Will Gourley Advocacy for change, Challenging Topics, General, Special Education

Decline(d)

https://pixabay.com/en/fracture-bone-xray-skeleton-2333164/ by Taokinesis
https://pixabay.com/en/fracture-bone-xray-skeleton-2333164/ by Taokinesis

Have you ever heard of a child breaking a limb only to have medical treatment declined by their parents/guardians because they didn’t want anyone to know the extent of the injuries? Of course not. There’d be a rush to the hospital and a cast applied within hours.

I’ve rarely, if ever, known of anyone to refuse medical care for their child. Religious choices aside, it is impossible to think of a time when medical treatment should ever be withheld or denied. In fact, child services might be called in to ensure an injured child is receiving proper care – if it ever was the case. We have seen this occasionally played out in the court system.

Yet, in our schools a parallel situation is happening year after year. Students are identified with academic or psychological needs which affect their education, emotional well being, and long term mental health only to have offers of support declined, ignored, or attacked.

Optional Support

Is there a stigma in the minds of some about an educational identification that is at the root of learners not getting the support that they need? Does access to Special Education support and resources fall into the optional only category at the peril and loss of our students? I wonder how education at all levels can change the perceptions around identifying students, their needs, and the importance that education plays in supporting them? Have you encountered this? I have.

Many who serve as SERTs/admin have worked alongside school staff to identify students at risk and proposed solid plans of action to help, only to have them abruptly halted/refused without consideration of the detriment it will have on the child. Thus leaving another learner unidentified and under-supported. How can we let students slip through the cracks based on the belief that they should be able to grow out of it or that there identification is perceived as a social shame or dirty secret? Why do people take exception to receiving support for exceptionalities?

A number of recent conversations with colleagues have all seemed to reflect on how some of our students still struggle. A common thread here being a reluctance to formally identify any academic or behavioural issues. To me it feels like put a bandaid on a compound fracture. As long as it’s kept covered up, it doesn’t exist despite the discomfort, quite convinced that it will get better on its own.

After 9 months of growth plans, ISTs, academic testing, IEPs, IPRCS, and countless meetings; many are working feverishly to support at risk learners for a successful start in September. Is there something else we can do? Are there any magic words that can convice a family that we are working hard to help their child succeed? I wonder how we can collectively share, support, and encourage one another in our practice and through professional conversations that will continue fighting for our students. If you have any stories and successful strategies to share please share them in the comments section below.  Wishing you all of the best of life’s breaks.

 

 

Will Gourley Challenging Topics, General, Resilience

Defy-ns

https://pixabay.com/en/one-way-street-decisions-opportunity-1991865/ CC0
https://pixabay.com/en/one-way-street-decisions-opportunity-1991865/ CC0

no
nah
nope
never
not yet
not today
no thank you
not acceptable

I’ve used all of the above.

Postive and negative language flows like freeways in education.
Yet, many of us drive like we are on one way streets?

Consider the interactions below that evoked the responses above;

S: Do we have to hand our tests in if we need more time to complete it?
T: No. Extra time can be added to help you finish without feeling rushed.

S: Do we need to work with the same people on this project?
T: Nah. Work with who works best with you on this one.

S: Do we have any homework over the March Break?
T: Nope. Take some time to enjoy a rest.

S: Why do I always struggle to understand Math? I will never get it.
T: Not yet. Your struggle does not mean you won’t ever understand Math. Keep asking questions and practising problem solving. You will make progress.

S: Can we do a worksheet?
T: Not today.

S1: Thank you for letting us discuss what happened outside.
S2: Thank you for letting us do our presentations over again.
T: No. Thank you. I appreciate your honesty and kind words.

T: Is this your best work?
S: No. I think I’d like to change a couple of things, but I need to hand it in or it will be late.
T: Sorry, not acceptable. Take an extra period/recess/evening to work on it so you will be one hundred percent happy with your work. It will be worth the wait.
S: Thank you.
T: No. Thank you.

