Kelly.McLaughlin General

Reflections of an eighth year teacher

As I mentioned earlier in November, I have started my first official journey as a teacher mentor, having my first student teacher experience. It has been an incredible experience so far. It is so fortunate that my students have a second adult to connect with and knowing that I can help a future teacher with their career. I have enjoyed learning from her and learning with her. This Friday marked the end of her third week with my students and we discussed all of the things to come, one being her unit plan. Planning a unit when you have been teaching for a few years is a whole different task compared to someone in school. When I was in school, I do not remember learning how to plan a unit. It is extremely hard to know what resources to use when you are in school or in your first year. Over the years, I have acquired so many great resources and those are hard to know about when you are just starting out. So something I have made sure to do so far is to pass on the locations of these resources, describing how to differentiate with them and how to lesson plan using them.

Having a student teacher is a great way to reflect on your practice. Reading over the mid-term evaluation made me reflect on many things about my teaching. I think it would be very beneficial for all teachers, no matter what year they are in, to reflect on these questions. Take time to pause and reflect on the following:

  • Do you demonstrate knowledge about how your student’s learn?
  • Do you organize purposeful student learning experiences?
  • Do you foster decision-making, problem-solving and inquiry?
  • Do you show insight into individual student’s progress?
  • Do you differentiate assessment techniques?
  • Do you provide written and verbal constructive feedback?
  • Do you have a consistent approach to student behaviour expectations?
  • Do you maintain a safe learning environment?
  • Do you motivate and sustain class involvement?
  • Do you adapt to the needs of all learners?
  • Do you generate enthusiasm and respect for subjects?

I started to reflect honestly about how all of these are evident in my daily practice. There are so many things to think about and a few of these have not been given enough time and effort as the years have gone on. I would like to reflect on one of the questions that stood out to me the most.

Do you organize purposeful student learning experiences?

Sometimes I find it hard to “reinvent the wheel” when teaching certain subjects such as History or Science. I look to use already created units made by colleagues that are kind enough to share. These units are great, they cover all expectations and provide the students with great readings, opportunity for responding and some inquiry projects. When I think about it, are they purposeful learning experiences? I am not too sure about that.

Recently, my students participated in a media literacy unit where their culminating task was to plan an advertising campaign to advertise “Sportswear Day” for the school. Leading up to this task, they evaluated the effectiveness of professional advertisements, responding to what worked for certain audiences. This had a purpose as it would lead to the eventual creating of their own advertisements. My students created posters, videos and announcements that incorporated students, teachers and celebrities, paying attention to the effectiveness of celebrity endorsements. These ads. were sent to all classes and the posters were hung on the walls. The school spirit was immediately uplifted by this ad. campaign; students and staff were looking forward to this spirit day.

The experience of creating advertisements for a purpose and hearing day after day about the success of each ad. was a purposeful experience that I am glad my students had. They are more likely to remember it when they have graduated and were involved in the learning experience. I look forward to creating more of these experiences in the future, especially as I continue to mentor my student teacher. As we head into the winter season, I hope to have a locker decorating contest, incorporating art expectations and having classes come view these lockers. We would ask these classes to vote and look at the data, commenting on students responded and why they responded the way they did.

I really appreciate this opportunity to mentor, not only to help a future teacher but to continue reflecting on my own practice.

 

Nilmini Ratwatte General

Mentoring Moments: Celebrate Teachers in Education!

Being a teacher is a role I hold close to my heart. I love being able to connect with my students and their families while giving them the opportunity be the best they can be with the best learning opportunities possible.

I started out teaching in Early Childhood Education in a Daycare setting  teaching  Kindergarten while I finished high school. I loved every moment programming and teaching children by differentiating student learning opportunities.

Mentorship Programs

I think, that mentorship programs offer invaluable skill sets and working knowledge that you can pass down to others as you teach, co-teach and support through leading. The opportunity to solve real life problems that arise and encourage growth helps the mentor and the mentee as they develop a working relationship as co-learners.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if the Ministry of Education, Union Federations Affiliates, Parents of Students all work together to make the education system function at its highest capacity? This would honestly be my highest expectation to make our education system strong and over come systemic barriers.

