Rashmee Karnad-Jani Advocacy for change, agency, Building Inclusion, Celebrating Success, Inspiring Teachers

There are different ways to make a difference 

It is almost the end of the year and we have been talking for a while.

After my recent conversation with you, I got several emails and messages. Some colleagues posted their comments below the blog and others wrote to me. Some called while others mentioned their feedback when they passed me in school buildings. I also received one very important question “I want to write for ETFO also. Where do I begin?

Where I Began

When I was growing up in Goa, a beautiful state on the western coast of India, I always liked receiving the magazines to which my father subscribed- for himself, my mother and me. In addition, we also received one from our community called The Kanara Saraswat. I used to wait eagerly to receive the publications and would pore over them when they arrived.

The magazines were written in English, Marathi and Hindi. My parents wanted me to be able to read and write in many languages because they knew that as I went through schooling and university, I would be immersed in English. As wise visionaries, they wanted me to retain my rich multilingual literacy and I have. I can read, write, think in Hindi, Marathi, Konkani and English and I am very thankful for that.  In those magazines,  I would love to read a particular author or series by the same person.

One day, I think in Grade 5 (or 5th standard as we said in India) I tried to write a school essay along the same lines as one of my favourite writers and …. my Amma, a high school English teacher caught on.  She used to read over my writing because she liked to and she saw that this piece didn’t sound quite like me.

So Amma said “ Write like yourself. You’ll see you have a lot to say and you have your own style and strengths. Find them and sharpen them.” While that entire conversation was carried out in our mother tongue, I’m translating it here to accommodate for our monolingual readers and non-Konkani colleagues 😉.

Receiving the Voice

I have not outgrown my love for reading what others write.  Over the years I’ve enjoyed receiving the Voice in the mailbox. I read Sharla Falodi’s article and thought deeply about the importance of claiming space.  I also read Sangeeta McAuley’s words written long before CRRP was part of a job title in schools and school boards. This piece helped me reflect deeply and make many connections to my practice with students and their families: just because I was a landed immigrant in 2002 didn’t make me an expert on others’ lived realities was my take away. This was 2018.

There are so many inspiring pieces to be found in  Archive | ETFO Voice that if you browse these issues, you’ll remember the ones that connected with you over the years.

Timing is Important 

When I read the work of writers whose ideas connected with the lived realities of the work that members do in schools, or something new that I had not yet tried, I experienced a faint stirring, a tingle in my fingertips that made me think that this was possible for me too perhaps. So I asked around about where to begin and with a lead, I wrote to the editor. Although I shared a few ideas, I didn’t write for the Voice yet.

It wasn’t until I’d written and submitted my doctoral dissertation in 2021 that I decided to write for ETFO. I sent in my piece “Mothers and Teachers: Two Sides of the Same Coin” in which I spoke of the blended standpoint based on two decades of living here and  on my ten years of graduate work.

(In this article when I say “If this were my child, what would I do, wish for and fight for.” I do not mean biological children alone. I speak of the relationship with all the children in our extended families and in our friendship circles. I speak of the special care we extend to the the young people in our personal lives).

If you are considering writing for the Voice, here is some important information to review.

Writing for the Heart and Art of Teaching Blog

I have been a member of my ETFO local since 2004 when I started working as a permanent full time teacher. It wasn’t until 2012 when I had an unpleasant experience at work and I stood up for what’s right that I contacted someone at the local office to seek guidance on how to get formal support to engage in courageous conversations.  These things weren’t happening to me yet, but I wanted to speak up when things happened to others around me.

I haven’t looked back since that evening. I served on the Political Action Committee that year and the Social Justice Committee the next time. I served with both these committees once more over the years, once during the pandemic.

Then this year I thought I’d serve through the New Members’ Committee at our local because as time moves on, one plans to leave behind some memorable steps that can lead to a better working environment for  colleagues who come after us.

Also because I wanted to connect the dots between my interest in writing with ETFO Provincial and this work with my local, I saw the opportunity to contribute to the conversations through a writing role with ETFO’s Heart and Art of Teaching & Learning and applied. Here is some information if you want to learn more about this blog.

It Takes Time

It took me 9 years (from 2012 to 2021) to get from that first phone call to the local to this point of having regular conversations with all of you.  For many who are used to having things happen quickly, perhaps this seemingly meandering process is frustrating. But it isn’t a waste of time.

