Blog – Page 81

November 30, 2019November 30, 2019 Will Gourley General, Inspiring Teachers, Making a Difference Through Education, Professional Learning and Growth, self reflection, Teaching as a public profession

Shoulders of giants.

There is a wonderful quote from Sir Isaac Newton that goes, “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” To me, this is nothing less than a gigantic nod to everyone who “tried and paved the way” before him, and a reminder of his then obligation to do the same for the generations to follow-including you and me.

I think Newton was right to pay tribute to his predecessors, but he did so implying that he was focused on the future. He knew that the past played an important part in his understanding of all things Math and Physics(Natural Law), but he was also keanly aware that there was still much work to do during his life in order to prepare for something far beyond his time, work, failures, and accomplishments. This was Newton’s way to say to his successors, “My shoulders are ready for you to stand upon and see further”. Like all teachers, Newton created the conditions where his lessons would go far into the future to a time, space, and place where he himself would never visit.

And now to the classroom

Imagine this repeating itself around the world everyday where a class is in session? We see the future everyday as we prepare students to stand on our shoulders to see further. In some ways, teachers are like conduits of time that possess the ability to bridge the past and present in service of the future. In the process, we continually build and strengthen the foundations on which we all stand and seek to see further than before.

To me, this is one of the coolest places to be as an educator because we have the ability to see through multiple states of time. This is a gift from the past, and it is important for us all to take a moment to enjoy the 360 view atop the shoulders of giants on which we now stand.*

Think about the beauty of looking back at where we’ve been a.k.a hindsight. In education it’s better known as ongoing professional reflection. In itself, reflection will always be an important tool in our collective kit. However, if we’re not careful, we can dwell too much on the past, which could then mire us in the present, and ultimately cause us to lose focus on the future – our students. That’s why we need to keep our eyes looking forward and further as we stand together to protect education from fundamentalist firestarters trying to burn its foundations with fiscal forest fires in order to fleece the future.

Despite the acrimonious arson taking place, we stand firm and united in the fight against cuts to education. Our solidarity, current WTR focus on government, and willingness to wait at the negotiating table are clear indicators to families that ETFO members are rallying around our learners even as the government burns bridges to benefit a bogus budget dilemma. Our shoulders are squared and strong.

It’s time we douse the doubt and the doubters by continuing our amazing and impactful work in education which has placed Ontario among the best in the world. Imagine what heights our students will reach when each one has equitable access to learning at all phases of their educational evolution from JK to post-secondary? Imagine underserved and under-performing students who will never fall through the cracks because there are shoulders for them to stand on too?

Stand strong. Stand together.

*This is never more meaningful when I think about the educators who stood up for teachers in the past to fight for the benefits, pay, and working conditions we have now. There is no doubt that things are better for educators in some areas, but have deteriorated in other areas. It is now our turn to clear the way and make new roads for those to come in the future. I am so thankful for those who fought for me. Even though I may never meet them in person, I am here standing on their shoulders.

November 30, 2019 Tammy Axt General, Special Education

Life Skills Assessment

Life skills are a broad topic to teach students. They can range from communication, safety, meal prep to managing money. Throughout our week, life skills are integrated into many activities we do. Our life skills program also changes as the need arises. We added a section in our life skills program about menstruation after our girls begun to get their period and we also added safety conversations after we learned about incidents at home and in the community.

Some common books to get you started with life skills program design and assessment are the FISH (Functional Independence Skills Handbook) and the Carolina Curriculum.

After connecting with parents early in the year about some life skills goals they had for their children, we developed a little 20 minute life skills time after lunch each day that looks like this:

Each student is assigned a life skill for two weeks. The assignment chart looks like this:

Each staff member is assigned two students to train in their life skill. The goal over the course of the two weeks is to move the student as close to independence as possible. Below is a portion of our assessment chart that helps us focus on where our students need assistance. We may start with verbal and gestural prompts earlier in the process but by the end of their time on their assignment the need for prompts is reduced.

The goal of this life skills time is to have the student be contributing members of their family and the classroom. We have heard from many parents who are seeing the impact at home with students taking over responsibility of their own living space and helping with the care of shared space. My students feel good when they know that they have achieved a level of independence.

