A former Australian track representative, national champion and dual City-to-Surf winner, Angie Wilcock is now a highly regarded Australian expert and speaker on transitions in education and young adolescents, and is the author of The Transition Tightrope - an engaging and often humourous insight into the world of young adolescents, as seen through the eyes of parents and teachers.
Angie knows what it takes to tap potential and now motivates and inspires parents, teachers and professionals to really switch on to the needs of what she terms a 'mini-generation' of young people - this very challenging 10-15 years age group, who are no longer children, but not yet adults.
She has presented her work at state and national education and parent conferences, and regularly presents on early adolescent development and its impact on behaviour and learning, transition to secondary school, boys and girls education and learning styles. Her powerful message is offered with a depth of knowledge and insight - but it is her sense of humour, engaging presentation style and real life anecdotes that hit the mark with audiences.
As a teacher and a mum of two sons, Angie now works with teachers, parents and students Australia-wide, as well as with private, government and not-for profit agencies. She has had numerous articles published in national and state educational journals and on educational and parenting websites.
Angie has appeared on 'Mornings with Kerrie-Anne', and joined the Generation Next team, along with experts such as Dr Michael Carr-Gregg and Dr Andrew Fuller, providing information and support to parents nationally on issues of adolescent mental health. Her topic is the impact of transition to secondary school on our young people.
Presentations and Workshops
Pre-adolescents 10-15 years - morphing from gorgeous to grumpy!
We talk about Gen X, Gen Y, Gen Z....but what about the challenging and topsy-turvey world of the pre-adolescent... the 'middle years' 10 -15 year olds?
This presentation outlines :
- The developmental needs and capacities of young adolescents.
- What's happening to their brains?
- Implications of these changes for schools, teachers and those who live with them!
- Boss? Partner? Servant? Friend? How to get the best out of this age group...and still keep a relationship with them!
This presentation offers insights into what makes this 'mini-generation' tick as well as tips and strategies for engaging them in the classroom and at home. But... it's not all gloom and doom - audiences relate to the many humourous, real-life examples of both teaching and parenting this age-group and gain a sense of reassurance that there is light at the end of the tunnel! IDEAL FOR: teachers; school principals; parents/carers; counsellors
Boys and Girls - the differences within!
We know there are countless differences between boys and girls - some of them obvious, others not so much! Are these differences 'hard-wired', environmental, or the product of a combination of factors?
This presentation outlines:
- Research into the 'hard-wiring' of the brain which impacts on learning, behaviour, attitudes and communication
- Motivation to learn - it's hard to be motivated if you just don't 'get it'!
- How can we be more creative in education and in the workplace?
- Tapping potential - at school, at work, at home.
Whilst there are differences between genders, there are also differences within genders - not everyone is the same. This presentation looks at research and strategies to inspire and motivate us to understand, appreciate and cater to the differences between boys and girls - and capture the potential within! IDEAL FOR: educators primary to TAFE/university level; youth employers; parents
Successful Transitions
Successful transitions in education are critical to long-term achievement and a life-long love of learning. Much more than simple 'orientations', transitions present steep, and often overwhelming, learning curves....and not just for the students themselves. Probably the most significant transition of all is the shift from primary to secondary education. Why?
This presentation outlines:
- What the research says about transition to secondary school.
- Personal development vs educational change - what's happening to our kids?
- School vs social - getting the balance right.
- Coping with change - developing systems of organisation and time management that work!
- Attitude - it's hard to be positive when you're drowning in work! Seizing control.
Whether we parent or teach children in this transition phase, the more informed we are about the changes ahead, the more we can support a successful transition.
IDEAL FOR: teachers; school principals; parents; counsellors
It's all about 'Style' - learning style
We all learn and process information differently. We also tend to instruct or explain information the same way we learn - but if you teach, coach or mentor you need to cater to the needs of your students, your employees, your athletes. How can you get the message through in a way that makes sense to them?
This presentation outlines:
- The difference between left brain and right brain thinkers.
- How to identify preferred learning styles.
- How to engage all learners - we need to step out of our own comfort zone!
- Practical ideas and strategies to reach different learners - the results can be amazing!
This presentation is not about cubby-holing learners into one space - this is about recognising strengths, building or challenging weaknesses and giving our 'students' the chance to tap into a variety of ways to capture knowledge, improve skills and learn 'how to learn'. IDEAL FOR: educators primary to TAFE/university; employers; parents.
Testimonials
I was privileged to hear Angie talk at a major conference in Hobart. Her grasp of the issues grabbed my attention and evidently helped to transform the thinking and understanding of her audience.
- Dr. Neil Hawkes D.Phil (Oxford), International Consultant for Education and Leadership
Angie Wilcock has run several highly successful workshops for the NSW Parents' Council, presenting to parents, educators and our community at large. Angie's engaging manner and ability to appeal to all workshop participants has been invaluable to their success. Around 100 people have attended each of these workshops and Angie has given them all excellent 'tools' and resources to implement at home with their children and families in an easy tounderstand format.
- Executive Officer, NSW Parents' Council Inc
Angie has presented to audiences Australia-wide as a speaker on our Generation Next team. She has a wealth of professional and personal experience to share with her audience on the topic of middle years adolescents, and particularly those in transition to secondary school. Angie engages and motivates her audiences with her humour and down-toearth delivery style. Her emphasis on practical outcomes makes her a valuable addition to any speaking line up. She’s also a pleasure to work with.
- Chairman and Convenor Generation Next