During this waiting, one becomes more aware of oneself and our working conditions with every passing day. The professional and personal become more seasoned, the struggles become more relatable and the solidarity becomes more real as time moves forward. One has to want something with deep dedication in order to not give up.

One also has to stop caring what other people will think.

Those of us who’ve done things differently and who have made our mark off the beaten track have always been asked “Who do you think you are?” And we don’t bother to respond to that question, do we?

We walk strong. We strengthen others.

That is The Work that goes beyond the job.

Many Paths

There are different ways to make a difference. We don’t all have to be active in ETFO’s provincial or local formal networks. We don’t have to be elected to office though that’s wonderful too if that’s what calls to you.

An institution like ETFO (yes, a union is an institution also) has provincial initiatives like the AGM and locals have their own events planned by the social committee, the goodwill and awards committee or the professional learning committee

But this much I know: no matter how many things are done at the provincial and local level, it is only when everyday working conditions are truly equitable and respectful for each and every member in the schools where we do this important work, that we can say that we are in solidarity, 100% there for one another.

So reach out to ETFO Locals , if not for yourself, to make someone else’s life easier.

With You, In Solidarity

Rashmee Karnad-Jani

Rashmee Karnad-Jani Building Inclusion, English As Second Language (ESL), English Language Learners (ELLs), Inclusion, Kindergarten, Learning About Your Students, wellness

The Importance of Questions: Part 1

We’ve moved on from November and it’s the last month of the year already.  While the countdown for the winter break has begun in many minds, there are some things that catch my attention and I want to share some of them with you.

In our everyday spaces, we connect with, notice and wonder about things, and people all the time when we see them. Sometimes we ask questions and at other times based on what we think we know, we decide a response.  I am sharing some questions that I have been asked in the past months that keep me thinking about their importance.

This photograph shows two leafless trees against a blue sky with white clouds. The sun is shining brightly behind the tree to the right
Winter Sunlight (Karnad-Jani, 2024)

Who are you? 

As the range where I collaborate with colleagues is K-12, I have the experience of meeting students who aren’t yet four and older students who call me Miss. When I enter a classroom or wait outside, students either ask me directly who I am or their eyes do without words. When invited by my colleague in the classroom, I introduce myself: “My name is Ms.Karnad. I am a teacher and I’m here to learn with you”.

Do you miss that? 

The questions I receive are heart warming and they open my mind to all the things children think about. 

Often I join children at their tables to work alongside. In a Grade 4 class a student asked me “Do you go from school to school because you don’t have your own classroom now?” 

“Yes”, I said “That’s correct”.

“Do you miss having your own students?” 

I replied in the affirmative.

“What is the first thing you will do if you have your own classroom again?” 

I’m still thinking about that one. 

Do you speak Farsi?

In a Kindergarten classroom recently, a student  asked me to join them in play. They were gathering leaves to fill a small red cup, a blue teapot and a star shaped baking dish. I was instructed to guess how many scoops of leaves went into each one and I think I did rather well on that task. Then another student joined us and in a clear voice asked me “Do you speak Farsi?” I replied that I didn’t but I understood some words. “Come back and I’ll teach you some more words” she said and I’m looking forward to that.  How wonderful it is when children say to the grown-ups in their lives “I will teach you”. What a promising world this will be!

Can you help me?

At another school when I was planning a pre-collaboration visit and standing by the door as it was a rather busy time, I felt a tug on my wrist. Looking down I saw a student who wanted me to walk with them. They began leading me by the hand to another space and pointed to a shelf higher up. “Show me”, I said pointing to the visuals as I had seen a choice board displayed prominently with large pictures for easy access (for visitors like me also). The student showed me the picture of their preferred item and I helped get it down for them. A friend joined in and they tugged my hand to sit also. Building with multicoloured magnetic shapes that morning was a lot of fun.

Do you know where you are going?

As we approach the end of the year and the start of a new calendar year, it is these simple heart-touching questions that point me to where I am going. Immersed as we see in the complexities of the work and the world, this simplicity is the gift that allows me to stay in the moment and touch that glimmering droplet of joy.