November 30, 2019November 30, 2019 Will Gourley Advocacy for change, Advocacy for public education, Equal Pay in Unions, General, Making a Difference Through Education, Standardized testing, Teaching as a public profession, Violence in Schools, Why unions matter

In loco contractus

It has taken a lot of restraint to ignore the volumes of micro-aggressive, passive aggressive, aggressive, and macro-aggressive comments flying around the Twitterverse about education since our most recent contract with the government expired this past August.

And then there is the elected official du jour with the education portfolio.

I have tried not to focus on the orchards of low hanging fruit being grown by our current Education Minister at the behest of his leader and his agenda. Elected or not, it is imperative of this incumbent and every other MPP to serve the public better. This means, any disinegenous attempts to villify our profession through weak one-liners and scripted media apperances as a scare tactic have to end. Saying you want a deal and then not bargaining will never be deemed as negotiating.

Despite not having a contract, all educators continue their tireless work on behalf of students to educate, encourage, and move forward even though our government managed to cut teachers and course offerings, and then wrote themselves a nearly 5 month absence note with a retro-active pay raise for good measure. This is not a sustainable situation. It is however, a recipe for a toxic and uncertain future.

What the province’s students need now is a government that sees, supports, and serves them and not the interests of corporate bullies or privateers bent on profiting from manufactured crises in public education. Instead they are blasted with a daily dose of misinformation without consideration of the present or the future. Our youth deserve a future and the truth.

This is what they are getting.

In between not negotiating, there have been absolutely zero authentic moments when this elected official sat at the table, conducted meaningful dialogue with teachers, or made an unscripted appearance at a public school without a camera crew. Maybe he should read my Undercover Boss post.

Instead it’s a steady stream of steamy slurry being served to the public via social media and scripted segments. #somethingsmells

Ontario education minister deletes tweet after social media backlash

“Lecce’s office told Global News on Thursday that the location of the photos was chosen due to timing and convenience, saying the decision was not made in an effort to avoid going to one of the province’s public schools but instead so as not to create a disruption.”

https://news.ontario.ca/edu/en/2019/11/minister-of-education-statement-on-first-day-of-work-to-rule.html

“My negotiating team stands ready for meaningful, good-faith bargaining 24/7, to reach the deals Ontario students and families deserve. There is a path to a deal, and it requires all parties to be reasonable and fair and put the needs of our children first.”

https://news.ontario.ca/edu/en/2019/11/statement-from-education-minister-on-osstf-strike.html

“Strikes hurt kids. Our Government has been clear, we want deals that keep students in class. For teacher unions to leave the table, to turn their back on our children, and to escalate to the point of compromising their education, is deeply troubling for parents and our Government.”

Cue Dr Carol Campbell from OISE and a litany of very committed educators who, to no surprise, have provided the corrections and descriptive feedback. Follow the thread all the way through. I especially like the part where the OntGov will never leave the table and be available 24/7. The OSSTF is also working hard at fact checking the M.O.Ed’s claims. #onceateacheralwaysateacher

There is nothing helpful about using the hashtag #strikeshurtkids that could ever be considered conscionable compared to the budget cuts being inflicted in our province. For so many people concerned about the public purse, a vision prescription update may be forthcoming to help them see the red ink that will stain the ledgers of future generations of Ontarians. When the people are denied adequate and equitable access to the world class education system that already exists in Ontario, the costs will make the current deficit look like an OLG winfall. The shortsightedness of this will end up costing us all. #antithetical #malfeasance or #unethical #incompetance

Think of overburdened social service systems, the disenfranchisement of students who have had their course options stolen, or of the marginalized/at-risk youth who deserve more interactions with opportunities and adults who are equipped to support them. Think about the danger to the economy of an underprepared/underserved workforce. This is why we need to keep up the struggle and fight against the visionless economic tyranny of the day. #cutshurtkids

Cuts Hurt Us All

Not to be overlooked, our collective rights as a union are being threatened by a pack of budget wolves that is blind to all but the bottom line. Few if any, have ever dared to step foot into the very institutions they wish to “save” and witness the magic and miracles being performed by teachers and support staff everyday without a press conference or a contract. Now that’s putting students first. #ETFOStrong

November 30, 2019 Tammy Axt Special Education, Teacher Wellness

Just a Little Patience

I’ve often been described as a person with a lot of patience.

