While there are many competing views on what school curricula should cover, and some passionate voices discussing the efficacy of standardised tests such as NAPLAN, the meat in the education sandwich is often teachers. Many work much longer hours than we realise, dealing with challenging issues and have to keep up with changing requirements while continually developing their skills. So, what are teachers paid in this country?

Do you have a pair of vocal folds that can produce sound? Can you tell the difference between a higher note and a lower note? Good news! You and about 98.5% of the population absolutely can be taught how to sing.

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!

A typical lesson in a Western classroom might look something like this: "What's the most common gas in Earth's atmosphere?" the teacher asks. Kids raise their hands.

Welcome back to Mid-Week Meditations, Lifehacker's weekly dip into the pool of stoic wisdom, and a guide to using its waters to reflect on and improve your life.

If you dream of travelling to far flung places to teach English, then becoming qualified is the first step. Globally, CELTA is the highest regarded qualification for teaching English as a foreign language. Because it’s internationally respected, it’s a very intensive course and is a steep learning curve. I’ll admit it was exhausting at times and I became a coffee addict while training for my certificate. I loved it prior to starting the course, but it soon became more than love, it became a necessity.

A couple of years ago, Khan Academy and Pixar teamed up for Pixar in a Box, a series of courses meant to show off how Pixar gets things done. They have expanded their initial offering quite a bit since launch, and now they have added a storytelling section.

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.

Lots of kids have trouble remembering their times tables. Learning them by rote can mean a child can accurately recite the times tables, but has no idea what the numbers actually mean or how to apply this knowledge in a maths problem.

If you've been itching to learn photography but aren't sure where to start, former Stanford professor and Google teacher Marc Levoy has released his entire course, which includes video lectures and slides online for free.

Video: The joule can be a confusing enough form of measurement for adults, but the folks over at Adafruit managed to distil how joules work for a younger audience. As these things go, the video's just as useful for confused adults.

Blurry-eyed and exhausted, I lumbered up to a member of airport security staff. I had just gotten off a flight from Singapore, and after the longest series of flights I have ever taken I had finally arrived at my last destination, Siem Reap. He simply asked “Singapore?” to which I responded with a croaky “yes”. He sent me in a different direction to the sign that said Passport Control and after confusingly looking in both directions three times, I realised he was sending me towards the gate to catch a flight to Singapore. I panicked “No wait, I’ve just come from Singapore!”. He laughed hysterically at the mistake, and in my worn-out state so did I, grateful that the Cambodian stereotype of being incredibly friendly showed itself to be true thus far.

There are tons of different ways to teach your kids basic maths concepts, but if you're looking for something a bit more fun, the folks over at Scholastic have a guide for using LEGO bricks to teach concepts like fractions, square numbers, and more.

Educational apps for kids are everywhere, but only a select few teach important lessons in entertaining ways. Here are six apps that can actually teach your kids valuable skills -- from developing a musical ear to learning how to code.

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.

Pick any industry and you'll find that very few people actually do the work themselves. Most cite a secondary source, or look up a summary online to quickly learn what they think they need to know. But this is exactly why doing the boring work more consistently is actually a competitive advantage. You should observe things for yourself.

Most of us agree: the world could use a little more financial literacy. Everyone talks about the need for financial education in schools and beyond. But if it were up to you, what exactly would you teach?

By teaching what you already know about your profession or hobby, you'll learn more, potentially gain some notoriety as an up-and-coming expert, make new connections with people, and find new opportunities. And you'll have some fun.