Advocacy for change

December 18, 2025 Rashmee Karnad-Jani Advocacy for change, Anti-bullying, Anti-Racism, AQ-rofessional development, Behaviour Management, Constant Learning, General, Learning in a Real Life Context, Learning to learn, Local Involvment, Mentorship, Professional Learning and Growth, Teacher Working Conditions, Violence in Schools, Why unions matter, Women at Work, Women's Health

What did you see today?

Hello Fellow Travellers,

Progress reports have gone home and we are moving through the school year. I hope you are well and are taking care of yourselves.

I’m Here Now

I used to do other jobs before, as a Grade 7-8 science teacher, then SERT in the Grade 6 to 8 years, then K-3 teacher etc. But I am here now. I do not have a classroom of my own is one way of looking at it. Another way, is to think that all classrooms into which I am invited are my teaching-learning spaces too.

I am here now. This is one such recent memory of being in the moment, teaching and learning.

One Monday Morning Recently

As with every stage of life when things change I remind myself that I’m here now so there’s more looking ahead with hope and anticipation than looking back with nostalgia. It was Monday morning and I was in a Grade 2 classroom at the farthest school on my list. I’d not been in this classroom before though I’ve met the students in Grade 1.

What Did You See Today?

On my drive, as I travel up from the southern end of the region, I see the land change and I see horses.

When I’d worked with them then, they’d asked me “where do you live?” And when I’d shown them the general area, some of them had asked, I remember “What did you see on your way up?”

Something Lost, Something Gained

I remember when my younger child learned to read I had felt as if a part of my life changed forever. So also, as I’ve missed this part of a classroom teacher’s job since 2020. In the early days I remember I used to look through picture books and think “oh that’ll be great to read aloud” and then I’d remember that I didn’t have my own classroom anymore. It took time to get used to the idea that it’s possible to belong nowhere yet be a part of everywhere.

The Book

The book I’d chosen was one I have liked as a reader as well as an educator. Friends and colleagues had read and recommended it to one another over the years. That said, I encourage all readers to consult your school board’s Text Selection and Guidelines.

All Are Welcome

We’ve Read This Book Before

The colleague who’d invited me and I had decided I’d bring a book to read, I’d introduce myself and I’d review her expectations chart… you know how the routine goes.

I did the first few things and as I took out the book the students said, “We’ve read this book before.”

So Let’s Think Differently ( I thought)

I always carry a few copies of copies of picture based prompts for exactly such a moment . I handed out the cards and began to read. I asked the students what they could see in the pictures as I read and what they could tell from their previous reading. They were eager and listened, then responded.

We read together, we noticed some things, we commented on some things, we made connections.

Then a student asked “do you have these cards for our class?” “Yes, I do”, I said and I left a spiral bound mini version with him.

Previous Connections

Although I recognize students from previous years I don’t crowd their space and place when I meet them again. But after giving the student these cards, as I was moving away, I was stopped with a soft tap on my wrist.

“I remember you”, the student said softly. You come from far away and you see horses on your way to our school ”

“Yes, I do”, I replied.

It appears that “All Are Welcome” wasn’t just the title of the book I’d chosen.

It was also my experience in this classroom. For such moments, I am deeply grateful.

I want to invite you to write back directly (if you know me outside this space) or through this space to share what you see that welcomes you into your teaching and learning spaces.

With You, In Solidarity

Rashmee Karnad-Jani

December 8, 2025 Rashmee Karnad-Jani Advocacy for change, General, Inclusion, Learning in a Real Life Context, Making a Difference Through Education, Professional Learning and Growth

Leave It With Me

In educational work, pace is always a busy one. Our work is not possible in isolation and it gets done well in community with others. As educators, we have professional connections between classrooms, across schools, in other provinces even other countries from whom we learn and with whom we share. Yet, in the everyday busyness of our work day, it is the people in our buildings such as in support functions who are also key partners.

Colleagues Behind The Scenes

Educational work whether in schools, or between schools doesn’t go on smoothly by itself. There are many people in our offices who work behind the scenes both efficiently and diligently to support the work that we do.

