Iyanuoluwa Akinrinola Advocacy for change, Anti-Racism, Building Inclusion, Curriculum Planning, Equity, General, Inclusion, Inspiring Students, Inspiring Teachers, Social Justice, Teaching as a public profession

Schooling or Learning?

For many, when presented with both, schooling is the same as learning, and learning seems to be something that only occurs in schools. Is this the case, however?

At ETFO’s Public Symposium titled ‘Generation Black: You’re Next!’,  Dr. Carl James highlighted why educators must pause and reflect on the similarities and differences between these two concepts. 

What is schooling? According to Oxford Learner’s Dictionary (2022), schooling is defined as “the education you receive at school”. When cross-referenced with various dictionaries (Marriam-Webster, Collins, and Cambridge dictionaries), they all provide the same definition – education received at an institution, whether at a primary, secondary, or tertiary level. 

Learning, however, is not as straightforward in its definition. Going back to Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, learning is given different definitions within various contexts. According to all the dictionaries mentioned above, learning is a process that occurs in multi-settings in multiple ways, beginning when an individual is born. 

“For educators, the ability to teach is a privilege, but in a broader sense, it is a privilege that runs parallel to the responsibility of teaching relative to the complete history of ideas and events that have shaped and continue to shape human growth and development” (Dei, Karumanchery, & Karumanchery-Luikb, 2004). 

Since learning is a continuous process, and schooling is one of the environments in which learning occurs, how can we, as educators, ensure that learning is facilitated meaningfully within the school environment?

Planning Matters:

In 2020, the Ontario Black History Society examined a Grade 8 history textbook and ‘blacked out‘ any information that did not mention or acknowledge Black people in Canada. Of the 255 pages of information, only 13 pages remained. Indigenous sovereignty, economics, and culture are rarely explored in the K-12 curriculum. Thus, students absorb this information, effectively being erased within their learning, and are expected to repeat this narrative in everyday Canadian contexts as acceptable discourse within society. The impact and contributions of people within the 2SLGBTQ+ community and other cultural communities are erased from ‘settler’ rhetoric and in curriculum/resources used to direct learning. Thus, students absorb this information, effectively being erased within their learning, and are expected to repeat this narrative in everyday Canadian contexts as acceptable discourse within society.

Breaking the cycle of erasure and omission within the classroom is linked to the planning stage. Before planning, take the time to know your learners. Become familiar with the communities in which they live. Foster a classroom environment wherein their experiences inside and outside of the classroom are valued and can be welcomed in their learning space. Cultivate incorporating student input, perspectives, ideas, and resources into Unit and Lesson planning. Develop connections with community members and partners inside and outside the school that can broaden your familiarity with resources that reflect the society in which we live. Approach your planning intentionally, using an anti-racist, anti-oppressive lens, which creates a window for your students to engage with often omitted members of their society and a mirror whereby they see themselves reflected in their learning.

Representation Matters:

“Dialogue is the encounter between men, mediated by the world, in order to name the world. Hence, dialogue cannot occur between those who want to name the world and those who do not wish this naming—between those who deny others the right to speak their word and those whose right to speak has been denied them. Those who have been denied their primordial right to speak their word must first reclaim this right and prevent the continuation of this dehumanizing aggression” (Friere, 2005. p. 88).

In short, representation matters. Recentering multi-representation in learning is one of the vehicles for transformative change that can begin to shine a light on learning our whole in constructive ways.

  • Think about the resources you use and share with your class. Who is reflected? Who is erased? Who is tokenized? Who is omitted?
  • Reflect on your interactions with parents, guardians and members of your school community? Who is made to feel welcome? Who is kept at arm’s length? Whose experiences are valued? Whose experiences are often invalidated?
  • Conduct an inventory of your learning and resource plans. Are you ensuring that your plans reflect the learners in your classroom? How have you challenged yourself to plan and facilitate learning from a social justice, equity, and inclusive lens? Have you included your learners’ interests, backgrounds, and experiences as integral to planning and lesson facilitation?

Assessment Matters:

As stated in the Growing Success policy document put forth by the Ontario Ministry of Education regarding authentic assessment, “Our challenge is that every student is unique, and each must have opportunities to achieve success according to his or her own interests, abilities, and goals” (Ontario Ministry of Education Growing Success, 2010).

