I have always enjoyed spending time reading and thinking about teaching – what does the curriculum say and what does it mean? What are some of the theories and strategies I can learn about as an educator? How do these translate to student learning? All of these help to shape my understanding of teaching and learning and what’s best for students. Reading, attending professional learning, and taking those moments to think deeply about what school means to me have given me a lot of information.

But it isn’t always this way. I don’t always have the opportunity or enough time to think as deeply as I’d like. Like most educators, I’m just trying to do my best. There is so much to learn about the curriculum and even more to find out about myself as an educator – what does my ‘teacher voice’ sound like? What do I know about students and learning and teaching? How can I take my new learning and make sense of it in action? It is all so very overwhelming and yet all so necessary.

When I learn about new strategies or information, I try to take the time to digest and consider what that might look like in the classroom. This year as I make sense of new curricula and new research and learning, I’m planning to focus more on what it looks like in practice. I spent last year radically dreaming of all the possibilities of what school could be and have spent so much time reading and learning for myself. The question for me this year is what does this mean at 8:45 am when the doors open and the classroom is set or when my prep is done? What do the conversations sound like? What are the students feeling, saying, and doing in the moment?

I’m going to spend more time learning about students, about these people I’m so lucky to share space with every day. I want to engage in more conversation, get curious about them, learn what they like, their fears, their identities and learn what they need to feel like they belong and are safe at school. I’m planning to cultivate the joy of learning and a space that builds their confidence as learners. I’m going to focus on becoming radically kid-centred.

Cornelius Minor explores the idea of being “Radically Pro-Kid” throughout his work in examining and reflecting on the education system. As he entered into conversations and interviews about his book “We Got This: Equity, Access, and the Quest To Be Who Our Students Need Us To Be”, he shares:

I always say that it is my role as a teacher to initially create opportunities for children and to eventually teach them how to create opportunities for themselves.

I always say when people ask me what my politics are: I am radically pro-kid. That definitely means that I am walking into every arena that attempts to abridge opportunities for kids and I’m attempting to disrupt those things.

This makes so much sense to me. Learning curriculum for myself, learning about myself as an educator, learning about what I believe in…. All of this is important, but not more important than learning about students – their experiences, who they are, and helping them to discover who they can and want to be. Being radically pro-kid means thinking bigger about the children’s experiences, being present for family to partner and build spaces where they belong. It means unpacking and examining my own biases and classroom rules – even when it’s an uncomfortable truth. It means being willing to change, to adapt, to centre student experiences, to provide opportunities, and to dismantle barriers that I didn’t know existed.

It still leaves me wondering what this looks like, in practice, at 8:45am. I wonder how this shift will change the climate of the classroom and how it will change me, too. I trust it’s going to take some time, but I believe it’s going to be better for all of us.

In my early years as a classroom teacher, I often experienced what I call the post-holiday sprint. The post-holiday sprint is returning to work after a relaxing winter break only to realize that I am behind in my long-range plans. With this realization comes the feeling that I need to burst into a metaphorical sprint to catch up to where I believe I need to be, prior to reporting on student achievement in early February. While I enjoy running in my leisure time and find sprints, at times can be a fun exercise to measure my physical fitness, I find metaphorical sprints stressful when they are unplanned, unexpected, and I feel compelled to participate.

Yet with more knowledge and experience from my years of service as a classroom teacher comes an array of skills and strategies to respond to unplanned and unexpected situations such as the post-holiday sprint. Below I’ll share four tips that I use to pace myself during the post-holiday sprint to minimize stress and avoid burn-out.

1. Start writing report cards early and begin with learning skill comments

Learning skill comments consume a significant amount of space in the elementary report card and for me they are the most labour intensive part of the reporting process. To craft individualized comments that I believe best captures how students have demonstrated their learning skills, I need lots of time. Therefore, to pace myself, upon returning to work in January, I write 3 learning skill comments either before or after the instructional day with the goal of completing the comments for all student within two weeks. I then exchange my comments with a colleague to read and review to limit the probability that my comments will need mass revisions when I submit them to my principal or vice-principal for review. Once my learning skill comments are complete, I take the same approach with subject comments. From years of experience, I’ve found that a slow steady pace to writing report cards alleviates much of the report card induced stress.