For many of our students the kindest words they will hear all day will come at school. The power to alter the expectations and narratives of our learners is at the tip of our tongues.

I hope that you will all have a chance to be defiant in the way you use traditionally negative language in your classrooms. Please take the time to share your thoughts in the comment section. Thank you for reading.

 

Will Gourley Assessment, Celebrating Success, Challenging Topics, Constant Learning, Differentiated Instruction, Feedback, General, Modern Learning, Resilience, wellness

Do-over day

https://www.flickr.com/photos/42931449@N07/5263539723
https://www.flickr.com/photos/42931449@N07/5263539723

Have you ever wished that you could do something over again to make it better?
In education, this could be everyday, every week, every month, and every year in our classrooms. If we let it.

Have you ever taught a lesson more than once in order to ensure your students understood and could master the concept(s)? What, you’ve done this over and over!? You don’t say?

This happens more often than all of us think and that’s okay. I learnt very quickly in my career that last year’s grand slam lessons do not always guarantee success when used in the years to come. Hence the need for the do-over, or reinvention in order to revive or re-invigorate what we teach.

What about a retest? A few years ago, I completely misread my students’ progress on a Math strand and the results were glaringly obvious that I failed them. After an open discussion about the daunting unit, I had students take their tests, crumple them up, and throw them around the classroom. It was like a giant breath of fresh air had blown into the room as everyone exhaled.

We restarted the unit from ground zero and had a “do-over day” a couple of weeks later with much improved results. As a result, our class grew closer as a learning community. Students knew that I had their best interests at heart and that learning in our class did not come with an expiry date as laid out in dusty long range plans. After all the curriculum says, “by the end of each grade…” and not immediately after an assessment of learning.

Recently, my students were preparing to share a series of movie trailers they created about the book Loser by Jerry Spinelli. Each group, of 2 or 3, was asked to pull key elements from the text and to present them in the form of a live drama or digital version.

After much planning, production, and practice, the big day arrived for everyone to share their work. Not surprisingly, there were a number of interpretations of the text being shared and the trailers were being presented and screened. And then it happened.

Whether it was nerves or a case of over-preparation(I think it’s a thing), the majority of presentations shared were not the shiniest outputs from this group. Cue the do-overs. When I suggested this, the students seemed generally wary about it, but I was serious. With some descriptive class feedback, we started over again with much more positive results.

Now think about your classroom? Is there room for the do-over within your walls and halls? Imagine the opportunity to reinforce the idea that failure can still be a positive result when it is used as a stop along the way rather than the final destination to success. I believe that the more we build this into our pedagogy, the more our students will be willing to take chances, make mistakes, and move forward.

Thank you for reading. Please share your “do-over” stories in the comments section below.

Arianna Lambert Challenging Topics, Equity, Inspiring Students, Inspiring Teachers, The Arts

Music & Identity

This past week, I had the opportunity to be interviewed by Noa Daniel for the Personal Playlist Podcast on VoicEd. I was asked to identify 3 songs to share: one that held a nostalgic value; one that gave a sense of identity; and one that motivates me. Even though Noa was kind enough to give me a lot of notice, it was difficult for me to find the right songs. When I did, it was amazing how they spoke to different aspect of me and had me thinking about how music is such a powerful tool for allowing us to be able to express our identities and sometimes say things that we have difficulty expressing. I started wondering how something like this might impact my students.

