally come to an end. Of course, I wasn't thinking that I would one day be writing again after passing accreditation. I don't think I was willing to believe that would be possible until it actually happened. 

It is now January 2022, and I was actually awarded my Experienced Teacher Accreditation Certificate in December of 2020. But still accreditation plagues my mind. Throughout the most recent attempt I felt anxiety every time my thoughts drifted to the accreditation. When I think of it now, it's with relief, but it still brings to mind those painful emotions. By my reading of our new MEA, I don't think I would have been required to do it under this new agreement, given that I started prior to 2003 and have MANY years of teaching experience! 

But it's done now. 

Choosing an Approach

The second time around, I did the Standards Based Approach rather than the Action Research Approach. I know that in some of my earlier posts I raved about the Action Research Approach due to the learning I gained from the experience. My commendation now has changed because I realise that the tight requirements of accreditation are not conducive to the learning experience that comes from action research. Part of action research involves taking risks and embracing failure. If you want a great learning experience, do action research. If you want to demonstrate your competence, do accreditation. In my opinion, the two should not run side-by-side. 

Planning and Guidance

Having chosen the approach I would take, I planned out what I would use and started collecting early. I was VERY specific with pointing out the evidence and explaining this in my annotations. I also worked closely with the staff member at our school responsible for accreditation. I was upfront and honest with him, explaining my experience, my concerns and my fears. He took on the responsibility of being my supervisor. We met together fortnightly before COVID to keep me on track and ensure that my documentation was thorough enough. More than ever before, I was open to feedback and willing to make any suggested changes. 

Time Management

While it caused me great anxiety, I fought through whenever I had a good chunk of time, and worked to make things easier to come back to when I had small pockets of time available. Fortunately I scheduled my observation lessons at the end of 2019 and the first few days of 2020, so by the time COVID hit, I had already finished these. Due to the challenges of COVID, we had the option of extending the deadline. Initially I intended to take this option, so that I wouldn't get caught out by a mad rush to finish up. However, my supervisor assured me that I would be okay to hand it in earlier, thus finding out my results before Christmas. This made sense as I had all my evidence and was mostly through writing my annotations, and just needed to finish up a few things and get the Head of School Report. 

Being Thorough

I really went over everything with a fine-tooth comb, using the checklists they gave to make sure I had covered EVERYTHING! My supervisor also went over everything and was responsive to my panicked emails seeking clarification. Never in my life prior to this had I been so thorough. By the time I handed it in, I couldn't find fault with anything. 

And I passed with no need to resubmit. This was an incredible relief. 

What I learnt

Through this experience I've learnt that there are times when perfection is required. Times where I have to go above and beyond to ensure I have been thorough in meeting and demonstrating requirements. Times when I have to make sure that what seems logical in my head is spelled out clearly and explicitly for others. I've learnt that I can draw on the expertise of others for feedback along the way rather than trying to do things all on my own. And I've learnt that I can recover from my failures, but the memory of them probably won't pass! My self-confidence definitely took a hit from this failure. I didn't realise how much so until last year when, having finally conquered this challenge, my confidence seemed to lift again. I think on some level I was worried that I wasn't worthy of being an Experienced Teacher after all. That my skills weren't up to it, and that it was not just accreditation that I was failing, but my whole career! While that wasn't always on my mind, there definitely were times that I doubted myself. 

These days I have friends doing their accreditation, and the main advice I have is: 

1. Don't do the Action Research method. 
2. Get started early and plan what you will use. 
3. Be thorough and explicit when showing your evidence and writing annotations. 
4. Keep checking with their documentation to make sure you are within the guidelines. 
5. Get feedback from someone who knows the process well.

My Journey with ISTAA Experienced Teacher Accreditation #6

Unfortunately this journey didn't have a happy ending. It fact, it feels like my biggest fail yet. While I was putting everything together, it felt like I was on track, however I failed to meet most of the descriptors according to the criteria the AIS had, and once I failed I had no means for resubmitting. My disappointment over this has been a real struggle for me. Usually if I've failed at something there has been something I could do about it to recover it. I tried everything I could think of here, but it has come to the point where I just need to let it go, learn the lessons and move forward.

I'm taking a year off accreditation and then will reapply at the end of 2018, but this time will choose the Standards Based Approach. I hope to try action research again, but not in an assessment capacity, and only if I have someone to walk with me through the process. I think I bit off more than I could chew.

I still believe, however, that there were many positives that came from my attempts at action research around Growth Mindset, formative assessment and feedback this year. Personally it has helped me to deal with the setbacks better (including this one!) and has greatly improved the relationships I have with the students I teach. In my opinion - though difficult to prove - students academic results have improved as a result of the actions I put in place - be that related to growth mindset, formative assessment or feedback.