Author: Colleen Elep

In an age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms and large language models (LLMs) that generate clear and lengthy texts at the click of a button, it’s not difficult to see how the act of writing may be changed forever. For students, it is all too easy to turn to tools like Copilot or Chat GPT to create a research report, to analyze a poem, or to write a current events article assignment. Adults similarly turn to these tools to make their workflows easier, whether it is writing emails, presentations, or a report.

You may even be wondering if what you are reading right now is an authentic piece of writing, or generated by a prompt. To clarify, I wrote this article but also prompted an LLM to write an article about the topic – as I often do to support and accelerate the work I do as an educator and as a content creator.

To be transparent, the LLM gave me a ton of great ideas, summarized succinctly in seconds. It reminded me that AI has provided educators with “a huge opportunity: we can teach better writing and better research habits by showing students how to use AI as a thinking partner rather than a shortcut.” In fact, the prompt gave me so many good ideas it made me realize how little I really know about leveraging AI effectively in a literacy classroom. It made me realize that while I can’t truly write a fulsome article on using AI in the writing classroom, I can reflect on what human-generated texts really mean to me.

I have always considered myself to be a writer, and after reading so many AI generated texts I’ve really started to deeply appreciate the insights, mistakes, and voice that only us perfectly flawed humans can make when we write. And while I truly believe educators need to lean into AI (as my AI generated text encouraged me, “teach it” don’t “ban it”), I hope there is also a mindset shift toward valuing the very human action of writing as a function, an art, and process of learning and creativity that is unique and special.

Writing is hard work. It only gets easier when we write frequently, and become skilled at spontaneously applying verb tenses, drawing from text forms, and leveraging punctuation and sentence structure to add variety to a draft. It’s easy to see why many kids and adults dislike writing longer texts or being tasked to write a paragraph, and find AI tools so alluring.

As educators and teachers of language and literacy, I think we can play a unique role in helping students to become more aware of what makes human-generated texts so important as a source of enjoyment, a way to express creativity, and a valuable skill that helps us to become more effective communicators and readers. Through human-driven writing, we learn new information and how to use new words.

How can we teach students to use AI effectively in their writing? Here are a few tips that were generated by my Chat GPT prompt:

Create an “AI Use Policy” with students in plain language. Include:

• What AI is allowed for: brainstorming topic ideas, building question banks, outlining, planning research steps, language clarification, vocabulary support, examples of structures (e.g., thesis, counterclaim), and feedback on clarity.
• What is not allowed: submitting AI-generated drafts as one’s own, fabricating sources or quotes, bypassing assigned readings, using AI to misrepresent understanding.
• Non-negotiables: protect privacy (no personal data), verify facts, and always disclose when AI materially assisted the work (“AI Acknowledgment” note at the end).
• Equity check: ensure every student has access to board-approved tools for teacher and student use (in boards that have policies around the student use of AI) or school devices during structured time so policy doesn’t advantage only those with home access.
• Post norms as an anchor chart; revisit them before major tasks.

To be honest, these tips are actually much better than anything I probably could have created about using AI!

While we may be saying goodbye to “old” ways of communicating, I think its exciting to contemplate what the future of writing will look like with so many new tools at our students’ fingertips. It’s also important to remember that guidance does exist for us as we navigate this new and evolving realm: be sure to check the members section of the ETFO website for AI advice, in addition to your board’s own AI policies. And as educators, we should always try to remember that we have the privilege and responsibility of teaching students the value of human-centred writing.

“Burning out” is something I have become all too familiar with as an educator, parent, and person that tends to take on a lot of additional roles and responsibilities. It seems like there is always somewhere to be, an appointment to make, or thing to do. And while it can truly be a privilege to be in this position, it is hard to ignore the feeling of being exhausted and “finished” by the time winter break rolls around.

Recently I had an opportunity to attend an ETFO workshop on “Building Sustainability for Complex Lives”. During this workshop, we were encouraged to examine ourselves critically and think creatively on how we manage self-care. For me, the most important part of the learning was realizing my mind was too busy to truly slow down and not always think about the next thing I needed to get done.

