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I always look forward to May and June — and not just for the blue skies and glorious weather. They are also months of collaboration with secondary educators, when hopeful and nervous grade 8 students can tour the high school they will attend in September. 

One of the secondary schools in our area has an ESL program, among many other specialized courses. And although information nights are held for families throughout the year, in May the small group visits begin.  Parents and guardians of multilingual language learners are invited to join tours, and together we visit classrooms, meet teachers and students, and answer questions. Just a handful of students at a time … a teacher … a family member or two … the ESL department head. These small tours happen fairly often, to accommodate new students and family schedules. 

I accompanied a few grade 8 students on one such tour recently and, as usual, it was a great morning. The learning spaces were alive with creation and vibrant communication. We moved from class to class, watching theatre rehearsals, computer design classes, geography presentations … and all of the spaces incorporated multiple languages, in multiple ways. We chatted with educators and community partners who spoke Turkish, Ukrainian, Arabic, and a host of other languages. We passed signs and posters in Vietnamese, Mandarin, and Spanish. We watched classes full of students speaking, reading, and writing in multiple languages, switching back and forth between them as needed. 

As we moved through the hallways and classrooms, I could see the students from my schools slowly relax, the serious expressions gradually replaced with smiles. Some recognized siblings and friends who already attended the school, some noticed similar activities and learning contexts from their elementary school classes. Witnessing this happy transformation reinforced to me the value of supporting elementary students in transitions, and the central role collaboration among educators plays in this process. 

Towards the end of the tour, we dropped in on the fashion class. The teacher at the front was arranging gold-coloured cloth in front of her sewing machine, and students were looking from her to their devices, hunched over screens filled with translations. The teacher explained to us they were learning about textile quality and cuts, and checking the vocabulary on translation apps and dictionaries, to learn content in both English and home languages. 

As we listened to students talk about what they were making, one student quietly got up and went to the back of the class to retrieve something. As she turned and approached our group, she held out her cupped hands in offering. She said nothing but smiled brightly; in her hands sat a pincushion. Puffed and white and softly rectangular, it looked like a little fairy pillow. She had embroidered two words on its surface, the bold, colourful thread jumping out against the ivory cloth. It was the word “love” — once in English, in deep ruby letters, and once in Arabic, the script obsidian black. She stood silently and smiling and simply holding out the pincushion she had made. I wish I had a photo of that moment.

At times, popular rhetoric can become singularly focused on hard data and measurable results, on whether student learning is up to “standard”. And while reflection on pedagogical approaches and student success is undeniably important, perhaps we should also be asking a different kind of question: Are our schools places of love? In other words, are they places where everyone is welcome and safe and valued? Places where learning happens in ways that centre students’ strengths, experiences, and identities? I have heard educators ask this question in many ways, many times over the years — but the sentiment is always the same. We cannot learn if we are not safe. And we cannot learn optimally unless we are valued for everything we are.

Perhaps that little pincushion, held in the hands of a happy and proud student, can tell us more about teaching and learning than at first glance we might think.

May was Asian Heritage Month in Canada, a time to reflect on and recognize the many contributions that people of Asian origin have made and continue to make to Canada. Asian Heritage Month has been celebrated since the 1990s. (Government of Canada, www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/asian-heritage-month.html)

Celebrating Heritage Months is an important step in helping students to learn about themselves and others. Asia is such a large continent and has so many diverse countries and traditions that I learn something new every year I choose to highlight this month. Even though I am half-Filipina, our culture can be vastly different from other Asian cultures and learning more about others is a great way to honour Asian Heritage Month each year.

Working with primary teachers, we really wanted to highlight the diversity of Asia. We started the lesson brainstorming any Asian countries that the students knew – and they knew quite a few! They were able to identify familiar ones, such as China, Japan, and Korea. Then we pulled up a map of the continent of Asia and looked at so many, many more! The students were able to see countries that they didn’t know yet, such as Yemen and Malaysia. Looking at the map really helped to develop the idea that Asia is a vast continent.