I see you 

Many years ago, I was a Grade 7-8 teacher at the school with the beautiful sunrise. As I’d walk to the workroom downstairs on my prep, I’d pass an empty kindergarten classroom. Every day a rotation of women-mothers, aunties, grandmothers – and children would come in and attend a morning run by an Ontario child care programme. The women would sit cross legged and the children would sit in front of them. The service provider would play some songs while the women and children waited, listened and participated. It becomes clear for those of us who know educational pathways in Ontario that this was a school readiness programme for pre-kindergarten children.

In the early days, there would be hesitant little people being encouraged by the women and as time went by the children would begin to sing. As the workroom was nearby, I’d hear the voices change from whispers to hesitant voices to the silver sound of enthusiastic singers. 

When they’d come in for their learning, the women and children would line up outside the room. On the wall, up high, were Grade 8 graduation composites. One day as I was walking by, a child was pointing to a picture here and a picture there. As his Amma smiled at me I stopped and listened alongside. “Anna (elder brother), Akka (elder sister)”, he said. They were his cousins, who had graduated from the school, I learned from the child’s mother. 

As I was about to leave, the child pointed at someone else in the frame and whispered to his mother. I asked “Who is it? Whom do you see?”. The little one smiled shyly and pointed to me. His Amma said “He is saying, I see you”. Yes, I was there too and the child had recognized me from my tiny face in the large frame. 

Now these photos have been moved to a connecting passage between the old wing where I started working and the new wing that we saw being built from my Grade 7-8 class. That moment stays with me years later.

I see you. 

Such an important thought. I want to make sure everyday that I too see you, students and colleagues. That’s a great place to begin.

I see you.

With You, In Solidarity

Rashmee Karnad-Jani

Rashmee Karnad-Jani Advocacy for change, agency, Challenging Topics, Constant Learning, Mentorship

We Are (also) The System 

The Joy of Being With Students

I am always grateful for the opportunity of being with students in the schools where I have worked and the classrooms in which I now co-teach. These interactions with students in the hallway, school yard or while entering the school are very precious because they always remind of my purpose in this work. 

In a Grade 1 classroom the other day, there was talk of dinosaurs because one backpack had them and several sweaters did too. I was waiting with the students for their teacher to come in from supervision duty.  For a short time, I was in the spotlight because they remembered from a previous visit.

Then one of the students had a bright idea: “Let us see if Ms. Kaar-naad knows the names of at least two of the dinosaurs” The whispers of “she may not know them, we may need to help her” were very heartwarming.  It is humbling that children are gracious and kind towards the grown-ups in their lives. 

I could name at least 2 dinosaurs as asked and I was in! 

The System and Our Work

One of the Big Words that comes up often in school-related work is The System  

When I was in the classroom as a teacher from 2004 to 2020 and since then, working side by side with colleagues’ in their classrooms, it often felt (and still does) as if it was just me, students, colleagues and families.  But there are times, when in spite of of the strongest efforts and best intentions, things move slowly or do not move at all.

At such times, I say and we say: “It is the System.” Out of sight, yet in our lives always – The System towers over us. Educational work, whether done in our classrooms or in the homes of our students by their families, unfolds in its shadow.

This pervasive and powerful System is everywhere and we speak of it often. We tacitly know that it exists. We say that The System determines the inequities in education, social and professional spaces. We notice and name Systemic Barriers that hold back student outcomes, and even our Higher Ed admissions to programs that we plan to get into, as educators.

We also see systemic barriers interlock with families’ home lives that in turn impact our working conditions and students’ learning conditions. This last issue often occurs when internationally trained professionals are invited to Canada through various pathways, and when they settle in Ontario, they go through many, sometimes never ending cycles of under-employment or unemployment. 

So where do we go from here, when The System holds all of us in its grasp and impacts the lives of so many?

Learning Together: The Triangle of Power

ETFO’s Anti-Oppressive Framework: A Primer is an important document for all of us to review and become familiar with. I am pleased to share that it was also intentionally brought into view for members by the York Region local’s Anti-Oppression Task Force a few years ago.

It is a very readable and relatable resource and allows the reader to actually see in a new light, the everyday work spaces in which we are immersed.  What stands out for me and many who have made this resource a key aspect of our practice is The Triangle of Power (p.9).