We may be in the the public eye thanks to our social media presence and followers, or conference attendance etc. but the people behind the scenes, who keep the work flowing smoothly are the glue, the fulcrum, the heartbeat of moving things forward.

After all, with one online system talking to another, the correct information in its place and the appropriate boxes checked off are important details so that educational services can reach students. With all the deadlines that swirl in our work, where would we be if we were on our own? I’d drop more than a thing or two, I am sure.

Also these colleagues are the ones in our educational spaces to whom students go to seek information and support.

Leave It With Me

Some sentences said in passing become a special gift.

So it is with my colleague whom I had met five years ago online and later in person.

I may be running from one school to another and then for day, work at various other locations before returning to the office and I stop by with a question or to think through a problem…

A stapler, a blue sticky note in a dispenser, a pink message pad and a ball point pen on a maroon notebook. — The Things I Borrow When I Am In A Hurry …

When she says “leave it with me”, my slumped shoulders straighten and I know that in a matter of minutes the process will have begun or a few days things will be sorted out.

How Can I Thank You?

When I think of the many people who make my day easier, like you, I want to thank them.

I can’t carve something beautiful or bake something delicious for all the people who’ve smoothened out wrinkles in my work life.

But I can write.

So here is a huge thank you to all the wonderful colleagues who do so many things everyday: welcome students and families into our schools, connect the dots between different data bases, register participants for regional workshops, book translators for family-teacher meetings, check in about meal choices, bridge across work sites etc.

In your school and mine, there are many people who do many things and their work supports ours.

So here’s my wish, Fellow Traveller: I hope you also have someone in your work life who says “leave it with me”.

Please share this piece with them.

Please tell them I said hi.

With You, In Solidarity

Rashmee Karnad-Jani

November 18, 2025 Rashmee Karnad-Jani Advocacy for change, Constant Learning, Copyright, Inspiring Teachers, Learning in a Real Life Context, Making a Difference Through Education, Mindfulness, Outdoor Education, self reflection, social emotional learning, solidarity, teacher efficacy, Teacher Working Conditions, Women at Work

How was your weekend?

Hello Fellow Travellers,

November is here with all the busy-ness that this month brings. Progress reports done, family-school partnerships are getting stronger and the conversations among colleagues on how to support our learners are ongoing. In times like these, the weekend beckons.

A close-up from a window showing snow covered tree trunks. The sunshine in the background is making the snow glimmer. — Sunshine and Snow Covered Trees

Busyness of a Different Kind

I don’t know the circumstances of others’ lives, and can just speak for mine, at least those that I choose to share.

On weekdays, especially when we have turned the clocks back, going to and returning from work usually happens when the sky is dark. It is also not unusual to come in to a half cup of coffee left on the ledge of the powder room sink, or the plant shelf in the front hallway or even the salt tote on the front stoop.

Weekend Treats

To re-charge and clear my mind, get ready for the week ahead, I have some weekend routines that I shall share below

I always make myself a special breakfast either poha, upma, idlis, dosas or a fancy omelette on the weekend
I then eat this delicacy in a leisurely manner with my coffee
The second cup of coffee is usually with a wander outside, dressed for the weather that allows me to peer at what my botanical friends are doing at this time of the year.
One day is for professional and academic writing and catching up on correspondence with family and friends, in the GTA, and around the world.
I sometimes pick up holds at the library as it is more relaxed than rushing over after a work day.
One day is to prepare my home and me for the week ahead – meal prep etc.
Yard work plays a huge part of my weekend at this time of the year because I diligently gather leaves to make leaf mold for the spring time planting.

Looking Inward, Looking Out

Everywhere around me, in order to allow me to enjoy my weekend treats, the world is at work, so to speak. The library is open, the grocery stores are stocked and serving customers, other services are up and running. if I were to go to the hospital for myself or to support a friend, that ecosystem would also be filled with people working away.