That would be my vision for Education to make our curriculum shine we need to invest in a reflective process we see each team player held to account with high expectations and embracing a growth mindset of learning.  Mentorship would be the best use of resources to bring in expertise and engaging capacity building among educational professionals.

Building Networking Opportunities

Teachers need to network, socialize and be celebrated. As I start my 20th year in teaching I know that I am embracing learning along side others like you who are learning through blogs. Networking helps us as teachers build trusting relationships and grow from them.

Here are some ideas to network:

  • Social events in professional development
  • Growing your social media PLN to build opportunies to connect
  • Building capacity digitally with Blogs, Pod casts and engaging conversations

Engage Diverse workforces

No matter where you teach in the world we need to embrace diversity…there is nothing that can replace the perspectives, lived experiences that can be brought forward by being inclusive in our field. We live in a diverse world and we need to be representative and represent the cultural backgrounds and bring forth the knowledge from a global perspective today in age as we guide learning.

I really value diversity in education as a profession. When we are passionate educators we know that we bring in ideas, empower our learners and advocate for student voices to be heard and in order to do that we have to give opportunities to individual voice that are traditionally under represented in education to shine.

“In a completely rational society, the best of us would aspire to be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generations to the next ought to be the highest honour and the highest responsibility anyone could have” Lee Lacocca. This quote I hold close to my heart always through the journey of education as I continue to encourage, motivate and engage learners. No matter what differences we have that knowledge we pass to others on values, equity, diversity and human rights we should hold close to our hearts.

Reflection: Which concepts resonated with you from the blog and which will you apply to your daily reflection as a teacher?

Yours in Education,

Nilmini

Tammy Axt General

My Experience Teaching In The “Hybrid Model”

During the 2020-2021 school year, I had the misfortune of teaching in the hybrid model. In my 20 years of teaching in a variety of schools, boards, and instructional models, this was by far the worst model for learning. For those that may be unfamiliar, the hybrid model was introduced by some school boards across Ontario during the pandemic. The model requires educators to teach students that are learning in-person and online simultaneously throughout the instructional day.  This meant that I taught students in the classroom at the same time as teaching students online. It was a lose-lose situation for all my students who didn’t get my full attention throughout the school year.

When the hybrid model was introduced, I was a teacher for a specialized program in my board. All the students in my class were diagnosed with a Developmental Disability, which meant that they required additional supports in the areas of personal care, academic achievement and/or self-regulation.  Before the pandemic, I had an incredibly thriving and rich program for the students that focused on a combination of life skills and academic skills. Our class ran our own successful business, did many activities with other classes, and worked hard at developing life skills in the classroom and community. The hybrid model put an end to much of the growth my students were displaying prior to it being introduced.

There were a lot of challenges that arose when instructing and learning in the hybrid model. The first and biggest challenge of all was dealing with technology issues constantly. Don’t get me wrong, I love technology. I think there are so many amazing uses, programs, and aps available for rich learning and collaboration.  My students with exceptionalities rely on the amazing functions of technology to access so many of their learning goals. Technology is great! However, relying on technology as the only way to access learning was a consistent problem in the hybrid model. I spent so much time talking parents through the act of fixing headphones, opening new aps, and logging into the virtual classroom. For every minute I was online talking to parents and students about technology issues, it was one minute that I was not supporting my students in class though challenges with self-regulation and learning. So much of the day was taken up with these issues that the students at home, in school and I were often frustrated by the end of the day.

There were many other problematic issues that came up while teaching in the hybrid model.  First of all, equitable access to instruction was an ongoing and consistent issue. Some of my most vulnerable students at home were not able to access their classroom instruction regularly due to poor internet at home. This ultimately meant that families who had more financial means had more consistent instruction. The model also limited my ability to move around the class to meet the needs of my students. Due to the fact that I was onscreen for the entire day, I often stayed in one area of the classroom. My in-person students had many needs that required support and trying to support them from across the room was very, very difficult. Another problem was that this model provided no privacy for students. My students had multiple challenges in the area of self regulation and sometimes they cried or yelled to express themselves. Even without the camera facing them, the students and families at home could hear my students in distress. My students expressed their embarrassment afterwards which was not fair for their privacy and well being. Another major problem was that students at home could not hear the discussion or the ideas that kids at school were contributing. I ended up repeating everything that was said which was very time consuming. A further issue with the hybrid model was the fact that my students learning in person had way more screen time during the instructional day than they normally would. We had no choice. To do instruction simultaneously, the students in my classroom participated in online activities with their classmates at home. Sick Kids hospital in Toronto came out with a study recently about the impacts of extended screen time on students. I saw firsthand what they described in the study that “increased time spent watching TV, on digital media and video games was associated with more irritability, hyperactivity, inattention, depression and anxiety.”

