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Rashmee Karnad-Jani Advocacy for change, agency, Anti-bullying, Anti-Racism, Building Inclusion, Classroom Management, Communication with Parents and Guardians, Constant Learning, Inspiring Students, Inspiring Teachers, Language Learning, Learning About Your Students, Learning in a Real Life Context

Sweet Moments, Different Names

Hello Fellow Travellers,

I’ve written in previous posts about the wonderful opportunity of learning from and with students when I’m invited to collaborate with educators who work with students from kindergarten to age 21.

This past week as we approached the end of a cooler-than-usual April, the sun shone warmer and a long awaited Spring peeped out from behind grey clouds that had greeted us in previous months. One Friday afternoon before the long weekend, I was in a Grade 7 classroom. I arrived during lunch and went upstairs as pre-decided with the teacher. I found a corner to work until lunch time was over and the teacher came back.
Soon, the students came in also and the two nearest to me asked who I was and as always, I respectfully mentioned that I’d introduce myself when their teacher invited me to. As always students had questions – my name, where am I from, what’s my favourite food and so on. I usually stay with 10 questions so the teacher’s planned lesson can continue and we review classroom expectations prior so that students remember that every person who enters their class deserves respect.
Something To Think About
One student asked me what is the most important thing about my job and I said that I get to experience hope and joy when I interact with students. They asked me if I was part of their history lesson and while I was not co-teaching it, I could be. Our lives as people are interconnected after all.  I enjoyed the interaction among students during their history lesson that was about the fur trade in this land now known as Canada. There were many deep questions they asked their teacher.
Moving On To Other Topics
Then it was time for their reading buddies to come in. There was a bustle of activity as everyone was excited. Their teacher reviewed the expectations for them and students prepared to welcome the younger students. One student whose ancestral heritage was different from mine at first glance to them, approached me and said, “I have one more question: Do you like sooji ka halwa?”
I replied “Yes, I do. But I don’t call it sooji ka halwa”
“Really? What do you call it then?”, they asked.
In my mother tongue, we call it sheeraa” I said.
“It is cool that sooji ka halwa has another name. I have heard some people call it just sooji then?” the student said. “Yes”, I said. “Why is that?” the student asked.
I replied from a knowledge I had received over the years, and which has grown stronger since travelling far and learning from many. “Languages are beautiful. They grow and change over time and become richer also. The same thing can have many names and be experienced in many different ways by different people”
“Sooji Ka Halwa has many names then!”, the student remarked with a smile.
“And you know, sooji is semolina, so sooji ka halwa is “halwa/dessert made from sooji. Sometimes it’s called sooji also”, I said.
This was an unexpected sweet moment in my day and that evening, to commemorate that day, I made some sheera (or sooji ka halwa) following the recipe I learned from my Amma. I am sharing it here.
Perhaps if we meet sometime, we can connect over conversation about food that we know and love, even if they have different names. I am looking forward to those times.
Rashmee’s Amma’s Sheeraa Recipe 
Ingredients
2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
1 cup sooji (semolina)
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp elaichi (cardamom) powder
Method
In a kadhai (thick bottomed pan or wok), add ghee and let it melt
Turn the heat down and add sooji gently
Keep stirring until the sooji changes to a pinkish colour and becomes fragrant.
After 3-4 minutes add two cups of milk and keep stirring until the mixture cooks well
Add sugar and elaichi powder and keep stirring
Put the pan on a frying pan for indirect heat (so it’s not directly on the stove)
Cover it
In a few minutes remove the lid and stir again.
The sheera is ready to share and enjoy!
I wish you many sweet experiences and special interactions in your travels…
With you, in solidarity
Rashmee Karnad-Jani
P.S: Before I left, the student smiled and said “I also like your shoes”
red and white sneakers against a white classroom floor.
My Earned Shoes
Preeti Deokharan 21st Century Learning, Advocacy for change, Anti-bullying

Fostering Equity and Social Justice in the Classroom: A Necessity 

Picture this–It is the beginning of the school year. Like most teachers, I spend the first month getting to know my students, their experiences, and their identities through a series of icebreakers, reflective questions, and one-on-one conversations. At our school, we place a strong emphasis on creating a sense of belonging for everyone, and one way we do this is by encouraging each grade to team up with another grade that is two to three years apart. This year, I arranged for my grade 5 class to collaborate with a grade 8 class, setting the stage for shared learning. 

