Have you ever wished that you could do something over again to make it better? In education, this could be everyday, every week, every month, and every year in our classrooms. If we let it. Have you ever taught a lesson more than once in order to ensure your students understood and could master the concept(s)? […]
learning about your students
Ontario Student Record Search
Wow, we are already into the second month of this school year and I am not sure I really know my students very well yet. I have a working idea of who they are as students and as people but need to gather more information to help me with my programming. That is where using […]
How to get at the truth – maybe
Almost everyday in kindergarten someone tells a fib. Sometimes it is me – “I will come over to see you swing on the monkey bars in just a minute.” More frequently, however, the most talented fibbers are from amongst my class of 26 five year olds. Occasionally, the fibs are small, like, “No, I didn’t […]
When Your Best Is Not Enough
I work with some very challenging students, who at their core, are really nice people. As I get to know them as people first and learners second, what surfaces quite rapidly is that many of their needs are beyond my skill set. I am not a counsellor. I am not a psychologist. I am not […]
The First 20 Days of School – Connecting with Students is a Great Place to Start
Teaching is always new! With a new group of students, fresh reflections on practice and the opportunity to start from scratch, as it were, the start of the school year provides teachers and students alike the opportunity to create new beginnings every year. Knowing this, what might some important considerations be to make it a great […]
Addressing Equity
The elementary school that I teach at is a K-8 school with approximately 540 students. It has grown over the century with new additions, since its original build in 1923. I have only known the school for the past three years that I have been teaching there. So I consider the school to be diverse […]
You Never Know
This blog is based on a real life scenario that I was fortunate enough to be a part of both on a personal and professional basis. It truly reminded me just how important our teacher/student relationships are as you never know when your kind word, out of the ordinary effort or simply just being there […]
Safe and Accepting Schools in today’s Social/Political Climate
All teachers are familiar with the Ontario Ministry of Education’s initiative for teaching inclusion; “A safe, inclusive and accepting school environment is a necessary condition for student success. Students cannot be expected to reach their potential in an environment where they feel insecure and intimidated. We are committed to providing all students with the supports […]
The Second September of Your Year
Have you ever wished for an opportunity to do something over? You know you would make different choices if only you had the chance! Well, as teachers we get that wonderful opportunity at this time of the year (new year). As all teachers do, self reflection is just part of our DNA and as such […]
But Why?
This is a term that has become a part of my teaching repertoire since spending the last four summers working with teachers in Sierra Leone, Africa. There are two ways that I make use of this valuable term in my classroom practice. The first is when I am dealing with classroom management concerns in my […]