Geeta Kumar Start of the year, Year End Activities, Year End Reflection

Planning for September…

As the school year comes to an end, it is so easy to just push everything away from our brains and toss it into the closet! As educators, we have done so much work and now it’s time to rest and rejuvenate.

I know September is the last on your mind but doing a little planning now will make a big difference later.

Here are some suggestions things I plan out for September

Reflect on your routines and classroom layout. Think about what worked well and what you may need to refine next year. I personally like to take pictures of anchor charts, layouts, bulletin boards, so I can refer to it in the fall.

Organize with intention.  I like to create a bin full of activities that I typically use at the beginning of the year such as collaborative tasks, welcome newsletters, class calendars and read alouds). Grouping activities by subjects/units and labelling it clearly helps to ensure I am not scrambling in my drive for ideas later. I also take time to think about key literacy and math assessments I will likely need.

Below are items in my own “September” Box, that work for any division and range of abilities

  • First Week Activities: Read Alouds, Low prep collaborative tasks 
  • Newsletters/Class Calendar from previous year I can refer to, reuse or adjust
  • Assessments materials for math and literacy
  • A checklist of routines I explicitly taught
  • Daybook basics to help me get started right away

Taking just a little bit of time now can help you start September feeling calm, prepared, and ready to focus on what matters most, your wellbeing!

Is this something you like to do? Or do you prefer to leave it for a bit later?

Geeta Kumar Assessment and Evaluation

Visual Arts Assessment: A reflection

The last few years, I have been reflecting on assessment in visual arts, and the impact it can have on my students. In Visual Arts, the curriculum highlights the creative process (experimentation, expression, problem solving), not just the end product that we all see. This makes voice and choice essential during backwards design planning.

In the early years of my practice, I often used checklist or rubric to assess the final product and wrote some anecdotal notes about the process. However, we all know, the end product does not encapsulate the creative process. Real learning takes place during the creation: when a student changes their approach, reevaluates their colour choices or, work through frustrations of using certain materials. These moments matter. They reveal thinking, creativity, and growth.

I have found that by giving voice and choice (with some clear boundaries), students become more invested in the creative process. Students are willing to explore different materials, methods and modes of expression. This leads to deeper and more meaningful reflections. Even small choices made a huge difference.

I personally found that the most effective ways to support voice and choice in Visual Arts was during the reflection process. Asking open-ended questions (e.g., What was your plan? What made you change this part of the plan?) invited students to see themselves as artists. It also helped me to assess growth and intentions in ways I cannot access by simply using a checkbric with their final products. 

Of course, voice and choice do not mean that assessment becomes vague or unstructured. Success criteria still matter. Students need to know what they are learning and what success can look like. The difference is that the criteria should leave room for creativity and individuality. 

In Visual Arts, some of the most significant learning happens through the creative process, and that learning is not always easily captured in a report card comment. This is one reason why ongoing communication with students and families remains so valuable.

What are your thoughts about assessment in the Arts?

Geeta Kumar Design, STEM

Breaking Barriers in STEAM Learning: A Reflection

This year I took the opportunity to apply for and attend to attend a two-day Women’s Program (WP) workshop hosted by ETFO Provincial: Breaking Barriers in STEAM Learning. I was pleasantly surprised to be accepted and thoroughly enjoyed the experience!  This experience reminded me exactly why seeking and investing in my own professional matters, it is not just for the educators, it is for the students I serve!

What the Workshop Was About
The workshop gave me dedicated time and space to deepen my understanding of how to meaningfully bring STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) and Design Thinking into my teaching practice. Rather than a passive sit-and-listen experience, it was collaborative, hands-on, and built around the idea that learning should be engaging and accessible for everyone.

Key-Take Aways

The research is clear: the gaps don’t start in high school or university, they begin as early as kindergarten. Girls often grow up without visible role models in STEAM fields, or they’re introduced to these subjects in ways that feel dry, irrelevant, or simply uninviting. Even more subtle are the ingrained cultural biases we may not realize we’re reinforcing, like asking girls to help with crafts and boys to troubleshoot technology. These small moments add up over time and shape how children see themselves as learners and future problem-solvers. This was a meaningful reminder for me as a primary/junior teacher. The messages I send (intentionally or not) about who “does” well STEAM can have a lasting impact.