2. Use a backwards design planning approach to catch up on long range plans

To ensure my lessons are more focused and I better use my instructional time, I apply a backwards design approach to program planning. I begin by reviewing the curriculum expectations I have yet to explicitly teach found in my long-range plans. I then think of ways that students could potentially demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the concepts, skills, or strategies through rich tasks. Finally, I estimate the approximate number of lessons, activities, and work periods needed for students to potentially acquire the concept, skill or strategy. Of course, I ensure that I include time to reteach or review lessons as needed to support positively impacting student learning.

3. Plan for planning times

At the end or prior to the start of the instructional day, I define how I want to use my planning time to ensure I use the time effectively to complete essential tasks. When I started planning for my planning times, I was pleasantly surprised by how much work I could complete within 40 minutes. Even if I was able to only complete one or two items on my to do list within a given planning time, it still helped me to experience a sense of accomplishment and reduced feelings of stress associated with being behind in my program.

4. Know when to slow down and stop

There are some evenings and weekends when I opt to fully detach from work so I can enjoy time with loved ones or just rest free from the guilt that I should continue working. I think too often dedicated teachers forget that it’s okay for us to sometimes fully detach from work after the instructional day to rest and relax so that we can be more mentally and physically prepared to teach and support our students. Therefore, there are some days that I leave work promptly after the instructional day, take no work home with me, and enjoy an evening doing something that makes me happy.

The current parade of planets in the night sky has me thinking about the engaging ways to use this event in the classroom. After all, with the early sunsets and late sunrises in this season, even our youngest students will be awake as darkness descends and the planets become visible.

This January through March several planets in our solar system will be visible, almost looking aligned, along the ecliptic. What’s the ecliptic? It represents the plane of the solar system in which the planets orbit around the Sun. (NASA)

Many students are curious about the night sky and have ideas about what is happening out there, especially after the solar eclipse that impacted us last year. It’s a wonderful topic to let their imaginations soar with stories, songs and images.

Language 

*Use space related ideas as writing prompts such as what might exist in the solar system or even the galaxy. What would a planet need to be more ideal planet than Earth?

*Create poetry written from the perspective of each planet.

*Read aloud fiction and non-fiction fiction that encourages students to consider their role in the solar system. This is a great opportunity to read astronaut Chris Hadfield’s book, The Darkest Dark.

*Study Indigenous stories such as the Sky Woman creation story. Michelle Corneau wrote about it in “Strong Stories Kanyen’keha:ka: Creation Story Sky Woman”. It is also told in Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

*Share facts and ask further questions about the night sky.

Math

Our concept of time comes from mathematical calculations relating to the earth’s orbit of the sun and the daily rotation of Earth.

Science

*Explore the slogan “There is no Planet B” in relation to the curriculum expectations for your current science unit.

Social Studies

*What is it about the night sky that brings us together? All societies have been impacted by the night sky through navigation, science, exploration, myths, storytelling and the arts. Look at the far reach of van Gogh’s Starry Night painting! How does the night sky relate to your current social studies topic?

Physical Education 

Planet themed movement games can include the ideas or orbiting, gravitational pull, and space exploration.

The Arts

Create a Planet Parade! There are so many ways to dramatize, paint, sculpt, and sing together plus there are amazing music pieces to enjoy and use to choreograph dance/movement. Immediately I hear 2001: Space Odyssey, the Star Wars theme, and the Star Trek Next Generation narration, “to boldly go where no one has gone before!”

Planet Parade: When To See It In January 2025

Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, and Saturn will be visible together in January 2025, with Jan. 21 being a good time to look in the evening. (University of Guelph News)

Fostering students’ curiousity about the solar system and the galaxy gives teachers the opportunity to reinforce that our beautiful home planet is unique. Listening to Indigenous peoples we must take care of Earth as if she were our mother. I hope the parade of planets inspires you and your students to explore and create together.

