Lit_Happens Podcast

By Lit Happens

Welcome to Lit Happens, the podcast for senior English teachers! We are passionate HSC educators dedicated to simplifying the complexities of senior syllabi. Join us as we explore prescriptions, modul... more

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FAQs about Lit_Happens Podcast:

How many episodes does Lit_Happens Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 50 episodes available.

Lit_Happens Podcast episodes:

January 19, 2026New Years Resolutions! What's in store? Lit Happens S2E1
Welcome back to Season 2 of Lit Happens! As we step into 2026, senior English teachers across NSW are gearing up for the exciting transition to the new English Stage 6 syllabuses (implemented from 2026, with first HSC exams in 2027). In this season opener, we revisit the essentials of classroom preparation – now with a fresh focus on aligning your physical and mental space to the renewed emphasis on literature, diverse texts, and critical engagement. Create an environment that fosters deep analysis, collaboration, and student confidence from Day 1.
Highlights from the Episode
Safe & Collaborative Layouts
Consider seating arrangements early (rows, horseshoe, groups) based on your teaching style and class list.
Position your desk so it doesn’t block the board and allows easy movement.
Be prepared for multiple scenarios – having fallback resources ready builds teacher confidence and student trust.
Visual Aids & Immersive Design
Display key HSC verbs, text-type glossaries, thesis statement examples, and persuasive/persuasive language scaffolds.
Include school values, classroom expectations, and behaviour reminders as visual cues.
For shared rooms: project key visuals via PowerPoint or slides when needed.
Establishing Routines Early
Align with whole-school entry/exit procedures for consistency.
Greet students at the door, wait for quiet attention, and clearly state non-negotiables (e.g., “all eyes on the speaker”, laptops down when someone is talking).
Invest time in the first 5–6 weeks on routines – it pays off for the rest of the year.
Supporting Independent Learning
Help students find their “why” – set personal term goals or use SMART goals.
Encourage one central Google Doc / digital workbook for the whole year (notes, drafts, readings).
Use clear lesson outlines on the board and consistent strategies (e.g., exit slips, progress checkpoints).
Supporting Group Learning
Pair-share and small-group tasks work well when seating allows face-to-face discussion.
Use shared digital documents for collaborative notes or weekly reflections.
Be mindful of physical space – avoid clutter or distractions (bins, windows, doors).
Final Thoughts
Start with a clean slate – no preconceptions about students.
Know your own “why” as a teacher and let that purpose guide your preparation.
Be prepared, be adaptable, and remember teaching is a privilege.