However, in my current role as a contained classroom teacher of 10 students with developmental disabilities, my patience has been tested over the past year and a half.

My students sometimes demonstrate their anger or frustration in aggressive or difficult ways. Other days, my students may forget things that they have mastered for months. Parents sometimes aggressively advocate for their students and yell at me because they are frustrated by the system that allows two year wait lists for things like occupational therapy or speech therapy. All of these things would test most people’s patience.

But that is not what has challenged my patience. I am finding that what I am most impatient with is myself. I’ve asked myself so many questions over the past 15 months on this amazing journey with my students. Why didn’t that approach work today? Why didn’t I handle that conversation differently? Why is the student feeling so angry today? Why? Why? Why? I’ve been really anxious about the speed at which problems have been resolved and how fast my students have settled into their new school.

What I wish is that when all of those self doubts and impatience started to bubble up in September 2018 when I began this class, I could read what I am about to write now 15 months later…

It will all come together. Trust yourself and your skills. You will find a rhythm among your team that address the needs of your students. You will be able to anticipate your student’s stressors and know how to calm and reassure them. You will be able to anticipate the needs of parents and have built such a trusting relationship where they know that you are advocating for their children just as hard as they are. The student that is screaming 8 hours a day at school, just needs a couple of months to adjust to all the new people in his life. The student who has challenges around self regulation will be able to use a calming space regularly to help him stay safe at school.

What I didn’t realize at the beginning of this journey was how much time many of these things would take. All of these changes took many school days of an incredibly committed and reflective team. It also took a lot of humility to admit when I needed assistance. But most of all, it has taken a lot of patience with myself to allow the time needed to build relationships and to really get to know all of the awesome things about my fantastic students.

November 29, 2019 Arianna Lambert Building Inclusion, Inclusion, Learning in a Real Life Context

Learning From & With Students

Student-led clubs are amazing! My question with trying to give space for students to truly lead has always been, how do we start? From there I start to ask: How do we determine what might be of interest? Who is the club truly for? How do we gage its level of success? The list really could go on as I sit and think it through. What sometimes happens is a club that is so “scaffolded” that it really isn’t student-led.

As you may already know, I am new to my school community this year. With that in mind, I’ve been making efforts to understand more about the lives and experiences of those within. In this work, I’m really trying to ensure that students see themselves represented in what we do in school. After speaking with my principal, we thought of creating a space or club related to culture, where students were the ones organizing some of our school events and celebrations. Unsure of who might be interested or if it would truly be of value to our community, I wrote out an announcement inviting students to attend a brief meeting to chat and I was blown away by the response. Overwhelmingly, students were interested in having their voices heard and leading the way in helping our school in being a more inclusive place.

Now I know that we have to go beyond cuisine, celebrations and clothing when really digging in and understanding diversity and I hope that this group is a place where those real conversations can start. We recently voted on a name for our group – the Diversity Club – and we’re hard at work planning out a winter celebration for families. The idea being that we plan an evening where families can come into the school, learn about diverse cultures through hands-on activities and conversations with each other. Students have chosen 5 celebrations that are happening over the next month and will lead activities that evening so that families understand these days of significance in a deeper way.

We’ve only just begun and it’s really great to see how enthusiastic students are in wanting to share who they are with others. I love how once given space and time, students feel a sense of freedom and ownership and are going well beyond what I could have imagined. Our Slone Celebrations Night is a couple of weeks away and I’m so excited to continue to facilitate this club as students continue to put their mark on our school and make it truly the hub of the community that it should be.

November 29, 2019 Arianna Lambert Coding, Technology

Hour of Code Is Coming…

Every year, the beginning of December marks Hour of Code. While coding and computational thinking are important skills that have benefits when incorporated year round in classroom programs, this is an excellent time where classrooms around the world participate; empowering students in d the development of these skills. In this post, I’m highlighting 3 activities that I will be using in my school to help support teachers who are new to coding and are wanting to give it a try this coming week.

This year, I’m envisioning centers so that students have an opportunity to participate in a variety of different activities while still allowing for small group teaching, especially with Scratch.

