Blog – Page 108

October 31, 2017November 1, 2017 Laura Bottrell General

Project Based Learning: Host a Book Swap!

I love project based learning. It’s so important to get kids thinking “outside the curriculum” and immerse them in real-world experiences in which they can apply learning and be challenged by new things. Not to mention, the level of engagement that we see with kids when they are working on something meaningful is incomparable.

I had heard of schools hosting “book swaps” and thought it was a great idea. Since I was looking for something extra-curricular to take leadership on within my school, I suggested the idea to my principal. As soon as I started thinking of the logistics of planning an executing such an event, it hit me that if I planned it all on my own I was wasting such a valuable learning experience for my 5/6 class!

So, I proposed the idea to them the next morning. They pretty much took it from there! From our very first class discussion about the event, everything about the book swap was completely child-directed and a complete collaborative effort. They presented ideas for almost everything – when should it take place, how will we organize it, how will we get the word out, how will we make sure the process is fair, who will do which tasks, who will gather materials, how should we organize and sort the books, what jobs will everyone have on the day of the swap? Everyone in the class had something to offer to the conversation. By the end of it, we had a pretty good plan going forward.

Each student designed a poster for the hallways [visual arts, media], some wrote and performed commercials on the announcements [media, oral communication]. We had discussions about marketing and what strategies we could use to make our event a success. After they created a flyer, a few students counted the total number of students in the school, photocopied them and sorted them into piles for each classroom [number sense, problem solving].

Next, they designed a system for tracking how many books each student brought in and how many tickets they would receive on the day of the swap. A few students created ticket tracking forms for each classroom teacher [data management], and a few others designed tickets [visual arts]. Since there were three different students who each made a design on a page of 10, they did some problem solving to find out many times each design would need to be photocopied in order for us to have enough tickets for the event, estimating how many tickets each student might need [number sense, problem solving].

Throughout the collection week, my students visited each classroom at the end of the day to collect any books that had been brought in. The biggest challenge they overcame was sorting the estimated 900 books that were brought in! I overheard some great conversations about quantifying, visualizing and estimating large numbers [number sense, again!].

We spent an entire afternoon sorting the books by genre. The students did some great research about how books are sorted in libraries and book stores, which genres exist and how books are usually classified by genre [literacy]. There were so many valuable conversations about stories, elements of texts, illustration and marketing of books as they sorted the 900 books into genre categories. Our classroom looked like a jungle of books but the experience was so rich!

Some students created signs to help with the flow of traffic, label where certain genres would be and help younger students navigate the event [visual arts, literacy]. They made a list of jobs for the event and worked together to create a plan, with “shifts”, for who would take on which task. We had door greeters, ticket takers, cashiers, sales associates, tidying staff and shopping assistants [an array of personal and learning skills here].

On the morning of the big day, students came to school absolutely beaming. They took so much pride in their hard work and couldn’t wait to take on the leadership of running our school’s first-ever book swap. The entire day flowed seamlessly with very little guidance from me! The students arranged tables, carted all 900 books from our classroom, hung up signs, arranged the displays and were in position, ready to go, within half hour!

As classes came to the gym to visit the book swap, I observed so many wonderful things happening. Not only were the children in the school given an opportunity to trade in an old book for something new and exciting to them, they had an opportunity to interact with each other in a whole new way. Some students took on roles of leadership, others took on the role of customers. Students of all ages received their tickets at the door, shopped around for new books of interest, discussed books with peers, made tough decisions, tried something new and then went through the check-out process (so similar to what adults do at stores). It was quite interesting to watch what some students chose to take home with them, especially without their parent or teacher’s involvement in the choice making process!

Our book swap was a huge success! Every student got to take home a new book, or ten, and my students went home with a sense of pride and accomplishment. I, myself, went home with an even-more fuelled passion for what I do and an inspiration to find more ways to make all of my teaching based in real-world, authentic and meaningful experiences.

If you have any questions about running a book swap at your own school, please leave a comment below!

October 31, 2017 Will Gourley Classroom Management, Constant Learning, General, Mentorship, self reflection

Here’s your test

The good old days are a product of a bad memory

Sept 2009 – I remember entering the classroom like it was yesterday. For this new teacher, the night before my first day was understandably complete with a several concerns: Would I wake up on time? What if the staff weren’t nice? Am I prepared? Thankfully, I woke up before my alarm and my new colleagues were incredibly welcoming. I was breathing a little easier, but there were still a few doubts to overcome on the day.

