A great resource for revisiting punctuation basics with high school students. This worksheet can be used as a one on one tutoring resource. Alternatively, you can take activities from here to use as fast finishers or homework activities. This document introduces students to the three major uses of the apostrophe: to make words possessive, to make contractions and to make odd plurals. Each section includes a range of activities for students to apply what they have learned (short response and some multiple choice questions taken from past NAPLAN tests). It also includes some follow up activities that can be set for homework.

Unit plan designed for a 10-week term of 12 Essential English. It includes a subject description, a description of the unit, a list of unit objectives (from the syllabus), my planned teaching and learning cycle, the unit learning intentions and success criteria, assessment task details and a list of recommended resources. A Scope and Sequence suggesting topics to be covered throughout the term is also included (as taught by me in 2023). The learning resources (PPTs, worksheets etc.) for the unit are also available in My Store.

A PowerPoint used during the assessment phase of the unit. It reviews the requirements for the source analysis and evaluation table for this task (IA2). It also provides students with a list of upcoming checkpoints so they know what they are expected to work on for homework. The lesson begins with a review of how to determine whether a source is trustworthy (reliable). The TADPOLE acronym can be used to help make this assessment. Some preparation tips are provided (as to fit within the word count students should have a plan in place before they begin writing). There are some example source tables for students to learn from. Then, at the end of the 17 slides, there is time for students to begin annotating the sources they have found and make dot points in their planning booklet. They are expected to have 3 tables done before the next lesson. Resources designed for the new senior Modern History syllabus (implemented in QLD in 2019). The end of term assessment for this unit was an Independent Source Investigation. The content would also be useful more broadly for students in other states and countries with an interest in the China (1931-1976). The other resources are also available in my store – Aussie_Resources.

This worksheet can be used as a one on one tutoring resource. Alternatively, you can take activities from here to use as fast finishers or homework activities. This document introduces students to key terms like fact, opinion and embellishment. It includes sentences and paragraphs and challenges students to identify whether they are subjective/objective. It also provides some information about zoos and asks students to write a subjective and objective paragraph about the topic. The second section explores how verbs, adverbs and well-constructed, extended noun groups can position the reader to form an opinion or judge a person. It gives an example of a famous Australian and shows how by changing a few words you can change the connotation of the text. It includes comprehension questions to check the students understanding. In the third section, a subjective newspaper article about the Vietnam war is included for students to analyse. There are comprehension questions which follow this. The final section introduces students to the concept of tone and gives them a list of different words to describe the tone of a text. Students then look at an advertisement and have to suggest the tone. Subsequently, they read a bias newspaper article and answer questions about this. Finally, there is a writing activity for students which encourages them to write persuasively.

A unit plan for 11 Hospitality Unit 1: Introduction to Hospitality, Topic 1: Beverage operations and services. The table of contents allows for ease of navigation (you can hit control and click the part you want to visit and it will take you there). Included in the unit plan is some information from the syllabus, a description of the unit, some key terms, an outline of the assessment for term 1 and term 2 (as this informs the recipes made in prac), a breakdown of the criteria (C Standard), a plan for the prac lessons (what to teach and what food is being made), some suggested resources, prompts for a teacher reflection at the end of the unit and a list of some ways to monitor student learning. Resources designed for use in an 11 Hospitality Practices class in Australia (2019 curriculum). My school has 70-minute lessons. (2 x theory and 1 x prac). The assessment at the end of this unit was an examination (short response).

A lesson observation template which can be used to provide feedback to prac students / beginning teachers.

I have given this out as a farewell gift to prac students at the end of their placement.

A PowerPoint used during the assessment phase of the unit. It begins by explaining what a rationale is and then provides a suggested structure (based on the QCAA exemplar). I have then colour coded and annotated the rationale from the QCAA exemplar to demonstrate the language features and key content. As a key component of the rationale is a tentative thesis statement (aka hypothesis), the PPT then shows how to write a tentative hypothesis and provides some good and bad ones for students to consider. Finally, the students have time to write their first draft of the rationale. There is also a word document with sentence starters and a handout with 3 example rationales for students to annotate. Resources designed for the new senior Modern History syllabus (implemented in QLD in 2019). The end of term assessment for this unit was an Independent Source Investigation. The content would also be useful more broadly for students in other states and countries with an interest in the China (1931-1976). The other resources are also available in my store – Aussie_Resources.

A PowerPoint used during the assessment phase of the unit. It reviews the requirements for the CSOE (IA2). The lesson will help students to learn the purpose, structure and language of a Critical Summary. There are a few examples for students to read (in the hope that they identify good phrasing which they could use as sentence starters for their own). Three suggested structures are provided (taken from the History Skills Website). Afterwards, students have time to map out their ideas for their CSOE and begin writing. Resources designed for the new senior Modern History syllabus (implemented in QLD in 2019). The end of term assessment for this unit was an Independent Source Investigation. The content would also be useful more broadly for students in other states and countries with an interest in the China (1931-1976). The other resources are also available in my store – Aussie_Resources.

A PowerPoint designed for the assessment handout lesson. It begins with a warm up (Treasure Hunt) where students are given their task sheet and the QCAA exemplar. (There are a list of questions they have to respond to.) Following this, information from the task sheet is shown (i.e. context, task, conditions, checkpoints). I also have a marking summary (how many points they get for each skill). We then look at the ISMG (Instrument Specific Marking Guide) and unpack what each of these mean – using elaborations from the QCAA’s subject reports. Examples of good key and sub questions are included to demonstrate devising and conducting.