Lego

Who doesn’t love playing with Lego? I have to admit that even as an adult, when I have the opportunity to build with my nephews, I get excited at the possibility of creating with Lego. One of the unplugged – no tech required – activities that students have enjoyed is Coding Lego Mazes. This free resource is a great way to get started. The idea is that students have the opportunity to create their own mazes and once built, have to navigate their way to the end by thinking of all of the steps that it might take. In doing this, students start to think about giving clear navigational instructions using commands – similar to how we might use commands when coding. Older students can consider creating their own more elaborate mazes and the premise is the same, whereby they have to be able to direct someone from the beginning to the end of the maze.

Lego also has an online coding game, Bits ‘n’ Bricks. Students learn how to code using blocks as they help Bit on an Adventure.

Guided Online Activities

There are so many really great activities online that guide students as they learn to code using blocks. As students progress, the levels get more challenging and they gain a greater understanding of how code is formed and used as commands for specific actions. Below are a few links to some that I have used in the classroom with students.

Code.Org

Made With Code

I often share links with students in Google Classroom and they can select which activities they may enjoy participating in with a partner or in a small group.

Creativity with Scratch

I’ve used Scratch mainly with Junior students. The TDSB Coding In The Elementary Grades website has a variety of lessons from K – Grade 8 that guide educators as they teach students to create. I’ve used a number of these lessons to help students gain some of the basic skills in Scratch as well as in the creation of their own narratives. I love that they have broken it down by subject area. Take a look and see if there is anything that has a specific connection to what you are currently working on that students can try. We’ve been working on Geometry so this week, we’ll be using Scratch to determine how we might draw 2D shapes. Here’s the link to an article that I saw in Edutopia that we might use to get us started as we think about angles and side lengths.

For teachers new to coding, I hope that this helps. In my Hour of Code presentation, there are a few more ideas that you might also be interested in incorporating in your classrooms. Whatever you do, I hope that you have a great time coding and learning with students next week!

November 18, 2019November 18, 2019 Deb Weston Health & Safety

Being Allergy Aware

In dealing with allergies in schools, it is important to be aware of potential allergens. Introducing allergens into schools can put people at risk, including students, office staff, teaching assistants, custodial staff, administrators, non-teaching professionals, teachers, and even trades people.

Allergens are not just something that can bother people, allergens can be life threatening. There are a number of life threatening allergies that can result in anaphylactic shock. In extreme cases, life-threatening allergic reactions can happen or make people really ill.

Anaphylactic shock symptoms

Skin reactions, including hives and itching and flushed or pale skin
Low blood pressure (hypotension)
Constriction of airways and swollen tongue or throat, which can cause wheezing and trouble breathing
A weak and rapid pulse
Nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea
Dizziness and/or fainting

Causes of severe allergic reactions

As part of a defense against diseases, people’s immune systems develop antibodies to defend against harmful foreign substances. These substances could be bacteria or viruses. But some people’s immune systems develop reactions to substances that usually don’t cause allergic reactions in others.

Some of these substances can include:

Medications such as antibiotics and over-the-counter pain relievers
Foods like peanuts, nuts, fish, seafood, milk
Bites and stings from bees, yellow jackets, hornets, and fire ants
Exercise
Cosmetics and scents, latex products
Air particles like plant pollen, dust mites, animal dander, mold

Allergies causing death

Some allergic reactions can be so severe that people can die from anaphylactic shock. This means that breathing can become highly constricted and, in addition, severe loss of blood pressure can occur. Due to the reality of some people dying from anaphylactic shock, laws have been put in place to protect people from dying from allergic reactions.

Sabrina’s Law

Sabrina’s Law came about as a result of a young girl dying from anaphylactic shock after accidentally injecting peanut oil.

This act requires that every school principal establish strategies to reduce the risk of exposure to anaphylactic substances. Plans also must communicate information about life threatening allergies to school staff. Administrators must arrange for regular staff training to prepare for an emergency situation. Principals must maintain an up to date file of current information on about each student who has an anaphylactic allergy and establish an individual plan for each student who has a life threatening allergy.