We also showed a variety of photos of different countries and their landscapes, monuments, and architecture. We talked about how different countries in Asia are from one another because we wanted students to understand that being Asian can mean so many things, not just a single story or single experience. With this intention for primary students, we wanted to build this knowledge instead of reinforcing stereotypes of Asian identities.

I shared with the students about my own heritage as half-Filipina and how there were things about myself that reminded me of my family and culture, the foods we eat, my skin, my nose, and my eyes. The students also shared parts of their identities and this helped us to build our thinking before reading Joanna Ho’s book, Eyes That Kiss In the Corners.

In this book, the main character shares how her eyes remind her of her mother’s eyes, her grandmother’s eyes, and her little sister’s eyes. She explains how they help her to feel proud and connected to her family. We looked at the beautiful illustrations by Dung Ho and how they represented Asian identity. The students were enthralled by the stunning colours and the way the illustrations connected to the message of the story.

As we wrapped up, we asked students to tell us one thing they learned. They shared so many things! They learned that there were countries in Western Asia, such as Lebanon. They learned that there were many more countries in Asia than they knew. They learned that there were big cities in Asian countries, but also many beaches along the ocean and seasides. We were so excited to hear that they were also interested in learning more about the countries they had yet to discover!

Celebrating heritage months takes many different forms. I loved hearing primary student voices and helping to develop their curiosity and wonder about the world. I can’t wait to see what they want to learn about next!

This blog post was inspired by the 2022-2023 Leaders for Tomorrow Group Members and Facilitators and by Brenda MacNaughton’s recent blog “Refresh and Ignite”. I hope through this month’s posts to share with you some of the opportunities offered by ETFO and highlight ways you may get involved. 

In Brenda’s post she discussed the women’s retreat she was attending in Rice Lake and highlighted the importance of women’s programs. If you are interested in learning more about the rationale for and impact of these specific programs, please refer to the 2022 Equity and Women’s Programs Annual Meeting Report as referenced in Brenda’s blog. 

Leaders for Tomorrow is a year long program for women from designated groups. Over the course of four sessions we learned about the history of our union, ways to increase our involvement in the union, and the importance and impact of taking on leadership roles. Our facilitators encouraged and supported us as we explored our identities and worldviews and what it means to be a leader. 

In our final reflection we were encouraged to represent our journey throughout the Leaders for Tomorrow in a meaningful way. Songs, dances, objects, art pieces, were shared by the women to symbolize thoughts, feelings and personal and professional growth throughout the year.  

Below I will share a small part of my reflection describing my view of leadership that evolved throughout the program. 

Water. It is what connects us, to one another, to our Mother’s, to the Earth. 

It is not only all around us, and within us; It is the source of all life. 

It is a powerful force and symbolizes my journey in Leaders. 

When a quote by Lau Tzu (Lawoh Tu) I recently heard resonated with me, I knew water would play a part in my self-reflection of this program and of leadership.

Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. 

But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield.

As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. This is another paradox: what is soft is strong.

This last line “What is soft is strong” really struck me. 

In this, I was reminded of the different ways leaders show up. Water although a powerful force, doesn’t fight; It flows. My vision or understanding of leadership has changed to incorporate the strength that comes with softness, surrender and flow; and how leaders don’t have to swim upstream or struggle against the tide, but can navigate these challenges quietly transforming and flowing as needed and find their way in and around systems and barriers, and lead from places of softness. 

ETFO offers educators a variety of programs and learning opportunities through the school year and continuing throughout the summer. Summer Academy is another wonderful program I will share more about in my next post. Stay tuned!

Getting back into professional learning has been a blast – as teachers, it is easy to forget about how fun it is to be students. After years of planning lessons and professional learning sessions for colleagues, it always feels special to learn from a lesson someone else has created! So when my fellow PETL member and extraordinary NTIP coordinator, Allison Cunningham, invited me to attend the Unlearn conference – I eagerly accepted the invitation.

