When buying school supplies for your kid, know that not all wooden pencils are created equal. Some break constantly. Others have erasers that smudge whatever they touch. The worst ones are basically sticks of agony that deserve to be left deep in the junk drawer along with those godawful knock-off crayons.

You may have taken the quiz as a child: What type of learner are you? You'd answer questions such as, "When you see the word cat, are you more likely to a) picture a cat in your head, b) say the word 'cat' to yourself, or c) imagine yourself physically petting a cat?" Once you made your selections, your so-called learning style would be revealed. Congrats! You're a visual, auditory or kinesthetic learner!

You have problems, I have advice. This advice isn't sugar-coated -- in fact, it's sugar-free, and may even be a little bitter. Welcome to Tough Love.

The NSW Teachers Federation (NSWTF) has requested a stop work meeting of teachers on Thursday, 8 December. The meeting is scheduled to end before school recess with classes commencing sometime after. As a result, some schools are asking parents to find "alternative arrangements" for children during the morning. Here's what you need to know.

The Australian Government is already making moves to introduce coding as part of the school curriculum for kids. But teachers can get in on the action as well with a new free course being organised by Code Club Australia.

A common view is that students learn maths best when teachers give clear explanations of mathematical concepts, usually in isolation from other concepts and students are then given opportunities to practise what they have been shown. I've recently undertaken research at primary and junior secondary levels exploring a different approach.