In case of an emergency situation, school staff are authorized to administer an epinephrine auto-injector to a student without the written consent of the student’s physician and parent or guardian or adult student. In addition, staff should call 911 and follow the directions provided by Emergency Management Systems.

There has been some research done to limit and/or prevent life threatening allergies such as the early introduction of peanuts to babies. This prevents children from developing a severe reaction to peanuts thus preventing allergen issues later in life. Early introduction of peanut to babies

Other allergies that are smelly

Besides ingesting food and/or medications, cosmetics and scented products can cause allergic reactions. For some people, scented products can cause serious reactions including asthma, migraines, and other reactions such as rashes. A person wearing scented products to school could cause another person to become very ill – resulting in the person having to leave work. Even clothes washed in scented products such as wash-in scent balls can trigger reactions. Health and Safety legislation consider scents in the workplace as a workplace hazard.

Scented products can be found in workplaces in:

air fresheners
hand sanitizer, hand soap, dish washing liquid, industrial and household cleaners
facial tissues
laundry detergents and fabric softeners
candles
building material, upholstery fabrics, carpeting

Being aware of scent allergies means that people do not wear perfume or cologne to work. It means not using cosmetic or laundry products that give off strong scents. It means thinking about the needs of others in schools and in workplaces.

For preventing allergic reactions in other people, be aware of what you bring to school including scents and smells. It’s kind and it’s common scents.

Always fresh and never smelly!

Collaboratively Yours,

Deb Weston

November 9, 2019November 9, 2019 Deb Weston Advocacy for change, Advocacy for public education, Special Education

What’s up with the increase of students with IEPs in Ontario classrooms?

From People for Education, 2019, p. 15

An Individual Education Plan …

is a working document that is developed and maintained for a student who is deemed exceptional by an Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC)
must be developed with input from the parent(s)/guardian(s) and from the student if he or she is 16 years of age or older
is developed within 30 days of the placement of an exceptional student in a particular program
must provide a copy to parent(s)/guardian(s)
must provide a copy to student 16 years or older
identifies the student’s specific learning expectations
outlines how the school will address these expectations through appropriate accommodations, program modifications and/or alternative programs as well as specific instructional and assessment strategies
includes accommodations (i.e. ways to support the student’s learning) and modifications to learning expectations (i.e. often changes to grade level expectations)
has students deemed with an exceptionality based on a psychoeducational report
contains IPRC recommendations when developing or reviewing the student’s IEP

Psychoeducational reports/assessments

completed by trained educational psychologists
based on testing and observations
identifies student’s profiles including their strengths and needs
suggests accommodations and/or modifications to support learning
includes supports such as special equipment, technology resources, and educational assistance
“Psychologists are a vital component of special education support in Ontario. These professionals assess students’ special education needs, design interventions for students, and provide direct support to both students and the staff supporting them (Ontario Psychological Association, 2013).” (People for Education, 2019, p. 15)
“Northern school boards report the highest percentage of schools (58%) without access to a psychologist – this may be due to the difficulty of traveling to more isolated schools in Ontario’s rural North. According to a 2017 report, the cost associated with travel and housing for specialized staff have contributed to a lack of support for students with special education needs in Northern and isolated First Nations communities (Ontario First Nation Special Education Working Group, 2017).” (People for Education, 2019, p. 15)

Role of Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC)

consideration must be given to any recommendations made by the IPRC concerning special education programs and services that may be particularly appropriate for meeting the student’s needs
includes possible funding to support these recommendations made by the IPRC concerning special education programs and services that may be particularly appropriate for meeting the student’s needs

What if the student has not had a psychoeducational assessment?

an IEP can be developed for students who have not had a psychoeducational assessment and/or have not been identified with an exceptionality under the Special Education Act
students may also have an IEP developed when they require accommodations, program modifications and/or alternative programs
students with special needs, not formally identified with an exceptionality, may receive appropriate special education programs and/or services that will allow them to be able to achieve the grade-level learning expectations
IEPs can include accommodations and modifications documented in the students’ IEP
some students require alternative expectations, not specifically related to curriculum, that may outline specific learning needs and strategies

Why is the IPRC process so important?