I could go on and on about the reasons the hybrid is far from ideal, but it basically comes down to it not being a good model for learning. I could share many stories of each of my students and why it didn’t work for them, but I’ll just share one: Before the hybrid was introduced, my student received direct instruction, supervision, redirection/re-teaching, and assessment regularly in the area of literacy. She was learning how to read and required intensive support for 60 minutes a day by staff that were trained in teaching students with cognitive disabilities to read. We used manipulatives, books, words, pictures, texts, and materials to support her ability to make sense of words. In the first year in our program, she went from being a non-reader to reading anything and everything she could get her hands on.  During the hybrid model, some of her progress slowed down dramatically because I spent so much of that 60 minutes, dealing with computer issues, supporting students both at home and in class to stay on task and some of the tools we used during in-person learning didn’t translate as well to online learning. Introducing the hybrid model directly compromised my student’s ability to be academic successful.

I understand that the 2020-2021 school year was unique and that it required unprecedented actions. However, the hybrid model needs to end. We should return to bricks and mortar learning in 2022-2023.

#notohybrid

Will Gourley #hybridhurtskids, Flexible Classroom, General, Making a Difference Through Education, Mental Health, Modern Learning, self reflection, social emotional learning, Start of the year, Teacher Wellness, Teacher Working Conditions, Wellbeing

Ants and hot coffee

It’s October’s end and everything is happening at an accelerated pace in education and in nature. As the trees offer their final gifts of colour to cherish before winter, I have been as busy as one of Aesop’s ants in my classrooms (real and digital). This is because I am doing much more work this year even though my assignment is basically the same as last year. Last year nearly broke me and I chalk it up to many decisions which were made on my behalf and all educators by people in places that resemble boardrooms more than classrooms. 

If you reread this cautionary fable, you might get the idea that many of our leaders did a lot of fiddling and fussing over the summer because it certainly doesn’t appear that they prepared for the season we are now experiencing in education. To make it even worse, not a single grasshopper asked whether any of the hard working ants wanted to hear the song they were playing over and over again at full volume. 

For all teachers, regardless of years of experience, the start of school this year might be best described as chaotic and work filled; much like an ant colony preparing to survive a cold winter ahead. Now, a bit of chaos is fine and can be expected each September. It is such an exciting time for students and staff. This year was no different. I actually prepared myself for a little more leeway in my planning to help students transition back to classes in the hopes of creating a safe space for them to land from the year and half before. This meant a lot of reviewing and scaffolding rather than brewing up fresh batches of new learning. 

This approach made a lot of sense for me especially as we are now entering our 3rd year of learning in a global pandemic. In any ‘normal’ school year, routines and rhythms are usually set in place by the first 20 days. Reviews are done and it’s grade level lessons until June the following year.  However, it’s been 2 months and although some normalcy exists, I feel that more time is needed to get students back to pre-pandemic learning. That extra work I mentioned at the start is a direct result. With students online and in-class prepping materials for both groups is adding an extra hour to each day to ensure continuity. Organizing assessments also comes with its share of work. Add in the difficulties students have with tech, WiFi, and their own burnout and you quickly arrive at the conclusion that that all of this is tiring and trying. It is also a bit traumatizing. Kind of like having hot coffee spilled on your hand the moment you pick up a cup.  

