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 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.
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.
It’s mid-February, almost March perhaps when we have this conversation.
As the school year and calendar year move on, we see the days getting longer. Our thoughts turn to warmer weather and with that, we continue to think of different ways in which we as ETFO members can continue to engage our students in learning.
Some schools that have access to open spaces and trees around their buildings are wonderful spaces for outdoor education activities. Some classes may visit outdoor education centres if accessible while others may create opportunities to take their students outside. A reader and colleague from our local who recently visited an outdoor education centre wrote to me to share that their students engaged in so much learning and were so welcomed there that the member wrote a letter to the centre staff to thank them for the interactions. How wonderful it is when we take the time to let people know how much their intentional and inclusive pedagogies matter to us.
In 2023 when I taught Science and Technology Methods to Primary/Junior Teacher Candidates at an Ontario university, it was wonderful to hear pre-service educators speak of how they would make the outdoors accessible to their students by making hats, mittens, snow pants available through donations at the school if needed or bringing learning opportunities into their school yard for all students to participate. It was indeed heart warming that many of the teacher candidates connected with the Science and Tech curriculum along with developing a deep understanding that families and students benefit from our sensitive understanding when we coordinate access. It is very important to widen the circle for multiple entry points. Disability Justice is also an important aspect that we can continue to speak of when we welcome pre-service teachers into our spaces.
I am sharing ETFO’s Indigenous Land Based Learning Resource so that we can continue to learn with and beside one another. Let’s also invite our centrally assigned colleagues who can guide us in this journey.
Hindsight is a gift, and I have never appreciated it more than when I talk with newer teachers and share the things I wish I knew when I was in their position. So what advice would I give to a new teacher? The number one piece of advice I would give is to protect your energy. You will need your energy for yourself, your family, and for all the other demands that teaching can bring.
I have distinct memories of putting my head down at the end of the day and nearly falling asleep, taking bags of student work home that I inevitably would not mark that night because I was just too tired to face it. When I became a parent, it became clear that I needed to preserve my energy since there was no longer an option to take a break after school and a long commute.
I’m thankful when I consider how much experience has made my life easier. I spend less time stressing over things that I cannot change, working “smarter” instead of harder to be more efficient, and knowing when it is time to stop working and focus on what matters – health, family, and relationships.
Teaching a new class, and planning units and lessons is so much better when you know where to start. As a new teacher, it was overwhelming to face the realities of planning, classroom management, and school events every day.
Here are the top 4 things I would do to protect my energy if I were a new teacher – and even if you are not “new” to the profession, perhaps you will find something you can bring to your practice.
Rethink Classroom Management
When I started teaching, I foolishly believed that all my energy should be focused on creating great lessons and planning activities. Let’s be clear – this is all very important – but you’ll never get to implement those plans if you don’t have a well-managed class.
Classroom management is so much more than setting high expectations for achievement and behaviour and setting up routines and roles (though those are all important elements to have in place). It is also about determining which times of the day will be most conducive for teaching certain subjects and running certain activities.
For example, in my experience, mornings are usually the best time for teaching essential core subjects like literacy and numeracy. The later part of the morning and later afternoons are times well spent for independent or group work. These are great times to take your foot “off the pedal” and create space for collaboration, relationship-building, and student conferencing.
It can be exhausting when you feel like you are constantly trying to calm students down, or motivate students to self-regulate when you are in the middle of a lesson. Know when your lesson simply isn’t working, and when it is time to shift gears. A good “red flag” is when you can feel your own emotions – frustration, anger, or despair – bubbling up.
Focus on Time-Saving and Efficiency when Planning
When I started teaching, I found that resources were scarce, and my colleagues were rather protective of the content they had created. To be fair, the internet was nowhere near as useful as it is today and educators were deeply dependent on textbooks and blackline masters (no, we didn’t have Google Drive to keep all those documents close at hand). I spent endless hours trying to develop lessons and content, and naturally never had the time to get my lessons exactly the way I envisioned.
Avoid spending excessive time researching and creating content – this can be a drain on your valuable planning time minutes and after school time. Focus instead on building on the content that is already available to you – whether you find something great online that aligns with the Ontario curriculum (always be critical of what you discover on the internet), at a professional learning session, a teacher resource, or content a colleague has shared.