In my experience, part of being an educator means always trying to get ahead: planning the next lesson, special event, or presentation, finding resources, marking, assessing, or getting an important piece of paperwork or report card comment in on time. There are endless tasks, and it becomes easy to “feel behind” or overwhelmed by the amount of things to do. Sometimes even the act of making time to relax, exercise, take a walk, or watch a movie or show can feel like another task, since there is inevitably something you want to get done before I practice “self care”.

It is no surprise when the “burnout” kicks in, and I start scrolling my phone endlessly for distraction (a way to feel busy but not necessarily productive), I start avoiding work, or start to panic over not having spent my time wisely. Everything starts to irritate me, and motivation to do anything goes out the window.

So what is the best way to get through burnout? How do we make life more sustainable?

There is no shortage of advice on the internet for how we can better practice self-care. Indeed, there is an entire industry and culture built on the need for wellness in today’s modern world. Here are a few practices that I find work well for me.

Remind Yourself You May Be Exactly Where You Should Be

In the never-ending quest to get ahead, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that you may have indeed gotten everything done that you really actually needs to get done. Reminding yourself that some items on the to-do list are better done the next day or week can do wonders for your outlook and free up some time to rest or turn away from work.

Cut Things Out of your Schedule

When life gets overwhelmingly hectic, it may be a sign that you need to take cut back or cut out unnecessary items. This can be hard, as sometimes the items you can reasonably cut out or pause on are things that you genuinely want to keep, like a book club or even a home improvement project. Remember that the pause is just temporary, and that you are simply re-prioritizing to make your life make sense again.

Become a Morning Person or a Night Person (but not both)

Historically, I have been a night person throughout much of my life. I absolutely love tuning into a good show for a few episodes or getting a few things done when the house is quieter. I’ve learned, however, that the very early morning is a great time for productivity or going to the gym without cutting into family time, plus I feel more focused when I arrive at work.

Whatever you choose, make sure you get all the sleep you need to be healthy!

Stop Everything and Walk

There is nothing like a good walk to distance yourself from your screens, your work, or to take a breather after the constant stimulation of teaching in a busy classroom. I always find that walking gives me a chance to think through different problems I need to solve or simply to clear my head. Best of all you can get some steps in and maybe even some vitamin D if it’s sunny!

Find your Wellness Indulgence

Health and wellness activities are abundant where I live (the Toronto area), but you can always do at home any activity that makes you feel both healthy and a little indulged at the same time. Perhaps it is a warm soak, a great massage device, or time in a special place outdoors. Whatever it is, carve out time to do that wellness activity that takes a little more investment of time and resources.

For me, my favourite is a trip to a sauna/cold plunge circuit. The heat and stillness, combined with the shock of cold water somehow always does the trick of making me feel relaxed physically despite however I am feeling mentally, and by the end of the session the world seems a lot more calmer.

Sustain Yourself in the New Year

As I look ahead to the new year, my resolution is clear: to prioritize self-sustainability and actively guard against burnout. Working in education can be deeply meaningful, but it is also demanding, emotionally intensive, and often relentless. Without purposeful self-care, even the most passionate educators can find themselves stretched too thin.

In part 1 of this article, I talked about the difficulties I had faced when it came to sharing information about ESL/ELD programming with families. In the community where I worked, ESL/ELD programming was often viewed from a deficit perspective by many caregivers and even some school staff. Widely held deficit perspectives about ELLs, combined with my own need to learn more about ESL/ELD programming, resulted in rather poor communication with MLL families.

In my current work as an instructional leader working in ESL/ELD programming, I talk to educators that experience similar issues regularly. How should teachers go about addressing ESL/ELD programming with families that may not be aware of what it is? How should educators re-start conversations about their child’s ESL/ELD programming with families when it has gone unaddressed for an extended period of time?

Recently I spoke to a middle school colleague about how she communicates with MLL families when they transition to grade 6 from the feeder elementary school. Her practice was to call all MLL families to welcome them in the early months of the school year, and share with them that their child would be receiving ESL or ELD support. In her experience, families were often happy to hear how their child would be supported in this way.

The teacher also shared with me that she also calls families when their child is no longer receiving program adaptations, or had completed STEP 6 of the ESL continua. In her experience, caregivers often responded positively; after all, becoming proficient in another language is something to celebrate.

Listening to these reflections on family communication and transparency made me think of how empowered we are as educators to shift thinking in our schools and communities.