Assessment and Evaluation practices in Growing Success (2010) state that “the seven fundamental principles lay the foundation for rich and challenging practice. When these principles are accepted, implemented, utilized, and observed by all teachers, assessment becomes a tool for collecting meaningful information that will help inform instructional decisions, promote student engagement, foster meaningful demonstration of student understanding, and improve student learning overall.

 

References:

Dei, G. J. S., Karumanchery, L. L., & Karumanchery-Luikb, N. (2004). Chapter Seven: Weaving the Tapestry: Anti-Racism Theory and Practice. Counterpoints,244, 147–164. http://www.jstor.org/stable/42979563

Freire, P. (2005). Pedagogy of the Oppressed: 30th Edition (M. B. Ramos, Trans.). The Continuum International Publishing Group Inc. (Original work published 1921).

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2010). Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Ontario Schools. Retrieved from https://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/growSuccess.pdf

Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries. (2022). Learning. Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries.
Retrieved from https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/.

Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries. (2022). Schooling. Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries.
Retrieved from https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/.

Colleen Elep Curriculum Planning, General, Social Justice

Why Representation Matters in Your Teaching Practice

Growing in Ontario as a second generation Filipino largely involved learning someone else’s histories and stories – voyageurs, cowboys, settlers, fur traders, and a whole slew of white protagonists. I didn’t know that I was missing any perspectives, and happily read my way through Shakespeare, Salinger and Austen, dreaming of studying English literature in university.

When I started teaching, I dutifully used whatever resources were provided, excitedly poring over the details of England’s glorious wars and conquests. I genuinely believed I was sharing alternative perspectives through ‘multicultural’ or ‘social justice’ texts written by white authors. I firmly subscribed to the idea that creative works of fiction could be viewed separately from an author’s lived experience, and that a text did not need to be questioned if it contained all the elements of ‘good’ storytelling.

Despite my best efforts to serve my diverse group of students, I was ultimately serving up the same perspective and worldview I had been raised with: Euro-centric, Western, and woefully one-sided.

Like many other educators over the last 5-10 years, I felt the need to decolonize my work and critically reflect on my own perspective. And while I am still largely on a journey to understand my own complex relationship with Canada and my family’s cultural ancestry, I am certain that we have the capacity and resources to ensure that the students we teach don’t have to be instilled with a worldview that undermines their own sense of identity by ignoring and devaluing their cultural assets.

Use Culturally Responsive Resources

Representation matters. When you don’t see yourself represented in the media you consume or what you learn in school, you can feel alienated from your own community or surroundings. Seeing yourself and your culture in what you learn is engaging, empowering and exciting.

Teachers today likely have access to the most diverse range of authors and stories in the history of publishing. Black, Indigenous, East Asian, South Asian, Latinx, Southeast Asian and 2SLGBTQ+ authors are writing some incredible books for kids and young adults. And no, you don’t have to read every young adult novel or picture book that hits the shelves of your local bookstore: ask the library resource, support staff or consultant in your school or board to suggest some titles, and divide the reading up with your teaching team. Build literature circles or reading units with the titles that reflect the range of identities of the students in your classroom, co-planning and co-teaching as much as possible to save time and energy.

Beyond language arts, there are so many ways to make your programming more culturally responsive and representative of the students you teach. Incorporate the voices and histories of different communities in your social studies, history, or geography teaching. Make independent research and inquiry a regular practice, scaffolding learning by providing prompts or ideas that encourage learners to discover different perspectives and to consume historical and social discourses critically.

If the class or classes you teach is monocultural, students will still benefit from learning diverse perspectives and narratives. Such texts can dispel stereotypes, enable students to develop a more balanced perspective of society, or spark interest and engagement.

Change Isn’t Easy

Doing the work of disrupting the way you teach is not easy and will certainly not happen overnight. It is easy to get triggered by ideas and perspectives that don’t align with the worldview you have held for much of your life. And it can feel onerous to invest time and energy into changing your program. So start with small changes: a new text or approach to assessment, tweaking your discussion questions to provoke a more critical discussion, or connect with other teachers that are intentionally changing their programming to be anti-racist and anti-oppressive.