As an experienced teacher, I now know that most, if not all of my energy on the job should be spent teaching, working with and managing my class, and adapting content for neurodiverse and multilingual learners. Sure, it can be fun and even rewarding to develop a brand new lesson – but if you are teaching multiple subjects avoid doing this for everything all the time.
Another great energy-saving strategy is to co-teach a unit or lesson with a teacher whose schedule aligns with yours, or that knows your class. Swap classrooms to implement a lesson you know well. For example, I had a colleague who was great at teaching podcasting, so I’d teach his class a lesson in news article writing while he’d teach a podcasting lesson to my class.
Get Connected with the Right People and their Resources
It’s amazing how much time and energy you’ll save by networking with the right people and leveraging their resources, knowledge, and experience. There are so many other educators in your school and board that have expertise and can share their “tried and true” strategies, tools, and resources.
For example, you may have teachers who have a role where their purpose is to share resourcesand consult in areas like educational technology, literacy, mathematics, the arts, or or social studies. They may have the title of coach, itinerant, or resource teacher – it can vary from one board to another.
You may have people you work with that are particularly passionate or skilled in an area like math or reading. They can tell you exactly what practices are most effective, which will save you a lot of research and time spent on trial and error.
Optimize Assessment
I remember being a teacher that gathered piles and piles of student work, only to be overwhelmed when reporting time came near. Save yourself a lot of marking time by taking a triangulated approach where you are not only collecting products, but frequently gathering evidence from conversations and observations.
It is important for students to be assessed through multiple means, so gather assessment as much as possible through activities like group work, presentations, and media creation. Assess students in the moment, and focus on providing 2-3 pieces of feedback at a time (and share it in the moment, if possible). Use an tablet or mobile device to gather assessment data quickly and take photos of student work and collaboration for your records.
Final thoughts
Your time and energy is precious. Protecting your energy as a teacher is critical for work-life balance – ensuring that you are investing your efforts wisely is key to longevity in the job and maintaining your mental wellness.
We’ve moved on from November and it’s the last month of the year already. While the countdown for the winter break has begun in many minds, there are some things that catch my attention and I want to share some of them with you.
In our everyday spaces, we connect with, notice and wonder about things, and people all the time when we see them. Sometimes we ask questions and at other times based on what we think we know, we decide a response. I am sharing some questions that I have been asked in the past months that keep me thinking about their importance.
Winter Sunlight (Karnad-Jani, 2024)
Who are you?
As the range where I collaborate with colleagues is K-12, I have the experience of meeting students who aren’t yet four and older students who call me Miss. When I enter a classroom or wait outside, students either ask me directly who I am or their eyes do without words. When invited by my colleague in the classroom, I introduce myself: “My name is Ms.Karnad. I am a teacher and I’m here to learn with you”.
Do you miss that?
The questions I receive are heart warming and they open my mind to all the things children think about.
Often I join children at their tables to work alongside. In a Grade 4 class a student asked me “Do you go from school to school because you don’t have your own classroom now?”
“Yes”, I said “That’s correct”.
“Do you miss having your own students?”
I replied in the affirmative.
“What is the first thing you will do if you have your own classroom again?”
I’m still thinking about that one.
Do you speak Farsi?
In a Kindergarten classroom recently, a student asked me to join them in play. They were gathering leaves to fill a small red cup, a blue teapot and a star shaped baking dish. I was instructed to guess how many scoops of leaves went into each one and I think I did rather well on that task. Then another student joined us and in a clear voice asked me “Do you speak Farsi?” I replied that I didn’t but I understood some words. “Come back and I’ll teach you some more words” she said and I’m looking forward to that. How wonderful it is when children say to the grown-ups in their lives “I will teach you”. What a promising world this will be!
Can you help me?
At another school when I was planning a pre-collaboration visit and standing by the door as it was a rather busy time, I felt a tug on my wrist. Looking down I saw a student who wanted me to walk with them. They began leading me by the hand to another space and pointed to a shelf higher up. “Show me”, I said pointing to the visuals as I had seen a choice board displayed prominently with large pictures for easy access (for visitors like me also). The student showed me the picture of their preferred item and I helped get it down for them. A friend joined in and they tugged my hand to sit also. Building with multicoloured magnetic shapes that morning was a lot of fun.
