Semester 1 2022

This edition of the Journal of Professional Learning (JPL) is a collection of diverse and exciting articles for all teachers. It includes constructive advice on how modern assessment theory can help teachers plan to effectively assess their students’ Higher Order Thinking Skills centred on student cognitive growth. We also delve into the Stage 6 English syllabuses with a helpful and practical guide to the teaching of Reading to Write and the Craft of Writing. Teachers are invited to explore how using literature in primary classrooms can better address all students’ academic and emotional needs, with a particular emphasis on LGBTIQ+ families and young people and are provided a comprehensive appendix of children’s texts with links to the K-6 curriculum. An on-the-ground article outlining the process and resulting benefit for teachers undergoing accreditation at Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher is complemented by another that gives an insight into how schools can draw on the knowledge of their expert teachers to lift the capacity of all teachers. The significance of former Federation president, Sam Lewis, and his influence on the fundamental beliefs and values of our union is presented in a biographical form as a reminder of the importance of teacher union activism.  This edition also introduces the international project, Conviction Politics, through an in-depth exploration of the role played by convicts transported in the 18th and 19th centuries in the development of both Australia’s chartist democracy and the trade union movement. The importance of the revival and teaching of Aboriginal languages is shared through an insight into the journey to create the Dhurga Djamanj (We all talk Dhurga) Language Program, along with the compilation of the invaluable Dhurga dictionary. The edition ends with a passionate call to action to share the message of the Uluru Statement of the Heart; providing teachers with a rare opportunity to advocate for a constitutionally protected Indigenous Voice to parliament.