Imagine going to your favourite coffee shop and when your order arrives it is filled to the brim so fully that any movement spills that precious elixir over the sides and burns your hands. As a reflective practitioner, I wonder what I did wrong? How come after hundreds of cups of coffee they filled mine to the point where there was no room to move without being burnt? Upon further reflection though, comes the realization that this is not my fault and that I was given a situation which was nearly impossible to handle without a mess or suffering. Each time this has happened to me though, I have never let go or dropped the cup. I see this same commitment, determination, and strength mirrored in educators who choose to persist and hold on despite being handed impossible circumstances. 

Next Monday, me and all the other ants are lined up at that coffee shop hoping that today we don’t get burned, and that there will be enough room left for a little sugar and cream to stir in to suit our taste. It’s November, Spring is around the corner and there’s work to do before the leaves wither and the snow flies. 

This is not my first blog about the currently dissonant state of learning right now, nor is it my first blog about ants. In 2014 I shared this one after Deborah Gordon’s inspiring 2014 TED Talk.

And in case you missed it in my post last month.
Please note: ETFO’s position on in-person learning remains unchanged. The union firmly believes that the daily, in-person model of instruction and support best meets the educational, developmental and social needs of students, provides the best experience for support, and is the most equitable learning model for all students.

ETFO’s expectation is that elementary virtual learning in any capacity, including through hybrid models of instruction, will end once the pandemic ends.

Will Gourley Additional Qualifications, AQ-rofessional development, Constant Learning, Differentiated Instruction, Flexible Classroom, General, Professional Learning and Growth, self reflection, Special Education

SERT= (joy + journey) x job

Fall 2021 marks the start of my 5th year as a co-SERT (Special Education Resource Teacher). Please, no gifts. Although, you can read on if you’re feeling generous?

2021 is also the first year that I finally feel comfortable in the position. Up until now, I’ve felt competent, somewhat confident, but never comfortable. If your school is like mine, there is a lot going on in SERTLandia as I fondly call it, and a lot at stake. Thankfully, I have been really blessed to have a patient and savvy mentor to work with throughout this time. There haven’t been many days when I didn’t need her wisdom, experience, and support to keep me on track while growing in the role. 

First, some background info

I never wanted to be a SERT. I initially took the course so I could be more adept in my work with students in the classroom. After completing Level 1, I figured a little more wouldn’t hurt so I enrolled in Pt 2. Did you know that many school boards offer their own AQ courses, and as luck would have it, my board provided an affordable option for staff. ETFO does too. The learning, although difficult to keep up with while teaching fulltime was worth it in resources, stories, and deeper understandings about how to truly support students whether they were identified or not in my classroom. Once Pt 1 and 2 were done, I retreated back to my comfort zone and began to apply ‘the learning‘. Or so I thought. 

“I will quit if I ever have to be a SERT.”

I actually said that to a superintendent during a conversation over needing her signature on an application for my SERT Specialist(pt 3). I know, as well, that the role of SERT looked different from school to school and board to board based on a number of things such as allocation of resources (human and financial). I know that many schools have 1 SERT lifting the weight for an entire community as well. So I count myself lucky to work in a team environment.

My ‘never’ was now a yes, but what I didn’t factor into that impetuously made statement was how the experience and knowledge gained from parts 1 and 2 began to take hold in such tangible ways in my classroom. My classroom management improved along with my ability to differentiate more for students who struggled but were otherwise not identified. I learned the value of growth plans and asking for help. Suddenly, it made perfect sense to go for my specialist to finish the learning I had started. It was nothing short of an incredible experience. Yet, I still did not have my heart or mind set on becoming a SERT. I did have some fun writing my own IEP with accommodations though. I think every teacher should do this at least once in their career.

SERT certification in hand, I retreated to the safety and comfort of my classroom once again. With new knowledge and perspectives in the tool box, things seemed to click even more. Throughout the entirety of the 3 AQ courses for Special Education Specialist I developed an even deeper respect for the SERT team in my schools. I witnessed the wonders that they worked everyday and the students who they supported. They made it look so easy, but I saw how much work they put in each day. I struggled to see myself in their shoes.

Qualified, but terrified

I was so terrified of the responsibilities, the paperwork, and the meetings that seemed endemic to the job. I love being in the classroom. I also feared making mistakes and letting students slip through the cracks. I was convinced that being an ally was a great way to support the awesome SERTs in my schools. However, the more I learned, the more I was able to apply outside of the classroom to help student teachers and fellow educators. Then the call came with an offer to be a co-SERT. 