Connect with Us:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/lit.happensseniorenglish
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@lit.happensse
Email: [email protected] (Share your exam strategies!)
Join Our Community: Never miss a Lit Happens episode!
Like and subscribe for syllabus tips, future episode themes, and to join our literary community. Available on multiple platforms - subscribe wherever you listen!
If you enjoy our podcast, please consider supporting us by leaving a review and rating our show. Your feedback helps us keep delivering quality content for English teachers and students alike.
...more
40min
December 09, 2025Reading to Write Program Part 2 - Lit Happens Episode 48!
Tune in to Lit Happens, where we, two dedicated HSC English educators, guide English teachers through assessing the Reading to Write unit in Year 11 Advanced English under the 2026 syllabus.
This episode unpacks phases 4-6, focusing on critical connections, creative composition, and assessment preparation with practical activities and strategies to build sophisticated writers for the 2027 HSC. We continue with our LIT OR QUIT segment, asking: "Christmas film 'study' to end the year? Lit or Quit?" Tailored for teachers integrating assessment into powerful programs, this episode equips you with tools to deepen student understanding and expression.
What You’ll Learn:
How to support students in connecting critically and deepening conceptual understanding through phase 4 activities and textual concepts like style and perspective
Ways to craft experiments in critical and creative compositions with reflection in phase 5
Strategies to transition compositions for summative assessment in phase 6, ensuring Band 6 readiness
Explore our full Reading to Write resource:https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Reading-to-Write-Transition-to-Advanced-English-2026-PROGRAM-15024927
Free Resources: https://lithappensse.com.
Watch It: Explore these strategies on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Lit_HappensSE.
Connect with Us:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/lit.happensseniorenglish
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@lit.happensse
Email: [email protected] (Share your exam strategies!)
Join Our Community: Never miss a Lit Happens episode!
Like and subscribe for syllabus tips, future episode themes, and to join our literary community. Available on multiple platforms - subscribe wherever you listen!
If you enjoy our podcast, please consider supporting us by leaving a review and rating our show. Your feedback helps us keep delivering quality content for English teachers and students alike.
...more
38min
December 01, 2025Time-Saving Reading to Write Resource for Year 11 - Lit Happens Episode 47!
Tune in to Lit Happens, where we, two dedicated HSC English educators, guide English teachers through our new Reading to Write resource for Year 11 Advanced English under the 2026 syllabus.
This episode explores the first 4-5 weeks of this malleable tool, designed to alleviate time constraints for programming the new unit, with flexible activities, scaffolds, and strategies to build critical and creative thinkers ready for the 2027 HSC. We continue with our LIT OR QUIT segment, asking: "Should the ‘Reading to Write’ module be renamed to something that better reflects its conceptual depth, maybe something like ‘Reading, Composing & Reimagining’? Lit or Quit?" Tailored for teachers seeking efficient programming solutions, this episode equips you with a ready-to-adapt resource to save hours on unit planning.
What You’ll Learn:
How the first 4-5 weeks of our Reading to Write resource hook students on conceptual foundations like ideas and relationships
Flexible scaffolds and activities to unpack textual concepts such as perspective, representation, and style
Strategies to transition from reading analysis to writing experimentation, easing time pressures for new programs
Ways to adapt the malleable resource for diverse classrooms, ensuring Band 6 readiness with minimal prep
Top takeaways for purchasing and implementing the tool to streamline your 2026 Year 11 programming
Free Resources: https://lithappensse.com.
Connect with Us:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/lit.happensseniorenglish
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@lit.happensse
Email: [email protected] (Share your exam strategies!)
Join Our Community: Never miss a Lit Happens episode!
Like and subscribe for syllabus tips, future episode themes, and to join our literary community. Available on multiple platforms - subscribe wherever you listen!
If you enjoy our podcast, please consider supporting us by leaving a review and rating our show. Your feedback helps us keep delivering quality content for English teachers and students alike.
...more
35min
November 24, 2025Scaffolding Academic Writing for Stage 6 Success - Lit Happens Episode 46!
Tune in to Lit Happens, where we, two dedicated HSC English educators, guide English teachers through strategies to improve written expression in formal academic writing for Stage 6 students.
This episode addresses common struggles, programming approaches, academic tone challenges, classroom strategies, and leveraging resources like Google Scholar and JSTOR to elevate student work for the 2027 HSC. We continue with our LIT OR QUIT segment, asking: "Incorporating academic readings into all levels of Stage 6 English: Lit or Quit?" Tailored for teachers seeking to refine student writing, this episode equips you with practical tools to foster clear, sophisticated expression.
What You’ll Learn:
Strategies to improve written expression, tackling common patterns like vague theses and summary overload
Programming approaches to develop formal academic tone, aligning with syllabus outcomes and module demands
Overcoming instant gratification challenges in a generation of writers, building patience for drafting and revision
Proven classroom strategies to address tone and expression hurdles, from modelling to peer feedback
How to use academic readings from Google Scholar and JSTOR to inspire sophisticated, Band 6-level expression

Free Resources: https://lithappensse.com.
Watch It: Explore these strategies on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Lit_HappensSE.
Connect with Us:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/lit.happensseniorenglish
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@lit.happensse
Email: [email protected] (Share your exam strategies!)
Join Our Community: Never miss a Lit Happens episode!
Like and subscribe for syllabus tips, future episode themes, and to join our literary community. Available on multiple platforms - subscribe wherever you listen!
If you enjoy our podcast, please consider supporting us by leaving a review and rating our show. Your feedback helps us keep delivering quality content for English teachers and students alike.
...more
57min
November 18, 2025Stage 6 HSC Programming with Purpose: Phases of Learning - Lit Happens Episode 45!
Tune in to Lit Happens, where we, two dedicated HSC English educators, guide English teachers through intentional programming for Stage 6, focusing on the phases of learning to build conceptual, critical, and creative thinkers.
This episode explores how to structure lessons for engagement, analysis, composition, and assessment readiness, aligning with the 2026 syllabus for the 2027 HSC. We continue with our LIT OR QUIT segment, asking: "Text-first or concept-first programming for Stage 6? Lit or Quit?" Tailored for teachers designing purposeful units, this episode equips you with strategies to foster student growth across the senior years.

