Blog – Page 147

June 19, 2015June 22, 2015 Tammy Axt General, Year End Activities

Do you like the band Rush?

Do you like the band Rush? I guarantee no matter how much you think you love Rush, you are no match for the man who sat beside me at the Rush R40 concert last night. He knew every drum beat that Neil Peart played, every lyric that Geddy Lee sang and every guitar solo that Alex Lifeson wailed. He didn’t just love their music, he loved their music and worshipped the band. We all have music that speaks to us in that way. For me, when I hear Fleetwood Mac or Michael Franti, I have an emotional connection to their music that is unlike any other.

During the school year, my students spend a lot of time writing music or playing music that is from a variety of cultures and time periods. This June, I decided to let the students create a list of what songs they would like to sing in music class to tap into the songs that they love. Most songs that they chose were modern pop, rap, hip hop or alternative songs. The goal was to give my students the same experience that the man at the Rush concert had when he cheered and high fived me for all his favourite songs.

I took the lists that they created and went on line and previewed the lyrics. Some songs had just one or two bad words and with the magic of “YouTube” I found clean version of the song. Songs that had inappropriate themes got omitted from the list. After the list was created, I made a word document that had all the YouTube URLs. I projected the lyrics on my screen and had a good old fashioned sing-along.

These sing-alongs were also a great opportunity to talk about musical tastes with the students. I started off every class by telling the students that “I guarantee that there will be at least one song that you do not like today.” I asked the students what they should do when they hear a song they don’t enjoy. The students quickly said that they should be respectful of someone else’s choice. I added on a quick conversation about how musical tastes develop and that interests in music are very personal.

I have spent the last two weeks singing songs like “See you Again” and “Firework” with my students at the top of our lungs. We have been high fiving each other when we hear our favourite songs. It has been a great way to end off the school year!

June 15, 2015 Tammy Axt General, Year End Activities

Gearing Up For The Last Day of School “WOOT WOOT!”

With 9 days left of school, many classrooms around the province are starting to wind down. But not us! Here at my school, we are gearing up to the craziest, wildest show that will take place on the last day of school.

The idea for what is now known as the “variety show” came out of a need for something to keep students engaged on the last day of school. The premise began and has remained very simple. If your class would like to attend an entertaining performance, then they must prepare something for the show. Also, anything and everything is welcome in the show. In past shows we have had classes tell jokes, make up a play, do dances or sing songs. This year, we will be entertained by a glow stick dance, a stomp inspired basketball routine, kazoo “name that tune” and a variety of other performances. Classes usually use the last two weeks of school to practice a little bit every day.

Sometimes teachers approach the music or drama teachers to help with ideas and we are happy to help. Many of my ideas that I share come from YouTube. I just search something like “grade 5 basketball stomp performance” into YouTube and tons of ideas come up.

In between each performance, the drama teacher and I (decked out in a crazy costume) entertain the audience. We use chants like Boom Chicka Boom or tell cheesy jokes. We also do lots of cheering and build up school spirit. In the past we have ended the show by singing a song like Bruno Mars’ “Count On Me” as we celebrate all the friends we have made this year.

The drama, music and gym departments work together to make the schedule and provide any technical support required. We plan the show so that the groups alternate the performance space between the stage and the gym floor. This keeps the show moving at a very quick pace and keeps everyone on task. When each class is done performing, they go right back to their spot in the audience.

Sometimes when we are feeling extra energetic, we put a staff act into the mix. The students always love seeing their teacher dance or sing to Beyoncé or Rush.

Our “Variety Show” Keeps things positive until the final school bell rings.

June 14, 2015June 15, 2015 Alison.Board Celebrating Success, Year End Activities

Reflect, Create, and Celebrate

These are the words that I chant as the end of the school year draws near in June. It is a challenging time, unlike the busy planning and organizing needed to set the pace in September. The days now feel longer and there seems less content to cover, as it was mostly completed in time for reporting. So, this may be a good time to review the concepts that your students struggled with throughout the year, or a time to introduce a topic related to the curriculum or their inquiry work that wasn’t in your long range plans. But filling in the days with worksheets and outdoor play is not the answer, it leads to issues of classroom managements and student discontent.

