Coffee and Whiteboard Markers Podcast

Coffee and Whiteboard Markers

From the front lines of the classroom, Myles O'Kane and Matty Bissett talk all things teaching in these weekly episodes. Hosted from Australia, this podcast dives into the highs, lows, and everything in between of teaching. Whether you're a new teacher finding your feet or a seasoned educator looking for fresh ideas, we've got you covered. Tune in and let's make a difference one lesson at a time!

  1. 6d ago

    Episode 92: What Are the World's Best Education Systems Doing Differently?

    What are the world's highest-performing education systems getting right, and what can Australian schools learn from them? Australia continues to face significant challenges in education, from declining academic performance and classroom behaviour concerns to increasing teacher workloads and student disengagement. But rather than focusing on what's going wrong in Australian schools, what if we looked at what other countries are doing successfully? Countries such as Singapore, Japan, Estonia, Finland and South Korea have attracted international attention for their approaches to education. From high academic expectations and structured teaching to teacher professionalism, student support and classroom routines, each system offers valuable lessons. But what makes an education system truly successful? Is it academic achievement, student wellbeing, classroom behaviour, educational equity or a combination of all four? In this episode we take a closer look at some of the world's most successful education systems, explore what makes them different and discuss which practices Australian schools could realistically adopt. 🎙️ In This Episode, We Discuss: How the world's best education systems are measured and compared.What international assessments such as PISA, TIMSS and PIRLS reveal about student achievement.Why Singapore consistently achieves exceptional academic results.What Australian schools can learn from Japan's classroom routines, student responsibility and teacher collaboration.How Estonia combines strong academic performance with educational equity.Finland's approach to teacher professionalism, student support and school autonomy.South Korea's high academic expectations and the pressures associated with educational competition.The importance of classroom behaviour, academic standards and teacher expertise.Whether Australian schools place enough emphasis on foundational literacy and numeracy skills.Five practical strategies Australian schools could adopt from successful international education systems.The big question: Does Australia need to fundamentally change its approach to education, or could we achieve better results by improving the fundamentals of teaching and learning? 💬 We Want to Hear From You! If you could introduce one practice from another country's education system into Australian schools, what would it be? Should Australia focus more heavily on academic achievement, classroom discipline, teacher development or student wellbeing? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. ☕ Connect With Coffee and Whiteboard Markers For more honest conversations, practical teaching strategies and insights into Australian education, find us on: 📺 YouTube: @coffeeandwhiteboardmarkers 📸 Instagram: @coffeeandwhiteboardmarkers 📘 Facebook: Coffee and Whiteboard Markers 🎧 Spotify: Search Coffee and Whiteboard Markers 📰 Weekly Newsletter: Practical teaching advice, classroom strategies and reflections every Saturday. 👍 Support the Podcast If you enjoyed this episode: LIKE the video to support the channel.SUBSCRIBE for regular conversations about Australian education, classroom management, student behaviour, teacher wellbeing and school leadership.SHARE this episode with a teacher, school leader or anyone interested in improving education.COMMENT below and join the discussion.Your support helps Coffee and Whiteboard Markers reach more educators and continue meaningful conversations about teaching and education. Coffee and Whiteboard Markers — Real Talk for Real Teaching. #CoffeeAndWhiteboardMarkers #AustralianEducation #EducationPodcast #AustralianTeachers #TeachingAndLearning #EducationSystems #PISA #TeacherDevelopment #SchoolLeadership #ClassroomManagement #EducationReform

  2. Oct 27

    Episode 91: Australia's School Attendance Crisis | Why Students Are Missing School?