Most pressingly, I wondered whether I was going to have any disciplinary issues with students? What was going to happen if it became an issue? Would I keep my cool? Would I lose the room? Would I default to my parenting brain or my parents’ parenting brains? Fortunately, the students were amazing and my first 4 days as a teacher served to cement my love of education for life.

As a Prep Coverage teacher in a French Immersion school, I taught classes from Grades 1 to 8. On Days 1 – 4, I taught English to grades 4 – 8. I never knew it could be so much fun. From the start, we created classroom culture, shared our ideas, and set goals. Day 5 was my day to teach in the Primary Division en Français. So what could possibly go wrong after 4 amazing days? Then came Day 5 – a Monday to boot.

Oh wait, did we forget the lesson?

You know how in Physics there is matter and anti-matter? That was how Days 1 – 4 felt compared to Day 5. By that day ‘s end I was exhausted, confused, and discouraged. The cherry on that fun sundae came when I fell asleep at a stop light on the way home after school; much to the displeasure of the rush hour commuters behind me. This experience did not diminish my love of education, but it sure made me dig in to learn and improve. I was going to need it to survive and thrive.

First things first

Things began to settle into place and I was fortunate to receive excellent guidance from my admin, NTIP mentor, and experienced colleagues. However, I still wondered about the best way behavioural expectations could be met while honouring the needs of each learner.

After all, behaviour is communication. What were students telling me by their actions? Then it happened, a yet to be identified student destroyed the classroom and I needed help. I’d always worked hard to avoid losing my temper or sending students to the office, but this time was different. My old grade 1 teacher would have tied that child to a chair (true story) and that would have been that. Yet, that never crossed my mind until I began drafting this post and reflecting on my own educational experiences.

I remember physically shaking as I dialled the office for help. I felt ashamed that I could not manage this little student, but at the same time knew help was necessary. I removed the students from the class, for their safety, and waited for backup – which was there in a heartbeat. What would my admin think? Would I be judged for not being able to handle the situation?

Supported, safe, and secure in the care of experienced CPI trained educators, the student was de-escalated and escorted out of the classroom. And then, as quickly as it started, it was over. We returned to the class, but my thoughts were still focused on what had happened 10 minutes beforehand. This singular event consumed many subsequent moments of the days that followed as I wrestled with what happened. I wanted to be able to do what they did. Was their skillset only achievable through experiencing it in person? Would I be better next time because of it? Wisely, I’ve sought the wisdom of my SERT and admin ever since(many lessons learned).

For most new teachers, the test always comes before the lesson when it comes to discipline and responding to students in various states of distress. Theories are read, strategies planned, and words of advice are offered. Yet, until an educator is in the classroom, no amount of tool box equipping will prepare them for the individuals and situations they’ll encounter in our schools. We have to lean on one another in these times. This is why it is so important for teachers at all stages of their careers to find support and wisdom in their fellow educators. It does not mean you are weak to ask for help.

It means you, like your students, are constantly learning.
That is the true heart and art of teaching and learning.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Please share and add your comments to continue the conversation.
Thank you for reading.

October 31, 2017October 31, 2017 Kelly.McLaughlin Assessment, Celebrating Success, Classroom Management, Communication Tools, Feedback, Resources, Technology in school, Use of Technology

An easy to use student friendly assessment tool

After meeting my new NTIP mentor the other day, she introduced us new instrumental music teachers to an app called “iDoceo”. I had used this before but had never really gotten into it. Since hearing about it again recently, I have become so attached to it.

iDoceo allows you to assess students quickly on the go on your ipad. The app is free in the HWDSB catalogue and maybe in other boards as well. When commenting on the process or product of a certain student, you can use icons, recordings, comments or other notes. These icons are easy to use and you can copy and paste them. You can then add them to another student’s column with an easy double tap. For instrumental music teachers, this is helpful because you can add a small recording to your student’s file so that you can listen to it again if you missed it the first time.

Students can also always view their marks and I use the icons to record these marks. So if a student wants to see how he/she is doing with “attitude/behaviour/self control” he will view his name and see what icon is beside it. The options are a green smiley for always/level four, a yellow smiley for usually/level 3, an orange smiley for sometimes/level two and a red frown for rarely/level 1. Students have a quick and visual way to view their process or product marks in class. Of course during performances I will still use a rubric for them to take home but for everyday efforts, this app is amazing! I always have students coming up to me asking to view their marks. They are eagerly searching for those green happy faces.