Here are some suggestions that can be adjusted for your age group or subject area:

create math teams that solve math problems from all strands. Then have teams present their answers and compare their strategies. One word problem a day.
provide time for student groups to create a summary of their literature circle book. They can present their summaries as a series of tableaux, a movie trailer on iMovie, or as a skit. These are presented to the whole class or another class to promote reading for the summer months.
list 3 or 4 issues on the board and have students sign up accordingly. Provide them with a structure to research and present in a debate that you monitor (debates can be informal or formal)
show students a youtube video on branding and logos. Then ask each student what their brand is. Have them design a logo (that doesn’t reveal their name). Display all logos with a number when completed and have students complete a numbered list, matching each logo to their classmates. Discuss the most effective logos and why.
provide groups of 4 students with a bag of mixed materials to encourage STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) learning. Provide them with an hour each day to design and create a product with the recycled or mixed materials. Display and share in the last week of school for other classes.
Read aloud. Students of all ages love to be read to. Pick a recent and relevant chapter book and read to your students each day. Have them draw character sketches, write 3 predictions, or create alternative cover for the book.
Use large paper to ask about 5 reflective questions related to your year. Questions such as, What would you change in the past school year? How has your understanding about Mental Wellness changed? What projects did you find most meaningful to do? Then have students do a gallery walk and fill-in responses on the large paper. Display for the last week and highlight evidence of learning and understanding.

Enjoy the last weeks and keep the students engaged with the meaningful work they will value.

June 14, 2015June 15, 2015 Alison.Board Building Inclusion, Challenging Topics, Equity, Professional Learning and Growth, Wellness

Addressing Equity

The elementary school that I teach at is a K-8 school with approximately 540 students. It has grown over the century with new additions, since its original build in 1923. I have only known the school for the past three years that I have been teaching there. So I consider the school to be diverse with many new Canadians, mostly from Bangladesh. It is also higher needs in terms of the challenges students face for success, according to the Learning Opportunity Index. The family income has declined for families attending the school, as demonstrated by the data. Many of the parents work part-time, multiple jobs, and through the evenings, nights, or on weekends.

What I found interesting to note, is that teachers who have taught at the school for more than ten years, many for more than 15 years, have difficulty seeing the demographics of the school as they are. They continue with the same fund raising projects as they always have, yet lament that there is less participation or interest from the students. They continue to book trips that cost more that an hourly wage that most families would make, then are disappointed in the attendance. It is only in the past year that they have been questioned about the cost required for students to attend their own graduation celebration. The teacher response in regards to how they are accommodating a student population with a decrease in family income, is to encourage students to come forth if they don’t have the funds and the staff will address it or provide the funds, based on the individual situation.

Recently I was talking to a teacher from another school board about equity and teacher bias. She recommended the ETFO publication, Possibilities: Addressing Poverty in Elementary Schools to read. It is an excellent resource. It not only encourages a change in mindset by educators about assumptions and biases in regards to poverty, but it provides strategies and literature connections to address the real needs of students for academic success and well-being. It also provided information on how to engage parents and the community of a lower income status.

According to TDSB, “Educational research has demonstrated that children from lower income families face more significant barriers in achieving high educational outcomes.” It is essential that we as educators are aware of these facts and barriers, as well as the strategies and supports necessary for the students that are in our schools right now.