One day during our large group discussion, as we sat in a circle sharing our thoughts on community, a student asked me, “Why do some people get treated differently because of how they look, and where they are from?” A seemingly straightforward question sparked a meaningful conversation about bias and discrimination in my room. 

Instead of dismissing the question or providing a simple answer, I used the opportunity to deepen our understanding of equity and inclusion. Together, we explored the concept of systemic biases and how they influence the narratives we encounter. 

We read picture books like Malala’s Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai, When We Were Alone by David A. Robertson and Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love and discussed the importance of acknowledging the voices that have been marginalized or silenced, including those of women, people of colour, Indigenous voices and members of the LGBTQ2S+ community. 

Over the next few days, I dedicated myself to learning and planning a project that would be truly inclusive, ensuring that every student felt represented, respected, and empowered to effect change. 

I began encouraging students to critically examine media representations and challenge stereotypes. We analyzed advertisements, products, and movies, identifying instances of bias and discussing their implications (e.g., who is being represented, what narrative is being pushed and why and how we participate to mobilize the bias further). Students created a list of how and where they have experienced privilege. They reflected on their positions of privilege and considered how they could use their voices and resources to advocate for marginalized voices. 

I could see and feel the empowerment my students felt. They began to share more of their experiences and make connections to their lives. This empowerment led us to decide on a project to make advertisements that positively used bias. Students chose topics like educational material and representation, health and beauty ads and financial ads and presented them to other classrooms. Through the process, students analyzed systems of oppression and began to envision alternative versions grounded in justice and equity. 

We know that incorporating equity and social justice into the curriculum isn’t just about addressing historical omissions; it’s about empowering students to become agents of change in their communities. I encourage all educators to continue in their efforts to address bias and promote students to advocate for a more equitable society. 

Geeta Kumar Anti-Racism, Equity, General, Inclusion, Social Justice

Equity Habits of Mind: Shifts in Practice (Part One)

My positionality: To preface this post, I am engaging in this work as a co-learner rather than an expert. As a racialized woman and a life-long learner, my role as an anti-racist teacher involves knowing the students and families in front of me to create equitable learning experiences to ensure students feel a sense of belonging and community. This means doing the heart and hard work of learning and unlearning.

Indigenous Education, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is not simply about bringing in diverse texts and learning about holidays. It begins deeper—with our mindsets as educators.

Equity Habits of Mind are the intentional ways we reflect, question, and respond in order to create inclusive, belonging and affirming learning spaces. These habits help educators not only recognize inequities but also take meaningful steps toward disrupting them as part of anti-oppressive work and teaching.

In this series, I will explore some considerations and shifts to take as you move towards incorporating anti-oppressive work in your practices.

Please note that this is not a checklist, nor can it be. Cultivating these habits takes time, and can transform teaching into a lived commitment of anti-oppressive teaching. There is a commitment to having brave’ critical conversations, being uncomfortable and lifelong learning and unlearning.

Shift # 1: Self-Reflection – Inward Work

It is vital that we seek to better understand ourselves, including identity and positionality, as we engage in the work of Indigenous Education, Equity, Inclusion, and education. This includes critical and ongoing reflections on power, privilege, build spots, and more. While this is vulnerable work, it should be recognized that discomfort is necessary for growth. Some questions include:

  • What assumptions am I making?
  • What privilege do I have?
  • Whose perspectives am I centering?
  • How does my identity shape my thinking?
  • What do I need to learn ?

Using a graphic organizer like the one below, can also help guide your thinking in understanding privilege.  Known as the wheel of privilege and power, the closer you are to the centre, the more privilege you have. By understanding our privileges and unconscious biases, it helps us to identify where we need to shift our thinking as we become more capable of seeing the systems and structures that perpetuate inequities. 

Photo retrieved from: https://www.canada.ca

Have you tried this ? What did you notice? What do you wonder? How this impact your ability to build relationships with students and understand their needs?