The excitement that comes with entering a day of learning (or unlearning, in this case)  was high as I entered the conference. Unlearn is a well-known Canadian organization whose thought provoking posters and visuals can be found in hundreds of schools. Their goal is to inspire positive change through transformative, critical thinking pedagogy that facilitates rich discussions about social issues and inequities. In addition to posters and visuals, Unlearn also puts together professional learning experiences for educators focused on implementing inclusive, anti-oppressive, and anti-racist pedagogy.

Upon arriving at the conference, I was thrilled to see a large ETFO sign showing our union’s support for the event. The venue took place at the Mississauga Small Arms Centre, which has since been transformed into gorgeous, light filled art gallery and event space. The venue has a special energy that is unique to historic, industrial architecture and was a perfect space to host over 200 socially conscious educators from all around Ontario.

The day started with an unforgettable land acknowledgement from Clarance Cachagee, who captivated us all with a smudging ceremony that compelled us to think about the importance of having positive intentions and mindsets for the day. Unlearn’s founder Abhi Ahluwalia also spoke of the growth of the dynamic organization , activating our thinking about destreaming with a powerful new graphic released in the latest publication of posters. A powerful keynote about the experience of growing up Black in Canada from Dwayne Morgan followed: the audience, completely captivated by Morgan’s insights and stories, gave a standing ovation. While it would be hard to distil the keynote into a single takeaway, what stood out for me was how he emphasized how important it is to provide Black and racialized students with a learning environment that enables them to grow and flourish, like a plant in a well-tended garden. Toronto Star journalist Shree Paradkar led the afternoon session: she spoke about the importance of self-care and protection for social justice educators in a time of widespread volatility on social media.

All in all, I would highly recommend any educator to attend the Unlearn conference. The event is incredibly well organized, informative, and engaging. The food was also fabulous, and the swag bag included some great souvenirs from the event, including a cool mug and key chain.

Check out their amazing offering of posters for students in your school, and don’t hesitate to sign up for the conference in 2024!

My son has an amazing basketball coach. He is friendly and kind and nurtures them through practices to be their very best. What has set him apart from other coaches we have worked with in the past is his reflective nature. He spends a lot of time working with the team, not just running drills. He asks the team to reflect on what they already do well and what they can do to keep improving. He has them set realistic goals for themselves and then works with them to get “one percent better” each practice. Each practice exemplifies the art of assessment and feedback.

Teaching mirrors this same process. Students are involved in their own learning, assessing their strengths and what they find challenging. Assessment for learning is a chance to set clear learning goals and to actively work toward achieving them. Giving students the chance to think and articulate their needs and goals helps them to become more invested in their learning. Providing timely, explicit feedback and coaching for improvement helps students to understand how to move toward their learning goal. It also builds confidence when they succeed!

As a beginning teacher, I often thought of assessment for and as learning through the lens of project based learning assignments. A culminating project in science, for example, that would span several weeks would involve a certain intensity around student conferencing, check-ins, suggestions, reviewing success criteria, etc. I still think this can be a valuable place for assessment and learning; however I now think of assessment as an on-going part of our day and not limited to a project or single activity.

I always love to provide space for students to share, explore, and write ideas in their journals. At the beginning of the year, I just let them write; sometimes a journal prompt or sometimes free choice writing. When I look at their writing, I try to determine what they need as a few next steps. Perhaps this would be full sentences, grammar, expanding ideas, or something else entirely. Being clear with students through mini-lessons on what they needed to focus on helped to break down the steps for success, but also allowed us to build individual editing checklists in small groups. It also kept them involved in their self-editing process; knowing what to look for and work on.

Knowing how to accept feedback can be a lesson on it’s own! I think a lot about when I was a student. I felt like getting ‘feedback’ was just another way for the teacher to point out all the things I did wrong and needed to ‘fix’. Taking the time to build trust with students can help to make assessment and feedback to feel more collaborative. We both have the same goal and we will work on it together! I always try to convey this message to students about why conferencing and asking for feedback is so important.

It seems a lot less intimidating to think about teaching and learning as a collaborative effort. We’re partners in this learning journey. I learn a lot about becoming a better teacher from the students in my class and I hope they learn a little bit from me too. We are both striving to become that one percent better each day.