Blog – Page 89

March 31, 2019 Arianna Lambert Climate Change, Global Warming, Outdoor Learning

It’s Spring! Let’s Talk About the Environment!

It’s spring! As a classroom teacher, who taught grade 4 for a number of years, it was always my favourite time to teach our unit on habitats and communities. As nature comes back to life after a long winter of hibernation, I’ve always found it to be the best time to be outdoors, observing changes that are happening and having the opportunity to wonder. For this post, I’m writing about the great opportunity that we have as educators to teach about the environment and climate change.

With Earth Hour upon us and Earth Day coming up, there’s so much already being said about our environment and the classroom is a great way to have students consider their role in being great stewards of the earth. In my quest to find resources to share – and there are numerous – I happened upon some great resources on the ETFO website. I’ve taken some time to dig into 3 that I liked and would absolutely use in my classroom.

World Water Day 2019

Screenshot 2019-03-31 at 5.18.14 PM March 22nd, 2019 was World Water Day. The theme for this year was Leaving no one behind which speaks directly to the UN’s Sustainable Goal #6 – Water for all by 2030. The goal was for everyone to be thinking about tackling the water crisis and considering reasons why so many people – mainly marginalized groups – are being left behind. There I found a link to a great fact sheet that I think would be a great tool to get the conversation going in many classrooms. Used as an informative texts, groups of students could engage in finding out some of the reasons why equitable access to water is something that we all need to be fighting for. With calls to action at the end of the fact sheet, I could see students engaging in activities to bring awareness and even thinking about potential solutions to problems in their local, national and global communities. With print resources and short videos, there are so many different ways in which we can help students understand the disparity that exists and create our own calls to action as we think about our impact.

Green 2 Go Project

Screenshot 2019-03-31 at 5.18.46 PM This project reminds me of a great investigation that the students in Barbara Robson’s Class. A truly inspiring educator who worked with her students around issues of environmental concern, particularly in the area of recycling.

This project, The collaborative Green 2 Go Project, aims to assist Vancouver in its goal of reducing landfill-bound solid waste by working with city restaurants and the public in dialogue and support in reducing take-out container waste. With engaging infographics created to share powerful research, I can see great connections that can be made in both Math, Science and Language. While the information speaks to what’s happening in Vancouver, it might be nice for students to be able to use some of these ideas to see what’s happening right here in different communities in Ontario. The information on this site has changed some of my views on dining in locations where containers with black plastics are used, I wonder how this information, in the hands of our students, might bring about even more change.

Earth Hour Kit

Screenshot 2019-03-31 at 5.18.24 PM Earth Hour is an international event usually held on the last Saturday of March between 8:30-9:30pm. During this hour, citizens around the world turn off their lights in support of addressing climate change. Schools typically participate on the Friday prior to the official Earth Hour by turning off all non-essential electricity for one hour during the school day. Yesterday was Earth Hour and it’s always so much fun seeing great tweets about how people are working to do their part for the environment. It’s also fantastic to see big cities all around the world, turning off the lights on prominent buildings, showing that their citizens aren’t alone in the fight but that government also has a role to play.

This Earth Hour Kit has great ideas for activities both in the classroom and school-wide. I like that there are a variety of grades represented in the lessons and it appears as though some have been written by or adapted from the work of educators. I also really like some of the ideas laid out in the letter to parents.

These are just 3 great resources available as you consider working with students around themes of environmental importance. What will you try?

March 31, 2019March 31, 2019 Tammy Axt Special Education

World Down Syndrome Day

On March 21^st, our class celebrated World Down Syndrome Day. World Down Syndrome Day is designed to recognize and celebrate the contributions of people with Down Syndrome. It is also a day to highlight the rights, inclusion and well being of those with Down Syndrome.

It is common for many schools and places around the world to demonstrate their acknowledgement of the day by wearing unusual or mismatched socks. This simple act encourages all of us to celebrate uniqueness and diversity.

For us, preparing to wear our special socks was a great way to start the conversation about this fantastic day.We sang the song “Lots of Socks” every morning throughout the month of March and spoke daily about Down Syndrome.

On the 21^st of March, we had a celebration in the morning where we all shared what was special about each of us. We spoke about Down Syndrome and all the amazing people in the world with Down Syndrome. And of course, we showed off our socks!

In addition to our class celebration, I thought I would share some of the things that I have learned this year.