Link to ETFO publication: http://www.etfo.ca/ProfessionalDevelopment/ETFOsBookClubs/Lists/ETFO%20Book%20Club/DispForm.aspx?ID=37

June 14, 2015June 15, 2015 Beverly Papove General, Making a Difference Through Education, Social Justice

“Reconciliation through Education”

It would have been hard to miss the news coverage of the closing days of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission last week. With the tabling of the Report, any doubt, misinformation or ignorance has been addressed regarding the cruel treatment that Aboriginal children were forced to endure for over 100 years of Canada’s 148 years as a nation. What was also made abundantly clear is that this history was not taught in Canadian schools in the past, and at present is still not expected to be taught by all teachers all across the country. Last week, many Canadians heard for the first time in detail the horrors that over 150,000 children experienced while attending residential schools across Canada between 1840 and 1996. Throughout the 360 pages of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Report, the accounts of 7,000 Survivors document the hunger, sickness, physical and sexual abuse, torture, humiliation and fear perpetrated by their educators and guardians in these schools. And if there was ever any doubt about the severity of the effects of the residential school system on Aboriginal children and families, this legacy in Canadian history was so calculated and so thorough in its aims that it is now considered a “cultural genocide”.
None the less, a week has passed, and the media has turned to other timely events. Where does that leave us? The talk of reconciliation is becoming distant, along with the concern of the general public. As teachers at this critical time we have the opportunity, responsibility even, to not let reconciliation become just another passing news item. Taking to heart what Manitoba Justice Murray Sinclair said in his closing remarks, there must be “reconciliation through education”. As Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation inquiry into the terrible legacy of Canada’s Indian Residential School System, Justice Sinclair urged educators to close the gap in our understanding about this shared history and walk with the Survivors and their families towards reconciliation. There is no better time than the present. Regardless of the fact that curricula across the country will take time to change, there are many ways that teachers can start the learning right now: beginning in the primary grades, by reading and discussing books like; Shi Shi Etko, Shin Chi’s Canoe, When I was Eight, Not my Girl, Arctic Stories, to name a few, or, following the lead of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society’s initiative, by planting a Heart Garden at your school to commemorate the children lost and those who survived.
Now that it is over, it is not enough to simply have acknowledged the testimony of the Survivors and the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and we cannot honour the lives of the generations of Aboriginal children and families who were affected by the residential school system if we wait for other teachers to teach this history. It is our responsibility as educators to open the dialogue now and to learn and grow in this new chapter of reconciliation between settler and Indigenous peoples. Indeed, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne has admitted that “for reconciliation to succeed, we must also renew our commitment to educating Ontarians on the role that treaties and the residential school legacy play in Canada’s past, present and future.” So, although many teachers in the past may have faced scrutiny or a lack of support from colleagues and administration as they endeavoured to teach the truth about the Aboriginal residential school system in Canada, we can now consider Premier Wynne’s statement and Justice Sinclair’s words of ‘reconciliation through education’ as a rallying call to all educators to do what is right not just once, but every year we teach.

June 13, 2015June 15, 2015 Mike Beetham Celebrating Success, Making a Difference Through Education, Wellness

You Did It

To quote my favourite author Dr. Seuss, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” As the year is rapidly coming to a close it is so easy to reflect on what you did not get accomplished, how you wish you had more time, if only …. The reality is that for the last ten months you have given everything that you have to a group of students, their families and your school community. You have sacrificed your personal health at times, your family time and your passions in order to provide each and every individual under your care the best opportunity to learn and evolve as best they can.

It is now time to allow yourself to take a deep breath, look in the closest mirror and smile as you celebrate the relentless commitment you have put forth in your role. It is not easy for teachers to do this as we are by nature perfectionists that do not seek out the limelight. As the summer break quickly approaches it is important that you take the time that you need to bring that balance back into your life (family, friends, passions) so that in a very short two months from now, you are prepared to do it all again!

June 6, 2015June 8, 2015 Mike Beetham Before School Starts, Building Inclusion, Differentiated Instruction, Diverse Learning Needs, Learning in a Real Life Context, Making a Difference Through Education, Planning, Student Ownership

Service Learning Projects

Service learning projects are a form of project-based learning in which learning outcomes are accomplished through community service. It is a powerful approach to teaching that provides students with authentic learning experiences in real-life contexts. The outcomes of a quality service-learning project are endless (citizenship, responsibility, character, teamwork). Service learning projects are timeless and can be used at any time of the year.