Some ETFO resources to understand privilege more:

Devon Clarke General

Striving to Become an Anti-Racist Educator Part I: A Call to Action

This post is one of three where I will share reflections and insights from my work towards becoming an anti-racist educator. In this post I’ll communicate my rationale and motivation for intentionally taking up anti-racist work in my role as an educator. In the next two posts I’ll provide insights and resources that have informed my current thinking and practices in the hope that they will be useful to others who are also striving to become anti-racist educators by infusing their work with anti-racist practices.

I’ll begin by explaining that I’m striving to become an anti-racist educator because I understand that my beliefs about race inform the way I see, treat, and teach students. I also understand that race matters. Meaning, while racial differences are socially constructed and have no scientific basis, a persons’ perceived race will impact how they navigate different communities. Their perceived race will also inform how they are seen and treated by others from within and beyond their communities. Therefore, I believe that if I opt to adopt a colour-blind politics by pretending that I don’t see the racial profiles of the students I teach or recognize how my racial profile informs what and how I teach, I risk exacting harm on students; particularly Black and other racialized student populations who in general have questionable schooling experiences.

Further, I use the verb striving to describe my work towards becoming an anti-racist educator because I understand that learning to employ anti-racist practices is a continuous and ongoing process that changes depending on a series of factors. Some of those factors include the context in which I work, the students and colleagues with whom I work, the curriculum contents, and the socio-political climate in which the teaching and learning are situated.

I began striving to become an anti-racist educator in 2020 following an Ontario Ministry of Education review of my school board that found anti-Black racism to be systemic issue penetrating every level of the board. A few key findings from the review include some board trustees using derogatory terms to identify schools with large Black populations. Administrators disseminating harsher punishments to Black students for undisclosed reasons; and some educators disproportionately streaming Black students into non-university bound tracks without adequately informing students and parents/guardians of the consequences to their secondary and post-secondary pathways.

What I found particularly disturbing from the review and what compelled me to action were the comments from Black students. During the review many Black students shared that they felt they were streamed into lower academic tracks due to misperceptions about their cognitive and academic abilities, and that they noticed that they received harsher punishments than their non-Black peers for similar misconduct.

Wanting my work as an educator to more purposely support identifying then removing barriers to Black student engagement and learning, I committed to infusing my work with anti-racist practices. I think that any educator who commits to infusing their work with anti-racist practices receives a call to action; a moment when they make a conscious decision to become part of the change that they want to see within schooling then take intentional steps to make that change a reality. I also think that it is imperative that we as educators at any stage in our career remain mindful that we have a sphere of influence where we can effect change.

In my next post, I’ll share one of the steps I took to change my practices. I’ll also share two resources that helped me to take that step by interrogating my beliefs about race in addition to other identity markers and the importance of interrogating inherent personal biases prior to engaging in any anti-racist.

Colleen Elep General

Multilingual Language Learners (MLLs) With Possible Special Education Needs: Tips for Classroom Teachers

As educators, there are many difficult situations we have to navigate when it comes to identifying the best program pathways for students. One common situation is when a Multilingual Language Learner (MLL, also known as English Language Learners) experiences significant challenges in their learning.

But how do you know whether or not their difficulties are related to possible special education needs, or language learning? How do you know if you should the student to the attention of a school review committee?

This blog is all about what classroom educators can do when they notice an MLL is experiencing difficulties in their learning. You may be surprised to learn that there are a number of actions you can take even before bringing the student to your school’s review process.

Develop a Learner Portrait for the MLL

Knowing your learner is essential to any teaching practice, and there are a number of additional factors that should be considered when the learner is an MLL. Is the student under consideration a newcomer? Canadian born? Where are they positioned in the Steps to English Proficiency (STEP) continua? How long have they been in their current STEP?

A learner portrait is essentially a document where you can take note of a student’s cultural and linguistic funds of knowledge, level of language proficiency, as well as the student’s interests, goals, and other information you may have gathered about the student’s background. You may also want to include notes on what you are observing about their language and literacy behaviours.