I am very fortunate that I teach 5 students with Down Syndrome. It has been my first-time teaching students with Down Syndrome so I had a lot of misconceptions going into the role and I have learned a lot!

The first thing I learned fairly early in the year was the correct way to speak about someone with Down Syndrome. In the past, I had the misconception that a person with Down Syndrome may be referred to as someone with Down’s. That plural form is incorrect. John Langdon Down was the person who classified the Syndrome but he did not have it and therefore, it is not possessive. The only proper way to speak about someone is to put the person first (as you would with any exceptionality) and follow it with either Down Syndrome or D.S.

Eg. Student with Down Syndrome or Student with D.S.

I also had the misconception that people with Down Syndrome are always happy. I can confirm for all of you with out a doubt that my students demonstrate a variety of emotions regularly. My 3 students who have just hit puberty, go through about 25 emotions an hour as many of you have experienced with your students who are adolescences. Whew!

However, my students do smile a lot and that sometimes prompts many of the adults at my school to speak about how “sweet” or “cute” my students are. Sometimes I have to gently remind the staff that my students are not young children and that they need to be spoken about the same way you would speak about other 11 and 12-year-old students. They need high expectations for behaviour and communication.

Finally, as I started reading articles about people in the Down Syndrome Community, I was surprised how many times they were referred to as being afflicted with Down Syndrome. Just this week I read an article that spoke about people being victims of Down Syndrome. I assure you that my students are not victims. They are some of the coolest, most interesting, charismatic, smart, caring students I have ever taught.

Happy World Down Syndrome Day!!

March 24, 2019 Michelle Fenn Advocacy for public education, Challenging Topics, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Professional Judgement, self reflection, Teacher Wellness, wellness, Wellness, Why unions matter

Teaching in Uncertain Times

When I graduated teacher’s college it was the beginning of the “Harris years”. Teachers were being declared redundant all over Ontario. I spent three years teaching outside of the province. Since then I have been through many rounds of collective bargaining-both as a teacher and a local ETFO leader. I have seen how Ontario’s Provincial governments have continually eroded our collective bargaining rights, stripped our benefits and made working and learning conditions steadily worse for teachers and students. As you well know, they’re at it again. I’ve been asked, what can new teachers do to make a stand for education while still keeping a focus on our classroom in these uncertain times?

1. Take care of yourself Anxiety abounds in times of uncertainty and scarcity. Focus on the present moment as much as possible. Make sure you have the facts you need but try to stay out of the swirling vortex of unproductive conversation and speculation. Take time when you need time, do something for yourself that isn’t school related, eat healthy, exercise, if it is something you do-meditate, and get some sleep. Take one day at a time.

2. Don’t believe everything you hear in the staff room Well meaning and passionate teachers will discuss the political situation. Some of the things that you hear will be true and some will not. The correct information will come from ETFO Provincial office, local ETFO leadership and your school Steward.

3. Social Media Social media is a great a source of information but also one of anxiety. Remember to follow reputable sources such as ETFO and other Ontario Education Unions and get the information you need from reliable sources. As always, be cognizant of who could be reading your social media posts and pass on correct information.

4. Attend Union meetings and ask questions Collective bargaining and political legislation can be daunting. Sometimes it is assumed that everyone in the room knows exactly what is being discussed. Ask questions when you need clarification. You might find there are others in need of such clarification too.

5. Follow the advice of your Union Your Provincial ETFO has a plan of action that is communicated to all local ETFO leadership and ETFO members. As a new teacher you may feel powerless, but there is strength in members taking action together. Read your emails from your stewards and participate in political actions when asked.

6. Support one another These are uncertain times for all teachers and education workers. It is important to be aware of your own mental health and that of your colleagues. Check in with your mentor and friends on staff when possible. A note or a treat in a mailbox, an email or a visit at recess might make the difference in someone’s day. Remember, other education workers in your school, whether they belong to a union or not, feel the same pressures.

7. Your students When the learning begins, your students will always need your full attention. They will sense the anxiety that you are feeling. Try to leave the uncertainty and politics at your classroom door as much as possible. Concentrate on the students that you have in front of you for the next three months. The students are at the heart of what we do as educators and we will get through this together.