The effort you place into making today’s learning environment a more inclusive place will pay off when you see students feeling seen, engaged and connected to the place they learn.

grey squares spelling out the word "Welcome" on a red background.
Colleen Elep General

4 Ways to Welcome Students from Refugee Situations

Students that come from refugee situations are a unique group that differ from other newcomer students. Some may have fled their homes due to persecution and war. Others have endured long journeys through different countries, often without a clear destination. Some may have witnessed acts of violence against families and loved ones, or have been victims of abuse and torture. Many have experienced significant lapses in formal education.

Like other newcomer students, students from refugee situations will be experiencing the stressors of adjusting to a new country,  a new school, and learning a new language. Their families may also face systemic barriers like discrimination, Islamophobia and anti-Black racism.

It’s important for teachers to keep in mind that they already possess many teaching skills and strategies that will help these students feel safe and thrive in a new environment.

Let’s explore some ways teachers and staff can welcome and support students from refugee situations.

Learn the Background of the Student

When teachers know the backgrounds of newcomer students in their classes, they can determine appropriate program adaptations, understand their student’s unique circumstances,  and be better prepared to provide trauma-informed pedagogy if required.

What is the best way to get to know a newcomer student? If your board has an intake and initial assessment process, read through the report to get a sense of their background and a snapshot of their language, literacy and numeracy skills.

During class, ask the student to show you the places they have been on a map, or to show photos of their home country or city, using a translation tool if needed.

Invite students’ families to the schools and, if needed, enlist an interpreter to facilitate the meeting. Use the meeting as an opportunity to answer questions the family has about the school and education system in Ontario, and ask questions about their child’s educational background, interests, goals, and what language(s) they speak at home.

Support Learning Across Languages

Newcomer students with refugee backgrounds are often multilingual, arriving in Canada with oral communication and literacy skills in one or more languages. In many cases, these students will have emergent literacy skills due to interruptions in formal schooling.

Multilingual learners (MLs) will need program adaptations that will enable them to learn English, the language of instruction in their classroom, while also maintaining proficiency in the languages they already communicate with.

Providing opportunities for MLs to use the full range of their linguistic skills honours the cultural assets students bring to the school community, enables students to share their prior knowledge and experiences with their peers, and supports literacy development. Teachers can encourage students to ‘translanguage’ or use the full range of their linguistic repertoires by:

  • Informing the class/school community about the importance of home languages.
  • Making students’ languages visible in the classroom.
  • Making room for  home languages as part of the learning process.
  • Embracing languages, dialects and accents.
  • Providing access to multilingual resources.

Tools like Google Translate and Microsoft Translate support translanguaging and can be a lifeline for students who want to work alongside their peers.

Be Trauma Informed

Many students from refugee situations have experienced traumatic events, and that trauma may continue long after they arrive in Canada. Some students show many signs of trauma, some will show few signs, and some will show no signs of trauma at all. It’s important to keep in mind that as a teacher, you are not a therapist or a mental health professional that will treat the trauma symptoms of students.

You can be trauma-informed by becoming aware of the prevalence of trauma among students, what symptoms of trauma might look like, and how trauma can affect them. Creating a safe, supportive and regulated learning environment will be critical to supporting the transition of students with refugee backgrounds into the classroom.

To learn more about the signs that a student may be struggling with adjustment and trauma, and strategies for creating trauma-informed learning environments, please visit this page or check out this resource from the Alberta Teachers’ Association.

Use the Steps to English Proficiency (STEP) Continua to Provide Appropriate Program Adaptations

Setting appropriate learning expectations for newcomer students who are emergent speakers of English is essential to supporting their success in school, and is mandated by ministry policy. The ESL or ELD Steps to English Proficiency (STEP) Continua is a Ministry developed resource that is very helpful for assessment and planning purposes.  STEP along with the Ontario Curriculum can be used alongside an initial assessment report (if available) and ongoing observations you have of the student.  Find out in your school and in your board what supports or staff or professional learning there is to guide and support programming for ELLs. Start by:

  • Determine whether the student will be placed on the ESL or ELD STEP Continua using recommendations from the initial assessment report and any other observations you have gathered about the student in class or communicating with the family. When a student in grades 3 or higher has had significant gaps or  interrupted learning, they should be placed on the ELD Continua.
  • Modify grade level curriculum expectations, when needed, using the appropriate STEP Continua. You may modify the depth and breadth of the learning expectation to provide the student with an entry point into the Ontario curriculum.
  • Support the student’s learning further by creating a culturally responsive learning environment and providing accommodations that facilitate English or French language acquisition. For example: use of visuals, translation tools, pairing with a peer that speaks the same language, multilingual instructions.