IPRCs deem students with an exceptionality based on psychological educational assessments
IPRCs recommend supports and funding to support students’ learning needs
approximately 50% of students receiving special education support go through the formal IPRC process based on psychoeducational assessment (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2018b)
students with IPRC identification have a legal right to special education support (Education Act, 1990)

Has there been an increase in students with IEPs in classrooms?

The Ontario Human Rights Commission 2018 policy stated that schools must accommodate students’ disability needs “whether or not a student with a disability falls within the Ministry’s definition of ‘exceptional pupil,’ and whether or not the student has gone through a formal IPRC process, or has an IEP” (Ontario Human Rights Commission, 2018, p. 13).

“Data from the Ontario Ministry of Education show that, while the proportion of students going through the IPRC process has remained relatively stable since 2006-2007, the proportion of students with IEPs has been steadily increasing” (People for Education, 2019).

In other words, students who are not identified via the IPRC process are increasingly receiving special education support through an IEP. With no exceptionality in place, specific supports are not always forthcoming. These supports could include educational assistants, support personnel, and specialized equipment.

Lack of funding for psychoeducational assessments

People for Education (2019) reported:

“60% of elementary and 53% of secondary schools report that there are restrictions on the number of students who can be assessed each year”
“92% of elementary schools and 94% of secondary schools report that students waiting for an assessment are receiving some special education support”

With little or no funding for psychoeducational assessments:

students are put on waiting lists for assessments, sometimes for many years
students with the greatest needs are moved to the top of the lists leaving other students waiting longer for assessments
parents with resources pay out-of-pocket for each private assessments costing up to $4000
94% of elementary and 81% of secondary schools reported having students on waiting lists for psychoeducational assessments (People for Education, 2019)
on average there can be up to 6 elementary students and 4 secondary students on waiting lists for professional assessments in their schools (People for Education, 2019)

Gaps in support – Lack of equity in special education funding

Students with psychological assessment	Students with no psychological assessment
psychological assessment to develop IEP	no psychological assessment to develop IEP
psychological assessment to have student deemed with an exceptionality via IPRC	no guarantee of funding or support via IPRC
funding in the form of additional special education support for teacher and/or educational assistant time	no funding for special education support for teacher and/or educational assistant time
funding can include special equipment and technology supports	no funding for special equipment and technology supports

The People for Education have noted an increasing gap between students with IEPs as compared to students with IPRCs (see chart below). This means there are an increasing amount of students with special education needs in classrooms with little or no support as compared to students with special education supports.

Year	Students with IEPs	Students with IPRCs
2017 – 2018	16.7%	8.5%
2016 – 2017	16.5%	8.7%
2015 – 2016	16.2%	8.8%
2014 – 2015	15.9%	8.9%
2013 – 2014	15.4%	9.1%
2012 – 2013	15.2%	9.2%
2011 – 2012	14.5%	9.3%
2010 – 2011	14.5%	9.3%

It is not Ontario teachers’ imaginations that there are more students with IEPs in their classrooms. With less support for students with IEPs, teachers struggle to meet the needs of these learners and the needs of the rest of the students in their classroom.

“Large class sizes impact the teacher to student ratio. Students with special education needs require greater support and more teacher one-on-one time. Large class sizes make this challenging. Having more special education teachers would help to reduce this challenge by decreasing the teacher to student ratio. Elementary school, Peel DSB” (People for Education, 2019).

Questions about supporting students with special education needs:

Why are there so many students with IEPs in classrooms without additional adult support?
What data is being used to develop IEPs without psychoeducational assessments?
Given the Ontario Human Rights Code, why is the public education system condoning the lack of assess to psychoeducational assessments for students who have less assess to funding?
Why are teachers solely having to support so many students with IEPs?
Are Ontario public schools NOT meeting the needs of their most vulnerable students with special education needs?

As an advocate for students with special education needs, I write this blog out of concern for all students with special education needs who are not getting the support they need to learn.

Special Education Teacher,

Collaboratively Yours,

Deb Weston, PhD

References

Education Act, Revised Statutes of Ontario. (1990, c. E.2). Retrieved from the Government of Ontario.

Ontario First Nation Special Education Working Group. (2017). Ontario First Nations Special
Education Review Report. Toronto, ON: Author.