So how would it be if I were to ask students tomorrow: “What did you do on the weekend?” if their parent or caregiver were working in the spaces that make my weekend possible?

This is the mirror I am holding up to my privilege today.

I have a weekend.

Not everyone else has the same reality.

I just wanted to leave that here with my steaming cup of coffee.

With You, In Solidarity

Rashmee Karnad-Jani

May 21, 2025 Rashmee Karnad-Jani Advocacy for change, Celebrating Success, Communication with Parents and Guardians, Constant Learning, Differentiated Instruction, Diverse Learning Needs, Equity, Faculties of Ed, Inclusion, Learning in a Real Life Context, Making a Difference Through Education, Mindfulness, Outdoor Education, Outdoor Learning, Pedagogical Documentation, Professional Judgement, Professional Learning and Growth, Science

Let’s grow something!

Hello Fellow Travellers,

April has left behind a warm May and when the sun isn’t shining, it’s been cool cloudy Khandala (please look it up) weather. There have been many things to go at work and much time to play: both aspects a reflection of the privilege one takes for granted when one gets to being in a certain place in a certain way. There’s that Standard North American Family * shelf on which one lives.

Before Work, I Play

When I first started teaching in 2004, I began at an early start school so I’ve been in the habit of waking early. A huge help with meal prep and a quiet cup of coffee when raising young children back then. Nowadays as I’ve got more time and less mothering work to attend to, I look around and I peer. There are many thoughts running through my mind that my botany courses do not explain anymore as this is a connection that goes beyond scientific knowledge and leaf identification skills.

“There you are!”, I whisper

“You came back after the winter”, I say.

“Oh my goodness. You’ve got many more little ones along the fence now!”, I celebrate.

Looking Down and Planning Up

Just as one indulges people in one’s life they reciprocate as well. When they were younger, my children would remark when I’d walk about in early spring on this space or elsewhere: “Mamma is peering at the ground. Something is growing there”. I do this in every area of my life. I peer and I wait patiently.

I also work to create conditions that will allow that which is growing to thrive.

Transferable Skills: The “Remember-When Mindset” (Karnad-Jani, 2025)

Recognizing potential and creating conditions for growth and thriving is a skill. We can learn it. We can practice it with critical and kind friends and colleagues who know the heart and art of teaching and learning.

I work hard to strengthen the skills in in one area of my life so that I can use the “remember when? mindset” to support myself and others in another area. I am sure there is a theory for this somewhere and a fancy name in a book, but to me, it means noticing that something is sprouting and how when I and you create conditions for roots to go down and stems to grow upwards the young seeds become plants and the seedlings become shrubs and trees.

Let’s Grow Something Together: The Sunflower Lesson

A few weeks ago, I planted sunflower seeds outside but brought them in on the mid-May long weekend due to the cooler temperatures. I noticed on Saturday that sunflower seedling had flopped. I gently poked in a wooden stick beside it and on Monday I notice that it doesn’t need it anymore!

What does that tell me? Scaffolding and support to those who need it, allows seedlings to strengthen without expending energy to prevent bending or breaking. I take this insight with me into all areas of my life and also sharing with you, my fellow travellers.

With You, In Solidarity

Rashmee Karnad-Jani

The Standard North American Family, says Smith, is an ideological code that informs the biases by which we see particular families as deficient because the ideal of SNAF is a two-parent, heterosexual family where the father’s work allows the mother to attend to the children’s schooling and educational outcomes. It is also important to notice that race is a critical intersection within SNAF (Karnad-Jani, 2021).

May 5, 2025 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

May 5, 2025 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.

April 17, 2025April 17, 2025 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).

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

April 7, 2025 Rashmee Karnad-Jani Advocacy for change, Anti-bullying, Before School Starts, Building Inclusion, Equity, General, Inclusion, Mentorship, Professional Learning and Growth

The Importance of Questions (Part 2)

Noticing The Questions

As I composed this piece in the last weeks of December, I was aware that it has the potential of being more than a 2 part piece. I continue to notice questions in everyday professional spaces. Questions asked around me stand out because the language that goes from seemingly innocuous talk to formal texts that in turn guide trajectories of educational work and the outcomes for students.