With a fulsome learner portrait, you will be better equipped to adapt your programming to meet the student’s needs and address the difficulties they are experiencing. You will also find a student portrait useful if you choose to bring the learner at an in-school review.

Ensure all the Appropriate Program Adaptations are in Place

With a strong understanding of the learner, check to see that you are adapting programming appropriately for the student with accommodations and, if needed, modifications aligned with their STEP. You may also want to consider the following questions as you re-examine your programming:

Are there multi-modal options (ex. Use of assistive technology, alternative presentation formats) for the student to share knowledge and engage in learning?

Is the curriculum content comprehensible to the student at their STEP? Are you leveraging the students’ interests in your teaching and assessment? Is your programming culturally responsive? Does your teaching practice include scaffolds beneficial for MLLs, such as sentence frames, models, and graphic organizers?

If you do bring the student up to a school review committee, it is important to share what program adaptations you have already put in place so all stakeholders can see the work you are doing to meet the student’s language acquisition needs.

Gather Samples of Student Work

Looking closely at student work: journal writing, writing assessments, reading responses, mathematical problem solving, and other forms of output, can be an excellent starting point for identifying areas of support. You’ll also find having concrete pieces of evidence useful for sharing with family and support staff when discussing your academic concerns about the student.

If you are having difficulty gathering authentic and concrete samples of work from the student, consider how else you might their learning visible. Provide options for them to create video or audio content, or record anecdotal notes about what you are observing about their learning behaviours during group activities and class discussions.

Connect with the Family

Communicating and collaborating with families is critical when a student is experiencing difficulties in their learning. You will want to make sure they are aware about what challenges their child is experiencing in school, and find out if they are noticing anything about their child’s behaviour at home.

When communicating with families, include the student in the conversation if possible. Be prepared to speak to specific examples challenges and strengths for the learner. Keep track of any conversations you have with families, and take notes on what was covered during the call or meeting.

Seek Input from Other Educators that Teach the Student

You will also find it useful to connect with other educators that teach the student to see if they are observing anything similar or different in the subjects they teach them. They may also be able to share additional samples of the student’s work, and give their insights on the learner.

It’s not uncommon for other educators to see a side of the student you may not – the information they share may also help you develop a student portrait.

Find out what your Board’s Protocol is for Identifying MLLs with Possible Special Education Needs

Finally, find out what your board’s protocol is for identifying MLLs who may have special education needs. In some cases, an observation period is implemented, where classroom and support educators try different strategies to determine whether or not a student’s difficulties are related to language learning. Learning what the process is early will also help you to better prepare for that possibility.

Geeta Kumar Equity, Literacy, Professional Learning and Growth

Teaching Reading is Equity Work!

For the past several years, my annual learning goals have centered around deepening my understanding of Structured Literacy—an approach rooted in the Science of Reading and grounded in decades of research into how children’s brains acquire and process written language.

As educators, we know that teaching reading is not just an academic goal—it is a matter of equity. Ensuring that all students receive access to high-quality, evidence-based literacy instruction means we are actively dismantling barriers to learning. We are building a culture of belonging, wellbeing, and opportunity.

Structured Literacy prioritizes clear, intentional, and research-informed instruction. Here are the core principles that define this approach:

  • Sequential
    • Skills are introduced in a logical, developmentally appropriate order, with careful scaffolding to ensure mastery before moving forward.
  • Explicit
    • Instruction is direct, intentional, and interactive. The gradual release model—“I do, We do, You do”—supports learners through modelling and guided practice.
  • Systematic & Cumulative
    • A structured scope and sequence ensures instruction builds progressively, helping students connect new learning to prior knowledge.
  • Diagnostic
    • Assessment is ongoing and timely. It drives instruction and allows educators to respond to students’ evolving needs with precision.

If you are beginning your journey understanding the Science of Reading and Structured Literacy, it is encouraged you to explore the resources listed below. The Margaret Wilson Library is a great place to check out books !