    Australia has a school attendance problem. Why are so many students missing school, and what can we do about it? Across Australian schools, student attendance remains a significant concern. From students who miss one or two days a week to those experiencing prolonged school refusal, the consequences for learning, engagement, and future opportunities can be substantial. Consider this: a student with an attendance rate of just 82% misses about 36 school days each year. Over six years of secondary school, that's more than an entire school year of missed classroom time. But what's keeping students away from school? Have attitudes towards education changed? Are schools doing enough to engage students? What role should families, teachers, and school leaders play in improving attendance? In this episode, we explore Australia's student attendance problem, its causes, and practical strategies to get students back into classrooms. Is Australia facing a school attendance crisis?  Welcome to another education podcast episode where we discuss some of the biggest challenges facing Australian schools. Drawing on school attendance statistics from Western Australian public secondary schools, this conversation examines changing attendance rates and why seemingly small percentages can mean significant missed classroom learning.  The school attendance crisis in Australia raises important questions for teachers, parents, and education professionals. Although school attendance rates may appear reasonable at first glance, the number of missed school days can reveal a much bigger challenge.  Improving student attendance requires more than simply asking students to come to school. Educators may first need to help students establish realistic attendance goals, return to the classroom, and gradually rebuild their engagement with learning. This episode explores how teachers and school support staff work with students who experience serious attendance difficulties. It also raises important questions about how schools can respond to persistent absenteeism and help students reconnect with education. 💬 We Want to Hear From You! Do you believe student attendance in Australian schools is getting worse? What do you think is the biggest reason students are missing school? And what strategies have you seen successfully improve attendance? Share your experiences and opinions in the comments below. ☕ Connect With Coffee and Whiteboard Markers For more honest conversations, practical teaching strategies and insights into Australian education, find us on: 📺 YouTube: @coffeeandwhiteboardmarkers 📸 Instagram: @coffeeandwhiteboardmarkers 📘 Facebook: Coffee and Whiteboard Markers 🎧 Spotify: Search Coffee and Whiteboard Markers 📰 Weekly Newsletter: Practical teaching advice, classroom strategies and reflections every Saturday. 👍 Support the Podcast If you enjoyed this episode: LIKE the video to support the channel. SUBSCRIBE for regular conversations about Australian education, classroom management, student behaviour, teacher wellbeing and school leadership.. Coffee and Whiteboard Markers — Real Talk for Real Teaching. #CoffeeAndWhiteboardMarkers #SchoolAttendance #AustralianEducation #AustralianTeachers #SchoolRefusal #StudentEngagement #TeacherLife #EducationPodcast #SchoolLeadership #TeacherWellbeing #SchoolAttendance #AustralianEducation #StudentAttendance #ChronicAbsenteeism #SchoolAttendanceCrisis

  3. Oct 21

    Episode 89:Staffroom Survival: How to Work Effectively With Anyone.

    Working with students is only one part of being a teacher. Working effectively with the adults around you can be just as challenging! In this episode, we explore what it really takes to build strong, productive and professional relationships with colleagues in Australian schools. Whether you're working with fellow teachers, school leaders, Student Services, or support staff, effective communication, managing disagreements, and building trust can make a huge difference to your work environment. In this episode, we discuss: The most important qualities of an effective colleagueWhy reliability and clear communication matterHow to work with people you don't necessarily likeManaging disagreements without damaging relationshipsNavigating staffroom politics and workplace gossipWhy respecting other people's time is so importantSetting professional boundaries with colleaguesHow to handle difficult conversationsCommon mistakes that damage professional relationshipsWhat school leaders can do to build stronger teams?You don't need to be friends with everyone you work with. But you do need to find ways to work together effectively. 🎙️ Connect With Coffee and Whiteboard Markers Want more practical teaching advice, honest conversations and strategies for navigating life in Australian schools? Find us on: 📺 YouTube:    / @coffeeandwhiteboardmarkers  📸 Instagram:   / coffeeandwhiteboardmarkers  📘 Facebook:   / coffeeandwhiteboardmarkers  🎧 Spotify: Search Coffee and Whiteboard Markers 👍 Support the Podcast If you enjoyed this episode: Like the video to help us reach more teachers. Subscribe for regular conversations about teaching, student behaviour, classroom management and school leadership. Share this episode with a colleague who might find it useful. Coffee and Whiteboard Markers — Real Talk for Real Teaching. #CoffeeAndWhiteboardMarkers #TeacherLife #AustralianTeachers #TeacherTips #SchoolLeadership #TeacherWellbeing #TeachingInAustralia #StaffRelationships #ProfessionalDevelopment #EducationPodcast

  4. Aug 30

    Episode 87: Teaching Isn't What You Think - Myths vs Reality

    In this episode, we break down some of the most common misconceptions about what it actually means to be a teacher and compare them with the reality of working in schools. We discuss: The myth that teachers only work during school hoursWhat teacher “holidays” actually look likeWhy great teachers can still have difficult classesThe idea that good behaviour management means never having behaviour problemsWhether teaching gets easier with experienceThe assumption that teachers simply deliver the same lessons every yearWhy building relationships doesn't mean lowering expectationsThe work that happens behind the scenes that students and parents rarely seeWhy teaching can be incredibly rewarding while still being incredibly demandingSome teaching myths are harmless. Others create unrealistic expectations about workload, behaviour management and what good teaching should actually look like. This episode isn't about complaining about the profession. It's about having an honest conversation about what teaching really involves—the challenges, the misconceptions and the parts of the job that make it worthwhile. 🎙️ Coffee and Whiteboard Markers — Real talk for real teaching. If you enjoy honest conversations about teaching, subscribe to the channel, like the episode and share it with another teacher.

  5. Aug 24

    Epsiode 86: Do Teachers and Students Need Shorter School Terms?