The workshop also offered practical guidance on how to design effective STEAM experiences through a Design Thinking Lens:

  • Choose tasks that are challenging but achievable, to foster confidence and a growth mindset
  • Within the engineering design process, prioritize reflection above all else as that is where the deepest learning occurs
  • Rather than trying to cover every strand, focus on 1 or 2 well-designed challenges with intentional cross-curricular connections that solves ‘everyday problems’. This approach actually leads to more curriculum expectations being addressed, alongside richer critical thinking (especially important for split-grade teachers!)

Some advice if you are looking to participate: 

  • Pay attention to those ETFO newsletters! Opportunities for Professional Development are often embedded in the email. 
  • Follow ETFO on social media to stay up to date
Geeta Kumar General

3 Lessons from This School Year (2025/26)

It’s that time of the year where I reflect on my practice, and think about THREE major lessons to take away. Here are my lessons from last year, if you are curious! 

This year felt like a lot. Being a combined grade primary-junior teacher (Grade 3/4) combined with starting off in a brand new school took a lot of energy. I felt capable when a lesson was successful and both grades were engaged. Some days I felt more tired.

But I showed up. Every day. And now it’s June, and I’m reflecting on what this year taught me.

1. Positive Self-Talk Matters… so everyone puts forth their best! 

Positive self-talk is about being kind to yourself and building resiliency through hard tasks. By modelling self-talk as an educator, it helps students experience growth and success, especially during times they feel stuck in the learning cycle.

2. STEM Matters… now more than ever!

Building identity, relations, and connection to STEM is important. It helps build resiliency, reasoning and critical thinking skills. By helping students see current diverse role models in STEM, students get the message that “we belong in these spaces.”

3. Handwriting Matters… to build neural pathways ,

In the times of technology, and as wonderful as it is… I reverted back to more pencil-paper tasks. I saw students slow down when they wrote by hand. They thought more. They remembered more (especially capitals and punctuation!). Of course technology is provided as support (or if it was outlined in an IEP).  But by pushing more handwriting tasks, students shared their own thinking more. Their notes, their reflections, their drafts – they approached the work differently. 

It wasn’t a perfect year but it was full of growth and moments where I surprised myself. And for me, that’s more than enough! 

What are your three lessons from this school year?

 

Geeta Kumar General

Lessons of a Combined Grades Teacher

This was my first year in a long time that I taught a combined (Grade 3/ 4) class. Sometimes combined grades are also referred to as split grade classrooms. I had some ideas about planning and organization before the school year began, and since then I’ve refined them as I go in order to better meet the students in front of me and protect my own wellbeing. See below some tips and reflections I’ve made learned this year!

  1. Considerations for the physical environment

I set up common bins for shared resources like manipulatives, art supplies, and reference books. When creating seating plans or groups, I try to mix the grades up using equitable strategies to support collaboration and learning skills.

  1. Set expectations early and follow through! 

Co-create class rules, routines, expectations and transitions. It took time and reinforcement but it eventually led to independence so that I can do more complex tasks with each group, especially when we needed to separate between grades. I also focused a lot of community building and reinforced it regularly throughout the year, to ensure all students were treated equitably and respectfully.

  1. Find Overall Expectations that Overlap!

During backwards design planning, I personally found that planning 60% of lessons together on big ideas led to more engagement because we were together. Fortunately the language and mathematics curriculum is framed like a continuum, so it is easier to find overlaps. When you backwards design for other subjects such as Science/Social Studies/Health, there are often overlaps, and then you can branch when there are specific expectations that differ by grade. Summative assessments with similar outcomes, but grade specific expectations, also made planning more manageable. 

  1. Be intentional with differentiation

Differentiation became essential in a combined class. I used open-ended and choice tasks so students could work at different levels on the same big idea. This allowed me to meet grade-specific expectations while keeping the class together as much as possible. I also leaned on small groups and conferencing to target specific needs, whether it was extra support, extension, or practicing a particular skill.

These were some of the key takeaways this year. Do you have any tips to add?

Check out this resource from ETFO shop, if you’d like to learn more!

Geeta Kumar Year End Activities

Engaging and Meaningful Learning During the Month of June

As we come to the end of the year, here are some learning areas I have focused on in the past that support meaningful and rich learning for students, keep structure in the classroom and continue to support ongoing practice! This is a list of areas I’ve weaved in alongside all the other exciting things that usually happen in schools (e.g., assemblies, public library visits, etc). 