Let’s take a look at some ways educators can build transparency and communication with families about ESL/ELD programming, while also re-casting the work we do as MLL educators through an assets-based perspective.

Make Information about ESL/ELD programming Readily Available to Families

In an age of endless information, there is no reason families should have difficulty accessing information about ESL/ELD programming. Leave an easy-to-read brochure that explains what ESL/ELD programming looks like in your school in the main office so families can build their understanding and know who to contact should they have any questions.

Make ESL/ELD Programming part of Regular Family Communication

When you make welcome calls or share updates to families of MLLs, take the time to reference the student’s growth in language and literacy. It’s a great opportunity to share what you are doing to support their growth as multilingual learners, and keep the conversation going about academic language development.

Leverage Curriculum Night, Open House, and other school Community Events to Raise Awareness about ESL/ELD Programs

The tools, terminology and resources we reference as educators, like the STEP Continua, accommodations, and modifications, may be unfamiliar to families. Have a short presentation ready that you can use (or share with staff) to explain to families what these terms and tools are, and how educators use them to enhance and adjust programming for newcomer students. If possible, invite a settlement worker or community member that speaks the same language(s) as the communities in your school in to help interpret whenever necessary.

Sharing information with families about ESL/ELD programming should never feel like a hard or difficult conversation. With the right combination of direct communication and use of digital information, you will find that it will get increasingly easier to make programming for MLLs a regular part of your communication with families.

Communication and collaboration with families is a core element in any educator’s pedagogical practice. When teachers share information with families about their child’s successes, and challenges in school, while also being transparent about our programming and pedagogical practices, we build trust with the community and create opportunities for family engagement.

When I started supporting Multilingual Language Learners (MLLs) years ago as a grade 7 teacher, transparency always seemed a challenging thing to navigate. Why?

In my own work context, there seemed to be an implicit assumption among educators and families that being an English learner was a stigma – a gap that needed to be closed, a deficit that needed to be corrected. As a middle school teacher, I worried that families would be unaware that their child was an ELL, or that they would be surprised that their child was still identified as one. I feared that talking about ESL programming would make families upset, so when I did bring it up, I tried to minimize its importance as much as possible

Secondly, I wasn’t even sure how to talk about ESL/ELD programming with families. Most of the support I was providing was happening “in the moment”: using a translation tool, changing an assignment or rubric, or providing alternative activities. I didn’t really understand what tier 1 support should look like for ELLs in my classroom, or if what I was doing “counted” as programming for ELLs. What could I possibly share with a parent or guardian without sounding inexperienced or unprofessional?

A third factor contributing to my discomfort about talking about ESL/ELD programming with families was that I didn’t feel equipped to talk about how the programming actually worked, especially to guardians and caregivers that were likely unfamiliar with the Canadian education system and perhaps even learning English themselves. How do I explain STEP? Modifications and accommodations? Interpersonal vs. Academic language? Many of these terms were new to me at the time, and I feared explaining something incorrectly and getting called out for it later.

As a much more experienced educator, I have realized how important it is to be clear and transparent with families about ESL/ELD programming, and what my own responsibility is as an educator to learn how to speak about the topic. When we don’t share information about the programming an MLL is receiving, or give updates on a regular basis, we perpetuate the  “stigma” that is often associated with being an English learner and the erroneous idea that programming for MLLs limits opportunities for students, when in fact it does just the opposite. When we avoid taking the time to share the richness of the programming we provide, we also miss an opportunity to acknowledge the work we do as educators to support students. When we see ESL/ELD programming from a deficit lens, we miss an opportunity to see language learning for what it should be – a challenge and journey that is both rewarding and joyful.

So what can we do to ensure that MLL families understand the ESL/ELD programming their child is receiving in schools? In the next part of this article, we will discuss some strategies and practices we can easily implement to build communication and transparency with MLL families.

Taking an additional qualification is something I have done many times both online and in person. I remember being a new teacher trying to take the ones that would help me land a new role in the school, like ESL/ELD or special education support. Juggling the demands of a course with work is no joke: between the assignments, readings, and discussion posts, AQs can really take up a good chunk of your evenings and weekends.

It had always been a personal goal for me to teach an AQ, though I wasn’t quite sure how to get started or even if I was ready. Serendipitously, my board put out a hiring posting for an AQ teacher pool. When the opportunity came up, I agreed immediately, especially since the course was in an area I feel particularly knowledgeable and passionate about – Teaching English Language Learners.