I have used a service-learning component in my yearly plan for over two decades. In that time, my Junior students have worked with seniors, redesigned local parks, multiple environmental projects with the municipality, projects within our own school community, work at local outdoor education facilities, assisting local charities or community organizations and international projects with Sierra Leone. No matter what the project, the outcomes have been very consistent. First and foremost my students are able to start to look beyond their personal needs and develop a global awareness.

The goodness of all children just shines through like beacons when they know they are helping others. For my current teaching assignment I work with students who have reputations as aggressive, ego-centered individuals who do not care about the people around them. They rapidly lose that bravado when they know that they are making a difference for other people. Throughout this year we worked with our local education centre stacking wood for the upcoming maple syrup program, replanted trees and helped keep their site litter free. The experience of knowing they were making a difference for others created an outcome that was palpable. I am sure that I could see their self-esteem grow in front of my eyes.

My most memorable service-learning project occurred several years ago where my Grade 4 class worked with a group of seniors in a program called ‘Walk A Day In My Shoes’. The end result of our year-long work together was two fold. My students developed both respect and understanding for seniors and for many of the seniors, they found a new purpose in their life. As for me, I was reminded how much I love my profession and the difference teachers can make.

June 3, 2015 Lisa.Taylor Classroom Management, Differentiated Instruction, General, Inquiry, Learning in a Real Life Context, Literacy, Math, Year End Activities

Keeping Lessons Engaging to the End of June

It can sometimes be difficult to stick with the curriculum until the end of June. The sun is shining, you hear kids outside your window playing soccer-baseball during gym class, the room is sweaty, it is just time to be done! Resist the urge to abandon the curriculum for recreation, unless you can combine the two!

There are lots of fun ways to keep kids engaged until the very end of the school year. In my experience, the last month of school is the best time to do a big, whole class project.

One year, when studying Ancient Civilizations, we wrote a poem about some of the major battles in Ancient Greece. Then we drew on the Arts curriculum and made a set, props, and developed acting cues for the poem. We worked with the Media Literacy curriculum and marketed our production to the rest of the school and families. We did some math around how many showings of the play we would need to do if we had room for 35 seats in the classroom. We talked about what it would be like if we charged money for the show, what would we use the money for, how much would we get if we charged $0.25 per seat, $1.50 per seat, etc. What if your ticket included popcorn, how much would it cost? We purchased popcorn, popped it and measured how many servings we could get out of it. Then we did the math on how many bags we would need and how much we would need to charge for it. They worked out the math on how long the show was, how much time would be required between showings to get organized again, and then looked at the school schedule to see how many showings they could fit in during the day. They wrote reviews of the play for the newspaper, they wrote ads to go on the announcements, they even filmed commercials! They made a program to hand out, worked out how many copies they would need, they did it all.

The learning in this project was incredibly rich, and it was all culminating in the final 3 days of school when they presented their play multiple times throughout the day. This kept them busy, engaged, and connected to the curriculum for the last month of school. The last few days which can be chaotic, were a breeze. They ran the whole day, bringing classes to and from their play, presenting, and keeping the set organized and ready to go.

There are so many different ways you can plan for this last month to ensure the learning is rich, the students are engaged, and the days fly by! Inquiry Based learning is the perfect way to finish out the year. I had a grade 2 class that was very interested in restaurants. So we incorporated the social studies of food from around the world, and we turned out whole class into a restaurant that served dishes from different places around the world. Again, we did advertising, signage, lots of math around how much we would need of different supplies, etc.

Pick a topic that you know will hook your class. Then turn it into something big and run with it. You will be surprised at how much learning they get out of it and how quickly it takes over!

June 3, 2015 Lisa.Taylor General

Field Trips – Making them Meaningful

Field Trips are often booked in a variety of different ways, for a variety of different reasons. How do you infuse a field trip with learning to ensure it is as valuable as a learning experience, as it is as a life experience?

