Queensland to Start Teaching Psychology!!!

FINALLY!

Queensland has had a massive curriculum reform and they are finally offering Psychology at high school level which multiple Australian states have had for years!

The course itself if you haven't seen it can be accessed through the QCAA site:

https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/downloads/portal/syllabuses/snr_psychology_19_syll.pdf

It is a combination of VCE Psychology and IB Psychology with some elements from the A Levels and GCSE courses.

I think the course has a nice range of topics available that are relevant to students and also fun to teach. Having taught psychology over two syllabuses (VCE and IB) and working on the syllabus for psychology with the QCAA, I understand the content well but the teaching not as much. I'm still very apprehensive about how to teach this as a 50% exam Science subject in QLD. Anyone else?

I'm currently teaching a semester based elective subject in psychology, any feedback, input or interest in discussing psychology as part of the QCAA would be greatly appreciated!

Please comment below, would love to start the conversation early so we can all be ready next year for the start of Psychology syllabus.

Teacher burn out! It’s real y’all!!

It’s that time of year!

No not Christmas time, but the time where kids and teachers are exhausted and barely able to make it to school let alone learn to the best of their ability.

This is also often the time of year that is the busiest for teachers.

It often amazes me how little people who are not in the Education realm understand about teachers. If I had 5 cents every time someone has said to me "Oh what do you have to complain about, teachers are always on holidays! You have it so easy." I would never have to work again!

The truth of the matter is, sure we get holidays, sure we technically have shorter days, but any good teacher works well before and after each day of the week, we are marking, replying to emails, talking with parents, managing sports teams and marking all hours of the day just to name a few of our responsibilities. Not only this, we are in charge of between 25-30 kids all day long, their safety, their learning, their engagement and entertainment, their mental health and their motivation. It is a lot to ask of one person no matter how brilliant you may be.

So to those who say that we have no right to complain because we have more holidays, all I respond with is "If it is so easy, why don't you do it?"

I am always met with stutter or the individual looking down as if ashamed of their response. "Oh No, I couldn't possibly give up my job." But why? If it is so easy shouldn't everyone do it?

Now, I don't want to have a whinge and a moan, but I did want to talk about something that is very real. Teachers are human beings. We are tired, we have had a manic amount of marking and teaching this term, for example over a 3 day period, I marked over 100 two hour long papers including essays. I know many teachers that had more.

Teachers who last more than 5 years in the profession is a rarity these days and that's because there is such a high demand for time and none given. And with the change in curriculum to external exams in QLD, this lack of time will cost not only our schools, but our students if things do not change.

So in this busy time of year, spare a thought for us teachers, and help us to get through the year so that we can be the best that we can be for your kids!

If you're a teacher, or a student, leave a comment, let me know what you think about what I have written. My goal for this part of the blog is to add in useful resources as well as hints and tips especially for those going into external exams next year! In the meantime, teachers in the QLD state system, only 6 days to go!!