The experience of teaching an AQ for the first time was definitely one I will never forget. As someone who has primarily taught classes of children, it was a big shift to teach adults who also happened to be my colleagues. In many ways, I felt like I was a new teacher again, with all the anxieties stress that come with trying to plan an engaging lesson, getting all the assessments done in time, and doing my best to seem like I knew what I was doing.

So what is it like to teach an AQ for the first time? Here are a few takeaways I left with.

Teaching an AQ is a lot of Hard Work

When I started, I made the foolish assumption that the work would mainly involve teaching a curriculum that was already set up. But we soon discovered that we needed to adapt, change, and tweak the content to meet the needs of the class, and that some elements of the course were not working as planned. For example, the discussion boards that were set up could be confusing and redundant after in person sessions; the slide decks needed to be re-done to align with the alternating online/in-person format we were using.

Needless to say, it took hours of planning each week, and hours after class to assess and respond to student posts.

It is Daunting to Be Instructing a Course for your Peers

When you teach kids, there are clear and distinct differences between you and your students: being an adult, having a university degree, and being in a position of responsibility with children. Being a course instructor for your peers – fellow educators with a broad range of lived experiences and vast professional knowledge – is a completely different story!

Teaching an AQ is a great reminder that as educators, we facilitate learning and inquiry for students. Once I leaned into my own vulnerabilities as an instructor – embracing the idea that we could all learn a lot from each other – the course really became a joyful experience where everyone could share their strengths and areas of needs as educators.

Community Matters in the Classroom

Throughout the course, one thing we did intentionally from the beginning was build a sense of community with the group. Connecting over food, icebreakers, and discussions can go a long way, and as we all got to know each other the more supportive the class became of each other.  Our course curriculum involved a lot of presentations, which can be a bit of a nerve wracking experience for any person, including teachers. Creating a learning environment where classmates cheered each other on and held space for one another made the learning experience rich and rewarding.

The takeaway? Make time to build community in your classroom, whatever age they are!

It’s Inspiring to see New Teachers get Excited about Teaching

Our course had many new teachers in their first 5 years, which was fascinating for me as a pretty experienced teacher. Some of the students could have been in my own elementary school classroom years back!

I remember being a new teacher and how exciting it was to have a class, and also how exhausting and stressful it was. Spending so much time with teachers who were in that phase of their lives and also seeing the excitement that comes with learning new things was a good reminder of how much I have grown professionally and how great the teaching profession can be.

Co-Teaching is a Wonderful Thing

Being able to co-teach my first AQ with a colleague and friend was a great experience that took a lot of the pressure off planning, facilitating, and assessing a course while working full time during the day. It also really helped to have someone to debrief with after each session, discuss what was going well and what needed to be changed, and cover the class when one of us was running late or had to make an appointment.

Would I teach an Additional Qualifications Course Again?

After this first AQ, I am certain I would do it all over again. The work is rewarding, fun, and it amazes me to have the privilege of having a role in another teacher’s learning. It adds a new and rich chapter to my career as a teacher, and reminded me of the power of re-learning and rediscovering joy in work within an entirely new context.

Of course, hindsight is a gift – I know exactly what mistakes to not make, and what kinds adaptations to the course I can make to help it run smoothly. Unlike teaching kids, educators are not shy about telling you exactly what you can do as an instructor to be more organized!

Take an AQ with ETFO

ETFO offers an extensive selection of additional qualification courses that are facilitated by many of our amazing colleagues. Visit https://etfo-aq.ca/catalogue/ to find a course that aligns with your professional learning goals.

As a longtime educator and of Multilingual Language Learners (MLLs, also known as English Language Learners or ELLs) and a lead in my board for ESL/ELD programming, I have been in an incredibly privileged position to learn and implement Ministry policy in Ontario schools. And while I am certain there are more resources and professional development opportunities in the field than ever, many misconceptions about supporting MLLs still persist.

This article is all about clearing the air – here are four common myths about teaching MLLs in Ontario, and what educators should understand in order to align pedagogy to policy and best practices.