Diagram titled "The Triangle of Power Provides a Helpful Approach"; showing triangle with "Power" written inside, "Individual Action", "Institutional Barriers", and "Ideology" at the three vertices, double-headed arrows connecting each idea.
The Triangle of Power (Anti-Oppressive Primer, ETFO, 2021)

The Triangle of Power highlights three vertices: Ideology, Individual Action and Institutional Barriers and explains them in very easy-to-understand language. ETFO members can connect with this visual in our busy lives and  weave the learning into our jobs, the conversations in which we participate, in professional learning that we develop, deliver or attend as well as ways in which we engage with families, students, as well as with one another. 

The Anti-Oppressive Framework Primer explains the 3 vertices as Ideology, Individual Action and Institutional Barriers. 

For the purpose of this conversation, I have changed the order  as below:

Institutional Barriers

“The corners of the triangle — ideas and actions inform and result in institutional inequities. This can be seen in systems/structures such as the media, the justice system, politics, education, religious institutions and union spaces where inequities based on lack of representation, over-representation, omissions, discriminatory policies are present.”

The reason I have placed Institutional Barriers as the first consideration is because they tower above us as we go about our day as they do for students and families. Institutional Barriers are high up above the classrooms and other spaces where you and I do our work. Their impact is also felt all around us but they are invisibilized in the busy pace of our lives and we do not always notice them. 

Ideology 

“If we are to consider that as human beings, we are all informed by our ideas (ideology) which in this case, can be displayed through generalizations, assumptions, implicit or explicit biases and stereotypes that one may hold about individuals or groups, it is these constructed and learned ideas that inform the way one behaves towards people.”

I have placed Ideology 2nd in this list of 3 vertices because our ideas are so well marinated in our implicit and explicit biases that they become tacit knowledge and then evolve into “a fact.” This can apply to stereotypes about one another, students, their families, the places colleagues and families got their educational degrees and so on. 

“Who, me?”, people may say when you speak of ideology to them. And that’s exactly it.  Ideology is also invisibilized and quite easily deniable. 

Individual Action 

“Discriminatory behaviours, often unintentional, can take the form of actions towards individuals or groups of people. These acts may appear in the form of conducts such as name-calling, inappropriate comments to more violent and pervasive physical acts such as bullying, assault, segregation or omissions. Some behaviours are more insidious and less able to be obviously detected. For example, comments about a racialized or Indigenous person’s hair, or asking someone where they are from, can be identified as microaggressions.” 

I have placed Individual Action as the last vertex so that you and I can focus our attention on it and remember it well. 

I am inviting you to join me in critically examining the role that you and I can play in upholding oppressive practices unless we hold ourselves accountable everyday, in every interaction. 

We are (also) The System

The Triangle of Power makes it very clear that We are (also) The System because each corner (vertex) holds a specific part of oppression.

If you and I choose to hold up a specific part of oppression through our individual action, we are (also) a part of oppressive practices. Mathematically, if the third vertex (individual action) is not there to hold the structure in place, it is not a closed figure. It is not a triangle anymore. 

While I do not think that Individual Action alone can break down Institutional Barriers or shift ideology because they are very powerful, I do believe that each one of us has an important role to play in how the other two vertices have an impact. 

  • After all, oppression is action: it occurs when someone does something oppressive.
  • Thankfully, anti-oppressive practices are actions too. You and I have to actually do something anti-oppressive.

Let’s dismantle the Triangle of Power at every opportunity we get by making our Individual Actions in educational settings anti-oppressive.

When you feel wobbly, reach out. There are many fellow travellers engaged in anti-oppressive practices in local and provincial settings.

We will help one another.  I also invite you to read, practice and share ETFO’s Anti-Oppression Primer.

With You, In Solidarity

Rashmee Karnad-Jani

Rashmee Karnad-Jani Advocacy for change, agency, Building Inclusion, Feedback, Why unions matter, Women at Work

How Is Everything?

Keeping Pace with the Calendar

The school calendar marches on. As I write this post, progress reports are being read, revised and will be shared soon. Interviews with families will be coming up in a few weeks. Even as I remember those days and the rich discussions of those times, now I find joy by walking alongside colleagues.

I see how busy it right now in the work spaces where we spend our days. Hallways, classrooms, school yards… everywhere. Sometimes it feels as if Friday to Friday is one chunk of time and it’s as if on the last day of the work week, I am able to exhale when I hadn’t even realized I was holding my breath.

