Mentoring Moments: Spring Break around the corner 

There is no better countdown than for Spring Break in Ontario! We wait for that Groundhog’s day prediction that tells us an approximate timeline. I do love the season  as the weather starts to warm up and I get to enjoy the outdoors way more since I love the warm weather coming out of Winter!

Try making a vision board like I do for my goals

It’s my first time designing a new backyard this spring since I’m home with some creative ideas. I can’t wait to see the plan come to life as I work out my design, save and make a dream backyard for everyone to spend time in!

Re-engage this spring

I encourage you this spring to try something new that you have never tried before.

I ask that you journal and reflect how you felt doing something new.

I’ve always loved traveling and the past couple of years I have not been able to travel at all which means I got to embrace and love my home and downtime at home which made me rethink so many things…I love that I can count on making the moments count each day and embracing fun moments where I make it count!

Mantra to energize yourself to come back to work

  • What is it?
  • How do you inspire yourself for Term 2?
  • What do you do to ensure your energy level is high and you are driven to do your very best?

This year for me my 365 Day Challenge to post pictures of thing that bring Gratitude. This has been my inspiration to stay happy going from a lockdown back and forth as we embrace the gift of life fully knowing that we are not experiencing this world the same way though we are going through the same storm. My one word has been GRATITUDE for the social media challenge and to share some experiences that have given me a voice and inspire our soul to be positive and encourage us to be productive to contribute to society.

Reflection: What is something fun you love to do, do those things during the holidays and I wish you a fun Spring Break! 

Yours in Education,

Nilmini

Mentoring Moments: Time Management 101 for the New Year….

This New Year, I wanted to encourage you to manage your time, your busy time, your spare time and alone time. I can’t think of a better time to blog about this topic than now as we make new years resolutions for the up coming year ahead.

I can honestly say that if you organize your time well as a teacher, you will be able to have work during work hours and build your family and friendship lives separately and explore life the way you would like…

As a mentor or mentee at any given moment in your teaching career, time management skills will help you accomplish everything you want and not burn out in your profession. Remember it’s a career and you need to explore the learning opportunities, balance life and enjoy the moments as we teach daily. So, here are my thoughts. Please feel free to share yours…

Strategies that have worked for me!

  • Using a calendar that is user friendly
  • Goal setting weekly
  • Timed To Do List with daily, weekly and monthly goals

Plan with a Backwards Design in mind

  • Plan the ending of your lesson first.
  • Then plan your teaching goals.
  • Then plan the steps that will take you to the goal.
  • Consider student input in how you plan things out.
  • Set those learning goals for your students and lesson.

Maslow vs. Vygotsky vs. Bloom

  • Put the needs of the students first, with high expectations on what you expect them to do.
  • Remember all students have to feel like the belong to make significant contributions.
  • Let students guide the lesson pace and ideas.
  • Make the space so that you can advocate for your students.
  • Remember “RELATIONSHIPS” are the key.
  • Inquiry with gradual release of responsibility has been my secret to being successful.

It is always important to draw connections between Maslow’s basic needs to ensure they are met and Vygotsky’s learning expectations as we develop skills for students.

Photo credit: for the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs graphic.

Photo credit: for the  Blooms Taxonomy graphic.

 

Photo credit: for the Vygotsky’s philosophy graphic for Inquiry based learning.

We build amazing lesson expectations so that we can guide discussions and lead students to think with higher order thinking skills when approaching problems. We encourage students to look at situations that they face with a problem solving mentality in order to develop their comprehension skills, and resilience.

Reflection: What were your New Year’s resolutions as an educator? Write them down with timelines. SMART goal them. That’s my goal for you as a reader of my blog!

Yours in Education,

Nilmini

Mentoring Moments: Lesson Planning 101 for New Teachers

Every teacher loves her lessons, as teachers they guide us through the most inspirational paths into developing life long learning opportunities for students…letting them find their own success, one student at a time.

Start with where you are inspired 

As a new teacher, always know that you will find your own way your strategy of doing things…go with your interest and drive your lessons from it. We are not all the same that is why we are amazing at what we do. However, as an experienced teacher, I wanted to share some insights into lesson planning that have inspired me.

  • Find your interest
  • Drive lessons with your strength
  • Have fun planning but be flexible

Drive your lessons with student interest

The lesson inspiration comes from your students that you are teaching, if they are not interested,  it is going to feel like a long lesson…so get them excited and inspired as you plan with the curriculum in mind. 