March 15, 2019 Kim Cousin Advocacy for change, Advocacy for public education, Building Inclusion, Challenging Topics, Wellness

Support each other

This is a much needed time for everyone. The sunlight is increasing. The snow is melting. The temperatures are increasing. What a time to celebrate?

During this much needed break our government has decided to make announcements of change. This is quite the political tactic. Distraction from what they want us to know. Politicians have become good at using others to create distractions so we don’t see what they are trying to distract us from.

Many events world wide surround us with violence and hate. These political announcements contribute to the negative feelings of change when times are uncertain. This makes for troubling times for many.

As educated, caring people stand together and support each other. Acknowledge the trying times and stand up to the hate. As I walk through my daily life, I make a point to be extra kind. I smile. I pay it forward. I do what I can without using all my resources. The ripple effect then begins to grow.

During this time of change and political play, stand strong while supporting each other in all areas of this world. We can make a difference. There is a great history of strife to be where we are today. We have many strides to make towards a healthy supportive world. These times of political play cause negative energies. We can stand together to defend all of our rights. Support each other in every way that you are capable. Take time for self care and ask others for help when needed to stay the course.

“We are not equal until everyone is equal.”

March 13, 2019 Michelle Fenn Combined Grade Classes, Curriculum Planning, Differentiated Instruction, Diverse Learning Needs, General, Inspiring Students, Language Learning, Planning, Start of the year, The Daily 5

Chime and Chant Language Learning

When I was in the Faculty of Education one of my Associate Professors was Jean Malloch, author of “Chime In” and other professional teaching resources. I learned from her the importance of rhythm and rhyme in the early acquisition of language. I also love to read and write poetry. While growing up my sisters shared their own love of the poetry of Ogden Nash and Dennis Lee. These poets formed the beginning repertoire of poetry that I have shared with my students over the years with the addition of poets Shel Silverstein, Ken Nesbitt and Loris Lesyinski to name a few.

At the beginning of the school year when teaching in the primary grades, I would create a ‘Chime and Chant’ duo tang for students with two or three poems about September, fall, school and character. Each week during the school year we would add a new poem. Sometimes it was just because they were fun to read and perform. Other times they were connected to our topics of study. We worked together reading these poems chorally in different ways: call and answer, parts attributed to groups of students, leaving out the last word of the line and having the students chime in as well as reading with actions, different types of voices and dramatic effects. These short poems also provided opportunities for me to teach beginning reading strategies such as word prediction, reading word families and segmenting words. We would practice our poetry daily and often the students would have the majority of the poetry memorized by the end of the week. Sometimes while standing and waiting during a transition time we would chant a familiar poem together without even using our duo tangs. We would take poems apart, mix them up, change the words and use the poems to identify word families, commonly used words and word endings. Students would increase their fluency in reading and add to their vocabulary. We stored our poetry books in the student’s book bags and which ensured that when students went to their independent reading time they always had something that they could read independently. When students partner read they would often choose to read poems chorally. When students read to their grade four buddies they would proudly show off their reading skills with their Chime and Chant books. As some students soared in their reading, they would choose some of the poems that they wanted added to their Chime and Chant books independently or I would provide some new more challenging poems during their guided reading time. As the year progressed, the Chime and Chant books became more personalized. We would still chant some of our favourite poems together and I would still share a poem a week but students but less emphasis was placed on the whole class process as they gained their own reading strategies.

Beginning writing in the primary grades can be daunting for some students. I used poetry writing to provide structures that were easily accessible for beginning writers. Diamanté, list, free form and fill in the blank poetry structures were among some of the formats that we used. When I taught students to write poetry we would create shared poems with the structure for a number of days and generate word charts to provide students with familiar vocabulary to reference in order to scaffold the learning and when they were ready, the students would put their own poems together. After writing the poetry students would then practice reading their poetry, add actions and dramatic effects and then present their poems chorally in front of the class or create a video of their reading. Some went further and created green screen effects to add to their poetry presentations. Poetry generated student evidence of learning for reading, writing and oral communication. It provided a routine and structure to a part of our day that was comfortable for the students and fostered their learning. Poetry provides shared reading and writing opportunities in a format that is comfortable for children and doesn’t overwhelm them.