A mini lesson on how to write a key inquiry question and relevant sub questions. Resources designed for the new senior Modern History syllabus (implemented in QLD in 2019). The end of term assessment for this unit was an Independent Source Investigation. The content would also be useful more broadly for students in other states and countries with an interest in the China (1931-1976). The other resources are also available in my store – Aussie_Resources.

A PowerPoint used during assessment phase of the unit (when students are completing a historical inquiry). It begins with information about how to do a BOOLEAN search. This is followed by a list of good places to look for sources online as well as a list of sources I don’t want to see. There is a recommended research process with tips and suggested word counts. This is followed by what information student should put into their IA2 source analysis tables (a reminder of the Features of Evidence which should be noted is provided via the CAMPORUM acronym). Finally, there are examples of what goes on the left and right side of the table.

A PowerPoint designed to teach students how to write an essay under exam conditions in response to historical sources. (In Queensland this is done once a year and students are given half of their sources one week before the exam, the remainder are unseen sources. The question is unseen until the assessment date.) The lesson will help build student assessment literacy as they become familiar with the criteria which they will be assessed with. The lesson begins with tips for how to write a thesis statement (aka historical argument / hypothesis). Students are shown an example introduction (from QCAA’s sample IA1) and they must identify the thesis statement. Students are then shown the example question used by the QCAA. As a class we discuss what we believe the task statement is asking the student to do. We unpack the words ‘to what extent.’ The PPT then goes through each of the criteria one at a time. The syllabus definition is provided along with what is required to get top marks. On the next slides this is followed by a look at a body paragraph which has been written with the criteria in mind (words which demonstrate this skill are highlighted). Sometimes an additional example from the subject report (these have been written by actual students.) This is followed by tips for engaging with sources, preparing for the exam etc. A recommended structure is provided for the introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion is also provided.

This PPT was designed for an English staff meeting but could be modified for use in other departments. It is especially useful when mentoring beginning teachers. It explains the three types of assessment: Assessment of learning (summative). Assessment for learning (formative). Assessment as Learning (learning from reflections after completing the task). It looks at why all three forms are important and how to make each type meaningful. It includes example scaffolding for an assessment task (including how to explain the criteria to your students). It includes an example template for students to write their assignment into (that teacher’s can then model their own templates off of). It includes an example of a draft checklist which can speed up a teacher’s draft time. It explains the importance of providing timely feedback on final assessment and includes example feedback and an explanation of the sandwich model.

The first resource is a template I use for student reflections at the end of each term. It includes sections for feedback about the assessment, the learning opportunities and about me as a teacher. The second resource is a template I use for completing my own reflections after teaching a unit. It can be great for beginning teachers or for staff to complete together at the end of term.

PowerPoint one: appropriate for senior classes (years 10-12) - includes tips to help students improve their verbal and nonverbal presentation skills - includes clips of famous speeches to help students identify the techniques PowerPoint two: appropriate for junior classes (years 7-9) - includes public speaking tips - includes tips for Power Points including visual pictures of what not to do - includes an example PowerPoint presentation created by a student that presents the information effectively - includes a list of topics for 30 seconds speeches (to get students to practice the skills they've learned

Do you have students who don't know when to use a comma? Do you want a resource that looks at the rules around when to, and when not to, utilise a comma in your writing? If so, this may be the resource for you. This worksheet can be used as a one on one tutoring resource. Alternatively, you can take activities from here to use as fast finishers or homework activities. You could even put this into a PowerPoint for a NAPLAN preparation lesson. This worksheet includes explanations and examples. It also features a lot of activities to test students understanding of what they have learned. Suitable for upper primary and high school students.

Do you have students who constantly use fragments (incomplete sentences) in their writing? Do you want a resource that will teach students about clauses, sentences, and fragments so that you have a shared language when it comes to providing feedback at drafting time? If so, this may be the resource for you. This worksheet can be used as a one on one tutoring resource. Alternatively, you can take activities from here to use as fast finishers or homework activities. You could even put this into a PowerPoint for a NAPLAN preparation lesson. The first section of this worksheet includes explanations and examples of: independent, co-ordinant and dependent clauses. It also has a section about embedded clauses and how they can be an effective tool for writers. It also features a lot of activities to test students understanding of what they have learned. The second section of the worksheet looks at the requirements of sentences. It includes examples of the following types of sentence: simple, compound and complex. The information is interspersed with activities to check for understanding. The final section of the worksheet introduces students to fragments and why they are nonsensical and detrimental to your writing. This is followed by a writing activity (students are given a list of key points to turn into a newspaper article). It also includes editing prompts at the end which helps students to refine their initial story.

This 9-page booklet/resource provides 8 tips to improve your writing. These can be applied to a range of text types including narratives, essays and newspaper articles. Each tip comes with examples, activities or a suggested word bank for students to try to incorporate in their writing going forward.

A PowerPoint for an English meeting - offering advice to new staff in the department. It includes an example scope and sequence. It lists ideal opening and closing procedures that we would expect to see teachers completing at the start and end of each lesson. Bloom’s taxonomy - a list of verbs useful when writing questions / tasks for school. Two templates for a lesson sequence Three lesson plan templates A feedback form I use when observing other teachers