Minnis Journals

For Education Leaders

Upward Bullying Takes its Toll on School Leaders

Any person in leadership in a school is a potential target for an upward bully but the situation for school principals is of particular concern. When a principal is brought down, the fallout is cumulative; the most senior member of the school staff is dislodged, the executive structure is shaken and the entire school community and the culture of the school are destabilised.

"Non scholae, sed amicis discimus!"

Across all grade levels, peers are the most important catalysts for educational processes. Against this background, the phrase inspired by Seneca and often quoted, "Non scholae, sed vitae discimus." must be corrected to read: "Non scholae, sed amicis discimus." So, we learn not for school, but for friends.
It's noteworthy that the mentioned agreements vary depending on the age of the students.

Ken Rigby - Interventions in Cases of Bullying in Schools. A Training Manual for Teachers and Counsellors

When we know that the number of children in Australia that are bullied in school on any particular day, would fill the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground - MCG, then Australia has a very significant challenge. This bullying interventions training manual for teachers and school leaders is an absolute necessity for every school, addressing critically important needs - safe and supportive schools. The brief booklet enables time poor school teachers and leaders in schools to easily read it and apply it. Read more

Short and Sweet Solution to Lift Literacy

Literacy and reading skills are getting weaker for many Aussie kids and at least part of the problem is a lack of attention span.
You might blame it on short form media like TikTok and the plethora of online distractions but the concentration needed to read a book is simply missing in action for many. One in three Australian school children are behind where they should be on literacy.
Further, reading for pleasure decreases in popularity over time. Read more

Wellbeing Across the Educational Landscape - Article 1 Fundamental Wellbeing Principles

This series is designed to provide supportive and equitable access to a wide audience, including neurodivergent readers. This informs the information, language, font, colours, images and spacing used.
Understanding “Wellbeing Across the Educational Landscape” involves investigating wellbeing across diverse population groups and contexts. This first article discusses foundational wellbeing considerations. Read more

Children Disengage from Maths Early and Parents Have a Role

We know that kids are turning away from maths, we know that the distaste for the subject begins early, less is known about how to remedy the drop out rates from the subject.
Extensive research fails to uncover how teachers can remedy poor student engagement and perform well in maths, but the suspicion is that parents’ influence plays a role.
Read more