March 12, 2019May 6, 2020 Deb Weston Equity, Indigenous Perspectives, Indigneous Ways of Knowing, self reflection, Social Justice

Equity and Inclusion for All : Culturally Responsive Teaching and Assessment Pedagogy

The role of culturally responsive teaching is to understand who students are as people and who they are within their community. This pedagogical approach acknowledges, responds to, and celebrates fundamental aspects of student culture while providing equitable and inclusive education for students of all backgrounds and identities. This is especially important for students who identify as First Nations, Métis, and/or Inuit (FNMI). Essentially, in teaching through a lens of culturally responsive pedagogy, student identity is honoured.

What is student identity?

Deborah McCallum states identity is “connected to the groups we affiliate with, the language we use, and who we learned the language from. I believe that each of us has various identities according to the different groups that we belong to, and that this has implications in terms of the languages and discourses we use.” (McCallum, November 28, 2017).

Specific characteristics of culturally responsive approaches include educators taking the perspective of :

positively valuing perspectives of parents and families
communicating high expectations for all students
adapting learning within the context of students’ culture, background, and identities
student-centred instruction and assessment
considering students’ culture, background, and identities within instruction
reshaping and adapting curriculum to address students’ cultural and identity issues
teachers stance as facilitators with students providing input to guide learning

(adapted from Ladson-Billings, 1994)

How does culturally-relevant pedagogy benefit teaching?

Teachers need to be reflective of who their students are and how best to adapt with instruction and assessment to their needs. As reflective practitioners, teachers learn to adapt their teaching to meet the needs of their students. Here, the focus of teaching goes away from the curriculum and towards the learning needs of the students.

Schön (1987) stated that in teachers’ reflection, learning influences behaviour through the teachers’ self-discovery, self- assessment, and deciding the appropriateness of instruction. It is through teacher reflection that the opportunity, the motivation, and the environment reflects on the idea that learning belongs to the learner, the student. In this process, teachers take on the role of and status of facilitator over the traditional role of an “expert” teacher (Schön, 1987).

In using a reflective stance (Schön, 1987), teachers incorporate issues of equity, inclusion, and social justice as a necessary element in their day to day teaching practices. The development of culturally relevant teaching strategies is necessary in order to challenge learners to think critically about their own learning and who they are as learners. In other words, to feel included, students need to see themselves within the curriculum and instruction (Hutton, 2019).

By including their identity in education, students become more engaged in their culture in the context of learning. This helps develop perspective and skills to adapt to present day reality in order to address skills and knowledge for the future (Hutton, 2019).

How does culturally-relevant pedagogy impact families and communities?

It is very important that teachers learn about their students’ families and backgrounds. In learning about the families and communities, students embrace their own understanding of challenges across various cultural communities and backgrounds (Hutton, 2019). This is an importance stance to take given the diversity of students in all Ontario schools.

Developing healthy family-school relationships promotes family involvement and cultural awareness which further develops the supports needed to improve overall student achievement (Epstein, 1995). In addressing the distinctions of families and communities, this results in a varied understanding how families contribute to schools which are part of their community. Depending on language and cultural expectations, different levels of involvement and engagement usually vary (Ladson-Billings, 1994).

Communication between school and home is a critical factor in developing relationships and building overall school capacity. Teachers and families work together to support schools by providing resources and in developing knowledge of diverse learners. Therefore, the community becomes an extension of the community (Ladson-Billings, 1994).

The importance of culturally-relevant pedagogy in teaching First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) Students

With a history of abuse (i.e. residential schools), assimilation (i.e. absorbing FNMI people into European culture), and neglect (i.e. substandard funding of education and healthcare), educators need to address ways to meet the specific needs of FNMI students in order to increase overall educational achievement (Ladson-Billings, 1994).

Culturally-relevant pedagogy addresses the connection between school and home by promoting communication, forging relationships, and building capacity for all students. At this juncture, teachers and families support diverse learners through local resources and knowledge sharing (Ladson-Billings, 1994).

The importance of culturally-relevant pedagogy in teaching students who do not identify as FNMI

Given the diversity of students across Ontario, classrooms that show diversity of culture need to represent meaningful and relevant depictions of groups of people. Pedagogy should reflect the complexities of cultures, cultural products, and students as individuals. Further, the portrayal of background needs to reflect cultural history and changes that have evolved today which includes the diversity within groups. In other words, students need to identify with curriculum and instruction. Educators must to become more culturally aware in order to meet the needs of their students and the communities where schools stand (Ladson-Billings, 1994).

