Sharing knowledge beyond Trinity | Term 1, 2026 

The first term of 2026 saw many of Trinity’s staff out and about, presenting at conferences and sharing their knowledge beyond the Trinity community. 

Here’s a quick round-up of the events they’ve been involved in. 

Independent Schools New South Wales (ISNSW) History Conference 

At last term’s ISNSW History Conference, Trinity’s Mr David Chilton led a plenary session which focused on approaches to teaching the new HSC Modern History Core Study: Democracy and Dictatorship 1919–1939. Drawing on his own research regarding historical thinking, he shared ideas with participants to help them think about how they might plan for and teach the core study.

With many early career teachers in attendance, Mr Chilton also noted that his own very first Practicum supervisor was also in the room, adding to his experience of the whole conference which he says affirmed his role as a History teacher. 

“The study of history and the development of students’ critical thinking skills couldn’t be more important in a time where many appeal to the past (often erroneously!) to shape their ideas about the future for Australia and the world.” 

And, he says that the conference reminded him of “the power of teachers getting together to both share their practice and encourage one another in the task”. 

“Despite still feeling like a young teacher, I realised that I’ve crossed over to be one of the more experienced ones. I hope that by being able to share from both my practical, as well as research, experience, teachers fund my session encouraging – it certainly helped me to crystalise many of my thoughts and ideas related to the Core Study.” 

Australian Association for Research in Education Conference 

Ms Natalie Bluhdorn is currently completing her Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Sydney in The School of Education and, late last year, she presented the data emerging from her PhD research at the Australian Association for Research in Education Conference. 

The symposium –  titled Women Leading Education: Diverse Pathways, Common Barriers, and Emerging Directions – allowed Ms Bluhdorn to share her examinations of how motherhood intersects with teacher professional identity, career pathways, and notions of care. 

Using a feminist, matricentric lens, her research challenges linear, standards-driven models of the ‘effective teacher’, showing how maternity leave and returning to work can disrupt traditional career trajectories. The findings highlight important implications for teacher retention, leadership pathways, and policy design.

Ms Bluhdorn says that she greatly valued the experience of contributing to national conversations about teacher wellbeing, identity, and retention as well as “feeling a sense of collegiality with other teacher researchers, valuing the diverse and impactful research that is occurring.” 

In high demand, Ms Bluhdorn was also invited by the University of Newcastle to present at a School Leaders’ breakfast in April. Asked to share her experience introducing and guiding staff through Trinity’s initial engagement with the Quality Teaching Rounds, she attended with Carolena Kostas so that Ms Kostas was able to share her insights from participating in the program as an early career teacher. 

Classical Languages Teachers Association Annual Conference

This year’s Classical Languages Teachers Association Conference saw over 100 people travelling interstate to attend. Dr Elizabeth Stockdale – Classics Teacher – was invited to present on the IB SL Latin Companion texts Ovid Heroides 7 and Catullus Carmina 64.

Beyond the conference, Dr Stockdale was also invited to present for the Year 12 Classical Greek Seminars. These seminars take place for both teacher professional development, as well as for students to dig deeper into their studies. 

These particular seminars are for HSC Classical Greek Continuers across NSW and Victoria. 

“It’s an honour to be asked again to do this, as I was asked to present last year as well,” Dr Stockdale says. 

Additionally, Dr Stockdale has also recently celebrated the release of her book, ‘Female Agency and Virtue in the Odyssey’, published by Routledge. 

From the blurb: “Engaging with feminist literary criticism and feminist virtue ethics, the book provides readers with an insight into the actions, conduct, motivations and voices of all female figures in the Odyssey, including the unnamed, the silent, the maid servants, semi-divine females, mortal females, and the divine.”

We congratulate Dr Stockdale on this fantastic achievement.