    Should students and teachers spend fewer weeks at school each year? In this episode of Coffee and Whiteboard Markers, we explore the debate around shortening school terms, following the proposal from a School in Western Australia calling for a review of the length of the school year. Rather than simply asking whether teachers need more holidays, we take a deeper look at what a shorter school year could actually mean for teachers, students, families and the education system. In this episode, we discuss: Why teachers supported a review of the current school calendarTeacher workload, burnout and wellbeingWhether shorter terms could improve teacher retentionThe potential impact on student wellbeing and engagementThe disadvantages of reducing instructional timeChildcare and logistical challenges for familiesWhy the proposal was rejected by the WA Education MinisterHow Australia's school year compares with countries including Finland, Japan, Singapore, Denmark, China, the United States and the United KingdomWhether countries with more instructional time actually achieve better educational outcomesAlternatives to shorter terms, including increased non-contact time, reduced administration and better support for teachersThe bigger question may not be "Should teachers and students have more holidays?" Perhaps it should be: Are we using the school year and teachers' time as effectively as we could be? 🎙️ Coffee and Whiteboard Markers — Real talk for real teaching. If you enjoy conversations about the issues affecting Australian teachers and schools, subscribe to the channel, like the video and share this episode with another educator. 👇 Join the conversation in the comments: Would you support shorter school terms in Australia? If not, what would you change instead?

  6. Aug 14

    Episode 85: Are Australian Classrooms Becoming More Violent?

    Violence, threats and aggressive behaviour towards teachers are becoming an increasingly serious concern in Australian education. But is violence in our schools actually increasing, and if it is, what's driving it? In this episode, we take a closer look at classroom violence against teachers and what the available Australian data tells us. We explore the experiences of teachers and school leaders, compare violence in primary and secondary schools, and examine factors that may be contributing to increasingly complex behaviour. In this episode, we discuss: What Australian research tells us about violence against teachersWhether classroom violence is actually increasingPrimary school vs secondary school violenceWhy student behaviour may be becoming more complexThe impact of violence and threats on teachersThe effect unsafe classrooms have on other studentsThe difficult balance between supporting complex students and protecting staffWhether current consequences and behaviour policies are workingWhat schools and education systems could do differentlyWhy teacher safety and student wellbeing shouldn't be treated as competing prioritiesIf you found this episode valuable, subscribe, like the video and share it with another teacher. And let us know in the comments: Do you think violence and aggressive behaviour towards teachers have become worse during your time in education and what do you think needs to change?

  7. Aug 12

    Episode 84: How to Re-Engage Students Who No Longer Care

    What do you do when a student has completely checked out? They’re not disruptive; they’re not causing problems; they simply don’t seem to care anymore. In this episode, we explore why students disengage from learning and, more importantly, what teachers can realistically do about it. We discuss the different reasons students may stop engaging, why simply telling them to “try harder” rarely works, and how relationships, expectations, success and purpose can help bring students back into the learning process. In this episode, we cover: Why students disengage in the first placeThe difference between disengagement and lazinessWhy relationships matter—but aren't the entire solutionCreating opportunities for students to experience successSetting realistic expectations for disengaged studentsPractical strategies you can use in the classroomKnowing when to push and when to give a student some spaceWhy you shouldn't take student disengagement personallyThe goal isn't to magically transform every disengaged student overnight. Sometimes the first win is simply getting a student to complete one question, participate for ten minutes, or believe that they can succeed. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to the channel, like the video and share it with another teacher who might find it useful.

  8. May 10

    Episode 82: How We Handle These Common tricky Situations in Teaching.

    Teaching is full of tricky moments that no university course fully prepares you for. In this episode we unpack some of the most common difficult situations teachers face and how we personally try to handle them in real classrooms. We discuss: Students refusing to workConstant low-level disruptionDefiant behaviour and pushbackEmotional student blow-upsDifficult parent interactionsWhat to do when lessons completely fall apartManaging your emotions under pressureHolding boundaries without damaging relationshipsThe importance of calm consistencyThis is not about pretending to be perfect teachers. It’s an honest conversation about the realities of teaching, the mistakes we’ve made, and the strategies that have helped us survive and improve over time. If you’ve ever walked out of a lesson thinking, “What just happened?” — this episode is for you. Follow Coffee and Whiteboard Markers: 📩 Substack Newsletter: https://coffeeandwhiteboardmarkers.substack.com ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CoffeeandWhiteboardMarkers 📸 Instagram: @coffeeandwhiteboardmarkers 📘 Facebook: Coffee and Whiteboard Markers If this episode resonated with you: ⭐ Follow the podcast ⭐ Leave a review ⭐ Share this episode with another teacher who needs to hear it

See All (90)

About

From the front lines of the classroom, Myles O'Kane and Matty Bissett talk all things teaching in these weekly episodes. Hosted from Australia, this podcast dives into the highs, lows, and everything in between of teaching. Whether you're a new teacher finding your feet or a seasoned educator looking for fresh ideas, we've got you covered. Tune in and let's make a difference one lesson at a time!

Information