This year, our school was selected to participate in tdsbCREATES which is a program that connects local artists to classrooms in our board in order to shine a light on the Arts and careers in the Arts. Our Artist is a musician who has worked with schools to create the 10-minute musical. This year’s theme is Narratives of NOW – it’s about you, it’s about the world, it’s about time! Immediately, I thought about current issues in the world around us and how students have been speaking up to be able to create change. I also thought about the fact that change usually comes when we identify with a specific issue and so we have started to look at identity and how we might be able to use music to express our own identities and in our understanding of others around us. Today, students had the chance to use a Padlet to be able to add their thoughts on identity after having some time to consider for themselves by making notes in their journals. Many students said that identity is something that we can’t change and is a part of us and that our identities are what makes us unique. They determined that parts of your identity could be based on gender, sexual orientation, race, background, religion and family status. We came to the conclusion that there are many facets to our identities and that there are no two people that can have exact identities because they may also be impacted by lived experiences. It was such a deep discussion and sadly, we had to cut it short for recess.

Thinking about the work that we are about to do with our artist and my recent experience with Noa, my next step might be to get students to consider a song that speaks to their identity and to share the lyrics with us. I think we’ve gotten to the point in our class where we have a sense of respect for one another so that the sharing of songs may be valued and may help us to grow in our understanding of one another. I would be interested in seeing what songs resonate with them and the reasons why. I would also be interested in unpacking the lyrics – considering we will be writing our own for our musical – and seeing how lyrics to a song speak specifically to areas of identity.

I always feel as though I end my blog posts asking you to stay tuned but please do! Next month we will be getting deep into our tdsbCREATES project and I will be blogging about our progress.

Interested in hearing my personal playlist? Check it out this Monday, April 2nd, 2018 at 8:00am and at 7:30pm.

Screenshot 2018-03-29 at 4.27.28 PM

Deb Weston Challenging Topics, General, Health & Safety, Learning About Your Students, Making a Difference Through Education, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Resilience, wellness

Building Self Care and Resiliency for Educators

120701_133238-Bronte_Great_White_Oak_Tree

Road rerouted to preserve 250 year old Bronte White Oak Tree 

“The strongest oak of the forest is not the one that is protected from the storm and hidden from the sun. It is the one that stands in the open, where it is compelled to struggle for its existence against the winds and rains and the scorching sun.” Napoleon Hill (1883–1970)

Building Self Care and Resiliency for Educators

As educators, we deal with students and colleague who are under stress. As educators, we are at risk of being physically, mentally, and/or emotionally worn out due to our role as caregivers to our students. This feeling of being worn out can be referred to as compassion fatigue or secondary traumatic stress (Figley, 1995). Charles Figley states that “there is a cost to caring.”

The best way to deal with and limit compassion fatigue is through early recognition and self awareness.

A. Tips for Educators

(adapted from Charles Figley, 1995)

1. Be aware of the signs of compassion fatigue

  • increased irritability or impatience with students
  • difficulty planning classroom activities and lessons, decreased concentration
  • feeling numb or detached from students’ challenges
  • increased feelings and intrusive thoughts about school or dreams about challenges in school

2. Reach out for support – Don’t go it alone

  • isolation can impact ability to cope
  • get support from colleagues or your school teams
  • ask for support from administration

3. Recognize compassion fatigue as an occupational hazard

  • when educators open their hearts and ears to students’ trauma, compassion fatigue can occur
  • having a strong reaction to student trauma is not a sign of weakness or incompetence but instead it is means you care … it is the cost of caring

4. Seek help with your own trauma by seeking support for self

  • educators’ unresolved issues can put them at more risk of compassion fatigue or stress
  • seeking support for self can help educators deal with limiting compassion fatigue or stress

5. Attend to self care

  • self care is an effective way to guard against burn out from compassion fatigue or stress
  • self care helps educators deal with challenging workplace stress
  • key self care strategies include eating well, sleeping well, exercising, taking a break during the workday, taking time to self-reflect, making time to de-stress
  • know your triggers for stress

B. Stress management: Know your triggers/stressors

In order to manage stress better, you need to know your stressors or triggers. (Adapted from Mayo Clinic Staff, n.d.)

Main types of stress: Stress is your body’s reaction to the demands of work and life. Stressors are events or conditions in your surroundings that may trigger stress. Your body responds to stressors differently depending on whether the stressor is new or short term (Acute stress) or whether the stressor has been around for a longer time (Chronic stress).