Backwards design your plan for the Unit

I recently learned an amazing method called “The Grid Method” to organize my thinking and planning. I have so much gratitude to the “Teach Better Team” in the United States for introducing me to this method as I organized my way of thinking through my lesson planning. I have shared my grid method plan so you can see how it works for one Science unit with curriculum expectations using project-based learning with a culminating task that is differentiated for individual student success for online learning.

My Unit Plan for you to try out!

Reflection: What is the one lesson you want to try and plan using the Grid Method Template?

Tag me on social media and keep in touch and share your journey it is going to have many up and downs but you will be fine. Just be yourself.

Yours in Education,

Nilmini

Mentoring Moments: Shifting Power Dynamics in the Education System

In Canada, we embrace the beautiful cultures of the world, the languages and heritages of many cultures that make us unique! What our country can show the world is that DIFFERENCES make us the face of the new Global World, which is our Strength and what we have to offer each and every country.

It is also our biggest strength in education to be able to teach how to maintain peace, be united and show togetherness in times of challenge as we accept the historic past that has brought us together in this beautiful homeland called Canada.

We have strength in our united education workers that work together: we need to advocate for togetherness to build a strong education system that is resilient to changes that  will make it stronger.

Here was a bit about my educational perspectives from the private education I received in Sri Lanka to the public education I received in Canada from the Educational Blog from Doug Peterson Interview that I wanted to share that helped me reflect. He first connected me to my Professional Learning Network when I was new to Twitter and it has been an honour to stay connected!

Shift the Power and make it purposeful

Here is the story behind the cakes! They are special to me…my parents always made us cakes for our birthdays and I have always loved cakes in the family. Celebrations have brought the family together: and this was my last Birthday cake – Ah! Bring on those super powers for the feminist and the males who advocate for women’s rights…We can make a difference in the world.

  1. Advocate for your Students (Make that special Cake to celebrate that you are here!)

  • Teach with the whole child in mind
  • Differentiate for success
  • Each child they bring their best to your classroom
  • Modify and accommodate lessons for it to personalized
  • Let’s student lead the pace and discussion
  • You lead the curriculum and teaching goals
  1. Change your thinking as an Educator (The ingredients in the cake that you pick that makes that cake your making delicious but unique since all the differences are important)

Hold yourself accountable in knowing you are human and you are a life long learner

  • Learn about Equity concepts
  • Know that there is discrimination
  • Understand micro aggressions
  • Be Anti-Racist Educator
  • Teach about isms explicitly with purpose
  1. Ableism
  2. Classism
  3. Ageism
  4. Religion as an ism
  5. Racism
  6. Homophobia/Heterosexism
  7. Sexism
  1. Build Relationships with your community (The “icing” that makes that cake delicious that adds the perfect touch with that sparkle!)

  • Have courageous conversations about the topics that really matter
  • Embrace differences and find common ground in solutions
  • Create safe spaces for discussions that are inclusive and welcoming

Always remember we teach other peoples children, our biggest resource as a community. It is the next generation, they are important these children that we educate and let’s make a difference by teaching them to be the best they can be!

Reflection: What is the one thing you will do to make a difference as we unite education workers, students and parents to create a good education system that embraces diversity ? You can make a difference.

Yours in Education,

Nilmini

References:

Teach Better Team: Let’s Talk Equity Twitter Chat Link 

 

Mentoring Moments: Celebrate Teachers in Education!

Being a teacher is a role I hold close to my heart. I love being able to connect with my students and their families while giving them the opportunity be the best they can be with the best learning opportunities possible.

I started out teaching in Early Childhood Education in a Daycare setting  teaching  Kindergarten while I finished high school. I loved every moment programming and teaching children by differentiating student learning opportunities.

Mentorship Programs

I think, that mentorship programs offer invaluable skill sets and working knowledge that you can pass down to others as you teach, co-teach and support through leading. The opportunity to solve real life problems that arise and encourage growth helps the mentor and the mentee as they develop a working relationship as co-learners.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if the Ministry of Education, Union Federations Affiliates, Parents of Students all work together to make the education system function at its highest capacity? This would honestly be my highest expectation to make our education system strong and over come systemic barriers.