Indigenous History Month

June is a meaningful time to deepen learning about First Nations, Inuit, and Métis perspectives. I like to incorporate read-alouds from Indigenous authors while engaging students in reflective responses to texts or arts. Keeping the focus on respect and voice is key.

Pride Month

Pride month provides an important opportunity to continue to build an inclusive classroom community and celebrate identity. We read inclusive picture books, discuss the importance of belonging, and co-create messages of acceptance. Students design posters, write affirmations, or participate in discussions. This connects beautifully to ongoing social-emotional learning and classroom community building.

Collaborative Class Yearbook

I love making a class yearbook each year. This is an opportunity for students to reflect on their growth as learners and a meaningful way to close the year. Students can contribute pages about their favourite memories, proudest moments, and goals for next year. I often include student writing, and collaborative pages to capture our classroom community.

Which One Doesn’t Belong (WODB)

As a class, we have seen and answered so many versions of WODB in both math and literacy. This is an opportunity for students engage in creative thinking and design their own to present to the class! It fosters creativity, critical thinking and oral communication skills. This is often engaging because students know the routine,  and get to be the teachers now! 

STEM Challenges

Hands-on STEM challenges are always a hit in June. I like to keep materials simple (e.g., popsicle sticks, cups, paper, tape) and give open-ended tasks such as building the tallest structure or designing something that can hold weight. These challenges encourage collaboration, problem-solving, and perseverance.

Outdoor Art

Taking learning outside can be refreshing for everyone. Students can create nature-inspired art using found materials, sketch outdoor scenes, or experiment with chalk art. This is also a great way to integrate mental health learning and observation skills while enjoying the warmer weather.

Gratitude Cards

Throughout the year, we often practice gratitude, and June is a perfect time to revisit this. Students can write thank-you cards to classmates, school staff, or family members. This helps reinforce kindness, reflection, and appreciation for the community we’ve built together.

What are some key activities that you like to do as you consolidate the learning for the year?

Geeta Kumar General

Considerations for Ongoing Communication

As we know, communicating with families is a key component to student success. When we take the time to build that home to school connection in the beginning of the year, students are better supported in their educational experiences. When families and caregivers understand the learning, they can reinforce classroom lessons at home, feel more connected to their child’s learning journey, and help foster a genuine love for learning.

Some considerations

  • Clear: Be specific and actionable; offer concrete examples in plain language of what a student is doing well and where they need support
  • Accessible: Consider families’ preferred language and method of communication (e.g., email, phone call, notes)
  • Ongoing: Monthly newsletters, biweekly emails, calendars.. however you decide to share progress, make sure to not do it just during assessment periods or when a concern arises
  • Timely: Allows for communication to be responsive and continuous throughout the year

Some strategies:

  • Welcome letters in the beginning of the year
  • Asking families for their preferred method of communication
  • Connecting with families with positive news more often (i.e. “sunshine messages”)

We each use our professional judgment to determine how and when communication takes place. Here is another article for your own reflections ETFO Voice: Connecting with Parents

Geeta Kumar Technology, Use of Technology

Balancing Slideshows with Active Teaching: A Reflection

My grade team partner made a comment about how often I used slides in my teaching (I use them a lot!). It prompted me to reflect on the changes to how we present information in this day of age, and whether the tools we use are truly serving our students. 

As a student, I recall watching my teachers using overhead and slide projectors to display content during whole group instruction. Today, we have simply shifted to slideshows or interactive touchscreens. The technology has changed, but the practice of presenting information has largely remained the same. The realization made me ask: Are my slideshows effective tools to help my students learn?

The answer I have come to believe is yes, but when only presented right. 

Slideshow Design

When I reflect on my own slide design, I find myself thinking about… 

  • The amount of text on the slide
  • The quality and relevance of visuals
  • How students can refer back to the content later

These three questions have shaped how I build and use slideshows in my classroom. 

The Benefits I’ve Experienced

Used thoughtfully, slideshows have genuinely improved my practice. Some include: 

  • Better structure in lesson delivery: having a clear flow of learning goals,  minds on, action, consolidation
  • Built in prompts and reminders for ME which is especially useful when I am exploring a new teaching strategy
  • Greater consistency across classes, which is particularly important  when teaching in a rotary model
  • More flexibility and responsiveness: since the structure is organized, it allows me to be more flexible and responsive to the students in front of me

The Disadvantages I am starting to notice:

The biggest concern I am finding is that it can make thinking invisible. By making sure I embed “non tech” aspects to the lessons (e.g., co-creating anchor charts), I embed the process of thinking, not just the finished product. I often ask questions or “write” on the slide to encourage more engagement. It invites students into the learning rather than positioning them as passive recipients. 