I love the app so much that I have brought it into my 4/5 split class. I use it for their learning skills so especially while they are working in a group, I record their efforts for the day.

I think that children love to know how they are doing and something as simple as a coloured happy face is an easy check for them. Of course it is hard for me to always remember to keep the iPad in my hand but over time I will certainly get used to it.

iDoceo-available on ipads. Check it out!

October 30, 2017 Arianna Lambert General

Entrepreneurial Thinking In The Classroom

3 years ago, I participated in a Teacher-in-Residence Program on Entrepreneurial Thinking at the MaRS Discovery District. It was a 4-week program designed to determine how we as educators might be able to use the skills of Entrepreneurial Thinking with students in the classroom. While there, I worked with a colleague – Alison Fitzsimmons – ona Water Inquiry Project that we used in our classrooms. This was the beginning of what has been a journey in discovery for me. While I work on the skills with students and try to show their transferability no matter the subject area, the part that I still need to dig deeper into is how might I connect my students and their ideas to actually bring about change or create a difference through the solutions that they are designing.

In view of the rash of recent hurricanes, we started the year by exploring Forces Acting on Structures. I currently have a group of grade 5 students who are working on hurricane solutions. Through videos and online and print texts, we’ve taken the time to investigate the devastation caused by the most recent hurricanes – Harvey, Irma, Jose & Maria. We’ve studied the forces acting on structures and what might make for a more sturdy construction through our Straw Tower Building Activity. After a deeper understanding of the problem, students were tasked with participating in a “Crazy 8s Activity” where they had to come up with 8 of their wildest solutions to either minimize the devastation of future hurricanes or to assist with cleanup and support for those already affected. They came up with some amazing ideas! After having the chance to discuss their ideas in different pairs, students selected the idea that they would like to further research and design.

We’ve been building our solutions ever since. Students have worked to create solutions such as:

a program that gets volunteers into areas where they are most needed to provide food and clean-up;
a poster campaign to inform viewers of the connection between littering and global warming;
structures that can withstand the impact of a hurricane;
and food delivery systems to get food to those who need it most.

Now that we are nearing the end of our building phase, students are working on presentations identifying the problem, their solution and justifying why it is the ideal solution for a specific group of users. Exciting as this is, it has now created a new challenge for me. How might I connect my students to people or organizations in order to have their ideas come to fruition in the real world? I’ve empowered them to consider that they may be able to make a difference and they have created amazing solutions and pitches for their ideas but how do I connect them to people or agencies that might be able to bring these ideas to life? How do I get them to really have an impact in the world? I know that part of it is networking but where do we begin? This is the piece that I am still wrestling with and would love to have some input on how we might be able to really have students bring about the change that we would like them to be able to have in the world. Let’s start a conversation. Please share your thoughts and ideas of how we might guide students further along in this area. I’m open to any suggestions!

October 29, 2017 Tammy Axt Classroom Management

Intervention Strategies Designed to Help the Student

This week a student drew a picture on my floor in marker.

What would you do in this situation?

Call the parents
Send the child to the office
Give the child a detention
Get the child to clean it up.

What if I told you that this was the child’s first time doing something like this? Would that change your decision-making process about your intervention strategy? Could it be an indicator that something out of the ordinary is happening with the child?

What if I told you that the child most likely didn’t grasp the consequences of their actions? Would that change your mind about your course of action?

I actually didn’t choose A, B, C or D. I calmly removed the markers from the student’s reach when the child was busy working on their assignment and said nothing to the child at the time of the incident. The other students in the class noticed the drawing and a few came to me throughout the period and expressed their outrage about this small drawing. As each kid came, I said thank you to them for caring about our classroom and that I would be handling the situation.

I decided not to intervene about the drawing immediately because this drawing was not stopping us from learning. I also felt like I needed a bit more information about this child before I made a decision. I have been teaching this child for two years and I had a feeling that the child may need help understanding their actions.

As a teacher who delivers instruction to over 300 children every week, it is difficult to know the story of every child. That is why I rely on the relationships with the homeroom teachers to add more information to some situations. After school, I went to speak to this student’s teacher about the incident. When I sat down with her this is how the conversations went:

Me: Do you think Sara (name has been changed) understands the consequences of her actions?