This Friday, after work, I checked my phone before putting it away for the night. A friend was checking in.  This special person is a kind human being who in addition being a passionate and caring educator diligently shares spider plants with me regularly which in spite of my green thumb haven’t lived past the six month mark. I value this friendship greatly!

A blue text message bubble with the words "How is everything?"
A Friday-evening check-in from a friend

How Does One Respond?

We often ask each other this question, don’t we? “How is everything?” We ask because we care but is there time to share all the ups and downs of the day when you and I know the person who’s asked has their own load to carry?

Perhaps you’re thinking “Rashmee, three posts ago you’d said if you get wobbly reach out to someone.” Yes, I had and that’s possible but there’s a time to share and a time to say “all is well”. Also, in that moment at the end of the week, we need to set down the day and rest. Imagine if one truly took up the question “how’s everything?” and poured ones heart out to people who ask. What would one say?

So here’s something I do: I remember that everything is what I make of it really. Everyday a goal I set for myself is to leave each space just a little better than I found it, even if it’s through a five minute interaction or a one hour consult.  Then I let it go. This is a skill that I practice everyday, because without that I’d be less efficient and empathetic in my work.

Learning Together 

Especially when the school year goes from week to week, the importance of staying well informed cannot be stressed enough. More so, when it’s time for decision making, voting for important matters to move forward,  it is important that we as members know what has been going on around us even as we focus on what is going on within us and between us.

Whether you’re just getting started or have been working for a long time, please check Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario – Home regularly.

Did you know about Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario – Publications ?

Have you listened to  Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario – Elementary: A podcast from ETFO where each podcast episode is introduced by students?

Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario – ETFO eNewsletters also have  lot of important information that is shared again by my local, so I get to notice it twice. This is how I signed up for The 2024 ETFO Listening Tour and am looking forward to attending on November 19th with colleagues at my local.

Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario – Labour Movement has a rich history and there is a book called “Class Action: How Ontario’s Elementary Teachers Became a Political Force”. I enjoyed reading it and wrote a review about it in ETFO’s Voice. Check it out. Who came before us? What did they fight for? What are we working towards for those who walk alongside now and what do we leave behind for those who come after us? These are key questions that I invite you to think about.

Another exciting resource I’ve discovered is Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario – Welcome to ETFO Booklet and as a member of the New Members Committee at our local, I am looking forward to the conversations that ripple out from here.

Holding The Door Open

Many years ago, I think in 2011, I went looking for support from a released officer at our local, through a phone call after a long and heavy day. I recognize that moment as the turning point because since then, my participation in ETFO’s activities through reading, sharing, writing and volunteering increased exponentially. I also do something I call “holding the door open”: I invite others to connect with elected members within our local and build relationships so that they are not alone.

So, this week, while leaving many thoughts and wonderings behind on a Friday evening, I decided to do something as it was my pre-Winter commitment:  I connected four friends to the released officer of our local via email – with permission of course. They may not need anything right now but when they do, they know whom to contact. Small steps matter.

The Social Organization of Knowledge

The social organization of knowledge (how we share information through informal networks and make it relatable to our contexts) is critical because it strengthens us as individuals and as a collective.

When we are connected with one another in times of calm, it strengthens how we stay on the path of solidarity  in challenging times.

There is a saying in in Konkani, my mother-tongue “ One doesn’t dig a well when one gets thirsty”. So, let us dig a well before we need to.  Do check out the resources I have shared and let us find one another.

What next?

This is my fourth conversation with you. Thank you to all who have responded to the writings with your connections, memories, a single sentence – all of which are precious for me.

I’d love to hear from you about topics that interest you.

What are you thinking about?  What do you want to write about when you decide to step into this space? What do you want me to write about?

And above all: How is everything?

With You, In Solidarity,

Rashmee Karnad-Jani

Rashmee Karnad-Jani Professional Judgement, Professional Learning and Growth

You Deserve The Best of Me

My photograph of the sunrise in Markham, Ontario from 2015 Winter

Sunrise Thoughts

It is still early Fall in Ontario. Recently, my day was spent in a Grade 1 classroom at an early start school from 7:30 where I set down my bag and took a deep breath as I got out of the car.  I especially love working at early-start schools because I started my career at one in 2004 in Markham, Ontario. A new building, then in its second year that still had its new-building aroma and shiny science lab that became my classroom for some years as I taught Grade 7 and 8 science before I moved on to other assignments. I worked there for 14 years and carry this place in my heart. 