Do you know where you are going?
As we approach the end of the year and the start of a new calendar year, it is these simple heart-touching questions that point me to where I am going. Immersed as we see in the complexities of the work and the world, this simplicity is the gift that allows me to stay in the moment and touch that glimmering droplet of joy.
I see you
Many years ago, I was a Grade 7-8 teacher at the school with the beautiful sunrise. As I’d walk to the workroom downstairs on my prep, I’d pass an empty kindergarten classroom. Every day a rotation of women-mothers, aunties, grandmothers – and children would come in and attend a morning run by an Ontario child care programme. The women would sit cross legged and the children would sit in front of them. The service provider would play some songs while the women and children waited, listened and participated. It becomes clear for those of us who know educational pathways in Ontario that this was a school readiness programme for pre-kindergarten children.
In the early days, there would be hesitant little people being encouraged by the women and as time went by the children would begin to sing. As the workroom was nearby, I’d hear the voices change from whispers to hesitant voices to the silver sound of enthusiastic singers.
When they’d come in for their learning, the women and children would line up outside the room. On the wall, up high, were Grade 8 graduation composites. One day as I was walking by, a child was pointing to a picture here and a picture there. As his Amma smiled at me I stopped and listened alongside. “Anna (elder brother), Akka (elder sister)”, he said. They were his cousins, who had graduated from the school, I learned from the child’s mother.
As I was about to leave, the child pointed at someone else in the frame and whispered to his mother. I asked “Who is it? Whom do you see?”. The little one smiled shyly and pointed to me. His Amma said “He is saying, I see you”. Yes, I was there too and the child had recognized me from my tiny face in the large frame.
Now these photos have been moved to a connecting passage between the old wing where I started working and the new wing that we saw being built from my Grade 7-8 class. That moment stays with me years later.
I see you.
Such an important thought. I want to make sure everyday that I too see you, students and colleagues. That’s a great place to begin.
As someone who has been teaching for almost 20 years, I have to admit that I have always been the kind of teacher that really looks forward to the breaks. On long and stressful days, especially when I was a new teacher, I would immediately try to find relief in exploring plans and checking flight costs for March break or a summer vacation.
Just looking at a photo of the next destination or googling possible recreational activities could immediately calm my nerves and put a smile on my face. The time in between holidays and weekends became, at least in my mind, the time to just accept the “daily grind.”
As a much more experienced teacher, I will also admit that this activity still does help me on some days! Though I’ve also found that a better way to manage stress is to find something joyful or calming in the present – even in a hectic work environment.
Connecting with Colleagues
From the start of my career, I think having great colleagues and friends for conversation and connection makes the work day easier. As teachers, it is easy to prioritize efficiency and productivity to a point where you are constantly assessing, planning, and finding resources for the next lesson.
Taking time to stop, close the laptop or smartphone, and simply chat with colleagues during lunch or planning breaks can turn an overwhelming day into a calm one.
Taking a Walk
Getting out of your teaching or work environment can do wonders for your physical and mental health. I have had moments in my roles as a classroom teacher and a support teacher where a walk outdoors at lunch or simply around the building on a planning time can provide enough of a break to help me get some clarity and figure out my next steps.
The movement will also raise your spirits and help you to feel good too – especially if you turn on a favourite song as you walk!
Get a Good Laugh in
A good laugh will do wonders for any stressful situation. Thankfully, the internet and social media platforms have made it easy to find great comedy in a pinch. Whether it is memes, comedy routines, or satire, taking a quick peek at comedy accounts during your break can help you face the day with optimism and humour.
Focus on One Thing at a Time
When it feels like you have too much going on, it can make a big difference to rethink the way you do things. As a habitual multi-tasker, I find it can feel truly liberating to resist all the different factors vying for your attention and promise yourself to do one thing at a time. This way, you can get things done mindfully and thoroughly instead of doing it all at the same time.
Yes, multi-tasking is a skill that can make you feel highly productive and efficient. But “mono-tasking” has its own rewards, such as steering yourself to the present, becoming more self-aware, and ironically more productive than multi-tasking.
While this may not be a”joyful” activity, it can certainly feel good to refocus your attention and pay attention to what makes sense to focus on in the moment.