New school. New Role. What was I thinking? 

As I have shared in past posts, I am a huge proponent of educators switching schools to explore new teaching opportunities and to stretch outside of their comfort zones. I believe that moves to new schools open educators up to new learning experiences and provide excellent ways to learn from others. This can lead to discomfort as well, but that is usually where the best growth happens for you personally and professionally. As a result, in 2017 I started teaching at the 4th school of my 12 year career – so far. In each case, I did not have a single reason to leave such wonderful colleagues and students behind, but for no other reason than to learn more. 

I can clearly recall the disorientation that came at the pace of SERT life and trying to balance out my instructional obligations those first weeks. I questioned whether my decision to join a new school was going to coming back to bite me. Thankfully, a supportive admin, co-SERT, and staff alleviated most of that stress. I wanted to do a good job, but I wasn’t even sure what that looked like. That was how new it all felt to me. That meant a lot of silent observation followed by a lot of questions. By October that first year, things seemed much clearer. Clearer, yet not clear. 

Fastforward to 2021

100s of IEPs, growth plans, IPRCs, SEA claims, academic tests, in-school meetings, student support sessions, teacher consultations, CPI calls, and parent convos later have all contributed to a very incredible set of insights into the needs of learners. I am not sure whether I will be a SERT in the future or not, but I will never regret taking the AQs or this job. They have been incredible tools in my growth and practice as an educator. My experiences as a SERT have been transformational and I wouldn’t go back in time and talk myself out of this opportunity even if I could. *  

So whether you dip your toe in the water and do SpEd Pt 1 or dive in for a 5 year swim, I encourage you all to take join me. The water is fine. 

If you would like to share your own journey about becoming a SERT or if you want to chat more about becoming a SERT please add a comment below and I’ll pass it on to my mentor. She still has all of the answers.  

* Well I might go back and buy some shares in Tesla, but that is a story for another dimension.

 

Gillian Wassmansdorf Advocacy for change, agency, Anti-Racism, Building Inclusion, Equity, General, Inclusion, Inspiring Students, Learning in a Real Life Context, Local Involvment, Making a Difference Through Education, Social Justice

Positioning students as co-conspirators (and the fall of WE)

Since I began my teaching career six years ago, my practices of student engagement in activism and advocacy have evolved and shifted based on the community of learners I am working with. At the same time, my attitude towards this work has shifted consistently and drastically. The most notable change? My feelings toward social enterprises whose work in schools may appear charitable, but are steeped in controversy and insincerity.

In my first year of teaching, a student in my Grade Three class gave me a “Rafiki Bracelet” sold to them by the WE Charity. It was later that school year that I was sitting in a school-wide assembly, watching a promotional video for the same organization in which a group of women in Kenya were profiled as they beaded the bracelets themselves. Students were being sold the notion that they themselves would be contributing to the livelihood of these women and their communities by simply purchasing a bracelet. Colleagues and I asked ourselves: Why can’t we see the long-term impacts of these temporary solutions to a deeply systemic problem?

Many who criticize WE’s business model, through which students became a vehicle for sales and profit, point out how students were roped into the fantasy of “saving” impoverished communities with their efforts. What started with a Rafiki bracelet not only became thousands of dollars in spending on WE’s “voluntourism” programs, but also the excitement of post-graduation employment at WE without realizing that the organization overworked and underpaid its employees to a severe extreme.

As educators we can ask why students would have fallen victim to a model like WE’s, but what we should do is critically examine the ways that celebrity, fame, and ego were at the centre of WE’s initiatives, particularly WE Day, in order to convince students to join their cause. WE Day harnessed an unbelievable amount of power in numbers, but it fostered an almost cult-like manipulation and exploitation of our students who would have needed a trusted adult to help them understand more appropriate avenues for activism and advocacy work in school.

It’s been one year since WE announced it would be ceasing its Canadian programs after having been embroiled in scandal. My hope is that we use this turn of events to deepen our consciousness around what it means to be an activist in school and work hard to de-centre the ego from the work our students do to help others. Instead of portraying the student as the saviour, how might we portray the student as a co-conspirator? How might we foster a sense of humility in classroom activism? In what ways does our teaching perpetuate narratives in which non-western countries are “poor” instead of examining the systems of power that cause disparity?