Some trips are booked for you. The school might have funding for each class to attend a theatrical production, or a science activity, so sometimes you don’t have any say in what trip your class is participating in. In this case, all you can do is know that if admin has booked it or approved it, that it must be educational and board approved. It is not inappropriate to ask admin for a summary of what the trip involves to you can preteach to what the focus will be. If there is content that might not be familiar to your students, it will add significant value to the trip should you prepare the students for some of what they will learn. In the past, my class has been assigned a trip to see a drama troop that had a focus on mime. My kids didn’t know what mime was, so in the weeks approaching the trip, we talked about mime, watched some videos of different types of mime, and then we tried it ourselves. When they saw the live performance, it was so much more meaningful.

When you book a trip yourself, you will likely need to fill out paperwork to have it approved by the board. Often a risk assessment is necessary – is there potential for the kids to get hurt? Once it is approved, you need to ensure you have permission slips, supervisors to meet the adult to student ratio, and a bus booked (or walking route set up). It is NEVER okay to transport students in your own vehicle, nor should you be planning a trip where parents are driving students that are not their own child.

You will also need to consider the cost for the trip. I have been at schools that have a community that can afford to go on expensive trips regularly, while I have been in other areas where asking for any money for a trip can be asking too much of the families. You need to know your clientele and make sure you are booking appropriate trips. If families cannot afford to pay for trips, your school may have a fund that can be accessed to ensure no child is left out. You should not be taking trips that include required content for essential learning and exclude students if they cannot pay. This is a huge equity issue.

You will also want to ensure you have a plan in place if there are any medical emergencies, behaviour issues, or other unforseen problems. Will you call the school to have someone come join you? Will the trip just get cut short? Will you bring an EA along with you that isn’t part of the ratio so if there is an issue the EA can take the student that is struggling and work 1:1 with them to ensure the trip is successful? There are lots of things to take into consideration when planning a field trip.

Make sure you run all plans by the office. The last thing you want, is to have a problem while you are on the trip and find out that the admin had no idea that was part of the trip and that they wouldn’t have approved it if they had known. Cover all of your bases before you leave!

Make sure you bring all epi-pens, medications, therapy devices, and a first aid kit. I always bring my cell phone as well to call for help should I need to. You will want emergency contact info for all students on the trip as well to ensure you can contact parents if there is an emergency.

June 1, 2015June 2, 2015 Mike Beetham General

An Unexpected Teaching Assignment?

You have just had a meeting with your principal and at the end of the meeting you have been assigned a subject that you do not have a strong skill set for.

What do you do?

This has and will continue to be a very difficult challenge for teachers. I think the first thing you do is to spend time familiarizing yourself with the appropriate content that is required of you. For this article’s purpose, let’s say that you are asked to teach physical education to Grade 3 students. You are not comfortable with gym, you do not feel that you have the skills to teach gym but yet you are given this assignment and must not only teach it, you must report on it.

The good news is that in these modern day times the world is at your fingertips. There is almost an endless amount of online material to support teachers. Your critical step is to understand what the BIG ideas are for your subject. You then do not have to invent the wheel over and over. The expertise of teachers around the world can assist you in the delivery of the content. For example I have very limited artistic skills, yet I am able to provide an enriching program to my students by finding activities, projects or lessons on how to teach my students the critical content they need to know (and I am aware of).

In an ideal world, schools would have specialists in areas such as art, gym and music. But as we know that is rarely the situation in Ontario. When I was asked to teach my own music I went to my principal and had a conversation with her about how limited my music skill set was. The end result of our meeting was that she knew my students would have a fun, enjoyable time in music. They would develop a positive attitude and great appreciation for music. I realize that type of working relationship is not always the norm.

It is a critical time for you to keep a healthy balance in your life. Knowing the expected effort that will be needed to learn your new teaching content, you will need to reduce the extras that you typically carry out on a voluntary basis in your role. This is a key opportunity for you to demonstrate to your students that you are modeling learning is a lifelong journey. You do not have to be the expert on everything, nor is it possible to be such.