Your Work as a Teacher Matters

When you create a welcoming, safe and supportive environment for newcomer students, you are not just enhancing the learning environment, but playing a direct role in facilitating the success of some of the most vulnerable learners in the school community.

Sharon Ethier General

Professional Learning

Educators are such a hard working and dedicated lot. We spend time preparing for work and often seek opportunities to improve our learning and thinking outside of the school day. In my work as a local executive member, I am commonly asked to recommend some great professional learning that is both practical and reflective. If this is what you are looking for, then look no further than ETFO professional learning programs.

ETFO offers a variety of Additional Qualifications (AQ) courses online and even a few onsite. Throughout the year you will find that there are many opportunities to enroll in each session and the courses are taught by teachers for teachers. I have taken many AQ courses with ETFO and have always been impressed by the instructors’ knowledge and dedication to enriching the program experience. In fact, when I took Inclusive Classrooms online our instructor also had drop in Zoom meetings scheduled for us to connect with one another virtually and to help build the learning community. The instructors always connected theoretical course content to the practicality of the classroom. I had the opportunity to engage with teachers across the province and share ideas, strategies, and learning together.

If you aren’t looking for the time commitment of an Additional Qualification course, keep your eyes peeled for Professional Learning and Events run at ETFO’s Provincial Office. You will find a number of different events open for registration through the portal from single day conferences to multi-session programs. These wonderful learning spaces provide opportunities to meet in person with other like-minded individuals to learn and discuss important issues happening in education. There are specific programs for women, Indigenous Peoples, anti-Black racism, and so much more that are intentional about amplifying voices and providing safe spaces. The annual …And Still We Rise conference is a fabulous women’s conference connecting women across the province in a variety of workshops with inspirational guest speakers and opportunities to reflect and empower one another.

At times, there may be limited enrollment for provincial events, so connecting with your ETFO Local can also give you access to many opportunities right in your own geographical area. Your ETFO Local can offer a wide variety of PL workshops to service the members’ interests. Some of those workshops are provided by ETFO Provincial to locals, including Women in Action, Presenters on the Road, Summer Academy and more. In our own local, we have had local members sharing resources or engaging in conversations with members. At times, we have even had guest speakers from the community speaking to the membership about health, politics, or other pertinent topics. Getting involved and being connected with your local’s activities will give you the opportunity to lend your voice to your local team.

If you are looking to really get involved with your local executive, try volunteering for a committee, such as Professional Learning, Equity, or Status of Women. While you will be likely helping out with some events, you will also have the opportunity to attend learning sessions and have conversations together. When I first started with my ETFO Local, I was a volunteer for the PL committee. Each session was amazing, but the experience of learning how to provide an inclusive environment and the considerations that go into running an event was also invaluable. On that committee, we really got a chance to hear the topics members wanted to learn more about and it really helped me to frame some of my thinking about what was important to teachers. I learned so much from how municipal politics could directly affect education to hands-on activities to use when teaching dramatic arts. A lot of learning can come from being part of a local executive team, just from being present and involved.

As you move through this year of education and whatever it may bring, I hope that you consider participating in some of the great learning ETFO has to offer. You won’t be disappointed!

Amanda Hardy General

Truth and Reconciliation Part 2

Boozhoo, Aanii, Amanda Hardy ndizhinikaaz; N’Swakamok ndi-daa, Teme-Augama ndonjiba; Mukwaa Dodem, Anishinabekwe nda’awi.


Identifying myself in my language acknowledges my family, my clan, my culture and my history. It fosters a strong sense of belonging, something I sought for so long. This is not something I have always had in my life. I feel immense gratitude for the people, experiences and lessons that have afforded me the confidence, pride and the capacity to identify as an Anishinabee Kwe (Native woman).


When I introduce myself in my language, I am honouring the work of those before me who made this possible for me and so many others. Those who preserved and shared our language and culture successfully resisting acts of genocide committed against Indigenous Peoples.

