Reconciliation is all about working together and we have teamed up with one of our favourite allies, Aaron Johnston from Mr J’s Learning Space to bring you an amazing resource for Reconciliation Week this year.

Aboriginal cultural awareness training is becoming an increasing priority for many Australian schools and workplaces. It is a reflection of the increasing recognition of the importance of cultural safety in the way organisations work – both internally and also in delivering services to Aboriginal communities.

Incorporating First Nations perspectives into your Easter activities is a great way to deepen students' appreciation for the richness and diversity of our culture.

This time of year, as we restock classroom supplies, there is a lot of conversation about where to buy Aboriginal education resources and other items - that is items that are about Aboriginal people, represent Aboriginal people or are items based on Aboriginal culture and authentic cultural expression. This conversation has gotten greater each year as awareness of the importance of buying Blak spreads, so I really like that the conversation is happening. It is a really important conversation.

Including First Nations resources and displays in your classroom is a great way to set the tone for the year. Not only is it beautiful, but this content is going to be a regular part of your teaching plan. Having artworks, books and other resources readily accessible to students is a good way to make sure you are embedding content.

So it is that time of year again. January 26th. Invasion Day. Survival Day. Australia Day. No matter what you call it, there is no escaping the exhausting, frustrating and often anger-inducing conversations that come with it.

​2023. Can you believe it is almost here? For most teachers the end of the school year means planning for the next year is high on your priority list.

​Aboriginal communities have been standing up for change ever since invasion. Not all change makers have highly public profiles. There are examples of people working for change on a local level in every community. There are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in your local community working every day towards change.

​If you are following along with this year’s Challenge, your class would be talking about some of the amazing First Nations change makers who have played a significant role in making change for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Earlier this year, I was invited to participate in a truth telling session hosted by the Art and Culture Exchange on Burramattagal Country. The session was part of the 23rd Sydney Biennale and brought together Darug custodians and the National Committee of the Friends of Myall Creek to yarn about frontier conflict and healing.

​Getting up and learning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, people and culture is important for all Australians. Some of our Challenge Team share why getting up is important to them.

I am really excited about NAIDOC this year. I am looking forward to getting to some events, catching up with mob and celebrating the hard work that our communities are doing. Once again, the National NAIDOC Committee have chosen a theme that I think perfectly reflects where Australia is at with its education journey.

This year’s theme is Be Brave. Make Change. It encourages us all to reflect on our practice and look at the changes we can make. Change is one of those funny things that we want because it opens up opportunities and can make us feel energised and motivated but at the same time, change can feel challenging as it forces us out of our comfort zones.

Digital tools are an important part of today’s classrooms. We all have our favourites – Wingaru Kids, Mathletics, Essential Assessment, Typing Tournament, Reading Eggs, Google Classroom, just to name a few – whatever your chosen resources, digital tools are an everyday part of learning.

​Reconciliation is a big word that echoes louder and louder as time pounds ever forward. It means different things to different people. To some, it is a token gesture, a week in the year in which a word is repeated to tick political boxes.

April 22 is Earth Day, a day when people all over the world focus on caring for the earth and protecting the planet from things like pollution and deforestation. The day brings focus to the environmental challenges our world is facing and raises awareness not only of the problem but also the things we can all do to help make a healthier planet.