Final Thoughts
Finding joy and calm in day to day life is not always easy as a teacher. Some days, it can feel impossible! However, finding small and simple ways to find calm and engage in self-care can make the day much more enjoyable and less like a “grind”.
I am always grateful for the opportunity of being with students in the schools where I have worked and the classrooms in which I now co-teach. These interactions with students in the hallway, school yard or while entering the school are very precious because they always remind of my purpose in this work.
In a Grade 1 classroom the other day, there was talk of dinosaurs because one backpack had them and several sweaters did too. I was waiting with the students for their teacher to come in from supervision duty. For a short time, I was in the spotlight because they remembered from a previous visit.
Then one of the students had a bright idea: “Let us see if Ms. Kaar-naad knows the names of at least two of the dinosaurs” The whispers of “she may not know them, we may need to help her” were very heartwarming. It is humbling that children are gracious and kind towards the grown-ups in their lives.
I could name at least 2 dinosaurs as asked and I was in!
The System and Our Work
One of the Big Words that comes up often in school-related work is The System
When I was in the classroom as a teacher from 2004 to 2020 and since then, working side by side with colleagues’ in their classrooms, it often felt (and still does) as if it was just me, students, colleagues and families. But there are times, when in spite of of the strongest efforts and best intentions, things move slowly or do not move at all.
At such times, I say and we say: “It is the System.” Out of sight, yet in our lives always – The System towers over us. Educational work, whether done in our classrooms or in the homes of our students by their families, unfolds in its shadow.
This pervasive and powerful System is everywhere and we speak of it often. We tacitly know that it exists. We say that The System determines the inequities in education, social and professional spaces. We notice and name Systemic Barriers that hold back student outcomes, and even our Higher Ed admissions to programs that we plan to get into, as educators.
We also see systemic barriers interlock with families’ home lives that in turn impact our working conditions and students’ learning conditions. This last issue often occurs when internationally trained professionals are invited to Canada through various pathways, and when they settle in Ontario, they go through many, sometimes never ending cycles of under-employment or unemployment.
So where do we go from here, when The System holds all of us in its grasp and impacts the lives of so many?
Learning Together: The Triangle of Power
ETFO’s Anti-Oppressive Framework: A Primer is an important document for all of us to review and become familiar with. I am pleased to share that it was also intentionally brought into view for members by the York Region local’s Anti-Oppression Task Force a few years ago.
It is a very readable and relatable resource and allows the reader to actually see in a new light, the everyday work spaces in which we are immersed. What stands out for me and many who have made this resource a key aspect of our practice is The Triangle of Power (p.9).
The Triangle of Power (Anti-Oppressive Primer, ETFO, 2021)
The Triangle of Power highlights three vertices: Ideology, Individual Action and Institutional Barriers and explains them in very easy-to-understand language. ETFO members can connect with this visual in our busy lives and weave the learning into our jobs, the conversations in which we participate, in professional learning that we develop, deliver or attend as well as ways in which we engage with families, students, as well as with one another.
The Anti-Oppressive Framework Primer explains the 3 vertices as Ideology, Individual Action and Institutional Barriers.
For the purpose of this conversation, I have changed the order as below:
Institutional Barriers
“The corners of the triangle — ideas and actions inform and result in institutional inequities. This can be seen in systems/structures such as the media, the justice system, politics, education, religious institutions and union spaces where inequities based on lack of representation, over-representation, omissions, discriminatory policies are present.”
The reason I have placed Institutional Barriers as the first consideration is because they tower above us as we go about our day as they do for students and families. Institutional Barriers are high up above the classrooms and other spaces where you and I do our work. Their impact is also felt all around us but they are invisibilized in the busy pace of our lives and we do not always notice them.
Ideology
“If we are to consider that as human beings, we are all informed by our ideas (ideology) which in this case, can be displayed through generalizations, assumptions, implicit or explicit biases and stereotypes that one may hold about individuals or groups, it is these constructed and learned ideas that inform the way one behaves towards people.”
I have placed Ideology 2nd in this list of 3 vertices because our ideas are so well marinated in our implicit and explicit biases that they become tacit knowledge and then evolve into “a fact.” This can apply to stereotypes about one another, students, their families, the places colleagues and families got their educational degrees and so on.