If those outcomes unfold on paths of equity and social justice, I always look deeper for the driving gear: who is the person – parent, family friend, educational worker or combination of all three or more who have made it their mission to ensure that that student achieves their fullest potential.

Also, sometimes the topics I write about invite readers to take a deep and honest look around so that we can be authentically inclusive in our professional practice towards all with whom we interact. A twinge here and there is therefore okay, it helps us sharpen out growth mindset as ETFO members.

Some Spaces Are Special

A black metal park bench beside a walking track with three red-leafed trees behind it. The grass around it glows in the sunshine — A Special Park Bench (Karnad-Jani, 2024)

Notice this beautiful bench situated along the walking track around the cricket pitch beside the school with the gorgeous sunrise where I worked for 14 years. In 2018, after considering many factors, mostly around breathing room and well being, I had decided to move to another school. But I still walk here every season as long as the paths are ice-free. So it was that one late summer in the last week of August, shall we say, I met up with a former student now an educator who wanted to talk through some career decisions.

Such walks are mutually supportive as I can give back to the communities of practice that steady me and another educator can have an unconditional space to air their ideas and possibilities. We walked a few laps and sat down to take in the view. A warm breeze was blowing and I was thinking of 6 students in my last three years at this school with whom our team used to walk this track daily for our observation skills, social skills, and conversational and communication goals with our flip and talk books etc. One student had clearly described this very bench as “A park bench is like a chair that’s outside. It is longer than the chair inside our class and you can’t pick it up.” How delighted we were at this description! It is one of the special memories of that time

What are YOU doing here?

Just then, someone I knew from years ago stopped in front of me and demanded, “What are you doing here?” and without waiting for a response, walked on. My walking companion was as startled as I was at this interaction if one could call it that. “What was that, Ms. Karnad-Jani? They did not even wait for a response.”

My heart beat quickened from past memories of having faced this question in various spaces.

Deep breath in. Look around. Exhale. I was glad I was in a beautiful space outside that helped me compose myself. We walked some more and that was that.

I have thought about this question often as it appears in our lives in many ways.

When one is asked “What are YOU doing here?” we can claim space individually and collectively to support one another when this question comes up that may challenge our very presence in some, many, any spaces.

I am sharing Claiming Space: Self-Identifying With My Union from 2018 which is always relevant. Also please read the Letter from the Editor highlighting the writing from the issue in which this article was published.

Also, always consult and implement the guidelines outlined in ETFO’s Terms of Use when using any published materials in professional learning and elsewhere because all of us who write academically and professionally work very diligently to think about the ideas we share with you.

"I am ETFO" button with the word "also" added in reads " I am also ETFO" — I wear my “I am ETFO ” button proudly.

With You, In Solidarity,

Rashmee Karnad-Jani

February 9, 2025February 9, 2025 Rashmee Karnad-Jani Advocacy for change, Assessment, Assessment and Evaluation, Constant Learning, Making a Difference Through Education, Professional Judgement, Professional Learning and Growth, Report Cards, Reporting

How did I do?

This is a busy time for ETFO members. It is also an important time of the year for students and their families.

The first term report cards have been written , reviewed, revised and are being prepared to be distributed. In addition, there are IEP updates to complete for Term 2. What we had planned to teach, that which was taught and assessed, now moves on the next stage of communication with our partners in education – students and their caregivers.

The Importance of Report Cards

Report cards are institutional texts that contain important information because they determine a student’s trajectory through the K-8 panel and from there, to and through high school.

These texts also greatly impact what families do with the time and material means that they have at their disposal after they receive report cards.

I remember a mother who participated in my research in April 2019, an Occasional Teacher in the GTA at that time, who had said that she bought practice books for her children from garage sales before she started working and bought them in shops after she had a job. Affordability of resources is a key factor.