Acute stress: Also known as the fight-or-flight response, acute stress is your body’s immediate reaction to a perceived threat, challenge or scare. The acute-stress response is immediate and intense, and in certain circumstances it can be thrilling. Examples of acute stressors include having a job interview or getting a speeding ticket.
A single episode of acute stress generally doesn’t cause problems for healthy people. However, severe acute stress can cause mental health problems — such as post-traumatic stress disorder. It can also cause physical difficulties such as tension headaches, stomach problems or serious health issues — such as a heart attack.

Chronic stress: Mild acute stress can actually be beneficial — it can spur you into action, motivate and energize you. The problem occurs when stressors pile up and stick around. This persistent stress can lead to health problems, such as headaches and insomnia. The chronic-stress response is more subtle than is the acute-stress response, but the effects may be longer lasting and more problematic.

Effective stress management involves identifying and managing both acute and chronic stress. Check out developing a self care plan below!

C. Build Resiliency

(Adapted from CAMH Resiliency & Short Term Self Care, n.d. )

Resilience is frequently described as the capacity to thrive and fulfill one’s potential despite (or perhaps because of) stressful circumstances. All of us are resilient in one way or another, but some people seem to be more resilient. These people are inclined to see challenges as learning opportunities which can result in healthy emotional growth and development.

Factors that are characteristic of resilient people include:

  • a sense of closeness and connectedness to others
  • strong, dependable support from at least one significant other in their lives
  • attention to their own personal health and well-being
  • high self-esteem, a strong sense of personal identity
  • a sense of humor can help you overlook the unattractive, tolerate the unpleasant, cope with the unexpected and smile through the unbearable.
  • a realistic and balanced awareness of their strengths and limitations
  • the ability to be assertive and emotionally tough when necessary, but also sensitive and compassionate
  • a playful, lighthearted approach to life
  • a sense of direction and purpose in life
  • the ability to turn difficult experiences into valuable learning opportunities
  • the capacity to pick themselves up, shake themselves off and keep moving forward after traumatic and upsetting situations
  • the ability to adapt to and live comfortably with uncertainty and unpredictability
  • the ability to laugh at themselves. Resilient people do not “sweat the small stuff.”

 D. Short-term Strategies: Putting on the brakes to relieve stress

Short-term strategies that help ease anxiety are unique to each person. List the quick wins that might be most helpful for you, and add to your list when something comes up that you find pleasant or re-energizing.

Here are some simple ways to relieve stress that I use:

Tweet more at #EdStressReliever

  • eat your lunch away from your classroom or workspace
  • talk to a colleague
  • help a colleague
  • tell a joke
  • take a walk
  • ask for help
  • ask for advice
  • stretch
  • 4-7-8 breathing 4 in-7 hold-8 out
  • bake something and share it with colleagues
  • make jam
  • practice kindness for colleagues – do something kind for a colleague to make their day better

 E. Making it Personal

Here are some quizzes you can do to help you know yourself and how you deal with stress!

Self Assessment for Stress and Burnout

“How Resilient Are You?” by A. Siebert (resiliencycenter.com)

“The Resiliency Quiz” by N. Henderson (resiliency.com/htm/resiliencyquiz.htm)

Making a self care plan that works for me

Write down strategies you use to relieve stress in your life. Self care is not just about the self, self care means looking out for other people who work with educators.

F. Connecting self care and Resiliency …

Ontario College of Teacher (OCT) Standards of Practice and Ontario Institute for Education Leadership (OLF)

Connect to OCT Standards of Practice and OLF

As educators we do more than “just teach”, we care for our students and our colleagues. Teaching is about relationships and caring. I became a teacher to make the world a better place one student at a time and one day at a time.

Be good to yourself so you can be there for your students. Be an oak tree!