Learning and sharing the truth of the impact of residential schools and other horrific acts committed against Indigenous People is a vital first step in reconciliation. Additionally, deepening our understanding of how intergenerational trauma occurs and how it manifests in our students may help us in developing a broader understanding of the current barriers our students experience. These can seem overwhelming or even unattainable tasks.

For me, I try to look at one piece at a time. I ask myself, “What is one action I can take today that might make a difference?” Speaking my language, learning and sharing my culture, and acknowledging my Indigenous identity is not something that Indigenous People across Canada have been always able to do. This seemingly simple act of identifying myself holds deep meaning for me and many others, illuminates my sense of pride and supports community healing. It is incredibly powerful to acknowledge who I am, and to speak my truth as we work towards reconciliation together.

As a suggestion for addressing difficult conversations, I’d like to offer one of my favourite ways ~ picture books. Picture books offer teachers opportunities to introduce topics, generate thinking amongst their students and to teach many concepts over the course of a unit. Below you will find the titles of some from my personal collection. Check them out:

Go Show the World: A Celebration of Indigenous Heroes by Wab Kinew
When We Were Alone by David Robertson
Not My Girl and When I Was Eight by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokaik-Fenton
I Am Not a Number by Jenny Kay Dupuis and Kathy Kasser
Shi-shi-etko and Shin-chi’s Canoe by Nicola I. Campbell

In the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation I continue to develop my self-understanding and I hope that as an Anishinabee Kwe, an educator and a mother, I may encourage Indigenous and non-Indigenous students and educators to embrace who they are and reflect on the actions they may take towards reconciliation, however small they may seem.

Amanda Hardy General

Truth and Reconciliation Part 1

As I reflect on the meaning of Truth in relation to the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, I recognize the privilege I have had in being able to discover, understand, speak and align with my truth. I am left to wonder though: 

How many remain silenced? And What can I do to help others uncover and align with their truth? 

Where do I belong?

As a young girl of mixed heritage, growing up with my mother, father and one older and one younger sister in a modest home in Northern Ontario, I felt out of place amongst my maternal Indigenous family, with my white skin, blue eyes and blond hair. My sense of belonging was also challenged amongst my French Catholic paternal family, as my English tongue and questioning beliefs screamed that I did not belong. Accordingly, for most of my life I tried to find my place.  Where did I belong?  

As a white passing person I have often overheard racist, stereotypical remarks made by people, further challenging my sense of identity. I did not feel Indigenous enough to retort. Even I questioned my Indigeneity.  

They belong

Early September is often spent on Getting to Know You activities. We ask our students about who they are, what their interests are, favourite subjects and much more. We strive to create learning environments centred around students feeling as though they belong. We aim to foster feelings of safety and care. We spend countless hours throughout the school year talking and connecting with our students. We decorate our classrooms in ways to create comfort and foster positive feelings. Our class becomes a family for ten months. And they all know we belong. 

Hands On: 

Over the years I’ve used a variety of methods attempting to create a sense of community and helping students get to know one another. The following is one of my favourites. It allows students to reflect on their interests and express themselves in a non-threatening way. The activity is ongoing throughout the year and highlights a number of abstract concepts we want our students to grasp.  Self-awareness, self-esteem, and interconnectedness are just a few. 

In this activity each student writes their name on an envelope then decorates it with favourite colours, interests, family members, or anything that is important to them. Students then take turns telling their classmates about their envelope. We notice things that make us unique and some things that are similar. Afterwards the students each write a note about something they like about themselves or draw a picture. Examples could be I am kind, I am a good friend, I like to help my teacher or a picture of a heart showing they are loving. The notes are placed into their envelope. Next, we hang a rope across a wall and use a clothespin to attach each envelope. A conversation about how we, just like the envelopes, are all different, but there are some things that are the same too follows. We notice that all the envelopes are connected to one another on the string; just like we are all connected. Finally, we talk about the feelings that came up while we were doing the activity. Students generally express positive feelings arising and as class we come to understand that we can generate more positive feelings every day by reminding ourselves of all those great things we wrote about ourselves. As the year goes on, we write more notes to ourselves, fostering a strong sense of self-esteem; and also to one another, building positive relationships and a strong sense of community. 

We belong too.