“Who, me?”, people may say when you speak of ideology to them. And that’s exactly it. Ideology is also invisibilized and quite easily deniable.
Individual Action
“Discriminatory behaviours, often unintentional, can take the form of actions towards individuals or groups of people. These acts may appear in the form of conducts such as name-calling, inappropriate comments to more violent and pervasive physical acts such as bullying, assault, segregation or omissions. Some behaviours are more insidious and less able to be obviously detected. For example, comments about a racialized or Indigenous person’s hair, or asking someone where they are from, can be identified as microaggressions.”
I have placed Individual Action as the last vertex so that you and I can focus our attention on it and remember it well.
I am inviting you to join me in critically examining the role that you and I can play in upholding oppressive practices unless we hold ourselves accountable everyday, in every interaction.
We are (also) The System
The Triangle of Power makes it very clear that We are (also) The System because each corner (vertex) holds a specific part of oppression.
If you and I choose to hold up a specific part of oppression through our individual action, we are (also) a part of oppressive practices. Mathematically, if the third vertex (individual action) is not there to hold the structure in place, it is not a closed figure. It is not a triangle anymore.
While I do not think that Individual Action alone can break down Institutional Barriers or shift ideology because they are very powerful, I do believe that each one of us has an important role to play in how the other two vertices have an impact.
After all, oppression is action: it occurs when someone does something oppressive.
Thankfully, anti-oppressive practices are actions too. You and I have to actually do something anti-oppressive.
Let’s dismantle the Triangle of Power at every opportunity we get by making our Individual Actions in educational settings anti-oppressive.
When you feel wobbly, reach out. There are many fellow travellers engaged in anti-oppressive practices in local and provincial settings.
We will help one another. I also invite you to read, practice and share ETFO’s Anti-Oppression Primer.
As a teacher, you’ll likely wear many hats and work with students across different grade levels. Along the way, you might find your sweet spot—a grade that feels like the perfect fit. But just when you’ve settled into your comfort zone, you could be assigned to a grade you have never taught before. You may begin to ask yourself, “How will I connect with my students?”, “Can I manage the new curriculum?” “Will I teach it well?”, “Will I be judged if I do it wrong?”. These concerns are natural and understandable. During moments like these, it’s important to remember that these challenges are opportunities for growth rather than as obstacles.
One of the most difficult things to do is to change our mindset. It is not a sign of failure—but it is a sign of growth. When we have a growth mindset, we are open to new possibilities and strategies. We allow ourselves to be flexible, a trait that is important in any learning environment.
In my classroom, I encourage students to embrace a growth mindset, regardless of the subject I’m teaching. I believe every lesson provides an opportunity to foster this way of thinking. A few years ago, I had a student who struggled with math and often grew frustrated when faced with challenging problems. Initially, I focused only on finding new ways to explain the concept, reteaching it in hopes of helping him understand. Despite my efforts, he continued to struggle. So one day I decided to have a deeper conversation with him.
During our talk, he shared that his fear of making mistakes and being judged by his classmates was causing him to lose focus. I realized in that moment that, without knowing it, I had been keeping with a fixed mindset myself. Instead of celebrating his efforts and the process of learning, I had been focused on getting him to the correct answer.
I shifted my approach. As a class, we began to prioritize social and emotional learning, discussing what we knew and what we were “yet” to master. Together, we celebrated small victories—like the day we finally solved a difficult problem after several attempts—and I encouraged everyone to see how persistence and the willingness to make mistakes led to progress.
To reinforce the idea, I also introduced stories of individuals who faced challenges but went on to succeed. Over time, my student’s attitude toward challenges in math began to change. He became more willing to raise his hand and share in open discussions and kept a positive mindset. Overall, he became more confident in his ability to improve.
To foster a growth mindset it is important to recognize how embracing change can positively impact both educators and students.
The Importance of a Growth Mindset for Educators and Students
Being open to change helps you connect better with students, and colleagues. When students or colleagues know you are open to change, they see that you are willing to understand where they are coming from and meet them where they are.
When you step out of your comfort zone, you explore new ways to engage your students and colleagues. It expands your thinking and what seemed difficult becomes an exciting challenge.