Collaboratively Yours,

Deb Weston

References

Figley, C. R. (1995). Compassion fatigue: Secondary traumatic stress disorders from treating the traumatized. New York: Brunner/Mazel, 7.

Mayo Clinic Staff, (n.d.) Stress management: Know your triggers  http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-management/art-20044151

O’Grady, C. P., & Skinner, J. W., (2007) MSCAMH A Family Guide to Concurrent Disorders (CAMH Resiliency & Short Term Self Care) Downloaded from  http://www.camh.ca/en/hospital/health_information/a_z_mental_health_and_addiction_information/concurrent_disorders/a_family_guide_to_concurrent_disorders/selfcare/Pages/shortterm_selfcare.aspx

Stress Cat (n.d.) http://www.lessons4living.com/stresscat.htm

Arianna Lambert Building Inclusion, Challenging Topics, Equity, Learning in a Real Life Context, Making a Difference Through Education, Social Justice

Moving Beyond “Cultural Months”

I don’t mean to be flippant but I’m sometimes leary when we have a month to celebrate a particular racialized group. What happens to their history or their identities during the rest of the year? I recently saw this post on Twitter and it got me thinking – how do we ensure that we go beyond these months and into a deeper desire for ourselves as educators and our students to value the diversity that exists in our classrooms?

Screenshot 2018-01-28 at 5.15.07 PM

Checking Our Bias

In our board, we have had many conversations around bias and equity. How are we moving from conversations and into action? In what ways are we really ensuring more equitable outcomes for our students and colleagues who are racialized? We all have bias and privilege to one degree or another. When we acknowledge our bias and privilege and are conscious of it in the spaces in which we exist, we are better equipped to extend equity and honour the experiences of others. In doing so consistently, we become those who seek out and foster ways in which to level playing field for others. What is your bias? What are your thoughts about the students that you serve? How does your bias impact the way in which you serve your students?

Courageous Classroom Conversations

Over the past few years of teaching, I’ve realized to a greater degree, the value in having conversations about the world around us with students. Earlier on in the year, we had conversations around Colin Kaepernick and other NFL players taking a knee. I had a colleague who was shocked that I was talking about it in the classroom. We have to remember that our students are living in and experiencing the same world that we are. They are keenly observing and are not oblivious to what is going on. Shouldn’t they have a space to engage in conversations about what is happening, not from a stance of judgement but of fact finding and meaningful sharing about its impact on them and the communities in which we live? By shying away from these conversations, we do a disservice to our students because that is what is real and authentic in our world and they need the opportunity to understand, discuss and determine ways in which they are able to navigate these situations in the hopes of bringing about a different tomorrow. This too is a part of education

Meeting The Needs Of Our Students Based On Their Realities

Shaughnessy is the 5th school that I have had the privilege of teaching at here in Toronto. Each school has had a different community and it’s been exciting to get to know and understand who my students and their families are. When we take the time to find out what is of value to our students and our community and teach from there, we truly start to meet the needs of our students. High expectations with lessons that are authentic and are based on the interest of our students increases engagement and allows for our students to make connections to the curriculum that are meaningful and relevant. This is what gives them greater opportunity to flourish based on who they are. We all want greater student success, why not find out what is meaningful to our students and work from there to ensure that they are represented in our lessons, tasks and classrooms?

Special months are great for celebrations of cultures but as this Tweet reminds us, let’s consider ways in which to go beyond a particular monthly celebration and make sure that our diverse identities are celebrated throughout the year.

Will Gourley Challenging Topics, Classroom Management, General, Making a Difference Through Education, Mental Health

The detour

MUTCD_M4-9bR.svgWanderers, tourists, sight seers, visitors, escape artists, runners…”Hey!” this teacher asks, with a smile, “See any cool artwork today?” or maybe the exchanges are in passing such as,  “How are you? How’s your day going?” However, what rarely gets asked is, “Aren’t you supposed to be in class right now?”

