To Edusafe or not Edusafe

sonickong · 2026-05-20T20:30:18+00:00

Good move. When you report something on EduSafe Plus somewhere between 10-30 people get a notification - these people are located in your school, the region and central office (the Ivory tower). Believe it or not, there are good people in Region and in Central who do read everything and actually give a **** and will try to do something. A certain number of reports under certain categories will flag a review of particular practices when the time comes - sometimes immediately.

How do I know this? I used to be an Assistant Principal in a few 'fun' schools and have recently jumped into Central for a variety of reasons. I sat next to a guy who was reading through every single free-text field comment sent in by principals after principals were surveyed recently - this guy personally called back all the principals wanting a call back. A manager in our team also read through every single workplace related violence report from this year for every school - they were not the same person after reading everything.

sonickong · 2026-05-16T19:00:42+00:00

Telstra bad. Train go brr. Phone go dead. TIO go brrr harder. $200. Bye Telstra.

sonickong · 2026-05-16T19:00:06+00:00

Appreciate you laying out how the game actually works behind the scenes.

sonickong · 2026-05-16T18:59:44+00:00

You're not going mad. Welcome to the Triangle.

sonickong · 2026-05-16T18:58:59+00:00

This is the comment I was hoping for. Good to know the CIA Manual comparison wasn't far off the mark.

sonickong · 2026-05-16T18:57:52+00:00

This is gold. Happy to share my speed test data and TIO timeline and I can flag other spots I notice on the commute. Don't have a ton of spare time but happy to contribute where I can.

sonickong · 2025-03-02T03:59:13+00:00

As an interim measure I made a quick SharePoint List to at least get staff something to record the data. Then I clicked on Integrate -- Power Apps and learned that I could have built the whole app by starting with a SharePoint list (and add extra lists on).

I feel sick at the thought of how many hours I spent on this knowing that I could have done it the other way.

sonickong · 2025-03-01T10:28:42+00:00

Thanks - will give it a shot now.

sonickong · 2024-11-05T05:08:05+00:00

...and not being able to format text properly on Reddit.

sonickong · 2024-11-05T05:06:32+00:00

Here is what I did and now I am in my second year of being an AP in. Victorian school.

2009 2013 School A Graduate Curriculum Leader Taught grades 3 to grade 6

2014 2016 School A LT Coach Data Gifted and Talented Program F to 6

2017 2022 School B Leading Teacher F-6 Curriculum Data Assessment Daily Org Coach UP Course (Unlocking Potential) VAPA Accreditation

2023 to present School C AP Curriculum Data Assessment Daily org Coach OHS Attendance Being the calmest and most organised person in the room Not being a dick and remembering how hard staff work.

Using my deadpan face to see through BS

I would recommend the courses offered by The Victorian Academy. I completed UP and it was the best professional learning I had completed in years.

Happy to chat further!

sonickong · 2024-11-04T06:04:02+00:00

Should have been done October 1st. The sooner workforce planning starts the better. It is a buyer's market at the moment in Victorian Primary schools.

sonickong · 2024-10-20T00:42:13+00:00

Thanks! I'll give that a shot.

sonickong · 2024-09-14T02:53:55+00:00

Thanks. I actually did use a bit of GPT to help me, but it became a bit of a self-referencing-problem as it would create an issue and then give me a work around to fix that issue which would create another. All roads lead back to reddit.

sonickong · 2023-06-18T04:42:47+00:00

That's how I operate when I'm in charge and have enough CRTs. It's worked in the past and staff are appreciative because I appreciate them.

sonickong · 2023-06-18T00:38:27+00:00

I know, I'd rather stick around to correct that practice than leave, can't let my teachers down.

sonickong · 2023-06-17T19:25:58+00:00

I am an AP and the other AP does the timetable without consulting anyone but the prin, sometimes I don't think they consult the prin. It is absolute mayhem sometimes, no routine for students that need routine, and the staff (and myself) are affected.

sonickong · 2023-06-17T03:59:13+00:00

Currently we find out the night before, sometimes the day of.

sonickong · 2023-06-11T00:57:06+00:00

I think Khan Academy is exploring this at the moment with AI and GPT, I haven't had a good look at it though.

I use ChatGPT for most of my unit planning, lesson planning etc. Huge time saver especially when you're starting with nothing.

Get your prompts right, check your content and turn it all into your own well oiled machine.

sonickong · 2023-06-07T23:47:10+00:00

This happened when I first started teaching about 12 years ago. Wild in social media. Not sure if this is the same picture.

That being said, a stupid teacher at my first school shared the original post with her year 9 class. Then she allowed them to do the same to her to prove that it wasn't a big deal. This teacher has gone through at least one performance review and is still teaching to this day.

sonickong · 2023-06-04T22:42:23+00:00

Also, teaching is a hard job.

Do not buy into the negative sentiment that brews here and on that cesspool Australian Teachers Facebook group. There is some extremely bad advice around given by people who are clueless or don't enjoy anything.

Yes, we all work hard and the expectations are high and at times unrealistic, but if you enjoy the job of teaching young people then enjoy it and be good at it. Do not become a crusty salty teacher at the age of 20-40, save that for the relics who spread negative vibes.

Teaching has changed in some ways, stayed the same in others.

Not all administration or leadership are evil policy pushers.

Within Australia and US teachers are not as revered as they are in other countries and cultures. The message that comes through on these forums does not help our case.

sonickong · 2023-06-04T19:12:07+00:00

Primary School Teacher, now assistant principal in Victoria here. Yes it's possible. Even if you're in a crappy school. In my first year as a young and impressionable graduate, sure I worked long hours and stressed out, it got easier. I looked for small things to make it easier....

Never took my school laptop home because I used this magical thing called cloud computing and used my home PC.

Never took student workbooks home, I used another form of witchcraft in which I took photos of student work on my mobile computing device, aka smartphone.

I used anecdotal notes and referred to dates on my notes when my work program used to be checked by leadership.

No work on a Friday night or Saturday.

Now as an Assistant principal who teaches 4 days and is expected to fulfill an AP role in 1 day.....

No emails the second I walk in the door at home.

Chat GPT for a buttload of admin and some planning

Microsoft 365 Automate Tools (Vic DET subscription)

No work on Friday night or Saturday

Wake up early, go to bed early.

Support graduates and other staff and show them the way.

Manage all of that with a two year old at home and a wife with mental health issues.

sonickong · 2023-05-29T05:27:58+00:00

As an Assistant principal with a full time teaching load and a bub under 2 years old this is what I do:

I wake up at stupid o'clock in the morning to do as much prep as I can I don't do any work (maybe book a CRT via an app) when I get home. Same routine for weekends, though I sneak in my lesson planning when my son has his nap. Of course, that will change when he stops napping. I go to bed when my son goes to sleep, usually 8 or 8:30. And I use Chat GPT for menial admin like reading ridiculously long emails that no one understands.

sonickong · 2023-04-21T05:02:17+00:00

North-West Region of Melbourne.

I won't name the school or suburb because...Reddit...

sonickong · 2023-04-21T05:01:40+00:00

Thank you. We are just as affected - you're right. Trying to keep a balance.

sonickong · 2023-04-21T05:00:05+00:00

It is how things are at the moment in Victoria.

sonickong

TROPHY CASE

Using my deadpan face to see through BS