Whether families have experienced challenges to access education in their lives or have had many equitable opportunities, all families and caregivers want positive educational outcomes for their children. We may not all speak the same language, have identical accents, worldliness or insider language of education, but all caregivers do their best with the material means that are available to them. This we know.

Sometimes, that which is seen as reluctance or reticence can be the result of huge burdens that some families carry as well as broken trust due to the experiences families have had. But that is another thought for another time.

A and E Professional Learning: What do I do?

I read the ETFO bulletin board regularly when I am in the physical work space, and I also read ETFO emails promptly.

As a centrally assigned special education consultant, I work in classrooms alongside teachers and students. On colleagues’ invitation, I support IEP writing. I also co-plan and co-teach.

Sometimes, I am invited to work with colleagues when they write report cards. They may ask me look over student work with them and we engage in rich conversations.

I believe that engaging deeply in ongoing learning strengthens my professional judgement. Our local offers professional learning workshops on a variety of topics and one that recently caught my attention was on assessment and evaluation. It was very valuable learning delivered by one member from our local and one member who was from another local.

By Us, For Us, With Us

Professional learning designed by members for members based on the areas that we want to focus on, is a great way to strengthen one’s practice. The PL committee at our local spends time thinking through these aspects. After the committee sends out surveys asking about our PL needs, the gathered data are used to curate meaningful PL offerings. This is much appreciated by me and many. The sessions fill up quickly.

Especially with new curricula guiding our work, thanks to this Assessment and Evaluation PL, I feel a sense of shared purpose with my colleagues.

All of us, as ETFO members can access this learning and have a common platform and language related to A and E. I am therefore sharing ETFO’s Assessment and Evaluation page.

I use it often and I add it to the list of resources I curate for colleagues when they ask for specific A and E related strategies. I invite you to review the resources here. Please use them and share them with others. Whether you are an early career member and an experienced member, we all benefit from ongoing learning.

ETFO’s Assessment and Evaluation Page

The tabs at the top of the page lead us to important information such as:

Assessment For Learning (AFL) Cycle
Tools
Tools by Division
The ABOUT link consists of a webinar on the main topic of A & E followed by sections on Assessment For Learning, Assessment As Learning and Assessment of Learning.

Please check out the PL offerings from your local. Visit the ETFO bulletin board in your worksite.

Just like students, I also wonder sometimes “How did I do?” So, thank you to all who are leaving comments in response to my writing and are engaging in conversations when we meet in schools and work spaces as well.

With You, In Solidarity.

Rashmee Karnad-Jani

January 6, 2025 Rashmee Karnad-Jani Advocacy for change, agency, Building Inclusion, Celebrating Success, Inspiring Teachers

There are different ways to make a difference

It is almost the end of the year and we have been talking for a while.

After my recent conversation with you, I got several emails and messages. Some colleagues posted their comments below the blog and others wrote to me. Some called while others mentioned their feedback when they passed me in school buildings. I also received one very important question “I want to write for ETFO also. Where do I begin?

Where I Began

When I was growing up in Goa, a beautiful state on the western coast of India, I always liked receiving the magazines to which my father subscribed- for himself, my mother and me. In addition, we also received one from our community called The Kanara Saraswat. I used to wait eagerly to receive the publications and would pore over them when they arrived.

The magazines were written in English, Marathi and Hindi. My parents wanted me to be able to read and write in many languages because they knew that as I went through schooling and university, I would be immersed in English. As wise visionaries, they wanted me to retain my rich multilingual literacy and I have. I can read, write, think in Hindi, Marathi, Konkani and English and I am very thankful for that. In those magazines, I would love to read a particular author or series by the same person.

One day, I think in Grade 5 (or 5th standard as we said in India) I tried to write a school essay along the same lines as one of my favourite writers and …. my Amma, a high school English teacher caught on. She used to read over my writing because she liked to and she saw that this piece didn’t sound quite like me.

So Amma said “ Write like yourself. You’ll see you have a lot to say and you have your own style and strengths. Find them and sharpen them.” While that entire conversation was carried out in our mother tongue, I’m translating it here to accommodate for our monolingual readers and non-Konkani colleagues .

