As we end another school year and look forward to summer vacation, I think back to my first years in education and what summer “vacation” looked like for me. July was spent taking additional qualification courses and most of August was spent prepping and planning. It wasn’t really much of a vacation. So why did […]
Mental Health
My Inner Critic and the Teacher Across the Hall
Sadly, I’ve spent a lot of time over my career as an educator listening to my inner critic. Recently, I’ve actually put a “face” to my inner critic. My inner critic looks remarkably like the mascot from Montreal’s “Just for Laughs” festival. Ironically, the name given to the mascot by the festival is Victor. In […]
“Ontario considering extended school closures as winter break approaches”
Gulp. My heart sank down to my stomach as I read headlines such as this one flood the news and every single social media platform that I am a member of. I am, by nature, a worrier in general. So this year and all that has come with it has brought immense amounts of stress […]
The end is here
The end (of January) is here. Thankfully. I thought wrapping up 2019 would have signaled my surrender. I didn’t know another white flag needed to be waved so quickly, but here goes. The month of January has been particularly trying on my mental health and well being. When I say my mental and health and […]
Daring Classrooms
I state the obvious when I say that teaching is a demanding job. If you are reading this, you are most likely a teacher and this is not news to you. I’d like to highlight a resource that feeds the soul of a teacher (and quite frankly a human being) while also providing some strategies […]
Before you get hurt…again.
Student: (momentarily non-responsive to verbal interaction) slap, push, slap, hair grab, lunge, slap, yell, cry, run, crouch, cry, calm, apolgize Staff: (1 CYW, 2 SERT) block, block, reassure, block, supportive stance, reassure, block, redirect, clear space, block, reassure, follow, remain calm, reassure, accept The slaps(verbal/physical) are like slabs of concrete that a student piles up when […]
Let’s Talk About Shame
Author Brené Brown from her book “The Gifts of Imperfection” writes that there are three things that people need to understand about shame: 1. We all have it. Shame is universal and one of the most primitive human emotions that we experience. The only people who don’t experience shame lack the capacity for empathy and human […]