Myth #1: Newcomer Students should Learn English First Before Learning other Subjects

Reality: Newcomer MLLs, even in the early Steps to English Proficiency (STEP), can and should learn alongside their peers in every subject. MLLs are acquiring the language of instruction and learning the Ontario curriculum at the same time.

There is no policy or guideline that suggests a baseline level of English proficiency is needed for an ELL to learn the same subjects as their peers. There are, however, many policy supported program adaptations – including modifications and accommodations – that teachers should put in place to provide entry points into grade-level curriculum.

MLLs, especially those in the junior and intermediate grades, bring a wide range of skills and lived experiences to Ontario classrooms. It is important to empower MLLs to leverage their multilingual literacy and numeracy skills to engage with the same curriculum as their peers: this could mean using translation tools, working with same language speaking peers, or having language output goals aligned with their level of English proficiency.

Myth #2: English Learners should Learn English before French

Reality: English language learners can do as well as, and even outperform their Canadian-born peers in FSL programs.

I think the assumption that ELLs should be exempt from French stems from the idea that they should be using that time to learn English instead, or that older elementary-aged newcomer students have already missed too much French instruction to be successful. “Welcoming English Language Learners into French as a Second Language Programs, published by the Ministry of Education in 2016, shares research about ELLs in FSL programs that shows how they are uniquely positioned to be successful in French classrooms.

Furthermore, older ELLs transitioning to secondary school that have received less than 600 hours of French instruction can be supported through courses like FSF1O, also known as the open course. FSF 1O is an introductory course intended for students who have NOT accumulated a minimum of 600 hours of French instruction by the end of Grade 8, regardless of attendance or language proficiency.

Closing a pathway to French instruction to newcomer MLLs is inequitable, and removes an opportunity for students to learn an additional language.

Myth #3: Teachers Must Always Modify Curriculum and check the ESL/ELD box on the report card  for Students in STEP 1 and 2.

Reality: There is no policy or guideline that states students in the early Steps to English Proficiency (STEPs) must receive modifications, though it is highly likely they would benefit from modifications and other program adaptations at that point in their language acquisition. As per Growing Success (p. 76), the box is checked to indicate only when modifications have been made to curriculum expectations to address the language learning needs of English language learners.

Growing Success policy (p. 77) also states, “It is essential for all educators to understand the distinction between modifications and accommodations as well as the importance of providing either or both, as needed, to English language learners. These measures contribute to fairness and social justice for many students in an increasingly multicultural environment.”

Around report card time, I often get the question – “should I check the ESL/ELD box on the report card for all ELLs and STEPs 1 and 2?” The answer to this question is always nuanced, because it is not really an “yes” or “no” response. It depends on evidence of student learning and what we learn as educators from ongoing assessment for learning.

Simply clicking the ESL/ELD box on the report card without understanding the program adaptations that have been made for an ELL is not a best practice. The better question to ask is whether or not the student is receiving modifications to overall curriculum expectations. For many MLLs in the early STEPs, they may very well be – but perhaps not in every subject. For example, in a class like physical education, where the learning is interactive, the student may only need accommodations. The same thing may also be true for students in the Kindergarten program, where much of the learning is play-based.

The takeaway? If you are wondering whether or not to check the ESL/ELD box, consider what program adaptations you have made to make the curriculum accessible to the MLLs you teach. There is no “blanket rule” for modifying for MLLs or checking the ESL/ELD box on the report card.

Myth #4: MLLs Cannot be Considered for Special Education Needs until they have been in School for at Least 5-7 Years

Reality: There is no policy document that states that MLLs must be in school in Canada for any length of time in order to be considered for Special Education Support.

While it can take 5-7 years for newcomer ELLs to catch up to the same academic language proficiency as their peers (Supporting English Language Learners, p. 11), that time frame should not be a determining metric for considering MLLs with possible education needs. Such considerations should always be made on a case-by-case basis, looking closely at the student’s individual portrait, background, cultural funds of knowledge, and programming being implemented in the school and classroom.

MLLs are just as likely as any other group of students to have special education needs, and it is important to identify those needs using the processes and tools available in your board. It is also essential to take the right amount of time to observe the student to determine whether or not their areas of concern are related to language acquisition.

Recently I had the privilege of supporting an event organized by my school board on the “Future of Healthcare”. My role was simple: usher a group of 20 secondary students around different workshops organized by healthcare professionals from the Toronto and Peel area.