Keep looking up!

Brenda

P.S. Students may also be interested to hear about Canada’s involvement in the 2026 Artemis II mission to orbit the moon. Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen will be on board. (Canada Space Agency)

“Stretching Language”: Supporting ELLs in Building Academic Vocabulary

“Stretching” language is an essential but underrated way educators can teach academic language to students, especially those who are acquiring English as an additional language.

Incorporating new and infrequently used vocabulary into our linguistic repertoire is not easy – even for adults. As educators, we must often adopt new terminology to align our practice and professional discourse with ever-evolving instructional strategies.

For example, I probably never used the phrase “phonemic awareness” as a middle school teacher. But as foundational literacy or “science of reading” approaches have quickly become part of my day-to-day work, I kept running into the phrase.

But once I encountered the word a few times, and was compelled to use it in conversations with colleagues, it became a term I felt comfortable using. In short, I needed to find ways to “stretch” my language usage to make it a word I could use comfortably.

Students are constantly learning new, infrequently used words every day in Ontario classrooms, particularly in subjects like math, science, and social studies. But in order for them to make those words easy to retrieve and use, they must have opportunities for practice.

The practice of using new academic words is even more challenging for English language learners (ELLs), who may also be learning everyday social language as they learn subject-specific vocabulary. As educators, it is important that we create opportunities for students to “stretch” their linguistic abilities so they build language skills for academic success.

What does it mean to help Students “Stretch” Language?

Stretching language, as Pauline Gibbons points out in her book, Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning, is all about compelling students to step beyond their linguistic comfort zones. It is an essential element for teaching ELLs in the mainstream classroom: pushing students into their zone of proximal development, and encouraging to take risks with words.

We can start by “front loading” new words and phrases when we start a lesson or unit of study. It is important not to overwhelm students too much with too many new words at once. Personally, I find that 2-3 words is great for elementary students including ELLs.

One great way to introduce new words is to use a strategy like picture word inductive model. This might involve projecting a detailed image related to the content on a white board and getting students involved in labelling it, and adding more “academic” versions of more commonly used words. For example, imagine a picture of a tractor plowing through a field of wheat. Students might come up with words like “tractor,” or “crops,” and the teacher might bring in words like “agriculture” or “commercial farming”.

You might also encourage students to notice new vocabulary in a video, information text, or article. Capture those words on a word wall or chart paper. Point out any morphological elements, like prefixes or suffixes to help students create meaning.Next is the fun part – getting students to use the new words in conversation.

“Strive for Five” Conversations: a Strategy for Stretching Language

One resource that explains how to stretch language effectively is Strive for Five Conversations, by Tricia A. Zucker and Sonia Q. Cabell. In this book, the authors focus on how oral comprehension and speaking skills support reading and language acquisition. How? For most people, talking and interacting in a target language is essential to learning how to read and communicate with it. Through hearing words and connecting their sounds with contextual meaning, we learn language. And in the case of English, once those sounds and meanings are learned, we can map them on to alphabetic code.

How does Strive-for-Five work?

Strive for five is a 5-turn conversation a teacher would have with a student while they are engaging in learning tasks, independently or in small groups.

1. Teacher asks an open-ended question
2. Student responds
3. Teacher responds with an upward or downward scaffold depending on whether they need a challenge or support.
4. Student responds
5. Teacher expands, and may incorporate academic vocabulary to help the student build their ability to understand and use more content-specific language.

Of course, there are a number of directions these conversations can go, and the authors do an amazing job of unpacking different scenarios. The main takeaway is that these simple conversations are a high impact way of getting students to stretch their academic language through meaningful talk. The book contains easy to reference scaffolding charts, plus examples of Strive for Five conversations in different contexts.

For example, classroom teacher might have important vocabulary listed on a word wall in the classroom. A sample conversation with an MLL about the water cycle might sound like this.

Teacher: What is happening in that picture? (points at graphic of the water cycle in a student science resource).

Student: The water is drying up, then it makes a cloud.