  • Supporting classroom practice: Lessons language curriculum 2023 (ETFO)
  • Shifting the Balance by Katie Egan Cunningham, Jan Burkins, Kari Yates
  • 7 Mighty Moves: Research-Backed, Classroom-Tested Strategies to Ensure K-to-3 Reading Success, by Lindsay Kemeny
  • Know Better, Do Better: Comprehension: Fueling the Reading Brain With Knowledge, Vocabulary, and Rich Language by David Liben, Meredith Liben
Sharon Ethier General

Heritage Month Posters

I love when ETFO releases their heritage month posters.  They are such a valuable resource that teachers can use all year long and not just during heritage months. Annually, ETFO releases heritage month posters for Black History Month, Asian Heritage Month, Women’s History Month, and Jewish Heritage month. You can find the past years’ posters on the ETFO website. 

These posters are an important way to bring acknowledgement and celebration of different identities to the classroom.  You can be rest assured that the poster designs were created by artists who self-identify with that heritage and they are engaging and beautiful.  Accompanying each poster you will see background information for you, the educator, to feel confident in teaching and learning about the message of the poster.  You will also find a lesson plan or discussion prompts with some of the posters that help to guide conversations with students around the visual. Because they are posted on the ETFO website, you can project past and current posters to a screen or on a device so that you can look at all the details together. 

There are a few different strategies that I’ve used to engage with the heritage month posters.  I do suggest that you read the background information for educators to prepare for questions and guide conversations as students usually have lots to look at and ask questions about when they first see one of these designs. While I sometimes will engage in a whole class discussion or follow one of the ETFO lesson plans more closely, other times I will have an opening activity for students to engage with a few different posters. Two activities that I’ve used this year are: 

Carousel Walk

  • Select a few posters to display around the room.  I’ve kept physical versions of past year’s posters, but you can display them on devices or project them onto a board. 
  • Place a chart paper with each poster.  Have students circulate in small groups and with a marker or pencil, they write down anything they see on the poster or one word about how the design makes them feel. 
  • Discuss and debrief their ideas together as a large group.  I always like to end with an exit card asking the students what they are inspired to learn more about from the posters. 

Think & Mingle

  • When I use this strategy, I engage with one poster at a time and display it so everyone can see, whether projecting or a physical poster.  
  • Each student receives a sticky note and writes down what they notice and wonder about the visual. 
  • After a few minutes, ask students to stand up.  I usually play some soft music and ask them to move around the room and when the music stops they find a partner
  • They share what they wrote with their partner and discuss.  It’s great when the teacher also participates in sharing ideas with a partner and really listens to what the students are noticing and wondering
  • To wrap up, we create a class t-chart and to use their wonderings to guide a class inquiry

If you’re looking for resources that will spark conversation and inquiry in all grade levels, the ETFO Heritage Month posters are a perfect start.  They provide a launching point for so much rich conversation and are well researched documents that are ready and easy to use in the classroom.  

Rashmee Karnad-Jani Advocacy for change, Advocacy for public education

Why Does Anything Matter?

Hello Fellow Travellers,

Much in the news. A lot of fluctuations that put the current weather patterns in the Greater Toronto Area to shame. I am not even looking elsewhere as I am busy with my own life. Therefore the question “why does anything matter?” became my title this time.

It is human nature perhaps to reassure ourselves that we are okay.

We’re not that other country.

We’re here, we’re okay, we are safe, we are well.

We say this to ourselves and to people in our lives especially children in our families or students in our classrooms.

But the events around the world – both near and far, send ripples into the calm waters that flow past us here in Ontario.

Publicly funded education does not operate in a vacuum and the decisions made in one country, one sector, one industry, one policy impact the guiding decisions made in another. This we know.

