I recently had the privilege of attending and presenting at the Expert Teacher Practice Conference, hosted by St Peter’s College. This energising event brought together educators from across the region to celebrate and share excellent teaching practice, and I was honoured to contribute as one of the presenters on the day. 

The day began brilliantly with comedian and keynote speaker Ben Knight, who set the perfect tone; reminding us all that great learning and genuine fun are not mutually exclusive. A personal highlight was hearing Professor Ben Lawless from the University of Melbourne speak on effective assessment and how a strong assessment loop can meaningfully influence student learning and development. His session was truly inspiring, and I have since connected with Ben to explore collaboration in this space. 

There was also a deeply moving session from a speaker sharing their lived experience of being neurodiverse, offering practical and heartfelt insights into how we as teachers can better support these students in our classrooms. This resonated strongly with me, particularly as it reinforced the learning our Marist-Sion staff had engaged in together just the day before. 

My own workshops on incorporating games into VCE revision were received incredibly well. Participants got hands-on experience playing the games I use in my own classroom and had the chance to think about how these could be adapted for their own subject areas. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and I have since connected with several teachers who left inspired to take these strategies back to their own schools. 

The learning I brought home from this day will directly enrich what I offer my students and our broader Marist-Sion community. Fresh thinking around assessment practices will help me strengthen the feedback loop for my students. The insights around supporting neurodiverse learners will deepen my inclusive practice in the classroom. And the enthusiasm I witnessed for game-based revision has energised me to continue refining and sharing these approaches; knowing they are making an impact well beyond our own school gates. 

I am grateful to St Peter’s College for hosting such a rich and inspiring conference, and to Marist-Sion College for supporting my ongoing professional growth. Being able to both learn from and contribute to a community of dedicated educators is something I do not take for granted – and I look forward to continuing to bring that energy back into our classrooms every day. 

Nikki Davies 
Pedagogical Coach