As educators we strive to ensure the optimal environment for student growth. By creating and working in a loving, positive environment, our students aren’t the only ones that grow. In all the nurturing we do, we sometimes forget how much growing we do alongside them; How we gain confidence in our teaching abilities; How we learn different ways to manage challenging emotions amongst our students; How we understand curriculum more clearly; How relating to our students gets easier; How our communication with guardians/families changes. As we teach our students to love and accept themselves and each other, we realize we are worthy of that same love. And it is important that we model self-love and self-acceptance. By fostering the development of a classroom community, where everyone feels like they belong, we realize we belong too. 

My hope is that by sharing my truth with you today, you will find the courage to discover and speak your truth. Share yourself authentically with your students, your family and friends because everyone deserves to be heard, be seen and belong. In my next post you will learn other ways to take action towards reconciliation.


Will Gourley Anti-Racism, Black Lives Matter, Building Inclusion, Challenging Topics, Differentiated Instruction, General, Inclusion, Mental Health, Professional Learning and Growth, social emotional learning, Wellbeing

read a little bell before the bell

I love to read. It wasn’t always like that though. After taking a literature heavy course load through high school and university, I swore off the printed word for a spell.

It wasn’t absolute avoidance or aversion. I did read the paper from time to time, although selectively. When I took a job in broadcasting during the early 90s, my self imposed reading embargo was over as a boatload of reading came with my job as newsreader, DJ, and local reporter. Even though reading was a key part of those workdays, there was not much desire to do so outside of work.

Fast forward to 2007. 

I’m back in university trying to finish a degree that started in 1984. The interweb had become the main source for reams of digital texts and other content from online libraries and newly prescribed course materials. Once again reading became more like work rather than a daily getaway and reward. I struggled to read anything more than what was required. 

As such, it took some time to find a genuine motivation. About 2 months in, it began to change when by some bit of fortune, the text(s) started became so much more relevant to my life as a 40 something adult. I’d like to call this my mid-life renaissance, but fear it maybe considered a bit to melodramatic. Whether it was a personal essayist, scientist, or philosopher it was as if reading no longer felt like assigned work, but rather as tools  intended to strengthen my heart and mind as an educator. It’s 2022 and my reading game is still going strong. 

Teaching Community by bell hooksThis leads me to my most recent read Teaching Community – A Pedagogy of Hope by iconic educator bell hooks.  Although it took me a bit of penny pinching to add to my collection, it is worth every dollar. I can’t wait to share this text with others who, like me, are on a journey to create inclusive communities in their classrooms.

Please note: I am not naive enough to think that one book could be the lever that moves all barriers and mountains, but I truly believe that the ideas in this text can be leveraged to make a difference when and where they are applied in our classrooms. Be advised that this book contains much “thought fuel” and plenty of feelings too. 

The greatest feelings I had throughout reading this text were this strange sense of acknowledgement and validation. I may have thought and felt many of the ideas shared, but hooks has organized and articulated them so perfectly and has gifted us with an opportunity to reflect, respond, and put community into action. 

I guess what spoke the loudest across the chapters was an emphasis on disrupting the status quo through compassion and community in education. Reading Teaching Community encapsulated my goals as an educator in a personal and professional manner. I love how hooks puts it,
“…the most powerful learning experience we can offer students…is the opportunity to be fully and compassionately engaged with learning.” Creating this space requires 3 things; commitment, courage, and compassion. None will work unless combined with the others. Notice how curriculum wasn’t mentioned? As @callmemrmorris often reminds us via Twitter. “We teach students not curriculum.”

hooks continues, “Refusing to make a place for emotional feelings in the classroom does not change the reality that their presence overdetermines the conditions where learning can occur.” We have to see our students where they are and not in the spaces we want them to fit within. We have to acknowledge that everyday comes with a raft of emotions that rise and fall. Teachers need to be prepared to accept the highs and lows that happen at the speed of learning. Whether a student is sad, anxious, joyful, angry or a combination they are showing us that they do not feel emotionally safe in that moment and will struggle to be truly present as a result. How we choose to respond to them in those moments will determine whether they feel seen and a part of the community or like an outsider looking in. 

hooks also shares, “To build community requires vigilant awareness of the work we must continually do to undermine all the socialization that leads us to behave in ways that perpetuate domination.” This is probably the hardest space to occupy as educators. We were conditioned through past experiences and pedagogy to be the centre of our classrooms in the past. However, what was thought to have worked back in the day, was really only a means of perpetuating dominant culture in order to maintain power over students rather than respecting and sharing power with them and empowering them as learners. 