Have you ever observed a student or few who seem to be conspicuously far away from their usual classroom or floor? Have you ever watched them take the long way around the school to complete an errand? How about the students who take the time to ponder every single art exhibition or piece of student work in the hallways? Not surprisingly, these are the same students who are frequently found quenching their thirsts at the farthest drinking fountains or outside of their friend’s classes waving as well.

At first, I paid little attention to moments like these. Perhaps those students were delivering messages to the office or helping another teacher? Of course it’s a possibility, but I was able to discern the difference quite quickly when the students being observed were empty handed, on the opposite side of the school building relative to the office, and not in possession of a good reason for being in that particular space and time. I have to empathize with students like this. That was me too. I used to take lots of notes to the office for my teachers. I wonder if those notes said, “Please keep William busy for a few minutes and then send him back. Thank you.”?

The Thinking Lap

Maybe the students that I’m seeing are taking a lap to think? Most times I use this option as a means to support anxious, stressed, and or physically active learners. A walkabout is an excellent mental health strategy for all of us, but then I started to see some patterns that piqued my attention. The students who I was regularly seeing in the hallways, were showing up at around the same times each day? Was there something going on that they needed to get out of class at the same time each day? It was then that I began to see this through a different lens.

In my role as SERT, I provide resource support in a number of classes throughout the school. Recently, I observed a student from the intermediate panel at a water fountain on a different floor about 30 minutes into the first period of the day. Harmless enough in itself, but what struck me about all of this was the fact that the student would have had to pass at least 2 other fountains along the way. 45 minutes later they were skipping down an empty hall during class to their locker. 30 minutes after that, back at the faraway fountain. I smiled, said hello, and went about my morning.

Perhaps they are enjoying an extended walk to work out some stress? If so, what are the underlying factors that explain this student’s to need be out of class so often? Could all of their self-navigated detours be coincidence? Barring medical issues, this is less likely to be believable based on frequency and time of day. What’s worth noting as well, are the other students who might be taking their own detours around the school.

3 Questions and 3 Answers

Q1. Would these students like to have someone to walk alongside and listen?
Q2. How many others feel like doing the same, but don’t act on it?
Q3. How can wonderlust be infused into these learners’ days to go with their wanderlust?

A1. It depends on whether they will be heard or given a hard time for being in the wrong place at the wrong time without any understanding by others.
A2. If there is one, there are others. Albeit subtle, shifting, shuffling, and staring into space are good indicators to teachers that students need a break.
A3. Throw the map away sometimes. Keeping the learning space, active, challenged, and engaged is often a trip to an undiscovered land. It is an act of re-invention and creativity that takes practice, patience, and persistence. Don’t be afraid to change directions by throwing in detours of your own.

Thank you for reading this post. Please take time to comment and share to keep the conversation going. Enjoy your detours.

 

Will Gourley Challenging Topics, Constant Learning, Differentiated Instruction, General, Making a Difference Through Education, Modern Learning, self reflection

The drive

Hands up if you’ve ever wondered what goes on in the minds of the drivers on the road around you?

Recent commutes to school and to shopping feel more like scenes out of a Mad Max movie, except with snow storms instead of sand storms. Vehicles speeding, tailgating, weaving, cutting one another off, and then there were some drivers who provided visual proof that not all birds have flown south this winter. However, none of this reflects anything close to the spirit of kindness and giving this season is supposed to celebrate.

Lately, a combination of work-life/Geo-political stress, an over-abundance of festivities/holiday cheeriness, and wintry weather have made people significantly more interesting. And by interesting, I mean disagreeable, distracted and sometimes dangerous. Being easily distracted myself, I started thinking about self-driving cars and how an autonomous vehicle would handle this time of year?¹

Then came a realization that our current cohort of elementary students could be among the first to have self-driving cars by the time they get their driver’s licences. Will this be a good thing or will a Neo-Luddite backlash prevent this particular advancement in technology from coming? What about education? Could classrooms become more autonomous too?