Give yourself permission to try and fail. You will learn to be kinder to yourself. You’re no longer burdened by the pressure of perfectionism. You will also teach your students that it is human to make mistakes and learn from them.
When you are stuck in a specific mindset, there’s not much room for further development. Embracing change means you are always learning and growing, both professionally and personally.
How to develop a growth mindset:
Take time to reflect on what you know, what are you great at and where you might be stuck. Journaling or talking to a fellow teacher can help clarify where you need to grow.
Observe colleagues, attend professional development workshops or conferences, or ask for advice from colleagues. Sometimes, seeing different teaching methods in action can inspire change.
Give Yourself Grace and recognize that no one has it all figured out. Teaching is a journey, and every challenge is an opportunity to learn something new.
You don’t have to change your entire teaching approach. Start with small adjustments, such as using a new classroom management strategy, having more student conferences or incorporating different lesson structures.
So to my fellow educators, I want to say, embrace flexibility and a growth mindset when things aren’t working. Sometimes, the key is simply in our willingness to grow.
Ever since I heard last June that I was going to be able to connect with all of you, as my colleagues and readers of Heart and Art Blog, my first thought was about what I would like to say to you first. How shall I begin? Then I thought the new-ness of this connection is very similar to the feelings before each new school year: “I can’t wait to meet you”
As I went about July and August, there was excitement in the air: I was receiving news from friends and colleagues as well as reading on social media, posts from people I have not met, about how happy they are to be hired for a contract or for a Long Term Occasional position at a school. This was usually followed by a request for connection: to people, resources, and all the other things we know we are going to need to do our jobs and support our students. People were getting together to prepare for school.
The excitement at such a time is palpable: whether it is a new job or a new grade one is teaching, whether it is a new school or one where one may have taught three children in a family in a long career. Although many ETFO members take Additional Qualification courses over the summer, engage in other self directed professional learning, there is also apprehension because you and I do not know what lies ahead.
Perhaps you paused in those busy weeks before the start of school and wondered what it was going to be like that first day, first week back. After all, whether new or experienced, whether you have gained professional experience in Ontario or elsewhere, every September feels like the first September sometimes.
What do we do when we feel wobbly?
A system leader once said to us in a large departmental meeting “Sometimes we get wobbly”. At the time of publication, it is almost the end of September. Some of us may be feeling wobbly with all that we carry on our long lists of things to do. I know I feel this way. So what do I do then? I think of people who have steadied me at such times and I try and reach within and reach over.
Self, Students, Families and Fellow-travellers
While there are many formal supports available in school districts within Ontario, some of us are either far away from accessing them or these supports may be hidden under links on a massive website and that takes time.
I would therefore like to begin with the connections that are accessible and nearby. Although they have the potential to be fulfilling and frustrating before becoming fulfilling again, I am sharing below some key connections that have helped me during two decades of this work I have been privileged to do when I feel wobbly.
Self
While there are many ways to seek support, I find that for me and many (a term I use often as I hesitate to say “we” because it may not be so for all) it helps to sit with oneself and think about what matters to me in this job, who matters to me in this job and how can I use what I already know in this job? That often is a calming space because I then know that I have done The Work to get to this point. While I shall continue to learn, I also know that I am able to take the first steps I need. There, I feel better already.
Students
Students have always been the guiding heartbeat for the work of educators. Our youngest learners whether they willingly enter a space or cry for a few minutes before joining their peers in a conversation or exploration show us what they like or dislike, how they want to be seen and spoken to and how they will engage with the carefully planned lessons and materials you or I have laid out. In times when things didn’t go as I planned whether in a Grade 7 classroom or a kindergarten space, after the initial wave of “what now?” had passed, I learned that examining the “why” of that communication helped me and the student connect just a little better the next day. Or perhaps the day after. What was the student trying to tell me? Did I listen, notice, connect and understand? This helps.
Families
One of the invisible aspects of a teacher’s work is to engage with families and to work in partnership with them. Families do not always fit into what is seen as the Standard North American Family, or a two-parent, heterosexual family where the father’s work allows the mother to attend to the children’s schooling and educational outcomes as I had shared in 2021 through ETFO’s Voice The school-family connection is mainly the connection between the primary caregiver of the student and you, their educator. However different from me the family of my student may be, when I relate to the humanity of the person in front of me and when I listen without taking things personally, I am able to see that there are ways that I can work towards positive partnership possibilities. After all educational work unfolds in the murkiness of social problems and when we think through that, we can access resources that can help. Families are also rich sources of information and aspirations for our student and seeing that early on, helps.