What You’ll Learn:
Why phases of learning create a logical arc from personal engagement to critical synthesis and assessment preparation
How to engage students with module concepts before texts, building curiosity and community
Strategies for unpacking rubric language and textual concepts like argument, genre, and intertextuality
Practical classroom activities for concept development, critical connecting, and composing with reflection

Free Resources: https://lithappensse.com.
Watch It: Explore these strategies on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Lit_HappensSE.
Connect with Us:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/lit.happensseniorenglish
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@lit.happensse
Email: [email protected] (Share your exam strategies!)
Join Our Community: Never miss a Lit Happens episode!
Like and subscribe for syllabus tips, future episode themes, and to join our literary community. Available on multiple platforms - subscribe wherever you listen!
If you enjoy our podcast, please consider supporting us by leaving a review and rating our show. Your feedback helps us keep delivering quality content for English teachers and students alike.
...more
39min
November 11, 2025Mastering HSC Descriptors for Band 6 Essay Writing (Refresher) - Lit Happens Ep 44!
Mastering HSC Descriptors for Band 6 Essay Writing (Refresher) - Lit Happens Ep 44!
Tune in to Lit Happens, where we, two dedicated HSC English educators, demystify HSC English band descriptors for teachers and students.
This episode breaks down what separates Band 4 from Band 5 and Band 6 responses, exploring how descriptors guide marking, assessment design, lesson planning, and student growth for the 2024 syllabus. We continue with our LIT OR QUIT segment - "Having your own copy of the syllabus full of notes: Lit or Quit?" Tailored for teachers aiming to elevate student performance, this episode offers clear insights to unlock higher bands.
What You’ll Learn:
The real purpose of band descriptors: consistent marking, targeted feedback, and syllabus alignment
What makes a Band 6 response: sophisticated evaluation, nuanced analysis, and refined personal insight
How Band 5 compares: effective but less layered than Band 6
What Band 4 looks like: sound but surface-level responses
Practical tips to help students move up the bands: from technique spotting to deep synthesis

Free Resources: https://lithappensse.com.
Watch It: Explore these strategies on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Lit_HappensSE.
Connect with Us:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/lit.happensseniorenglish
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@lit.happensse
Email: [email protected] (Share your exam strategies!)
Join Our Community: Never miss a Lit Happens episode!
Like and subscribe for syllabus tips, future episode themes, and to join our literary community. Available on multiple platforms - subscribe wherever you listen!
If you enjoy our podcast, please consider supporting us by leaving a review and rating our show. Your feedback helps us keep delivering quality content for English teachers and students alike.
...more
41min
November 03, 2025Lit Happens Episode 43: Reading to Write for Standard English Year 11 (2026 Programming Edition)!
Tune in to Lit Happens, where we, two dedicated HSC English educators, guide Standard English teachers through the Reading to Write unit for Year 11, building essential skills for the 2027 HSC.
This episode unpacks the unit’s purpose, outcomes, content breakdown, text suggestions, classroom activities, and tips to bridge reading and writing effectively. We continue with our LIT OR QUIT segment in its twenty-fourth week, asking: "HSC English Paper 2: Lit or Quit?" Tailored for teachers fostering perceptive readers and confident writers, this episode equips you with practical strategies to transition students into Senior English.
What You’ll Learn:
The true purpose of Reading to Write: not content recall, but developing analytical readers and thoughtful writers
How the unit’s outcomes (EST-11-01 to EST-11-06) connect reading, writing, and reflection for Standard English
How to teach Understanding and Responding through language, form, structure, and multimodal texts
Programming ideas: text suggestions like Tim Winton’s collection and much more, activity scaffolds, and ICIP protocols for ATSI texts
High-impact strategies: close reading to imitation, writer-reader journals, and peer workshops to build Band 5/6 habits