This school has a protected forest tract behind it towards the east and because I would reach early, I always stayed a while and enjoyed the view, Fall to Summer. The sunrise always showed up and the view was always beautiful. I often refer to this special space as “the school with the beautiful sunrise” and write or speak of it this way. 

Back in 2004, this school was set amidst new houses and some construction spaces. There were no other built structures there. No park yet, as that came much later.  Now, years later, there is a cricket field with a well planned walking track, cement risers with a beautiful red roof over them and batting nets for cricketers to practise. In the summer when I walk there, some evenings the stands are full with community members watching the practice and jubilant cries of “Howzzat!!!” bring a smile to my face. 

Keeping Time 

We keep time in many ways and cricket nets can also be one. Every Fall, the tall poles that hold up the nets around the cricket pitch (a cricket ball is hard, no kidding) are attended to by the City of Markham, the nets folded up and tied back neatly. Every Spring, they unfurl, bringing the promise of warm weather and the familiar thwack. A dear colleague who works in this classroom that we set up together with two other colleagues messages me and sends a picture: “The nets are going up”.  

I know that for all of us who remain deeply connected to colleagues and spaces and fond memories it is possible for heartstrings to stretch across time and space. We become fellow travellers.

Learning Together

When there is authentic mutual respect, a shared goal to support learning outcomes of all students, and we strive to work together towards student well-being, we can support one another in our everyday work in meaningful, respectful and sustainable ways.  

I am currently in the role of centrally assigned teacher in my school district. In this role I work in schools alongside colleagues to provide professional guidance to support their students by co-planning, co-teaching, co-debriefing and co-reflecting.

In this capacity, I remind myself that colleagues in the classrooms I visit deserve the best of me. So how do I ensure that?

ETFO defines Professional Judgement as highlighted below.

“Professional judgement is defined, in part, as “judgement that is informed by professional knowledge of curriculum expectations, context, evidence of learning, methods of instruction and assessment, and the criteria and standards that indicate success in student learning.”

This definition is what I hold up before me as I enter the spaces where colleagues and their students spend their school day. I ask myself daily: Is my judgement in this interaction informed by the following?

  • Professional knowledge of curriculum expectations
  • Context (school, classroom and communities)
  • Evidence of learning
  • Methods of instruction 
  • Methods of assessment
  • Criteria and standards that indicate success in student learning

I also regularly check these ETFO Guidelines for Professional Judgement to understand what my strengths are in the outlined areas and what are my professional learning needs. And I seek support so I can support you and through you, your students. That is the path.

Like you, I do not use the term Professional Judgement lightly. When I speak with my colleagues and administrators who have invited me to work alongside in schools, I want you to be able to trust that I have the professional knowledge and skills from which my recommendations come.

I understand deeply that this word is not intended to hinder professional dialogue or to protect my privilege.  When my professional judgement meets the criteria that ETFO continues to share regularly, I am confident that you  have the collaborative partnership you deserve through which you can in turn support your students.  I am sharing an article “Exercising Your Professional Judgement” featured in ETFO Voice

So when I meet you or see you again, please trust that I bring with me my Professional Judgement to the spaces where you welcome your special sunrise.

I continue to add to my knowledge and practice my skills because you, your students, your families and communities deserve the best of me. 

With you, in solidarity.

Rashmee Karnad-Jani

 

 

 

Rashmee Karnad-Jani First Nations, Learning About Your Students, Mentorship, wellness

Sometimes We Feel Wobbly

Ever since I heard last June that I was going to be able to connect with all of you, as my colleagues and readers of Heart and Art Blog, my first thought was about  what I would like to say to you first. How shall I begin? Then I thought the new-ness of this connection is very similar to the feelings before each new school year: “I can’t wait to meet you”

As I went about July and August, there was excitement in the air: I was receiving news from friends and colleagues as well as reading on social media, posts from people I have not met, about how happy they are to be hired for a contract or for a Long Term Occasional position at a school. This was usually followed by a request for connection: to people, resources, and all the other things we know we are going to need to do our jobs and support our students. People were getting together to prepare for school. 