Understanding student diversity in classrooms and in schools

Getting to know students is a powerful approach to help teachers understand who students are and the roots of their family history and culture. In honouring who students are in classrooms and in communities, teachers can adapt instruction and impact engagement in accessing what matters to students in their lives. By moving towards students’ cultural and learning interests, students thrive academically (Ladson-Billings, 1994).

Understanding culturally informed pedagogy in the context of assessment

Teachers undertaking culturally informed pedagogies take on the dual responsibility of external performance of assessment (i.e. large scale government assessments) and building community involvement along with student-driven learning. In balancing the demands of culturally revitalized pedagogy with the demands of present day approaches to assessment, teachers embrace pedagogy that promotes student success by not just propelling FNMI students forward academically … but to also in reclaiming and restoring their cultures (Ladson-Billings, 2014). Ladson-Billings (2014) states that “the real beauty of a culturally sustaining pedagogy is its ability to meet both demands without diminishing ether” (p. 83-84).

Best Practices for Culturally Responsive Teaching & Assessment.

The Culturally Responsive Educator Mindset (adapted from Ontario Ministry of Education, 2014, p. 4 & 5)

Socio-cultural consciousness: Teachers are aware of how socio-cultural structures impact individual students’ experiences and opportunities towards
High expectations: Teachers hold positive and affirming views of student success from all backgrounds.
Desire to make a difference: Teachers work towards more equity and inclusion as change agents.
Constructivist approach: Teachers understand that students’ learning is constructed through their own knowledge (or schema).
Deep knowledge of their students: Teachers know who their students are by knowing about students and their families. Teachers then know how individual students learn best and where they are at in their learning.
Culturally responsive teaching practices: Teachers design and build instruction based on students’ prior knowledge in order to stretch students in their thinking and learning.

Effective Cultural Pedagogy (adapted from Ontario Ministry of Education, 2014, p. 6 & 7)

The quality of teacher instruction and expertise outweighs challenging circumstances that students can bring to the classroom (Callins, 2006; Willis & Harris, 2000). With effective inclusive instruction, there is a promise of high academic rigour within the framework of culturally responsive pedagogy and with the supports to scaffold new learning (Gay, 2002; Ladson-Billings, 2001). Some strategies below were adapted from the work of Kugler and West-Burns (2010):

Using professional judgement, teachers recognize that curriculum can be expanded upon in informal and the subtle ways in which the curriculum defines what is and what is not valued in students’ schools and society.
Using inquiry-based approaches to student learning, teachers engaged and self-directed learners. In this approach, students are supported in making decisions about their learning that can integrate who they are and what they already know with their home and community experiences.
Using a variety of resources, including community partners, teachers ensure the learning environment and pedagogical materials used are accessible to all learners and that the lives of students and the community are reflected in the daily classroom learning.
When using resources, materials, and books teachers insure that local and global perspectives are presented and a reflective in the students’ lives.
Teachers need to know and build upon students’ prior knowledge, interests, strengths and learning styles to ensure they are foundational to the learning experiences in the classroom, in the school, and in the community.
Teachers need to ensure that learning engages a broad range of learners so that varied perspectives, learning styles, and sources of knowledge are considered.
When differentiating instruction and ways to demonstrate learning, teachers ensuring both academic rigour and a variety of resources that are accessible to all learners.
Teachers need to advocate to ensure that the socio-cultural consciousness of students is developed through curricular approaches, emphasizing inclusive and accepting education, to inform an examination and action regarding social justice in education.

Have a restful March Break,

Collaboratively Yours,

Dr. Deb Weston, PhD

References

Callins, T. (2006, Nov./Dec.). Culturally responsive literacy instruction. Teaching Exceptional Children, 62–65.

Epstein, J. L. (1995). School/family/community partnerships. Phi delta kappan, 76(9), 701.

Gay, G. (2000). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, practice, & research. New York: Teachers College Press.

Hutton, F. (2019). Notes on culturally responsive pedagogy.

Kugler, J., & West-Burns, N. (2010, Spring). The CUS Framework for Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy. Our Schools, Our Selves, 19(3).

Ladson-Billings, G. (1994). The dreamkeepers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishing Co. Downloaded from https://www.brown.edu/academics/education-alliance/teaching-diverse-learners/strategies-0/culturally-responsive-teaching-0#ladson-billings

Ladson-Billings, G. (2001). Crossing over to Canaan: The journey of new teachers in diverse classrooms. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Ladson-Billings, G. (2014). Culturally relevant pedagogy 2.0: aka the remix. Harvard Educational Review, 84(1), 74-84.