Teacher: Absolutely not. In our classroom, she often loses focus and drifts in and out conversations with others. When I walk with her outside she sometimes loses track of our conversation and asks me to repeat myself. She often doesn’t realize she has done things like bumping into others or broken something until afterwards. So, she could have easily drawn on the floor without realizing that she was harming something.

Me: What do you think I can do to help Sara understand that she can’t draw on the floor?

Teacher: Let’s talk about it with Sara together. We can get Sara to understand if we are patient and explain things to her a couple of times. Let’s ask her what strategies she needs to help her draw only on the page.

Me: Great. I know that you have been sending materials with her so that she can use drawing as a focusing strategy in my classroom. It has really been working. In the past, she used to wander around the classroom and stop others from singing, playing instruments or doing their work. Now that she has been using the drawing strategy, I can ask her questions, I hear her singing and she doesn’t touch any other students. I really want to keep this strategy in place but we need Sara to understand that she can’t draw on the floor.

Teacher: I agree! If Sara is unable to identify some strategies I am going to suggest that I make a bin up of materials that she can draw with that won’t harm the room if she accidentally draws off of her page. How does that sound?

Me: Sounds great.

Every day teachers are faced with a million decisions about how to maintain a safe, inclusive and engaged environment for learning. This is just one example of how many decisions we need to make that may not be as clear cut as following a prescribed rule. Every child may need different strategies in order to develop their ability to be a member of the classroom that contributes to that positive and productive environment.

October 29, 2017 Tammy Axt General, Indigenous Perspectives

Honouring Indigenous Veterans

We are busy getting ready to observe Remembrance Day at my school. In the past, this ceremony has been a simple one with a wreath procession, a small performance and a moment of reflection after singing the national anthem.

This year, a teacher new to our school had a different idea of what our Remembrance Day ceremony could look like. He suggested that we add a section of our ceremony to honour our indigenous veterans. I welcomed the idea and I can already feel how impactful that suggestion was to both the students and me.

In order to prepare meaningful presentations, first the students and I needed to do some research. The Veterans Affairs Canada website was a great starting point for us. Under the Veterans Affairs Canada website, there is a section that provides videos, audio clips and a lot of information about the contributions of Indigenous veterans. Below, see some links for teachers and students to get you started with your preparations.

Short video about the National Aboriginal Veterans Monument

Veterans Affairs Canada Page about Indigenous Veterans

http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/those-who-served/indigenous-veterans

But what made this preparation so impactful was helping students understand the context in which this sacrifice was made. Learning about residential schools was very emotional for the students. To help the students understand what residential schools were and the impact of them on our indigenous community we used the websites “100 years of loss” http://100yearsofloss.ca/en/ and “Where are the Children?” http://wherearethechildren.ca/en/. The students openly discussed how angry they would be at Canada if that happened to them. The also stated how sad the children’s parents must have been and how they couldn’t believe that the veterans went to fight for this country that treated them so poorly. We also have been looking at some of the other contexts at this time such as “The Enfranchisement of Aboriginal Canadians: Virtual Exhibition from the Diefenbaker Canada Centre” https://www.usask.ca/diefenbaker/the-enfranchisement-of-canadas-aboriginal-peoples/13.php Because of the limited amount of rights given to indigenous people, many didn’t receive the same support that non-indigenous people did after their service.

This is just the beginning of my learning journey and I am looking forward to sharing the experiences of me and my students while we deepen our knowledge about our indigenous people of Canada.

On November 8^th, it is National Aboriginal Veteran’s day in Canada. I encourage you to watch the news and newspapers in order to share the country’s activities with your students in honouring this day.