ETFO’s Response to Tariffs
As always, after my work day, before the evening takes over with meals and other chores, I read my non-Board emails. On April 9th, ETFO released this statement.
The section that stands out for me :
“Public education will not be immune to the ripple effects of this economic downturn. As government revenues come under pressure, there is an increased risk that funding for vital publicly funded services and institutions, including public education, will be scaled back. At the same time, Ontario families, many of whom are already struggling, will face even greater financial strain. For students, this can mean heightened barriers to learning and well-being, including hunger and stress, which compromise their ability to learn and thrive.”
How can I and we be mindful of this in our everyday work?
Mothering for Schooling
 
In the 1970s and 1980s, Canadian sociologist Dorothy Smith and her research partner, Alison Griffith began to notice the everyday ways in which their lives as mothers were interconnected with the regulation of the schooling practices that surrounded their children. They began referring to the gendered labour that gets done in homes as Mothering for Schooling (Griffith and Smith, 2005).
A green book cover with title "Mothering for Schooling" written in white capitalized lettering.
Mothering for Schooling (Griffith & Smith, 2005)
Over many decades, until their last collaboration published in 2022, Griffith and Smith spoke about how work that is done in one location impacts and influences the work that is done in another. They referred to this as translocal work processes. Educational work is filled with interconnected  tasks and processes. This we know.
Amidst all this, our students and their families are as impacted as everyone else by these global and translocal changes that regulate their everyday lives.
Every fund raiser, every field trip, every bake sale will impact families in ways that are invisibilized in the everyday busyness in work spaces. Let’s pause and think about that.
The Impact of Courageous Colleagueship
Let’s say I’m co-teaching with you, my colleague in your classroom and I have chosen a book or a topic that reflects my lived reality. I am excited to be teaching with you. You introduce me to your students and I begin to speak.
As a middle-class, professionally trained and gainfully employed cis-het woman with a confident manner and excellent fluency in the language of instruction, I may not be aware that the lived realities of the families in the classrooms don’t necessarily mirror mine.
After all, when I drove down the street to the school many times, I may have seen homes that are well constructed with sleek facades on ample lots. This led me to believe that all is well here. You, on the other hand, may know it is not the case. Especially now, in many places.
As I am busy with many aspects of my work, I make it through the work day with no time to spare for anything more than the absolutely essential pieces, so I haven’t read up about the neighbourhood in which your school is located. I may live far away from this neighbourhood, so I do not know what I do not know.
Steady Me & Guide Me
If I don’t step out of my bubble, I may continue the conversation in your classroom, speaking of my summer plans to visit this place or that, or some aspect of my life because I’m trying to be have a conversation.
As you are the colleague who knows the community and students well, please feel free to step in. Please speak about alternative experiences. Guide me, please.
Stand With and Walk Beside Students and Their Families
  • When you stand with and walk beside your students by introducing a counter narrative, you show them that you able to make their learning space safe and pleasant.
  • When you hold up a mirror to my presence and actions in your classroom, you will have given me an opportunity to examine my ignorance and bias. I shall be ever grateful.
  • You will have invited me to revisit ETFO’s invitation to engage with my professional learning and improve my professional judgement, not just in subject knowledge but also in anti oppressive practices. I shall not say ” I have taught for 21 years” and I will never walk away. I shall learn and improve my practice. I promise.
  • If I begin to speak about a student in their presence, feel free to whisper “later” and I’ll follow your lead.
Don’t let me stumble when I get wobbly.
I thank you for your colleagueship because that’s the collective heartbeat of our work as ETFO members.
If I lose my way, even for a little while, please lead me back to the path of equity and disability justice.
I shall do the same for you. I promise.
With You, In Solidarity
Rashmee Karnad-Jani
Sharon Ethier General

Transferable Skills

The Program Planning document on the Ministry of Education’s digital curriculum site is applicable to all curriculum documents from kindergarten to grade twelve. It includes an important part called the Transferable Skills.  This content is part of officially issued curriculum and, as educators, we are obligated to consider this information to guide the implementation of the curriculum and in creating the environment in which it is taught. 

The seven categories of transferable skills, or competencies, are: 

  • critical thinking and problem solving
  • innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship
  • self-directed learning
  • collaboration
  • communication
  • global citizenship and sustainability
  • digital literacy

These broad competencies are designed for students to transfer skills from one subject to another.  For example, self-directed learning skills are applicable in every subject from language to math to physical education. It allows educators to think about developing skills that will be useful for students in any subject area and any grade level. When you read the document, you’ll see that each of the seven skills has a definition and student descriptors.  For example, the document’s definition for digital literacy is:

Digital literacy involves the ability to solve problems using technology in a safe, legal, and ethically responsible manner. With the ever-expanding role of digitalization and big data in the modern world, digital literacy also means having strong data literacy skills and the ability to engage with emerging technologies. Digitally literate students recognize the rights and responsibilities, as well as the opportunities, that come with living, learning, and working in an interconnected digital world.