Receiving the Voice

I have not outgrown my love for reading what others write. Over the years I’ve enjoyed receiving the Voice in the mailbox. I read Sharla Falodi’s article and thought deeply about the importance of claiming space. I also read Sangeeta McAuley’s words written long before CRRP was part of a job title in schools and school boards. This piece helped me reflect deeply and make many connections to my practice with students and their families: just because I was a landed immigrant in 2002 didn’t make me an expert on others’ lived realities was my take away. This was 2018.

There are so many inspiring pieces to be found in Archive | ETFO Voice that if you browse these issues, you’ll remember the ones that connected with you over the years.

Timing is Important

When I read the work of writers whose ideas connected with the lived realities of the work that members do in schools, or something new that I had not yet tried, I experienced a faint stirring, a tingle in my fingertips that made me think that this was possible for me too perhaps. So I asked around about where to begin and with a lead, I wrote to the editor. Although I shared a few ideas, I didn’t write for the Voice yet.

It wasn’t until I’d written and submitted my doctoral dissertation in 2021 that I decided to write for ETFO. I sent in my piece “Mothers and Teachers: Two Sides of the Same Coin” in which I spoke of the blended standpoint based on two decades of living here and on my ten years of graduate work.

(In this article when I say “If this were my child, what would I do, wish for and fight for.” I do not mean biological children alone. I speak of the relationship with all the children in our extended families and in our friendship circles. I speak of the special care we extend to the the young people in our personal lives).

If you are considering writing for the Voice, here is some important information to review.

Writing for the Heart and Art of Teaching Blog

I have been a member of my ETFO local since 2004 when I started working as a permanent full time teacher. It wasn’t until 2012 when I had an unpleasant experience at work and I stood up for what’s right that I contacted someone at the local office to seek guidance on how to get formal support to engage in courageous conversations. These things weren’t happening to me yet, but I wanted to speak up when things happened to others around me.

I haven’t looked back since that evening. I served on the Political Action Committee that year and the Social Justice Committee the next time. I served with both these committees once more over the years, once during the pandemic.

Then this year I thought I’d serve through the New Members’ Committee at our local because as time moves on, one plans to leave behind some memorable steps that can lead to a better working environment for colleagues who come after us.

Also because I wanted to connect the dots between my interest in writing with ETFO Provincial and this work with my local, I saw the opportunity to contribute to the conversations through a writing role with ETFO’s Heart and Art of Teaching & Learning and applied. Here is some information if you want to learn more about this blog.

It Takes Time

It took me 9 years (from 2012 to 2021) to get from that first phone call to the local to this point of having regular conversations with all of you. For many who are used to having things happen quickly, perhaps this seemingly meandering process is frustrating. But it isn’t a waste of time.

During this waiting, one becomes more aware of oneself and our working conditions with every passing day. The professional and personal become more seasoned, the struggles become more relatable and the solidarity becomes more real as time moves forward. One has to want something with deep dedication in order to not give up.

One also has to stop caring what other people will think.

Those of us who’ve done things differently and who have made our mark off the beaten track have always been asked “Who do you think you are?” And we don’t bother to respond to that question, do we?

We walk strong. We strengthen others.

That is The Work that goes beyond the job.

Many Paths

There are different ways to make a difference. We don’t all have to be active in ETFO’s provincial or local formal networks. We don’t have to be elected to office though that’s wonderful too if that’s what calls to you.

An institution like ETFO (yes, a union is an institution also) has provincial initiatives like the AGM and locals have their own events planned by the social committee, the goodwill and awards committee or the professional learning committee

But this much I know: no matter how many things are done at the provincial and local level, it is only when everyday working conditions are truly equitable and respectful for each and every member in the schools where we do this important work, that we can say that we are in solidarity, 100% there for one another.

So reach out to ETFO Locals , if not for yourself, to make someone else’s life easier.

With You, In Solidarity

Rashmee Karnad-Jani