In this final episode of 2025, we’re doing a Teaching Together take on Spotify Wrapped and reflecting on the moments that really shaped us as teachers this year. The minutes we have spent in teacher mode, the top emotions, routines on repeat, and pedagogical “genres” that have defined our year. As Grayce would say, this episode is all about cognitive closure — reflecting, putting 2025 down gently, and giving ourselves permission to properly rest and recover before kick-starting the 2026 school year.

We had a lot of fun reflecting on the year that has been, and we hope that this episode helps you find some cognitive closure of your own before resting, resetting, and heading into whatever comes next.

See you next year!

It's nearly Christmas🎄which means most of us are just coming out the other side of report writing, probably a little worse-for-wear. In today’s episode, we chat about one of the trickiest parts of the process: reporting on the qualitative stuff.

We chat about why it’s hard to assess and measure attributes like student mindset, attitude to learning and positivity as we reflect on our own recent report-writing experiences. We also explore simple strategies we can put in place for 2026 to make reporting on these less-tangible qualities more consistent, fair, and meaningful for all of our students—not just the enthusiastic or bubbly ones.

If you know the weight of trying to decide whether someone 'always, usually or sometimes' shows a positive attitude to their learning, then this one is for you!

Recording this as PD? Here are the relevant APSTs:

Focus Area 1.1 – Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students
Focus Area 5.5 – Report clearly, accurately and respectfully to students and parents/carers
Focus Area 6.2 – Engage in professional learning and improve practice

In this episode, we’re pulling apart one of the biggest assumptions in education right now — that we can standardise our way to better teachers. 🎓

The Strong Beginnings report argues that high-quality, uniform Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programs will create more effective teachers — and in turn, solve the teacher shortage. But that idea misses a huge piece of the puzzle.

Today we unpack why “teacher effectiveness” can’t simply be built through university content or policy frameworks. Whether you’re in ITE, mentoring a graduate, or somewhere in between, this episode challenges the myth of the “perfectly prepared teacher” and reminds us that teaching is as much art as it is science.

💡 Helpful Links

In today's Recess Digest, we're unpacking two more Habits of Mind - Applying Past Knowledge and Taking Responsible Risks. We chat a little bit about what these habits mean and share some ideas and language you can use in your classroom to start building these habits in your own learners!

Helpful Links 💡

Teaching Together Habits of Mind Stamp!

The Habits of Mind Institute

Project Zero - Thinking Routines

Parent–teacher interviews: love them or dread them, they’re one of the most nerve-wracking parts of the school year. In this episode, we get honest about how we typically prepare, and share some strategies for both primary and high school settings, including how to navigate the tricky conversations that inevitably come up from time to time.

You’ll also hear some practical wisdom from one of our favourite books for new graduate teachers, Bianca Hewes’ On Teaching — including her must-have interview survival tips — and we’ll share our own hacks for keeping calm, confident, and compassionate during long nights of back-to-back meetings.

Whether you’re a beginning teacher heading into your first round of interviews, or if you just want to feel a little less panicked and a little more prepared, this episode has something for you!

Welcome to Term 3! Whether you are a few weeks in or just getting started, the end-of-winter burnout is probably creeping in, if it hasn't already crash-landed in front of you.

In this episode, we talk honestly about the emotional rollercoaster of teaching across the term and pull apart some recent research about teacher wellbeing, including some surprising stats on how our energy and motivation shift week by week as the term goes on.

We also share some practical strategies and mindset shifts that have helped us to reset and win the arm wrestle against fatigue and burn out as the term goes on. If you’re feeling flat, fatigued, or like you're just going through the motions — this episode is your mid-year circuit breaker!

💡 Helpful Links:
Be You Educator Wellbeing Toolkit
Be You Wellbeing Tools for Teachers
Be You Professional Learning for Educators
Black Dog Institute – Teacher Wellbeing Report
UNSW: Boosting Wellbeing at the Start of Term

📝 Recording this as PD? Here are the relevant APSTs:
• 6.2: Engage in professional learning and improve practice
• 7.3: Engage with colleagues and improve practice
• 7.4: Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities
• 4.4: Maintain student safety and wellbeing

Welcome to another episode from the learning lounge! Today's special guest Matt Pitman, author of The Connection Curriculum, joins in for a powerful conversation unpacking some of the big, confronting questions for educators everywhere. We think about who our school system is serving, what does it mean to truly connect with students and help them find meaning in their learning. We also explore how school refusal and teacher burnout reflect deeper systemic issues, and why shifting our focus toward authentic connection could be a key part of the solution.

Helpful Links 💡

📘 The Connection Curriculum – Buy the book
📲 Follow Matt Pitman on Instagram – @mattlukepitman

Recording this at PD? Here are the relevant APSTs:

Focus Area 1.1 – Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students
Focus Area 4.1 – Support student participation
Focus Area 7.4 – Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities

Today we’re getting honest about the emotional and professional expectations we had walking into the classroom and how reality has reshaped those over time.

We open up about the emotional energy that teaching demands from us, some of the realities of which neither of us quite expected. We also challenge some of the professional expectations that we once thought were non-negotiables — think Pinterest-worthy displays, colour-coded planners, and perfectly ‘evidence-based’ practice.

Spoiler: we’ve learned that sometimes, doing the bare minimum is actually doing your job well.

Helpful links 💡

If you need a pick me up - Bluey Cake Fail

Recording this as PD? Here are the relevant APSTs:

Focus Area 7.4 - Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities

In this episode, we’re talking all things Proficient Teacher Accreditation. Whether you’re at the beginning of your accreditation journey or mentoring someone through it, this episode has got something for you. Sierra shares a few of her top tips to keep the stress levels low (did someone say proficiency party??) and Grayce shares how she has found the process to be so far.

We unpack the steps involved in NSW with plenty of practical tips, break down how to annotate your evidence, and touch on how the process compares in other Australian states, (spoiler alert, it's not too different).

You’ve got this — and we’re here to cheer you on!

Want our free Evidence Planning Matrix?
Send us a DM with the word “Proficient” over on Instagram @teachingtogetherthepodcast and we’ll send it your way!

Other Helpful links 💡

• Apply for Proficient Teacher (NESA)

• Evidence Guide PDF (NESA)

• AITSL Standards – Proficient

Compare the process in other states:

• VIC (VIT)

• QLD (QCT)

• SA

• WA

• NT

We are back for Term 2 and are super keen to bring you this conversation with Tom Mahoney, a passionate educator and PhD candidate at Deakin University. Tom's work involves exploring the impact of educational ideologies on education and educators, and seeks to look for ways to help teachers critically reflect on the ins and outs of their practice. We hope you find this discussion really helpful, maybe even challenging, as we consider the 'why' behind what we do.

Helpful Links 💡

Check out Tom's Blog Here

Recording this as PD? Here are the relevant APSTs:

Focus Area 6.2 - Engage in professional learning and improve practice

Focus Area 6.3 - Engage with colleagues and improve practice