The first student descriptor is: 

  • Students select and use appropriate digital tools to collaborate, communicate, create, innovate, and solve problems. 

These skills are intended to be learned as part of all subject areas and not in isolation.  They are developed through student engagement in practice and in explicit teaching and learning methods.  In planning, this means that we should be considering how we can integrate digital literacy into our teaching, how students can engage in becoming digitally literate, and understand their responsibilities as digital citizens.

Students always seem to be ahead of me in areas of technology; they have more time to consume media, information, and to develop confidence in using tech.  However, when I think about Digital Literacy in respect to the curriculum documents, I recognize that it isn’t just the confident ability to navigate websites and use new technology.  The student descriptors actually lend themselves toward understanding and analysing HOW they use digital tools to enhance their learning. Being able to select the best digital tool to help them learn, critically looking at data, and even understanding how to manage their own digital footprint look differently at every grade level.  

As you look through the curriculum documents, you will also notice that the overall expectations will specifically link to the transferable skill or skills that can be developed through those expectations.  For example, in grade seven language, overall expectations D2 (Creating Texts) and D3 (Publishing, Presenting, Reflecting) both tag Digital Literacy as a competency students should be developing through these expectations. 

How does this inform my educator lens and decisions in the classroom?  I think it looks like decisions that I am making with students, for example including them in the decision to use different digital tools for communication.  Every student I’ve taught loves to create a slide deck, but that isn’t always the easiest way for students to collaborate on a project or to communicate information.  Maybe it’s having whole class conversations to categorize the purpose of different digital tools, e.g., a recorded news report vs a slide deck vs a canva poster. 

As I spend time reading through all of the new curriculum documents, I am finding myself thinking more and more about how students learn and getting curious about how to shape and plan learning experiences that explicitly engage in developing these transferable skills.  Even as the teacher in the room, there’s always so much to learn! 

Brenda MacNaughton General

Self Regulation and Trauma Informed Practice

This year I have been a supply teacher in a particular class a few times so I have built a rapport with the students. On one visit, a student I’ll call Jenna opened up about how she was feeling. Recently her family’s apartment, along with several others, was destroyed by a fire. Jenna went to stay with extended family while her mother stayed in a local hotel and worked with relief agencies to find new housing and get reestablished. They lost absolutely everything they owned in the fire.

The family was relieved to move into a new apartment fairly quickly but Jenna was having difficulty adjusting.

On the day I was supply teaching in her class, 7 year old Jenna got overwhelmed several times and was not able to self-regulate. She was tired from the long walk from her new apartment. She was hungry. She missed her favourite stuffed animal. She had no paper at home to draw pictures because all of mommy’s paper got burned in the fire. Her classmates and I listened and consoled her in these moments but she summed it all up by tearfully saying:

“I’ve learned that sometimes life gives you changes and you have to get used to a new situation very fast. Like what the fire did to me and my family.”

Wise words from the heart of a seven year old. Jenna has had to deal with an enormous change in a short amount of time. She is grieving the loss of her home and belongings but also has feelings of relief that her family members survived and they were able to reunite in their new home. It’s quite an emotional roller coaster to ride. No wonder she was experiencing difficulty with self-regulation.

This experience got me thinking more deeply about trauma informed practices in classrooms. Every child has a story and some of those stories include trauma. We see different types of trauma such as losing a home, the unexpected death of a loved one, a car accident, bullying, and many more, including traumas we will never know about. It’s in everyone’s best interest to have safe learning environments where children know they are protected from physical and emotional harm. A classroom teacher will not know all the details about everyone in their class but they can work to ensure the classroom is a safe place for all.

The students aren’t the only ones who are impacted by life’s tragic moments. It’s very important that teachers recognize those times when they need to seek out their peers or professionals to help them through difficult times. We can’t serve from an empty cup, and neither can our students.

Take care,

Brenda