Teacher: Oh – I see what you mean, it is evaporating. That’s the word for drying in the water cycle. And then the condensation forms a cloud. And then what happens?

Student: The water goes back to the earth as rain from the cloud.

Teacher: Yes! That’s also called precipitation. First there’s evaporation, then condensation, and precipitation. 

Final Thoughts

“Stretching” language is an easy-to-implement instructional strategy that complements content based instruction for elementary learners, and will support students’ abilities to read and understand texts with increasing amounts of academic language. Using strategies like PWIM and Strive for Five can support ELLs as they work to acquire academic vocabulary as they learn English.

I’m a firm believer that integrating technology into teaching brings a whole new dimension to learning. It’s not just about gadgets—it’s about helping students create their own games, design 3D models, and even turn everyday objects into piano keys! These tools make learning hands-on, fun, and more relatable. Let me share some of my favourite ways to bring tech into the classroom, why it’s worth it, and how you can get started.

When I first introduced tech into my classroom, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But seeing students light up while working on projects like coding micro:bits to create wearable gadgets or designing custom toys with Tinkercad was incredible. These tools go beyond just fun; they build collaboration, critical thinking, and digital skills students will carry with them forever.

Take micro:bits, for example. These pocket-sized computers let students program light shows, step counters, and even digital dice. They’re also perfect for sustainability projects. Students can program a micro:bit to monitor temperature or track energy usage at home, connecting tech to real-world environmental solutions.

Then there’s Tinkercad, a 3D design tool that sparks creativity, whether it’s building geometric shapes in math class or designing prototypes for STEM challenges. A few years ago, one of my students designed a toy prototype for his media lesson, which we then brought to life using our school’s 3D printer. Even today, he still recalls that experience, showing how hands-on tech can ignite creativity and make learning memorable.

Makey-Makey is always a hit—it turns everyday objects into touchpads. Once, my students used it to create an interactive timeline of ancient civilizations, where each button on the board played a short clip or fact about a specific civilization, such as the Inca Empire, the Six Nations, or Indus Valley. Students were having fun while learning—it doesn’t get better than that.

Over the past few years, I’ve been exploring a dynamic platform called Lumio, and it’s been a game changer for my lessons. This tool turns traditional teaching into interactive lessons and collaborative activities. I’ve seen the benefits of using Lumio in both congregated and mainstream classrooms. It supports differentiated learning, allowing me to adapt content for various skill levels, so every student can participate and learn at their own pace.

Starting with technology can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Pick one tool, introduce it during a lesson, and let students explore, you can even explore it with them. Tie activities into what you’re already teaching and the curriculum. For example, use Tinkercad during a geometry unit or let students code micro:bits to track steps in a health project. The best part? You don’t need to be an expert. Many school boards have educational technology resource teachers, teacher-librarians, or other knowledgeable individuals who can provide guidance and support.  

Check with your school board to see if they already have a license or offer a technology lending library. These libraries provide access to tools such as robotics kits, virtual reality headsets, and other resources, without needing to purchase them outright. These lending libraries allow you to experiment with technology while providing students with hands-on learning opportunities.

The learning journey is part of the fun—for you and your students. So grab a micro:bit, a Makey-Makey, or Lumio, and watch your students transform into creators and innovators. Trust me, they’ll love it—and so will you!

Explore these links to learn more:

https://microbit.org

https://www.tinkercad.com

https://makeymakey.com

https://www.smarttech.com/lumio

The primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning. This is the first sentence in the fundamental principles section of the Growing Success document. In this section, the Ministry of Education lists seven fundamental principles to support teachers with ensuring that assessment, evaluation, and reporting are valid, reliable, and lead to the improvement of learning for all students. Included in this list is providing ongoing descriptive feedback to support student learning.