October 29, 2017October 29, 2017 Michelle Fenn Constant Learning, Inspiring Students, Inspiring Teachers, Mental Health, Mindfulness, self reflection, wellness, wellness, Wellness

Mindfulness Tips for Stress Reduction

I’ve recently spent some time with fellow educators and health care practitioners in order to find solutions to an all too prevalent issue. Burn out, stress, compassion fatigue or empathy fatigue; whatever you call it, it is a reality for those in caring professions like teaching and health care. The room was filled with women from all over the province. Although our stories were different, we were all exhausted, overwhelmed, and consumed by feelings of guilt and inadequacy. We had a common purpose for coming together; to find ways to put mindfulness and stress reduction into our daily living.
The most common excuse that people use with regards to self-care is that they don’t have enough time. I used to say the same thing. Then I realized that if I have had enough time to watch two episodes of something on Netflix, I had enough time to go to the gym or cook a healthy meal. As I have learned more about mindfulness and meditation I have realized that it doesn’t have take a huge amount of time and it really doesn’t take a whole lot of effort. You just have to start.
I’m an “all or nothing” kind of person and a perfectionist. I used to set lofty exercise, meditation and healthy eating goals for myself and then quit when I haven’t met these unrealistic expectations. Now, I start one thing and do it, slowly and simply. I try to adopt Nike’s “Just Do It” advertising campaign as my mindset towards mindfulness. I have to remind myself to be patient, kind and compassionate around my mindfulness practice. I forget, I get distracted and I feel disappointed in myself sometimes. The most important thing that I try to remember is I can always begin again. I can begin again every moment. The judgment that I have about missing days at the gym or on my meditation cushion is my own. There is no one that works at the gym that will berate me when I come through the door. They will welcome me and I have never left the gym or my meditation cushion wishing that I had done something else with my time. I thought it might be helpful to share some simple and quick ideas that can easily become habits in order to become more mindful and practice self care.

1. Begin each morning by spending three or four minutes lying in bed awake before getting out of bed. Pay attention to your breath and set your intention for the morning rather than shutting the alarm off and immediately swinging your legs to the floor. It seems like such a simple thing, but it can make a positive impact on how you face the day.

2. While doing any mundane task such as washing your hands you can simply pay more attention to the task. Don’t try to multitask and don’t be on “auto-pilot”. Be aware of what you are doing and do it slowly. Actually enjoy the simple task of hand washing. It may take you a few seconds longer but it gives your brain and body time to become more grounded. Pay attention to your breath. Are you holding your breath? Are your shoulders tense? Let the warm water flow over your hands and be grateful for the water we have. Lather the soap and feel it squish through your fingers. Dry your hands completely, taking the time to appreciate the act. We know in the teaching profession how important the act of hand washing for our health and we do this many times a day but how often do we wash our hands mindfully? Take these few extra seconds, breathe, be aware and be grateful.

3. Each morning before exiting your car at work take a few minutes to check your breathing. Be grateful for the day, be aware of your intention for the day at work. Try to do a quick body scan to see if you are holding any tension and let it go. If you aren’t really looking forward to the day, force a smile. The silly act of putting a smile on your face on purpose while alone in your car will often produce a genuine smile!

4. Be mindful about your cup of tea or coffee. Over the years we have become accustomed to having our tea or coffee “to go” that we are no longer mindful about drinking it. In fact, we have adult sippy cups to ensure that we don’t spill it and companies that put warnings on the side of cups to remind us that the contents might be hot. As a society, we have become pretty mindless about drinking hot beverages. Our coffee and tea have become caffeine that is fuel to be consumed rather than a comforting and tasty beverage to savoured and enjoyed. So take the time when drinking your hot drink. Take the time to smell it, feel the warmth in your hands, to really look at it and to enjoy and be grateful for it.

For more information about “Tea” Meditation and mindfulness visit Tea Meditation – Plum Village

5. In order to incorporate mindfulness practice into your work life, practice it with your students. Each day I have a morning meeting with my class. I use a singing bowl to draw attention to our practice and we sit in a comfortable position. We only do this for a few minutes each day but we pay attention to our breathing, we close our eyes or choose a spot to land a soft gaze. The students have said that they can feel the energy in the room become more calm and peaceful. I do the practice along with them. I have grade 4 and 5 so we also talk about mindfulness and what it means. It works hand in hand with self regulation. If students are mindful about their behaviour then it becomes easier for them to practice self regulation strategies.

I do not claim to be any kind of mindfulness or meditation guru. I have not painstakingly researched the positive effects of mindfulness from a scientific perspective. I’m just an elementary teacher and mom trying to bring balance to my life, one moment at a time.