I expected a full day of listening, learning, and spending time with a new group of students – which is a pretty fabulous day for any teacher. What I didn’t expect was to be blown away by the critical connections these healthcare providers would make with students throughout the day. The Future of Healthcare program, coordinated in collaboration with the Peel DSB and Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), is designed to “target underrepresented youth and expose them to postsecondary education that could lead to career opportunities in the healthcare field.” In a world where we often hear about the defunding and discrediting of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, it was powerful to see the impact of cultural responsive pedagogy in action and also see the possibilities for a more inclusive, identity-affirming healthcare system.

I believe that it is more important than ever to keep a focus on cultural responsiveness in teaching, particularly during a moment where xenophobic and racist commentary regularly saturate social media feeds. As an educator, I’ve noticed an increase of rhetoric in the media and the field suggesting equity and anti-racism pedagogy cannot exist in tandem with “back-to-basics”, “common sense” foundational literacy and mathematics initiatives. Participating in a pathways planning event where there was an intentional centring of diverse voices and identities reaffirmed my belief that culturally responsive pedagogy does not weaken, but enhances and enriches learning for students.

Culturally Responsive and Inclusive Pathway Planning

The positive effects of cultural responsiveness and inclusivity extend far beyond the classroom – when we expose students to careers in a way that is more attuned to the variability of students’ lived experiences and the barriers they may face, we help them to see what is possible in their own lives.

For example, many students associate healthcare careers with well-known roles like doctor or nurse – but there are so many other options like social worker, lab specialist, therapist, or emergency medical technicians that they may not be aware of without knowing someone directly linked to the field. As a second generation Canadian from immigrant parents, I can attest that was hard to understand all the different pathways I could access as an adult, much less what I needed to do to prepare for them. Having opportunities to see the range of options in the workforce can make all the difference for students that have limited connections to a particular industry.

As elementary educators, topics like the workforce, college, and university can feel distant. But the reality is that many students have to start thinking seriously about their future pathways in the intermediate years – it is not long after grade 8 that students must make intentional course selections, choose part-time jobs, or pursue co-op and volunteering options. Taking opportunities to introduce students to workplace options, even in the elementary years, can result in real, life-changing decisions.

Representation Matters

Representation can be game-changing when it comes to the topic of career and pathway planning for students. Being able to witness the impact of representation in real time at the Future of Healthcare event was one of the best professional learning experiences I’ve had all year.

As an observer, I could see the affective filters of students lower when engaging with so many peers and professionals that they could identify with. Participation was high, and students were eager to ask questions about the medical field. A Sikh doctor gave insight on how to respond to a case study in which an unconscious patient’s religious beliefs conflicted with the haircutting required to perform a life-saving surgery. Students weighed in on the right course of action to take when the ingredients of a prescribed, essential medication were revealed to be at odds with the dietary restrictions of a Muslim patient.

Though students from different schools were intentionally mixed with other schools, they were eager to collaborate and problem solve case studies that explored the intersection of culture and medicine. They considered possible ways to respond to challenging situations, and how to create caring, supportive healthcare environments for culturally diverse communities.

I strongly believe that what made the learning so meaningful was the lived experiences and cultural funds of knowledge the speakers brought – in addition to the wealth of medical expertise and qualifications they had. In a country with a population as diverse as Canada’s such knowledge is an asset to professional practice.

There is More Work to Do

A day before I went to the Future of Healthcare event I was working in a classroom with newcomer students in English Literacy Development programs, and I asked one student what schools could do to support him. He stated quite frankly: “we need to know what courses to take, what grades we need, to become what we want.” Newcomer students in particular have a disadvantage in that they and their families may be unfamiliar with topics like credit accumulation, English proficiency assessments, and how and when to apply for postsecondary institutions.

As a middle school teacher, I didn’t look into what course selection could look like for students nor what secondary school credits they needed long into my career. I think this was something overlooked that I really should have corrected sooner, rather than simply relying on my own experience as a high school student in Ontario.

In a changing world with so many new careers emerging, it is key to be aware of what formal learning and lived experiences students should have to help them pursue future goals. Give students time to ask questions and talk about their future aspirations. And of course – as educators we don’t have all the answers – but by taking the time to listen we can help students to find the resources they can leverage to become what they want to be.