Free Resources: https://lithappensse.com.
Watch It: Explore these strategies on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Lit_HappensSE.
Connect with Us:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/lit.happensseniorenglish
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@lit.happensse
Email: [email protected] (Share your exam strategies!)
Join Our Community: Never miss a Lit Happens episode!
Like and subscribe for syllabus tips, future episode themes, and to join our literary community. Available on multiple platforms - subscribe wherever you listen!
If you enjoy our podcast, please consider supporting us by leaving a review and rating our show. Your feedback helps us keep delivering quality content for English teachers and students alike.
We’d love to hear from you!
...more
54min
October 27, 2025Lit Happens Episode 42: Reading to Write – Transition to English Advanced (2026 Programming Edition)!
Tune in to Lit Happens, where we, two dedicated HSC English educators, guide English teachers through the new Reading to Write unit for Year 11 Advanced English under the 2026 syllabus. This episode unpacks the purpose, outcomes, core content, textual concepts, and programming strategies to build critical and creative thinkers ready for the 2027 HSC. We continue with our LIT OR QUIT segment in its twenty-third week, asking: "English Paper 1 HSC 2025. Lit or Quit?" Tailored for teachers designing engaging Year 11 programs, this episode equips you with practical tools to transition students into Advanced English.
What You’ll Learn:
The true purpose of Reading to Write – not content recall, but cultivating perceptive readers and confident writers
How the 6 key outcomes (EAV-11-01 to EAV-11-06) spiral into Year 12 and the HSC
How to teach Understanding and Responding using the 9 textual concepts (Argument, Genre, Intertextuality, etc.)
Programming ideas: backward mapping from Year 12, text pairings, and critical lenses like feminist or postcolonial
High-impact teaching strategies: annotation, rewriting exercises, and reflective journals to build Band 6 habits from day one
Free Resources: https://lithappensse.com.
Watch It: Explore these strategies on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Lit_HappensSE.
Connect with Us:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/lit.happensseniorenglish
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@lit.happensse
Email: [email protected] (Share your exam strategies!)
Join Our Community: Never miss a Lit Happens episode!
Like and subscribe for syllabus tips, future episode themes, and to join our literary community. Available on multiple platforms - subscribe wherever you listen!
If you enjoy our podcast, please consider supporting us by leaving a review and rating our show. Your feedback helps us keep delivering quality content for English teachers and students alike.
We’d love to hear from you!
...more
1h
October 20, 2025Yearly English Exams: Strategies for Years 7 to 12 Teachers | Ep. 41 - Lit Happens
Australian English teachers, elevate your Years 7 to 12 students’ performance in yearly examinations with Lit Happens Episode 41. Two dedicated educators from Sydney share practical strategies to teach comprehension, essay writing, and creative tasks, drawing on NSW examples applicable nationwide. From Year 7 grammar to Year 12 curriculum-aligned responses, this episode equips teachers with tools to support diverse learners. Our Lit or Quit segment debates: Are yearly exams for all grades lit or quit?
What You’ll Learn:
Why yearly exams drive student growth in Years 7 to 12.
Exam structure: Comprehension, essays, and creative writing for Australian classrooms.
Key skills: Teaching analysis, argument, and composition across curricula.
Preparation strategies: Practical tips to help students excel in exams.
Teacher takeaways: Using exam feedback to foster learning and growth.
Free Resources: Access our Years 7 to 12 exam preparation PDF at https://lithappensse.com.
Watch It: Explore these strategies on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Lit_HappensSE.
Connect with Us:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/lit.happensseniorenglish
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@lit.happensse
Email: [email protected] (Share your exam strategies!)
Join Our Community: Subscribe and leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts for weekly teaching insights. Comment below: What are your top exam preparation tip for Years 7 to 12 students?
...more
43min
October 13, 2025Lit Happens Episode 40: Reading to Write Reloaded!
Tune in to Lit Happens, where we, two dedicated HSC English educators, guide English teachers through the revitalised Reading to Write syllabus for Year 11, setting the stage for the 2027 HSC. This episode explores why this module is crucial, how to teach language and context analysis, and strategies for building persuasive, discursive, and imaginative writing skills, all while boosting student confidence.
We continue with our LIT OR QUIT segment in its twenty-second week, asking: "New HSC content points: Lit or Quit?" Perfect for teachers preparing students for Year 12 success, this episode offers practical tools to engage diverse learners.
Check out the FREE PDF resources: https://lithappensse.com/
For a video of this resource in action, visit our YouTube page, Tiktok and Instagram.
For episodes and support content:
Follow us on YouTube: @Lit_HappensSE
Follow us on Instagram: lit.happensseniorenglish
TikTok: @lit.happensse
Never miss a Lit Happens episode!
Like and subscribe for syllabus tips, future episode themes, and to join our literary community. Available on multiple platforms - subscribe wherever you listen!
If you enjoy our podcast, please consider supporting us by leaving a review and rating our show. Your feedback helps us keep delivering quality content for English teachers and students alike.
We’d love to hear from you! Comment below or send us your thoughts, questions, or episode suggestions at [email protected]
...more
44min

FAQs about Lit_Happens Podcast:

How many episodes does Lit_Happens Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 50 episodes available.