Ontario Human Rights Commission. (2018). Policy: Accessible Education for Students with
Disabilities. Toronto, ON: Author.

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2018a). Education Facts, 2017-2018 (Preliminary). Toronto, ON:
Government of Ontario.

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2018b). 2018-19 Education Funding: A Guide to the Special
Education Grant. Toronto, ON: Queen’s Printer for Ontario.

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2019). Part E: The Individual Education Plan (IEP), Downloaded from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/policy/os/2017/spec_ed_6.html

Ontario Psychological Association. (2013). Professional Practice Guidelines for School Psychologists in Ontario. Toronto, ON: Author.

People for Education. (2019). Annual report on Ontario’s publically funded schools 2019. People for Education. Downloaded from https://peopleforeducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/PFE-2019-Annual-Report.pdf.

November 7, 2019November 9, 2019 Deb Weston Teacher Wellness

Did you get your flu shot yet?

It’s a good question to ask teachers as the nature of their professional exposes them to hundreds of people each working day – this includes children who get sick on a regular basis as they are still in the process of strengthening their immune system. Unlike medical workers, teachers do not work in an environment where surfaces are continually cleaned. Flu is spread by tiny droplets from a sick person coughing, sneezing, or talking. Children openly sneeze and do not always wash their hands. This results in teachers having increased levels of exposure to colds and flu as compared to other professionals.

The Flu: A Guide for Parents

When does flu season start?

Flu season starts in the late fall as the weather changes and people spend more time inside. Starting in October, getting a flu shot is the perfect time to hold off the flu.

What’s the difference between the flu and a cold?

Getting the flu is not like getting a cold. Colds usually come on gradually with symptoms of sneezing, stuffy noses, sore throats, and a mild to moderate cough.

The flu is very different. Getting a flu virus results in an abrupt onset with fever, aches, chills, fatigue, weakness, cough, headache, and overall body discomfort which sometimes includes a sore throat and stuffy nose.

Who is most at risk?

For most people, getting the flu does not cause serious health problems. But in some cases, flu can cause pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus infections, and ear infections. With health conditions such as asthma and heart problems, people can end up in complications resulting in much time off work and/or hospital stays. High risk groups include people with asthma, heart disease, kidney disease, blood disorders, liver disorders, diabetes, cancer, and neurological conditions. The age groups most impacted by the flu include adults older than 65 years, pregnant women, and young children under 2 years old.

Can a flu vaccine give you the flu?

“No, flu vaccines cannot cause flu illness. Flu vaccines given with a needle (i.e., flu shots) are currently made in two ways: the vaccine is made either with a) flu viruses that have been ‘inactivated’ (killed) and that therefore are not infectious, or b) using only a single gene from a flu virus (as opposed to the full virus) in order to produce an immune response without causing infection. This is the case for recombinant influenza vaccines.” Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD)

Why is it so important to get a flu shot?

When a healthy person gets the flu they may spend time at home in bed and then recover relatively quickly. The challenge for a healthy person in getting the flu is that they can transmit it to people who are compromised due to health issues. When a healthy person gets a flu shot, they protect their friends and family from getting the flu. I often say to my students that getting a flu shot prevents their young and older family members from getting the flu.

What’s so special about this year’s flu season?

One hundred years ago, between 1918 to 1920, a vigilant H1N1 flu (influenza) pandemic spread across the world infecting 500 million people and killing over 50, million people. This resulted in a decrease in the world population by about 3 to 5%. This flu is often referred to as the Spanish Flu but its origins are still debated today. This deadly flu was thought to have spread from soldiers fighting in World War I. This flu was associated with high death rates of healthy young people with some dying within hours of developing symptoms

North American health professionals often look to Australia to predict the next flu season. This year, Australia had an early and severe flu season which could mean a similar outbreak in Canada. In 2017, Australia had their worst flu outbreak in 20 years which was followed by one of the worst outbreaks of flu in the United States with an estimated 79,000 dead.

Flu outbreaks can result in complications with more hospital stays that overtax health systems for people needing hospitalization for other issues. Getting the flu vaccine could prevent this from happening.