Why hasn’t all of this happened sooner when it could be better and safer for everyone? Are there Edu-Luddites at work trying to preserve exhausted and traditional systems? As education ploughs into this century, will it keep pace with a modern world that is changing at the speed of learning? Will broke down dogmas of teach, test, report, and repeat finally be traded-in, repaired, or left on the side of the road? Is this why NASCAR is so popular?

Getting somewhere

Speaking of NASCAR, I wondered whether everyone travelling at the same rate was a good idea. Did you know there is something called a restrictor-plate? Isn’t that what’s happening in our classrooms already? Students race through their learning based on birth years, circling the track over and over until all of their age appropriate laps are completed, and then they’re towed or driven off at the end of Grade 12.

But what if they need to stop along the way? Are there pit-stops/provisions in place to support students who do not fit the factory learning model or who prefer a different pace? I get that special and alternative education options are already available, but what if more students need them and they are not available? Think of a racer who needs tires and gas at a pit-stop, but only being able to choose one. It’s only a matter of time before frustration and failure become the outcomes.

In my next post I want to continue driving home this theme, but will shift gears to consider where we and our students are heading. Please read my companion piece The destination to continue the journey.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Please share and take time to comment.

1. Did you know that Tesla’s autonomous vehicles are logging over a million miles of data per day?

Michelle Fenn Challenging Topics, Classroom Management, Constant Learning, Equity, General, Inspiring Teachers, Mindfulness, Occasional Teachers, Occasional Teaching, Planning, Professional Judgement, self reflection, solidarity, Wellness

Occasional Teachers; Unsung Heroes

Unfortunately, I have had many health challenges this year that have necessitated having to take a significant amount of time off of work to recuperate.  These absences have provided me time to reflect on my practice as a classroom teacher and about how important occasional teachers are in our practice.  I had the pleasure of working in our local ETFO office as a released officer for 3 years alongside the incredible Marsha Jones, Occasional Teacher President extraordinaire.  She taught me a lot about Occasional Teachers, the obstacles they face and the little things that I could do to make their days go easier.  I thought I would share a few of my insights.

Occasional Teachers that come to our school like to return because of the friendly atmosphere.  In the staff room, they are included in our “tea days”, people engage them in conversation and always ask how they can be of help.  It sounds like a simple thing, but many of the Occasional Teachers that come to our school comment on our friendly staff.  So the next time you see an Occasional Teacher in your school, smile and say hello and ask them how their day is going.

Do NOT ask an Occasional Teacher “who” they are for the day.  What an insult!  You can ask who they are in for, who they are helping out, who they are rescuing or replacing, but they are themselves each and every day they come to work.  We should appreciate the fact that we have access to qualified teachers to replace us for the day so that we can take sick days when we need them or go to conferences for professional learning.

Speaking of insults, please try not to call Occasional Teachers “substitute” or “supply” teachers.  We rely on these colleagues. “Occasional Teacher” is their job title.  Be respectful of it; we rely on them.

Remember to have a few days of “emergency” plans in advance of your absence.  It takes the edge of having to type up plans in between trips to the washroom when you have the flu.  Leave them in a place that is easy for the Occasional Teacher to find.  This makes your life easier too.