McCallum, D. (November 28, 2017). Identity and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy , Canadian School Libraries Journal, School Culture, Vol. 1 No. 2, Fall 2017. Downloaded from https://journal.canadianschoollibraries.ca/identity-and-culturally-responsive-pedagogy/

Ontario Ministry of Education. (November 2013). Culturally responsive pedagogy: Towards equity and inclusivity in Ontario Schools, Secretariat Special Edition #35, Ontario Ministry of Education, Downloaded from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/cbs_responsivepedagogy.pdf

Schön, D. A. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner.

Willis, A.I., & Harris, V. (2000). Political acts: Literacy learning and teaching. Reading Research Quarterly, 35(1), 72–88.

February 28, 2019 Will Gourley Challenging Topics, General, Making a Difference Through Education, Mental Health

Back in the day was better(because now is often unbearable)

Have you ever seen or heard of students…
…compromising their identity to put on someone else’s?
…blasting their music through headphones so they don’t have to answer another question
…not quite knowing where they are going or who to ask for directions?
…taking that swig, puff, or hit to show the crowd how much they are like them?
…dressing like cookie cutter versions of each another just to feel safer in the pack?

The problems I listed above were all problems 40 years ago when I was in junior high school and they are still around today. Except now since everything is bigger and better than the good old days, the issues facing our youth have evolved in their complexity and impact on lives.

Now I ask, have you ever seen or heard of students…
…stressed out about getting into a “good” high school?
…anxious over a test, project, presentation, or recent assessment results?
…taking days off to destress over misunderstandings resulting from social media posts?
…refusing to eat because of a thoughtless and cruel comment about their appearance?
…self-harming or self-medicating in order to deal with feelings of helplessness, rejection, loss, anger, or sadness?

If so, these students belong to a growing population of students who are feeling the pressure of the 21st Century like never before. I wish this was a group that never welcomed anyone, but our world is not wired this way. What is most alarming about all of this is that it seems to have been downloaded from high school now as many of the concerns happening above used to await our JK to 8 students once they arrived at secondary school.

This year a portion of my instructional time has been dedicated to the role of Guidance Counsellor, and it has been a very eye-opening experience thus far. Imagine all of the above happening at schools across the province and around the world? It is not a pretty picture to realize that our students are hurting. The numbers must be in the millions and that I think that fingers need to be pointed in all directions because it is the adults who have made the mess in the first place and now they are trying to make the kids clean it up.

What our students need more than ever before are increased access to programs and personal supports through education and health care. How are we going to improve this when the elected bodies managing our money are making cuts to appeal to an undertaxed political support base? How can so few people dictate blantantly harmful funding cuts without gauging the socio-economic short fall they are creating by trying to pinch pennies.

A recent CBC broadcast highlighted an increasing need for more guidance counsellors in schools, but it focused more on the side of career counselling without much mention of the impending crisis lurking in the hallways of our elementary schools. In my blog Illness, I shared that schools are too often on the front lines of mental health and well being care in our society, but it is coming with consequences that will cost us billions in the long run if we fail to invest millions now to fully support our learners.

“Teachers are not trained psychologists. Schools are not clinics, and school boards are not health networks. Yet everyday, educators are on the front lines of care for those who suffer. This includes themselves. How can we address a growing need in our profession to support one another while supporting our students in areas where few are trained to inhabit?”

We need help. There is more demand for supports on already maxed out educators than ever before. Our students need help. We all need to be talking about this. Our union needs to exercise its collective voice on behalf of all learners. So even while students continue to reach out, there are an equal number at risk of being over-looked because, they’ve lost their voices or there are not enough ears to listen.

Our students need help. There are neither enough hours in the day nor teachers in our schools to deal with the depression, anxiety, and doubt plaguing our youth. If we allow government to cut education funding in the hopes that everything will get better, then we are saying to a generation of learners that they weren’t worth it, but “Hey, look at this sweet ride we just got.”