That would be my vision for Education to make our curriculum shine we need to invest in a reflective process we see each team player held to account with high expectations and embracing a growth mindset of learning.  Mentorship would be the best use of resources to bring in expertise and engaging capacity building among educational professionals.

Building Networking Opportunities

Teachers need to network, socialize and be celebrated. As I start my 20th year in teaching I know that I am embracing learning along side others like you who are learning through blogs. Networking helps us as teachers build trusting relationships and grow from them.

Here are some ideas to network:

  • Social events in professional development
  • Growing your social media PLN to build opportunies to connect
  • Building capacity digitally with Blogs, Pod casts and engaging conversations

Engage Diverse workforces

No matter where you teach in the world we need to embrace diversity…there is nothing that can replace the perspectives, lived experiences that can be brought forward by being inclusive in our field. We live in a diverse world and we need to be representative and represent the cultural backgrounds and bring forth the knowledge from a global perspective today in age as we guide learning.

I really value diversity in education as a profession. When we are passionate educators we know that we bring in ideas, empower our learners and advocate for student voices to be heard and in order to do that we have to give opportunities to individual voice that are traditionally under represented in education to shine.

“In a completely rational society, the best of us would aspire to be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generations to the next ought to be the highest honour and the highest responsibility anyone could have” Lee Lacocca. This quote I hold close to my heart always through the journey of education as I continue to encourage, motivate and engage learners. No matter what differences we have that knowledge we pass to others on values, equity, diversity and human rights we should hold close to our hearts.

Reflection: Which concepts resonated with you from the blog and which will you apply to your daily reflection as a teacher?

Yours in Education,

Nilmini

Mentoring Moments: Importance of Our Names

I always wanted to write why the name each of us are given is important to consider. Each year we have the privilege as an educator to touch and impact families as we teach their children. I emphasize as a teacher we teach children that belong to many cultures and backgrounds…As a teacher we have so many opportunities to reflect on pronunciation of names, spelling of names and the chance to talk about each individual story behind the name that we are given. As we celebrate World Teacher Day this month reflect on the privilege we hold as teachers to embrace diversity, be inclusive and bring about change in the education system that we work for towards a better future for all.

This blog starts with you getting to know me a bit better as an Educator in Ontario. Nilmini is my middle name- it was given to me by my parents because “Nil” in Sinhala means the colour Blue. “Mini” in Sinhala translates into “Gem”…Nilmini means a Blue Gem a precious stone, and important name that I was given. I love it…I never really thought about how when I was born the white part of my eyes had grey and blue tones….Moreover, now as an educator I reflect on why my name holds a special place in my heart since it is also apart of my heritage the beautiful country I was born in Sri Lanka before I immigrated to Canada with my family as a child.

“Each year we have the privilege as an educator to touch and impact families as we teach their children.” @NRatwatte

Ask your students about their Name Stories

As an educator there is no better way to build a trusting relationship than to ask students about who they are so you can connect it to the curriculum that is being taught each year.

  • Build in lessons through out the year to get to know your students names
  • Their heritage
  • Their traditions
  • Call students by their names – real names
  • Don’t change them since they are long
  • Do give them pride and ownership in using their own name

Some Books that can help you start the conversation about Names

Name Jar

I love using this book to discuss the importance of keeping our language cultural name and customs. The book helps us talk about inclusion practises in a school setting and importance of feeling belonging.

Chrysanthemum

No better book for me as a teacher since my name is very long and I go by my middle name Nilmini that is a family tradition.

They call me Number One

A book I start the conversation with about the importance of making students feel welcome when learning about the First Nations Peoples of Canada and the Residential School System.

Growth Mindset to Teaching

I encourage you as an educator to embrace the differences and not shorten names but call students by their real names to give them respect for their identity. Names are apart of each individual identity since they are interconnected to who we are, our cultural heritage or our customs.

  • Ask Questions
  • Encourage sharing
  • Embrace the Learning

In my culture we have a “letter sound” that is given to us when we are born according to our horoscope and that is the sound that we use to name each child according to be prosperous in our lives. These traditions carry with us over the generations because they are meaningful and they encourage customs that hold our heritage over the centuries close to our hearts.

Reflection Question: Think about why your name is important; write down your name story that you can share with your student during a lesson and courageous conversation.

Yours in Education,

Nilmini