First Education

Why Black Absorbs More Heat

The relationship between colour and heat absorption comes down to the physics of light and electromagnetic radiation. To understand why black absorbs more heat than other colours, we first need to understand what colour actually is.

Visible light is made up of different wavelengths, and when light hits an object, one of three things happens — it is absorbed, reflected, or transmitted. The colour we perceive an object to be is determined by which wavelengths of light it reflects back to our eyes. A red object reflects red wavelengths and absorbs the rest. A white object reflects nearly all wavelengths. A black object, however, reflects virtually none — it absorbs almost all wavelengths of light that hit it.

When light energy is absorbed by a surface, it is converted into thermal energy — heat. Since black surfaces absorb the most light across the entire visible spectrum, they consequently generate and retain the most heat. This is why wearing a black shirt on a hot summer day feels significantly warmer than wearing a white one.

This principle extends beyond visible light into infrared radiation, which is essentially heat energy. Black surfaces are highly efficient absorbers of infrared radiation too, meaning they heat up faster and to higher temperatures than lighter coloured surfaces when exposed to the same heat source.

This phenomenon has real-world applications everywhere. Solar panels are designed dark to maximise heat and energy absorption. Asphalt roads absorb enormous amounts of heat, contributing to the urban heat island effect in cities. Conversely, buildings in hot climates are often painted white to reflect sunlight and stay cooler.

In scientific terms this property is described by an object’s emissivity — black objects have an emissivity close to 1.0, meaning they are near-perfect absorbers and emitters of radiation, sometimes called a “black body” in physics.

In short, black absorbs more heat simply because it reflects the least light, converting maximum energy into heat.

Evan Mihail

Alex is an excellent tutor whose creative lesson plan proved to be engaging and beneficial for his student. I noticed this through his lesson helping his student through his assignment, finding unique and thoughtful images for a poster. Alex continued to aid his student with both the theoretical content and the visual poster elements of the assignment. This was shown through advice such as “use shapes rather than textboxes,” providing valuable formatting skills for creating a poster.

Following this, Alex moved onto the theory of the poster, helping the student learn how to research in a simple, age-appropriate way. What stood out here was Alex’s ability to break down complex information into manageable steps, ensuring the student was never overwhelmed. Rather than simply providing answers, Alex guided his student through the thinking process, fostering independent learning and critical thinking skills that extend well beyond the task at hand.

Alex also demonstrated strong interpersonal skills throughout the session. He maintained a patient and encouraging tone, which visibly boosted the student’s confidence when approaching unfamiliar content. When the student seemed uncertain, Alex responded with targeted prompts rather than correction, allowing the student to arrive at the right answer himself. This approach reflects a solid understanding of effective scaffolding in a tutoring context.

Furthermore, Alex showed strong adaptability by seamlessly transitioning between the creative and academic components of the lesson. Moving between design advice and content research without losing the student’s engagement is a skill that speaks to Alex’s awareness of his student’s needs and learning pace. Overall, Alex demonstrated the qualities of a thoughtful and effective tutor — one who balances structure with creativity, and instruction with autonomy, creating a session that was both productive and enjoyable for his student.

William Kelleher

Everyone has undoubtedly felt nervous before an exam, especially when you know it means a lot. This is a completely normal feeling. However, when this shifts more into anxiety, it can seriously affect performance. The best news is that exam anxiety is completely manageable when the correct steps are implemented, making the student feel calm and composed walking into an exam.

Preparing Early

Preparing for an exam early is arguably the most effective strategy a student can implement in overcoming pre-exam stress and anxiety. Anxiety can stem from a feeling of being underprepared. Starting revision 2-3 weeks before an exam has proven to be foolproof over a long period of time. Students give themselves time to familiarise themselves with all the content, act on areas of weakness and complete past papers. This leads to students entering the exam with no stone left unturned and a quiet confidence as they know they are prepared. Focused, meaningful and consistent revision beats last-minute cramming every day of the week.

Practice Under Exam Conditions

This is a tried and true method of being mentally prepared to sit an important exam. By implementing and practising in exam conditions as best as possible, an exam allows a student to understand the frame of mind they must be in and how it feels to be in an exam. While we can’t always fully replicate being in an actual exam, completing a past paper under timed conditions, with no distractions, notes and in a quiet room, goes a long way to overcoming the stress of sitting an exam.

Looking After Your Body

At least eight hours of sleep, as well as some exercise and eating well, is essential to staying calm in an exam. Eating breakfast on exam day is also critical as it fuels your brain and allows you to reach your potential in an exam, rather than feeling under-fuelled and nervous.

These three strategies may seem simple, but they go a long way in overcoming exam anxiety and helping a student maximise performance.