40 years ago, there were already plenty of problems facing our students, but there was always hope to be gained from the security found in education. Now we see things have only deteriorated due to downloading the costs onto the next generation. Our students are struggling to see the present, let alone the years to come. This has to stop. We need to pay for the future now so all of our students to look forward to instead of dreading. What we don’t need are cuts to education or mental health funding that would leave any of our students vulnerable.

And we definitely don’t need a used party van for a self-serving party politician and his sycophants.

February 28, 2019 Tammy Axt General

Setting up a Positive Relationship with Teaching Assistants

I have had the great pleasure of working with a variety of staff over the past decade as a teacher. TAs, or as they are called in my board Educational Resource Facilitators, play an incredibly important role in the success of my students every day. This year has been my first year that I have worked with 3 TAs all day and I have tried to make that relationship a positive one. I have made a ton of mistakes throughout the year but thankfully I have had the most patient and gracious team that has supported me as I learn my new role. I sat down with a few of them to ask what teachers could do to make the relationship between teachers and TAs work well. This is what they had to say:

Everyone in the room has a need for information and everyone can do their job more effectively when they have all the information pertaining to students and the running of the classroom. It is important that teachers prioritize communication because much of the information will be given only to the teacher. Information from Speech and Language Reports, Parent phone calls, ISRC meetings and so on will only be shared with the team if the teacher has an effective style of communication. (I admit that I stumble with this sometimes. I feel like there is never enough time in the day to communicate everything I need to share. I am working at it and continue to make this a priority for my professional growth) My team and I realized that we needed a way to share information this year. We designated a place on the blackboard for all of us to place updates and reminders. It has been great way for everyone to stay up to date on things like pizza orders or letters that need to go home.
Teacher is not the boss. I have heard TAs over the year talk about the few teachers that they have worked with who have come in and very clearly outlined that they are the boss and that everyone else works for them. It is important to remember that everyone has valuable professional knowledge that they bring to the classroom and when everyone is using their knowledge its benefits students. Teachers and TAs have different training and different roles to play in the classroom. As the teacher, make it clear that you value the skill set of the TAs placed with you. If everyone is doing their role and using their training the classroom has a greater chance of success.
Don’t let things fester. There are a million things that can be irritating when you are in a room with people all day. It is best to deal with things that impact the ability to provide a good environment for students. As the teacher in the room, deal with things that come up and don’t let them go on for weeks and weeks or months and months.
Getting to know the people in the room and using their strengths. Plan with everyone’s skill set,experience and knowledge in mind. Observe your team with the intention of analyzing the strengths in everyone. If you focus on what everyone brings to the classroom and highlight it regularly, it will make your class a happy place to be. If you focus consistently on the negative, the classroom will be a negative place. Within my team there is a fantastic artist, an unbelievable organizer and an eternal optimist. A teacher should really value the skills that everyone brings and utilize and highlight the amazing skills often.
Different opinions. You will have different opinions. You have to remember that your training is different and you are often seeing things from a different perspective. It is important that you pick your battles and sometime just let things go.
Let’s try and see. (This has been something that I have really learned this year). As a teacher, you should encourage everyone to give input into challenging situations with students. The team will work better when you try out a variety of suggestions. Even if the suggestion sounds really out there, what is the harm in trying something new? If it doesn’t work, go back to what you were doing before. However, you might just be pleasantly surprised!
Having Fun! Lighten up. The most important thing to success. As a teacher, you often set the tone. If you are not setting the tone of positivity with all of your students and members of the team in the room, the room will often be a negative place to be.
Isolated bubble. Being in a contained class can be very isolating. The only people who understand what is going on is you and your team. Model the expectation that you have each other’s back and that you will support each other through the tough times.
Equity. Trying to make everything fair will be really important. Therefore, rotate which staff comes on field trips, to the park or does special events. Make a schedule and post it in the room.

February 28, 2019February 28, 2019 Arianna Lambert Curriculum Planning, Learning in a Real Life Context

Authentic Learning

One question that has been on my mind is how do we ensure that we are honouring diverse learning styles and interests within the constraints of the curriculum? I’ve always thought that when students are excited about what is being taught, they’ll be engaged in the process but I wonder if it might be more than that. I’ve been taking some time to reflect on where the idea of authentic learning and student engagement.

So far, I’ve gathered that the following 3 things are important when speaking on the subject of student engagement:

Ensuring that multiple learning styles are honoured so that student needs are met during the learning process.
Students being able to see themselves within what is being taught.
Students seeing the relevance of what is being taught to their daily lives.