If you generally have an active classroom that engages in centres, activities etc., then TRUST your Occasional Teacher and leave plans that include those lessons.  Chances are your students know how this stuff runs and will let the Teacher know.  It may mean giving up a bit of control; deal with it.  If you leave all day seat work that you’ve photocopied or a movie that isn’t connected to anything that they are doing in the classroom, it will not be enjoyable for the students and likely your Occasional Teacher will have more behaviour issues.  Consequently, you will not get the quality of work that you normally see from your students. Don’t have huge expectations.  No matter how wonderful the Occasional Teacher may be, they are not you and the students know that.  We also need to remember to trust the judgment of an Occasional Teacher.  I’ve heard it and I’ve said it; “The ‘supply’ didn’t follow my day plan. I worked for hours on that detailed plan.”  We don’t know what kind of a day that teacher had with our students.  They may have experienced a lockdown, fire drill, class evacuation, pizza money, scholastic money, a student injury or even a skating field trip.  (My sincere thanks to Occasional Teacher Rachel Johnston on that one!)  We need to remember that they are qualified teachers and they have the right to exercise their professional judgment in order to keep the class calm and engaged.  Let them do their job and thank them for it.

I write my day plans on my computer for myself each week.  This makes writing a day plan for the Occasional Teacher much easier.  I have all of my emergency information, how to deal with specific students, who to count on and the general rules and routines in a separate document to attach to daily plans.  I always attach a class list.  Try to keep your plans as close to the regular routine as possible.  If I am going to be away for a meeting I will try to find out who will be replacing me for the day and I email them the plans in advance and ask if they have any questions.  I include my cell phone number in case they can’t find a password or an item and few of them ever use it but if they do then I know that they care about my students and the plans that I have left for them.

Finally, show your gratitude.  Some Occasional Teachers drive an hour to get to our school and in bad weather.  Some are called at the very last minute, through traffic, to an unfamiliar school using GPS.  Their mornings are often stressful before they even arrive on site.  So when an Occasional Teacher has done a great job and your classroom is still standing when you go in the next day, write a quick email and say thank you. Occasional Teaching is often a thankless job but we can’t be sick without these wonderful people.

 

Michelle Fenn Challenging Topics, Classroom Management, Communication Tools, Communication with Parents and Guardians, Diverse Learning Needs, General, Mindfulness, Professional Judgement, Resilience, self reflection

The Conundrum of Parent Communication

4 years ago I discovered the app Seesaw which is a digital portfolio for students but way more.  Recently it also added a direct parent communication piece which I absolutely love and I can also post announcements all at once to parents or just to a few by the click of a button.  The best thing about the app for me is that the students can upload their own work and comment on it and I can provide feedback.  I approve everything before it goes on the site. Parents LOVE it.  For me, it does everything that I need a communication app to do.  So what’s the issue?

3 years ago our school board got a contract with Edsby. I understand that as a school board it is accessible in many ways for all teachers.  There is system information that is on the site that can be accessed from anywhere.  There is a platform for staff room chat and places to post things on calendar etc.,  However I do not find that it is friendly for teachers nor students to use.  The mobile app is glitchy and I get frustrated at the stream of conversations that don’t seem to match up.   I have been told by our administration that we have to use it to communicate with parents.  All but two of my parents have signed up for Seesaw (internet access issues) and only a quarter have signed up for Edsby.  I don’t know why exactly, but I can only assume that they don’t find it as friendly to use.  I do paper copies for major announcements to ensure that everyone gets those in one way or another.  I use Edsby to comply to my school board’s request and I’m doubling my work in the meantime.

When I first began teaching it was a big deal to have a “monthly” newsletter and calendar of events go home to parents. Principals wanted to see copies and approve them before they went home.  Now we are in constant communication with parents and we are being told exactly what platform we are supposed to be using in order to do it.  There is a huge workload issue in parent communication and it creeps up on us daily.  With an increase in high needs students that deal with behavioural or mental health issues teachers are expected to communicate on a daily basis in a communication book with their families.  While I understand the need for documentation for myself and for the parents, the expectation is overwhelming.  I am fortunate this year that I have my preparation time at the end of the day and I can take the time to communicate with parents.  However, I don’t get to use my prep time for lesson preparation.  I don’t know what the answer is here.  I’m going to continue to use my professional judgement about how I communicate with parents however, hopefully this post will begin a discussion about communication overload.  I’m open for suggestions on how others are able to manage!