Hayden McCarthy

I observed a maths lesson focused on probability, where the tutor demonstrated a clear and structured approach to teaching a complex topic. The lesson began with a brief review of foundational concepts, such as basic probability rules and terminology, ensuring that their student had completed their homework. This helped reinforce prior knowledge and created a smooth transition into more advanced material. The tutor then introduced conditional probability and tree diagrams, using real-life examples to make the concepts more relatable. For instance, scenarios involving selecting items or predicting outcomes were used to illustrate how probabilities can change based on given conditions. This practical approach appeared to engage the student and encouraged him to think critically about the problems.

Throughout the lesson, the tutor asked questions and prompted their student to explain their reasoning. This not only checked for understanding but also allowed him to actively participate rather than passively receive information. When the student struggled, the tutor provided step-by-step guidance, breaking down problems into manageable parts, which helped to build his confidence. Visual aids, such as diagrams drawn on the board, were effectively used to support explanations, particularly when demonstrating tree diagrams and probability pathways. The tutor also incorporated short practice questions from the textbook during the lesson, giving the student the opportunity to apply what they had just learned. Immediate feedback was provided, allowing misconceptions to be addressed promptly. Overall, the lesson was well-paced and thoughtfully structured, balancing explanation, interaction, and practice. The tutor created a supportive learning environment where his student felt comfortable asking questions, and the focus on real-world applications helped make probability more understandable and engaging.

Evanthea Kargas

Eating healthy is important because it directly affects how the body functions, both physically and mentally. A balanced diet provides essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats that the body needs to maintain energy levels and support daily activities. Without proper nutrition, the body can become fatigued, making it harder to concentrate, work efficiently, or stay active.

One of the main benefits of healthy eating is disease prevention. Diets high in processed foods, sugar, and unhealthy fats are linked to conditions such as obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. In contrast, consuming a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins helps strengthen the immune system and reduces the risk of chronic illnesses. Healthy foods also support better digestion and help maintain a healthy weight.

In addition to physical health, eating well has a strong impact on mental wellbeing. Nutrient-rich foods can improve mood, reduce stress, and enhance brain function. For example, foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins are known to support memory and concentration. On the other hand, poor eating habits can contribute to mood swings, low energy, and decreased focus.

Healthy eating also promotes long-term wellbeing. Establishing good dietary habits early in life can lead to a longer, more active life. It encourages better lifestyle choices overall, including regular exercise and proper sleep patterns.

In conclusion, eating healthy is essential for maintaining energy, preventing disease, supporting mental health, and improving overall quality of life. Making mindful food choices every day can lead to significant long-term benefits for both the body and mind.

Evan Mihail

Choosing social sciences is a really solid option if you want subjects that connect you to the real world. Economics, Legal Studies, and Business Studies all give you different ways of understanding how society works, and that is what makes them so valuable.They help you make sense of things you see every day, whether that is money, laws, businesses, or the way decisions affect people.

Economics is great because it helps explain what is happening around you. Things like inflation, unemployment, interest rates, and government decisions start to make a lot more sense once you study it. It teaches you how to think logically, analyse patterns, and understand why people, businesses, and governments make the choices they do. If you like current issues and want to understand the bigger picture, economics gives you that perspective.

Legal Studies is useful in a completely different way. It helps you understand your rights, how laws are made, and how justice works in practice. It is not just about court cases or crime, it is about understanding the systems that shape everyday life. It also helps a lot with writing, argument, and being able to look at an issue from more than one side, which is useful far beyond the subject itself.

Business Studies is probably one of the most practical subjects you can take. It looks at how businesses run, how they make decisions, how they market themselves, and how they deal with challenges. It gives you knowledge that feels relevant straight away because businesses are such a huge part of everyday life. It is also useful whether you want to run something yourself one day or just understand how organisations operate.

What makes these subjects even better is how well they fit together. Economics helps you understand the bigger financial picture, Legal Studies shows you the rules and structures around it, and Business Studies shows how decisions are made in real organisations. You definitely do not need to take all three, but even doing two together can make both subjects feel more connected and more meaningful

Nabil Harrar

We’ve all been there — staring at an exam question that feels more like a riddle than a clear prompt. Wordy or tricky exam questions are designed to test more than just content knowledge; they challenge your reading comprehension, critical thinking, and ability to apply what you’ve learned in unfamiliar ways. But with the right strategies, you can break them down and respond with confidence.

1. Read the question carefully — twice.

It’s easy to miss key details when you skim. Always read the question slowly, then read it again to spot hidden cues, command words (like explain, justify, or compare), and constraints (like “using only data from the table above”).

2. Highlight or underline keywords.

Pull out the most important words or phrases. What exactly is the question asking you to do? Are there multiple parts? Is it referring to a graph, scenario, or formula? This helps keep your answer focused.