When these 3 things are a part of the learning experience for students, true engagement can take place. I would like to take some time to reflect on the third point during this post because I believe this might be the sweet-spot for authentic learning.

Earlier on I spoke to the fact that we have a curriculum from which to guide the learning in our classrooms. While this is static, we have the opportunity to be innovative in the way in which we choose to unpack the curriculum with students. I strongly believe that gone are the days where the educator is the content deliverer and that the role of the student is to be the receiver of said content. We’ve moved away from the Sage on the Stage and into the role of being the Guide on the Side. With that in mind, the question becomes, how do we ensure that students are learning based on what the expectations are? Furthermore, how do we ensure that what is being learned is relevant to the lives of students? In other words, how do we ensure that the learning is authentic for the students in front of us?

As much as possible, when introducing a topic or subject area, I focused on finding a real world problem that would speak to what we would be learning about. In Math we investigated angles through the stability of structure in interesting buildings in the world around us while taking some time to identify angles through images in everyday life. In Science we dug into user-centered design when considering hurricane solutions while learning about the forces acting on structures and mechanisms. In Language, we dug into the impact of words and their meaning through song. In every instance, a question framed what students were going to be learning about. I tried to create a question that was as open as possible so that students would be able to explore the topic based on their own interest. While working on hurricane solutions, some students focused on creating new infrastructure while others worked to communicate their learning through the creation of a program. For both students, the learning was authentic in that it spoke to their interest and allowed them to consider how they might have an impact in a real way.

I’m learning more and more about the value in this type of learning for students. As they learn, they are developing transferable skills and are able to set the pace for their learning and how they wish to share what they are learning with others. The curricular content is being discovered while students are making connections to the real world and understanding why the learning might be important.

Thinking about how to boost authentic learning in your classroom? Perhaps start by considering a real world problem that connects to the curricular area that students are learning about and posing an open question that gets them thinking.

February 28, 2019February 28, 2019 Arianna Lambert General, Learning in a Real Life Context, Resources

Inference Building

Inference: A conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning. An important skill to have and to be able to utilize in a variety of situations. How do we help students develop this skill? Recently, a friend reached out and wondered if there was a unique or interesting way to help students both develop and effectively utilize this skill. While I know that there are a variety of different ways in which to develop this skill in students, I was really excited to share about something that I’ve done for a couple of years that actually got students excited about stretching their inference skills!.

Once a week, I would post the New York Times’ What’s Going On in This Picture? And sometimes if I didn’t there would be questions about why I had forgotten. Without fail, students would be excited to see if they could determine exactly what what going on based on the clues provided within the picture. After taking some time to examine the picture, I would ask students to independently answer the following questions:

What’s going on in this picture?
What do you see or notice that makes you say that?
What more can you find?
What connections can you make to your own experiences?

The reason for their independent answers first was that I wanted them to take some time on their own to process what might be happening in the picture and to draw their own conclusions. Usually this took about 15 minutes and students were ready to share and consider the perspectives of others. Once finished digging-in on their own, I asked them to form a group of 3 and to share the answers to their questions. While answering the questions, the other 2 students in the group would be critical friends and really push the speaker to tell them more about how they made the inferences. We used the following questions to push that thinking:

How do you know that?
Why do you think that?
Tell me more about what you know about…
What might have caused this?
What might have happened before or after?
Why might this matter and to whom?
What message or story is this image telling? Why might it be important?

Thursday afternoons became a popular time for finding out the answer and determining the accuracy of the conclusions made. Students were eager to see how close they were to the actual description of what was happening and to understand what additional information may have been missing in order for them to get a more complete picture.

When writing this post, I stumbled upon the New York Times’ What’s Going On in This Graph? and got so excited about the implications of using something like this in Math. I noticed that on the site, they have their own questions to guide the discussion for students:

What do you notice?
What do you wonder? What are you curious about that comes from what you notice in the graph?
What might be going on in this graph? Write a catchy headline that captures the graph’s main idea. If your headline makes a claim, tell us what you noticed that supports your claim.

I shared these sites with my friend and thought they might be of benefit to share with you. What are some of the ways in which you are working towards developing inference skills in students? Would love to hear about the innovative ways in which you might be engaging students on building real skills that are transferable and essential.

What do you think is going on in this picture?

WGOITP