In 2009, my students invited their classmates to a birthday party. One of the students had the H1N1 flu virus. In a class of 24 students, 18 students missed a week of class due to this flu. Their teacher, me, was then hit with the flu. I missed 4 days of work. I felt like I had been hit by a truck. Upon hearing I was diagnosed with H1N1, my partner got his flu shot and slept in another room until I was well. The flu compromised my immune system and months later I contracted Whooping Cough.

Stay healthy. Be prepared. Get a flu shot this year.

Collaboratively Yours,

Deb Weston

Frequently Asked Influenza (Flu) Questions: 2019-2020 Season

Misconceptions about Seasonal Flu and Flu Vaccines

November 5, 2019 Michelle Fenn 21st Century Learning, Behaviour Management, Building Inclusion, Classroom Layouts, Classroom Management, Combined Grade Classes, Constant Learning, Design, Diverse Learning Needs, Flexible Classroom, Inclusion, Inspiring Students, Learning About Your Students, Professional Learning and Growth, self reflection, Wellness

Triggers and Habits in Teaching Part One

Dreaded Seating Arrangements

Almost every teacher I talk to says, “I have a really difficult class this year.” The difficulties identified are most often tied to “behaviour” issues. In my experience effective classroom “management” can be connected to dynamic programming and developing solid relationships with students. Many of us go to things like Class Dojo or incentive programs to “manage” behaviour and some have their merits. However, they might “manage” behaviour, but does it help student to learn to self-regulate? I understand that there are students who have behaviour safety plans that can provide challenges and I do not mean to downplay the effect that even one student’s behaviour can have on an entire class. However, there are ways in which we can have small tweaks in our triggers and habits in teaching that will have a positive outcome on developing a community of learners.

So what is a trigger? A trigger in psychological terms can used to describe sensations, images or experiences that re-visit a traumatic memory. It can also mean to make something happen very quickly; a reaction. It is also referred to as an event that kicks off the automatic urge to complete a habit.* Habits are seen as something that people do often or regularly. Habits can even be unconscious behaviours and sometimes difficult to stop. What do triggers and habits have to do with teaching?

Over the years I think I have become more self aware in the classroom about my own triggers and habits. It is easy to continue to do a routine in a classroom simply because it is something that we have always done. Even when we have sound pedagological reasoning, it can be difficult to change or cease a habit. For example, for many years I put names on the desks of students before they entered the classroom on the first day of school. I don’t really know why I began this habit. Besides a wedding, some kind of gala or a reservation at a restaurant, I get to choose where I sit every day. It is a fairly important life skill. I’m not going to find my name on a seat on the city bus. Once I recognized that this routine was purely out of habit and was “triggered” by the first day of school, I decided to change it up. On the first day of school with a grade 4-5 class, the students came into the room and sat wherever they wanted. I admit that this made the perfectionist in me who loves order, routine and habit rather uncomfortable. I had some students sit in groups, some in pairs and some on their own. Then we had a class meeting about how they had felt when they entered the room and had to make their seating choice. There was talk of anxiousness, sweaty palms, heart rate increase, fear of missing out and for some it was no big deal. I decided to create a google form to survey the students about where to sit in the classroom, how often we would change it up and who would decide. The results of the survey were fascinating. Some students wanted me to choose where they sat and wanted to have that same spot every day for 194 days. Some never wanted to “sit” in a group but wanted to be a part of it during group work time. We came up with a plan that each Monday the students would choose where to sit for the week and the students who wanted a regular spot would be able to keep it and the other students would respect their choices without question. We also had some extra choices for seating that students could go to if their choices for that week weren’t working out. The students gained incredible insight into self-regulation. I heard things like, “I sat with Gracie all week and we’re such good friends, I didn’t get my work done so I’m not going to sit with her next week.” or “I don’t hang out with Olivia but I know she is a serious student so I’d like to sit with her in a group.”

It isn’t easy to be self aware while we are trying to keep our head above water, collect permission forms, listen to announcements, adjust our day plan for the assembly that was announced, deal with a parent that wants to chat in the hallway AND teach curriculum. I GET that…however, being aware of triggers and habits and making small tweaks to our teaching behaviour can make a big difference in our classroom community.

*106:Triggers-The Key to Building and Breaking Habits, Chris Sparks, 2018