In 2010 when the Ministry released Growing Success, I was in my first-year teaching. At that time, I was in a long-term occasional teaching assignment. I was hired as a Grade 7 rotary teacher assigned to teach Language and Social Studies to two classes. I was ecstatic because I received the opportunity to work with students at the age and grade that most interested me and teaching my favorite subject areas. Reading the Growing Success document that year, I strove to incorporate the seven fundamental principles in my assessment and evaluation practices. Particularly the principle on feedback because I believed and continue to believe that if I provide descriptive feedback to each student, it has the potential to improve their academic achievement.

One incident that continues to resonate with me is the feedback I received from a student. I remember spending hours reading student work then writing copious amounts of comments. I would sometimes write one to two pages worth of constructive and descriptive feedback to guide students in ways that I believed would lead them to improve the quality of their work along with a grade. I recall returning one written assignment to a student at the end of the instructional day where I watched her look at the grade, then crumple her paper into a ball and throw it into the recycling bin as she exited the classroom. I was shocked. Yet more than shocked I was disappointed in myself. I knew that I had made an error, but with a lack of teaching experience I had yet to identify what that error was.

Two years later, again teaching grade 7, this time in in a core model as a permanent teacher, I gained some insight to the experience with the student while attending a school staff meeting. A centrally assigned instructional resource teacher facilitated a session on assessment and evaluation. She shared that if teachers attach a grade to student work, they should include limited feedback. She went on to say that students think that the grade signals that they are at the end of a learning cycle so there is no opportunity for them to action the feedback to improve the quality of their work because they’ve already been evaluated. However, the facilitator also said, include enough, but not too much specific descriptive feedback to help students improve the quality of their work if students are in the assessment stage of their learning. She went on further to say that if students have ample time and opportunities to apply feedback to their work prior to being evaluated it has the potential to lead to improved student achievement.

These comments made sense and provided some clarity in relation to why the student ignored my comments when she saw the grade on her paper. The facilitators comments also helped me to understand that I provided far too much feedback to the student at the time of evaluation that may have been overwhelming and disheartening. Following this staff meeting, I began revising my assessment and evaluation practices but still I felt I had more to learn about feedback to support student learning.

Years later I read the book, Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students by Zaretta Hammond.  In the book Hammond writes, “Contrary to what we may think, simply giving feedback doesn’t initiate change. It has to be accepted as valid and actionable by the learner. He then has to commit to using that information to do something different” (p. 102).

This quote helped me to understand that I need to teach students how to read my feedback then show them how to use my suggestions, if they believe them to be useful, to improve the quality of their work.

The meaning that I’ve now been able to deduce from the experience with the student in my first-year teaching coupled with my ongoing learning about assessment and evaluation practices is that I provided too much feedback at the time of evaluation where she had no time to use the information to improve her work. I also failed to teach her how to use my feedback to improve the quality of their work. I further understand that feedback between students and teachers is a reciprocal and iterative process. Students through direct and indirect ways provide information regarding how well I am supporting their learning while I provide direct feedback for how well they are progressing at developing the knowledge, skills, and competencies outlined in Ministry curriculums.

When I work with teachers, I share these insights by encouraging them to think about the ways they use feedback from students to re-think the feedback they give to students to support their learning. I also ask teachers to consider embracing the idea that as we gain more practical experience assessing and evaluating student work combined with our growing knowledge and understanding of diverse student learning needs and revised curriculum documents, our feedback practices should adjust and evolve in ways that better support their learning.

From puppy love to mountain hikes, 2024 was my first full calendar year as a semi-retired occasional teacher. It’s been an incredible time of learning and adventure.

We adopted a puppy from the Northumberland Humane Society in December of 2023. We named him Obi-won but he has proven many times over that he could be known as Chewy! It turns out his mysterious mix of breeds is highly active with both hunting and herding instincts. It’s no wonder we met our 2024 goal of 1000 km of hiking and walking by October! We are very grateful that Obi has brought our family so much joy and love. He’s come a long way from the floppy-eared pup that was rescued from a parking lot with his mom and eight litter mates last October. Raising Obi has taught me patience in a new way and I’ve come to realize that his mistakes are usually because he’s trying but can’t read my mind. The parallels between raising a puppy and teaching children have brought me many smiles this year. Plus, if I’m in a new classroom and need to bond quickly with the students I just need to mention an Obi story and we have an immediate ice-breaker! In one small school there is a student who approaches me every time I’m there and asks me about Obi. She got a pup around the same time and we compare the latest stories like pups seeking sticks twice their size or the chaos of the zoomies.