3. Rephrase the question in your own words.

Before answering, try putting the question into simpler language. This ensures you understand it and helps reduce anxiety caused by complicated wording.

4. Plan your response.

Don’t just start writing. Take 20–30 seconds to jot down key points or steps, especially for extended responses. A quick outline can save time and help keep your answer structured and relevant.

5. Don’t overthink it.

Sometimes tricky questions seem difficult because they look different — but they’re still testing familiar concepts. Trust your preparation and focus on applying what you know logically.

Finally, practice is key. The more past papers and unfamiliar question styles you expose yourself to, the more comfortable you’ll become with handling complex wording under pressure.

Julian Podgornik

I dont really know what to say. But this is my insightful blog. 1. James Tedesco- 10/10- Goat back at it again

2. Danieltupou- 8/10- Savala stole the show, he didn’t get much ball.

3. Hugo Savala- 9/10- Played very well and scored twice

4. Robert Toia-8/10- Fletcher hunt destroyed him but still played alright.

5. Mark Nawaqanitawase- 9/10- Played well and scored twice. Good run metres out of his own half

6. Daly Cherry Evans- 8.5/10- Been consistent in our past three wins. A couple great moments and is looking more solid in the halves with walker. Still think he should play seven though.

7. Sam Walker-7/10 On and off this year. He has exciting attacking moments, but he’s prone to errors or making the wrong decision by doing too much.

8.Nafahu Whyte-8/10- Started really strong and has been our best forward for the past two years. Great ball runner and needs 4-5 defenders to take him down.

9. Reece Robson- 7.5/10- A couple artful runs especially in the opening 10 minutes. Very strong, but then wheeled off. Still an underwhelming signing from the roosters and probably not needed especially as Watson has been very well.

10. Lindsay Collins- 8.5/10- Enforcer with strong runs and extremely powerful tackles. Cult hero. He’s going to be huge for us this year as he looks to be back in form.

11. Angus Chricton- 7.5/10- He has been off form this year. He shouldn’t be picked this year for origin, him and saw walker seem to be on form at the same time.

12. Siua wong- 8.5/10- Scored an early try and played very well. Turning into a really great young player.

13. Victor Radley- 7/10- Barely saw him, it’s like he ghosted and didn’t play any minutes. But he was strong a couple weeks ago.

14. Connor Watson- 8.5/10- Changed the game when he came on the field and turned the game around.

15. Spencer Leniu- 5/10-Not as impactful as I would hope. Went off with a HIA. Not great

16. Nat Butcher-8/10- Ive been hating on him and wanted him gone but he’s proved me wrong and has made his tackles and run well.

17. Salesi Foketi-6.5/10- Should get more minutes as he is a gun young player

Charlie Currell

Hi all, I had the opportunity to observe Eireyna tutor her year 4 student William. Today’s lesson was centred around the topic of long division. Eireyna began the lesson explaining what division is (the opposite of multiplying two numbers together), the different forms of long division (both in fraction form and in ‘sentence’ form), and how to set up and complete the division using the long division method.

After William understood the usefulness and purpose of division, Eireyna went on to explain how long division works. She taught that you need to count how many times a number will go into the first digit being divided (i.e. how many times 2 goes into 5). The highest multiple of the divisor that was found would be subtracted from the number being divided and if there is a remainder, the remainder will be carried over to be divided by the following number by bringing that number down.

After explaining it and going over a few examples, she had William try to work a few out with her support. For where he made errors, she helped identify the error and showed him the correct method of how to complete the question. Overall it was a great lesson to observe. Well done Eireyna.

Alex Stamoulis

Why Maths Isn’t Just About Getting the Right Answer

When most people think about maths, they think about getting the answer — preferably the correct one. But what’s often overlooked is that maths is just as much about the process as it is the final number written in the box.

In reality, maths is a way of thinking. It teaches us how to break problems down, identify patterns, reason logically, and make decisions based on evidence. These skills are incredibly valuable — not just in exams, but in everyday life and future careers.

Focusing only on the final answer can lead students to rush, guess, or memorise without truly understanding. But maths isn’t about speed or shortcuts — it’s about understanding why something works and how different methods connect. This kind of deep thinking takes time, but it’s what builds confidence and long-term success.

That’s why in tutoring, I often ask students to explain their thinking, even when they’ve made a mistake. In many cases, the reasoning behind an incorrect answer shows far more understanding than a lucky guess. It’s not about being perfect — it’s about being curious and reflective.

Exams and assignments certainly require correct answers, but the real learning happens during the journey: exploring different methods, correcting errors, and applying concepts to new situations. That’s where growth happens.

So next time you’re working through a tricky problem, remember — the goal isn’t just to reach the answer. The goal is to understand the path that gets you there. Because in maths, as in life, the process matters.

Julian Podgornik