Can you tell that I love this book? hooks also discusses the intersectionality of identity and identity in academia. She writes with clarity and candour that challenged my perspectives while affirming them at the same time. This is why I share that everyone should read a little bell before the bell and I know this will be one of those texts to read over and over as my career continues. 

Happy page turning.

Brenda MacNaughton General

Hello! Bonjour! Aanii!

I am Brenda MacNaughton, teacher and first-generation Irish Canadian. I have lived near Lake Ontario most of my life in Williams Treaty Territory. I am grateful to be here at the Heart and Art blog with you as I write my first entry, and I look forward to your feedback.

New Beginnings

September begins with new relationships forming among staff and students in our schools. I’m starting a new role at work as an Early Intervention Teacher, which allows me to work with small groups on literacy and social and emotional learning skills. I’m also continuing a role I’ve had for many years, teacher-librarian and primary prep coverage teacher for kindergarten and grade one. I am excited to help our youngest learners feel welcome at our school as they enter a classroom for the first time. I’m looking forward to seeing students learn and grow over the year ahead. For many educators, students and families this is a very exciting time of year.

National Day of Truth and Reconciliation

September also brings the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. This month can evoke traumatic memories for residential school survivors and their families. I am listening to the stories of survivors and their families and bringing that learning to the classroom. The Orange Shirt Day movement, started by Phyllis Webstad, helps us understand the reality of a child attending residential school. When she arrived at St. Joseph Mission residential school, Phyllis was stripped of her shiny new orange shirt. She went months without seeing her family. She was hungry and lonely. You can read about her experience in her books, one for younger children, “Phyllis’s Orange Shirt,” and one for grade 3 and up called “The Orange Shirt Story.” The Orange Shirt Day website has lesson plans for Kindergarten to grade 6 that will help students understand the truth that was swept under the carpet for a century in Canada. The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation also has a series of online events happening throughout the week leading up to September 30th. This year I found more resources online than I can possibly fit in one day or even one week!

Truth and Reconciliation Throughout the Year

There is much work to be done in Canada to listen to the truth and reconcile with Indigenous Peoples, so I will plan activities that include Indigenous voices throughout the year. I want to build relationships with local First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples. As I lay out my long-range plans, I’m looking for opportunities to incorporate Indigenous guest speakers and books and videos by Indigenous creators. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action call upon varying levels of government to collaborate with educators. Let’s ensure that the message is heard loud and clear, “Every Child Matters.”

Brenda MacNaughton General

Coping with Stress – Teacher Edition

Teaching is a beautiful career that I have put my heart into for 30 years. I love the challenge of getting a non-reader interested in books. I love helping students and staff feel welcome when they are new to the school. And there is nothing like seeing the satisfaction and pride a student has when they understand something for the first time. On the flip side of that positivity, it’s easy to get bogged down, even at the beginning of the school year. The TO-DO list seems endless!

At times, the workload can be overwhelming and stressful. I’ve found it’s constructive when I reflect on my feelings and physical symptoms. When I’m starting to spiral into unhealthy habits or thinking, I put some strategies into action to help me be my best self. I do not want to be in a situation where I stay up half the night planning what and how I’ll teach. And I do not need stress and negativity from work to spill over into my time with family and friends. Here are a few of the strategies that work for me.

Physical Fitness
As part of my proactive approach, I have found it beneficial to be involved in fitness classes. I’m online with a group of dedicated individuals three times during the work week at 6 am. I used to laugh at the idea of doing an early morning fitness class, but after 2 years- I love it, mainly because I can connect with friends from university who I don’t see often. For me, it’s more than the fitness aspect. Seeing my old friends is uplifting! Do you have something that you look forward to doing? Something for yourself?

Getting Grounded with Nature and Breath
Even after a great workout, there are times when I get upset about all kinds of things that happen in the school environment. Working with humans of all ages can test my patience sometimes! When any of those stressors get to me, I try to take a walk, observe nature, and reflect on what is happening. I use some of the same ideas I share with students about mindfulness. I let the feelings wash over me and get grounded while watching the ducks swim in the pond or the clouds forming in the sky. Some techniques like box breathing and meditation can help. It’s not always enough, though.