One of Obi’s many nicknames is “Adventure Dog” because we have traveled around Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick with him. We just love to hike and explore together. We experienced a terrific storm while camping at Point Pelee in March and beautiful sunsets at a friend’s cottage in Sauble Beach. We hope to get Obi as excited about canoeing as he is about hiking. We had to do a few camping trips without Obi because there was paddling involved. We missed him but we’re in awe of the incredible beauty of the more remote parts of Lake Superior Provincial Park and Temagami. I also did a mother-daughter canoe trip for the first time and it was magical!

Ken and I are both uninvited guests on Turtle Island so throughout our travels we learned about the Indigenous peoples of the territory we were on. I got to experience the Curve Lake Pow Wow and participate in a full moon ceremony at Trent University.  We were able to pay our  respects at memorials of residential schools in Robinson Huron Treaty Territory near Spanish, Ontario and in Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Territory at Kamloops, British Columbia. We have much to learn by listening, reading and joining in when invited to do so.

The trip to B.C. included hikes and exploring Yoho, Glacier, Revelstoke and Banff National parks. There is nothing like the mountains for stunning views and the freshest air!

At times in my full-time teaching career I could not picture myself supply teaching but I’m very happy with my decision to do daily OT work. The work-life balance is working really well for us right now.2

024 I thank you for your gifts. I wish all our readers at Heart and Art a wonderful 2025! Brenda

Lately, whenever I log into my news updates online, I’ve been noticing a lot of similarly styled articles. There’s always a “The 14 Must Haves For Winter” or “10 Ways to Bump Up Your Protein Intake”. Sometimes those articles have a little tip for me that I’ve forgotten or even some new nugget of information to learn.

As I think about the first day of work in 2025, I wonder what I would tell my younger self about starting the school year. What would be my tips for myself after all these years? There are a few things I want to keep in the forefront of my thoughts this month and throughout the year as I try to balance all the challenges that come with a career in education. So, in no particular order of importance, I’m sharing with you my Four Tips for January.

Tip 4: Reconnect with colleagues. If you’re new to a school or position after the break, connect with your new colleagues. If you’re returning to your position, then make sure to stop in and chat with your colleagues. January is a tough month with cold weather, report cards imminent, and changes for some of us in teaching assignments. The best school staff works together with the knowledge that they can lean on each other for advice, smiles, and encouragement.

Tip 3: Continue to build relationships with families and the school community. School is part of the community it serves. Families all have a story to tell, sometimes they are joyful and sometimes they need support. As a parent, my children’s educators are partners with me in helping to shape my children’s experiences and ensure their safety at school. I appreciate their willingness to talk with me, their ability to see the best in my kids, and to help our family feel welcome and part of the school

Tip 2: Show the kids how much you care. Educators are the most caring and compassionate people I know. For many students, school feels uncertain the first few weeks after a break; it seems like December was so long ago. For some students, they may be experiencing their ‘first day’ if they’ve just moved to your school. Make your caring visible with smiles, kind words, and opportunities to build community and wonder. Help them to see themselves as capable and brilliant learners.

Tip 1: Know your why. Let your why guide you each day, let it be the lens through which you view your success, professional growth, and your goals as an educator. For some people, articulating their why helps them to focus and centre themselves. For others, it might be a visual compilation of words, pictures, colours, emotions. Finding our own ‘why’ is personal and part of our identity as educators and it might evolve and change throughout our careers. It’s great to revisit, remember, and revise our why as we start each year.

Well, readers, those are my Four Tips for January. I hope you found something useful in my own short list of advice that I would give my young, teacher self. As I start 2025, I remember to say hello to students in the hall with excitement and greet families and staff with big smiles and enthusiasm. I remember that helping create a place where they feel like they are safe, belong, and confident is my why.