Fellow Travellers
Although the formal word is colleague, I choose the word fellow traveller (or hum-suf-ur in Hindi and Urdu, two of the few languages that I speak). Our fellow travellers have walked this way before, either as educators through ethical practice and professional experience in the situation that is challenging me that day. Talking to our colleagues helps us make meaning of the struggles and also reminds us to look forward to the sunshine. I hope we all have that one person who listens without judgement and then asks, “How can I help? One cannot thank these mentors enough therefore one strives to pay it forward whenever the opportunity arises.
Learning Together
As we approach Orange Shirt Day, I recognize the deep responsibility to learn everyday so that I can continue to make a positive difference in the way I engage with the people and spaces around me. This month the youngest students in Ontario schools started their journey to and through our classrooms where they will spend a decade of their lives, either in one building or perhaps after Grade 5 going to another building to complete their middle school years.
Getting to know each other is a crucial part of building a positive classroom environment, especially in the early days of school. Here are some fun and engaging activities that can help elementary school students break the ice and start forming connections. Here are some fun icebreakers that I have used in the past in classrooms grades 5 and up:
All About me Brags:
Ask each student to bring a small bag filled with 3-5 items that represent themselves. These could be photos, toys, or anything significant to them. Each student takes turns sharing their items with the class and explaining why they chose them.
Two Truths and a Lie:
Each student thinks of two true facts about themselves and one lie. Students share their statements with the class, and their classmates have to guess which one is the lie.
Classroom Bingo:
Create Bingo cards with different statements like “Has a pet,” “Loves pizza,” or “Has traveled to another country.” Students walk around the room and find classmates who match the statements, filling in their Bingo cards as they go. The first to complete a row wins.
Find a Friend Who:
Make a list of prompts such as “Find a friend who has the same favorite color as you” or “Find a friend who has the same number of siblings.” Students mingle and find classmates who match the prompts, learning about each other along the way.
Name Game:
Start with a simple name game to help students learn each other’s names. For example, “My name is [Name] and I like [something that starts with the same letter as their name].” Students go around the circle repeating the names and likes of previous students before adding their own.
Classroom Scavenger Hunt:
Create a scavenger hunt with clues about different areas of the classroom or school.
Students work in small groups to find all the items or places on the list, learning about their environment and each other. This is ideal if you have a new group of students getting to know their new space.
Although I will not be returning to the classroom this September as I will start my maternity leave, I am happy to pass on these activities as I hope they will bring you that classroom community that makes your classroom so special. All the best!
“There is no urgency. There is no perfection. I am enough now” – Tricia Hersey.
In classrooms bright where knowledge blooms,
Amid the books and busy rooms,
Educators guide with hearts so true,
Yet need the quiet to renew.
From dawn till dusk, they give their best,
But even heroes need to rest.
For in the pause, the silence deep,
Their minds and spirits strength can keep.
The screens’ bright glow, the endless calls,
The papers stacked in towering walls,
Can wait a while, for rest must come,
To soothe the soul, to still the hum.
In peaceful moments, healing grows,
From violence faced, new courage flows.
In quiet moments, wisdom grows,
In restful peace, new energy flows.
The weary mind finds space to breathe,
And from the stress, their hearts are freed.
So let the summer bring calm and dreams,
Where sunlight through the window streams.
For educators’ hearts, so full of care,
Deserve the gentle, healing air.
In rest, they find the strength to teach,
To guide, to mentor, to inspire each.
For every child deserves the best,
And educators give such, when they have rest.
So cherish rest, and cherish peace,
Let every worry find release.
For in the balance, we find grace,
A rested mind, a gentle pace.
Dear educators, take this time,
To rest, to dream, to softly climb.
For in your quiet, you will find,
The strength to shape each growing mind.
“Rest is a beautiful interruption in a world with no pause button” – Tricia Hersey
Reference:
Hersey, T. (2023). The Nap Ministry’s Rest Deck: 50 Practical Ways to Resist Gring Culture. Chronicle Books, San Francisco, CA.