October 28, 2017October 29, 2017 Arianna Lambert Challenging Topics, Constant Learning, Indigneous Ways of Knowing, Inspiring Students, Inspiring Teachers, Professional Learning and Growth, Truth and Reconciliation

Courageous Conversations: Indigenous Perspectives In The Classroom

Over the last year and a half I’ve had the privilege of co-moderating #tdsbEd – Twitter chats for TDSB Educators. It has become a community of teachers – well beyond our board – who are sharing their thoughts and ideas around trends in education in order to ensure student success, well-being and achievement. Throughout this time, I’ve been fortunate to work with amazing educators who have been guest moderators for our chats.

I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Christina Saunders – a TDSB Indigenous Education Instructional Leader – on a chat entitled, Courageous Conversations: Indigenous Perspectives In The Classroom. Last Thursday we had our chat and it was refreshing to take time to both reflect on my own practice as well as be inspired to take specific actions to evolve in this area. Our chat had 7 questions that focused on Indigenous knowledge in the classroom as well as reflecting on our practice and learning spaces through checklists.

Treaties Recognition Week is coming up and we also took time to reflect on how we are unpacking the land acknowledgment with students. I must admit that I often found myself being able to recite the TDSB land acknowledgement but truly understanding the diversity of the Indigenous groups represented or even having an understanding of the Toronto Purchase, eluded me. If this is true for some of our educators, how much more so might this apply to our students? I decided to unpack it with my students by asking them to research the different groups of Indigenous Peoples, the Toronto Purchase and using Google My Maps, students had a chance to visualize the parcel of land referred to. This was an extremely beneficial learning opportunity for my students because they now have a deeper understanding of the peoples, the land and the agreements that set out the rights, responsibilities and relationships of Indigenous Peoples and the federal and provincial governments. If you are still looking for information on Treaties Recognition Week, please check out this amazing article written by Christina in ETFO Voice – Getting Ready for Treaties Recognition Week.

Land Acknowledgement (1) In my class this year, I’ve made it a goal to ensure that Indigenous perspectives are reflected in both my teaching and in our learning space. In the past I’ve struggled with months or days to celebrate a particular heritage or cultural group because I find that it leads to tokenism. While there is value in that celebration, I wonder how we might be able to go beyond and infuse this learning into our everyday experiences with students. I’m learning the importance of valuing inquiry as students start to investigate for themselves diverse experiences within Canada. Earlier this year, we read Jenny Kay Dupuis’ I AM NOT A NUMBER as we heard discussions around Orange Shirt Day and the experiences of Indigenous families and residential schools. Seeing my students question the actions of others based on ignorance and not respecting difference was invaluable. My hope is that this leads them to consider the way in which they treat others and ways in which they can become change makers to speak up when they see injustices.

One of the biggest takeaways from my chat was to ensure that I have contemporary representations of Indigenous Peoples in the reading materials that I introduce and that are a part of our classroom library. I’m learning to ensure that the stories told are being told by Indigenous Peoples rather than being told for them. I’m learning to take the time to do author studies to find out more about who is writing and the influences that impact and inform their writing. I have a long way yet to go but I think that beginning to have these courageous conversations is a step in the right direction.

If you are interested in finding out more about our chat on Courageous Conversations: Indigenous Perspectives In The Classroom, here is the archive.

October 28, 2017October 28, 2017 Will Gourley Challenging Topics, Classroom Management, Constant Learning, General, Making a Difference Through Education, self reflection

Discipline is a noun and a verb

This post picks up from Why then? What now?
It is an ongoing reflection through my lenses as a student, educator, and constant learner.

Discipline has been a misused and misunderstood concept in education. It is an evolving remedy for a host of behavioural issues? Simply put, it’s difficult to discuss and describe. Yet, education as we know it is often defined by it in so many forms. Take this snap shot of instructions/behaviour management commands that are used daily, to some measure, in classrooms;

Listen, line up, sit here, be quiet, watch this, do this, respond now, co-operate, snack now, clean up now, play now, stop playing now, line up, sit here, listen, watch, be quiet, do this, respond now, eat now, clean up now, get dressed, line up, sit here, do this, work together, respond, clean up now, get dressed now, get your agenda signed, do your homework, hurry to your bus, and no running in the halls.

Talk about a running list of marching orders? Out of it’s context, it would be easy to imply that there doesn’t seem to be much time for learning. But, that is not true at all. Within these lines can also exist beautiful universes of learning where students are engaging in hands on learning, creating, and collaboration. The problem is the scope of what we see is on the student(s) who are not working in these magical inner spaces of education.