Moving Forward

My colleague’s comment wasn’t a criticism, it was a useful mirror. The real question was never how many slides I use, but whether my students are actively thinking during and between them. That distinction has shifted how I approach lesson planning.

Slideshows are a tool, not a teaching method. And like any tool, their value depends entirely on how they’re used.

Have you reflected on your technology use? 

Geeta Kumar General

Structured Literacy Shift # 6: Vocabulary Instruction

Structured Literacy Shift # 6: Vocabulary Instruction

Being more purposeful with my vocabulary instruction is a shift I have made for quite a few years. Vocabulary knowledge plays a powerful role in helping students build meaning from reading, express their ideas and engage deeply with texts.

To read about my other shifts, see below:

Students cannot comprehend a text if too many words are unfamiliar. Over time this can become a barrier to accessing grade level texts and content. Explicit instruction can in fact remove that barrier. 

Teaching vocabulary goes beyond giving definitions. Firstly, teachers intentionally introduce vocabulary, within a meaningful body of knowledge. When selecting vocabulary, teachers must determine whether it is Tier 1, 2, or 3. 

  • Tier 1: everyday words that children use regularly in conversation
  • Tier 2: highly utilized vocabulary words that appear across all subject areas. 
  • Tier 3: domain specific vocabulary, found in certain subject matters (e.g., science, social studies)

When selecting words, it is recommended that teachers focus on Tier 2 words, while connecting tier 3 words to the content being studied. 

Activities I have personally used during or after a read-aloud:

  • Generate synonyms
  • Give opportunities to use them in different contexts
  • Engaging with the target vocabulary word

A resource I personally recommend is “Teaching Reading Source Book”. On page 436, there are examples of a “Text Talk Method”, a 6-step process to engage with vocabulary through read-alouds. 

  • Step 1: Contextualize the word
  • Step 2: Say the word together
  • Step 3: Give student friendly definition
  • Step 4: give the word in other context
  • Step 5: Give opportunity to interact with the word (e.g., sentence starters, examples/non-examples, choices)
  • Step 6: Say the word together again

Morphology can also play an important role in vocabulary instruction. To learn more, check out this post. 

It is so important to weave vocabulary instruction into ALL subject areas. In my Grade 3/4 class, we sometimes explore the word together in context. Other times, we explore it with word activities such as word sums and matrixes. Therefore, this doesn’t become an added task, but instead, helps students access knowledge and texts. 

Reference:

Teaching Reading Sourcebook (2018) – by Bill Honig, Linda Diamond, Linda Gutlohn , Carrie L. Cole et. al. 

Geeta Kumar General

Self-Reflection

This year, I’ve had the privilege to attend and participate in professional learning focused on literacy practices in the classroom. One of the things that has stood out to me in every session was the intentional way facilitators asked us to self-reflect. 

At the beginning of each session, after sharing the learning goals, they would ask the following : Are you a seed, a seedling or a tree?

  • Seed … beginning the learning journey, curious and open to ideas
  • Seedling … someone who has built some roots, experimented, explored new strategies, and looking to learn more
  • Tree … someone who has built strong roots (and will continue to), feels confident in their knowledge and understanding and can share or support others

I appreciate this seed‑to‑tree analogy not only for individual growth but because, in many Indigenous worldviews, plants and seeds are teachers with cultural and relational meaning (embodied in works like Braiding Sweetgrass), which explores how plants teach about reciprocity, relationship, and learning. This approach reminds us that growth is holistic, relational, and generational. The seed, seedling, and tree represent more than stages of personal development; they reflect the continuity of culture and knowledge. 

In relation to professional learning, this subtly highlights that as educators we all are at different points. Growth isn’t linear and there isn’t a single “end” goal. Some days we feel like seeds, absorbing ideas, while others we feel like trees, grounded in our understanding and practice.

This reflection process made me think of my students as well. We often focus on identifying the learning goals, and the success criteria. Giving space for our students to consider where they are in the learning journey can help improve their self-esteem as learners and foster a growth mindset. 

How do you incorporate time for students to self-reflect?