The excitement at such a time is palpable: whether it is a new job or a new grade one is teaching, whether it is a new school or one where one may have taught three children in a family in a long career. Although many ETFO members take Additional Qualification courses over the summer, engage in other self directed professional learning, there is also apprehension because you and I do not know what lies ahead. 

Perhaps you paused in those busy weeks before the start of school and wondered what it was going to be like that first day, first week back. After all, whether new or experienced, whether you have gained professional experience in Ontario or elsewhere, every September feels like the first September sometimes. 

What do we do when we feel wobbly?

A system leader once said to us in a large departmental meeting “Sometimes we get wobbly”. At the time of publication, it is almost the end of September. Some of us may be feeling wobbly with all that we carry on our long lists of things to do. I know I feel this way. So what do I do then? I think of people who have steadied me at such times and I try and reach within and reach over.

Self, Students, Families and Fellow-travellers

While there are many formal supports available in school districts within Ontario, some of us are either far away from accessing them or these supports may be hidden under links on a massive website and that takes time. 

I would therefore like to begin with the connections that are accessible and nearby. Although they have the potential to be fulfilling and frustrating before becoming fulfilling again, I am sharing below some key connections that have helped me during two decades of this work I have been privileged to do when I feel wobbly.

Self

While there are many ways to seek support, I find that for me and many (a term I use often as I hesitate to say “we” because it may not be so for all) it helps to sit with oneself and think about what matters to me in this job, who matters to me in this job and how can I use what I already know in this job? That often is a calming space because I then know that I have done The Work to get to this point. While I shall continue to learn, I also know that I am able to take the first steps I need. There, I feel better already.

Students 

Students have always been the guiding heartbeat for the work of educators. Our youngest learners whether they willingly enter a space or cry for a few minutes before joining their peers in a conversation or exploration show us what they like or dislike, how they want to be seen and spoken to and how they will engage with the carefully planned lessons and materials you or I have laid out.  In times when things didn’t go as I planned whether in a Grade 7 classroom or a kindergarten space, after the initial wave of “what now?” had passed, I learned that examining the “why” of that communication helped me and the student connect just a little better the next day. Or perhaps the day after. What was the student trying to tell me? Did I listen, notice, connect and understand? This helps. 

Families

One of the invisible aspects of a teacher’s work is to engage with families and to work in partnership with them. Families do not always fit into what is seen as the Standard North American Family, or a two-parent, heterosexual family where the father’s work allows the mother to attend to the children’s schooling and educational outcomes as I had shared in 2021 through ETFO’s Voice The school-family connection is mainly the connection between the primary caregiver of the student and you, their educator. However different from me the family of my student may be, when I relate to the humanity of the person in front of me and when I listen without taking things personally, I am able to see that there are ways that I can work towards positive partnership possibilities.  After all educational work unfolds in the murkiness of social problems and when we think through that, we can access resources that can help. Families are also rich sources of information and aspirations for our student and seeing that early on, helps.

Fellow Travellers

Although the formal word is colleague, I choose the word fellow traveller (or hum-suf-ur in Hindi and Urdu, two of the few languages that I speak). Our fellow travellers have walked this way before, either as educators through ethical practice and professional experience in the situation that is challenging me that day.  Talking to our colleagues helps us make meaning of the struggles and also reminds us to look forward to the sunshine.  I hope we all have that one person who listens without judgement and then asks, “How can I help? One cannot thank these mentors enough therefore one strives to pay it forward whenever the opportunity arises.

Learning Together

As we approach Orange Shirt Day, I recognize the deep responsibility to learn everyday so that I can continue to make a positive difference in the way I engage with the people and spaces around me. This month the youngest students in Ontario schools started their journey to and through our classrooms where they will spend a decade of their lives, either in one building or perhaps after Grade 5 going to another building to complete their middle school years.

As a gardener, I know that the tender seedlings must be nurtured carefully so that they thrive and grow stronger.  I am sharing “Healing Conversations: A collection of activities for the primary classroom”with you and I hope it leads to many rich discussions.

I wish you all the best in the weeks ahead.

With you, in solidarity

Rashmee Karnad-Jani