Same planet, different world

I am a co-SERT at my school and there have been times, due to extraordinary circumstances, when I am unable to greet my own students at the door of our classroom after they return from their Arts classes. However, it is during this time that I have been able to witness, without them knowing, their ability to return to class, begin an activity without prompting, and wait until I made it back to our room. This is the discipline which I have been working with my students to achieve.

You see, a key goal for all my students is for them to do the right thing even when no one is watching. That isn’t only discipline, but true freedom. Consider the power in this quote from Abraham Lincoln;

Freedom is not the right to do what you want, but to do what we ought.

When we give students the time, tools, and our trust there comes an incredible discovery that they are capable of so much more. If we spend our time over-instructing, we miss the opportunities to witness this.

Am I a tough disciplinarian? Most consider me a pushover, however, I have asked and empowered my students to be decision makers capable of great things at all times. This requires high expectations and a great deal of patience. As a result, students receive a great deal of positive attention for their ability to choose to act(not behave) so wisely. This is not in the form of a bribe, but in recognition and satisfaction that as my students demonstrate strong skills of responsibility, then opportunities for more independence and greater amounts of trust, are not far behind.

I believe that if we establish high expectations for our students, and give them the trust and encouragement they will rise to meet them far more often than not. Yes, they will fail. Yes, students will forget, and will require a pep talk, but it has never been a deal breaker in my classroom.

What does discipline look like in your learning space?

While you wrestle with an answer, here’s another tidbit for context.

Growing up in the 70s left me with a share of emotional and physical scars from grade school. In grade one our teacher tied us to chairs or put us in a dark closet when we misbehaved. Other years were trouble free and filled with care, support, and grace. And then there was the 1000s of lines and broken rulers from middle school. Somewhere the paddlings became supplanted by writing cramps and time theft. All of this, meted out to me and my classmates as part of the acceptable educational landscape when I went to school. (And I was one of the good kids.)

Then there was the year, our school had a vice-principal who used to make students, who were caught fighting, fight without a crowd. Most times nothing would happen, but there were a few times when the fights continued before he would intervene. After it was all over, he made them shake hands. True story.

Barring extreme circumstances, issues of discipline usually level off as each year progresses. Granted, there will always be isolated incidents, collegial discord, and disruptions too. Thankfully, schools are quickly becoming the places to offer/provide the help/structures necessary to support students in need who are struggling to communicate through their behaviour. We have to remember that behaviour is communication (L.R. Knost).

Sadly, no amount of support or discipline can supplant the harsh realities of mental illness, apathy, addiction, neglect, abuse, despair, or poor choices that can spare our youth from a bleak future. Whether the destination is the streets or the justice system there will still be some who fall through the cracks. Despite our collective best efforts, no amount of discipline, instruction, empathy, or act of punishment that will succeed in curbing or changing behaviour. I would like to hone my skills at understanding their actions as communication in order to support and build discipline through education, in their lives. It is the thought it continues to happen despite access to education that breaks my heart the most and led to my 2016 TEDxKitchenerEd Talk.

That used to be a paddling

With years of public education under our belts, pardon the pun, discipline should be employed as a noun long before it is ever used as a verb. Instruction and knowledge were at the heart of its original use in Latin – disciplina. And along this fine line we all walk as new teachers. Thankfully, the violence of corporal punishment has been struck in favour of more holistic and civil practices, but without compassion in our classroom, no amount of discipline will ever matter.

We must also embrace new approaches in our pedagogy that are first founded in respect, relationship building, and resiliency. Inside of all this is the need to share discipline as instruction and knowledge rather than punishment and intimidation.

In my next post I want to share about restorative approaches and mindfulness as part of my classroom management and my effort to build up discipline the noun and tear down discipline the verb. Thanks for reading. Please share and comment. It keeps us going to know you’re out there and along the journey of education. Will

October 22, 2017October 22, 2017 Deb Weston Differentiated Instruction, Diverse Learning Needs, Planning

What 21st Century Learning Looks Like in 2017

While considering what 21st Century looks like to teachers, students, and in classroom, my Primary/Junior Math AQ colleagues, Ms. Sicondolfo, Ms. Hawkyard and I, developed this summary.

This summary has helped me consider how modern learning looks in 2017.

What 21st Century Learning Looks Like in 2017 chart

This work was inspired by Peel District School Board’s Empowering Modern Learners #peel21st.