Support at Work
It’s been vital to me over the years to build positive relationships with staff at the different schools where I worked. Having colleagues who have become friends makes any challenging moments tolerable. We laugh and cry together. My current staff likes to gather regularly for food. We have soup lunch on Mondays and treats on Fridays. These weekly occasions get us out of our isolated work situations and make time for conversation. On these occasions, we get to know each other. Over the years, we’ve also had scavenger hunts, noodle tag, and special friend week, where people do acts of kindness for each other. I can’t emphasize just how important it has been for me to work in a place where I know my colleagues well, and we have taken the time to build a trusting relationship.

It is early in the school year to be thinking about the long winter nights ahead but wouldn’t it be great to have a variety of stress management techniques in place for those days when things are getting to be a bit much? I’d love to hear ideas about how you are proactive about taking care of yourself and what events happen at your schools to help you build great relationships among staff. Take care!

Diane Kim General

The Sweetest Sound

It was the end of September, and my grade sixes were standing in a circle on the grass. It was a touch cooler now, the day bright and sunny, a bit of a breeze.  The students knew the activity we were about to do.  We had been using it over the past few weeks as one of our warm-up games before drama class. 

One at a time, each student would say their own name out loud, and simultaneously create an action to go with it. And then, in an enthusiastic chorus, the rest of the circle would mirror their action back to them and repeat their name. This would continue around the circle  until everyone’s name had been said.   

Personalities always revealed themselves in chosen actions. Abdul said his name with impossibly cool gestures. Jin liked twirling as she said hers. Mike tended to do a short dance move or two. And without fail, the whole class would echo each classmate’s creation, a happy call-and-response comprised only of names and movement, filling the playground with unified sound. 

The simplicity of this game belies its complex benefits to learning and community. 

We have heard much over the years about the positive connection between movement and the brain, with benefits to mood, learning, and focus. The physical representations in this game certainly encourage movement, exploration of physical space, and rhythm.  As teachers, we also know the importance of collaboration within the classroom, of creating situations such as this, where students are engaged with one another in learning tasks. And of course, in order for students to learn optimally, there must be a strong sense of community, connection, and trust in the classroom. Team-building and collaborative games like this may represent one step towards this goal. Indeed, there is something deeply satisfying in seeing all students quietly looking, not at a worksheet or iPad, but at one another. Present in the moment. Waiting for their classmate’s contribution. In our busy and increasingly digitalized world, I wonder how often we stop like this, just for a few minutes, to truly look at each other, acknowledge one another’s presence. And this leads me to perhaps the most important benefit of all for students:

Someone says their name. 

There is power in hearing our names spoken aloud, that one word that represents and encapsulates all that we are. We all know that uplifting feeling when someone remembers our name and addresses us, and the slight umbrage we feel when someone forgets or mispronounces it. It is one of the first things small children learn to recognize and write because of its power to engage; children are naturally interested in their own names. It is one of the first gifts we are given by our parents, one of the first ways we are called into the world. As Dale Carnegie once said, “names are the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” 

I fear some students may not have this experience as often as they should, may not often hear their names uttered by classmates … The student just learning English, who does not yet have the linguistic capital to easily forge friendships. The quiet student, struggling with anxiety or social cues. The new student, who braves a sea of unfamiliar faces every day and tries to find their place among them. 

In my experience, this unassuming game — with virtually no preparation required other than finding an open space — can sometimes accomplish what no amount of labelled photos, friend books, or other “name-learning” activities can. It engages. It connects. It creates a space of knowing. 

Everyone says each other’s names. 

I do not suggest the above game is the only way to engage students and begin to foster connection. There are numerous, effective activities, used across multiple contexts and subject areas. I offer this activity as a springboard, to consider and share the many ways we can help students connect.

I have used this drama game with countless students over the years, from primary to junior to intermediate. And every time it is a joy to see my students call their names into the learning space, and see those names returned back as a resounding gift. In whatever way you choose to bring forth your students’ names, may your classrooms always be filled with those sweetest sounds. 

*student names have been changed