These questions simply scratch the surface of the impact that WE’s programs, values, and corruption have had in our schools and on our students, here in Canada and across the world. As we reflect, we must also continue to name and unpack these problems in order to push past the fault in our practice and move forward in a good way. 

For an in-depth look into the WE scandal, listen to “The White Saviors” series by Canadaland: https://www.canadaland.com/shows/the-white-saviors/ 

 

Tammy Axt Equity, General, LGBTQ2S

Beginning a GSA at your school

For many school boards across Ontario, students can participate in extra curricular activities again during the 2021-2022 school year. For those of you thinking about starting a QSA or GSA in your school this fall (yeah!), here are few tools and pieces of information to get you started!

What is a QSA and GSA?

A GSA is a student-run group, supported by staff, that unites 2SLGBTQ+ and allied youth. It gives students a safer space to talk, learn and educate others about gender identity and sexual orientation.

Although the Education Act refers to GSAs as Gay-Straight Alliances, many schools are moving away from the title Gay-Straight Alliance to a more inclusive Gender-Sexuality Alliance or Queer-Straight Alliance.

Am I allowed to start a GSA or QSA at my school?

Yes, Yes and Yes!! In 2012, Bill 13 was passed that was an addendum to the Education Act that focused on Safe Schools. Included in that Bill was a section that protects a student’s right to have a GSA at their school. I’ve included it here to aid in conversations that might be happening at your school:

303.1  

(1)  Every board shall support pupils who want to establish and lead activities and organizations that promote a safe and inclusive learning environment, the acceptance of and respect for others and the creation of a positive school climate, including:

(d)  activities or organizations that promote the awareness and understanding of, and respect for, people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, including organizations with the name gay-straight alliance or another name.

(2)  For greater certainty, neither the board nor the principal shall refuse to allow a pupil to use the name gay-straight alliance or a similar name for an organization described in clause (1) (d).

How do I get started?

If you are not sure how to get started, that is not a problem at all! There are so many resources to support you in supporting your students. ETFO has a very extensive list of 2SLGBTQ+ videos, pamphlets, websites etc. There is also an amazing website created by a Peel District School Board committee called “Make Peel Proud” that supports educators in bringing queer identities into their classroom throughout the year and will help to get your GSA or QSA started.

What should we do in a GSA?

Ideally, it is student led and organized. At many schools it is just a safer place to hang out, chill and chat. Some schools have a group that is very active in their social justice work. It can be whatever the students and you decide it should be. Our GSA has evolved greatly over the years and every year is quite unique.

Last year, during our online GSA, the students who joined were quiet at the beginning. We were online and there was very little talking or interacting for our first session. I decided to plan a few sessions to give us some foundational info to get started and break the ice. The students took over after that.

The activities that we did in the first four or five sessions:

  • Introduced the concept of a GSA. We looked at the term 2SLGBTQ+ and figured out what students knew about each of the identities listed. We did a Menti.com word cloud which enlarged the words that the students knew really well. This told me a lot about what level of understanding and knowledge many of the students brought to the group.
  • Looked at the Peel District School Board’s student census with a particular focus on the question “What percentage of students identify as 2SLGBTQ+?” It showed us that there are many students in grade 7 and 8 that identify as 2SLGBTQ+ even though their classmates might not be talking about it.
  • Shared YouTube videos of our favourite Queer musicians.
  • Shared our thoughts about our school and how safe it is for students who identify as 2SLGBTQ+.

Why is it important?

Our students who identify as 2SLGBTQ+ are some of our most vulnerable students. They may not have a space in their school or family life that is supportive. Therefore, a GSA or QSA can play a very important role in establishing a safer space for students.

What if nobody comes?

That is okay. Give it time. By clearly identifying yourself as the coordinator of your school’s GSA, you have told students that you are a safe and supportive person that they can approach when they are ready.

Tammy Axt General

Welcome to another year!!

My name is Tammy Axt and I am really excited to be blogging for the 2021-2022 school year. This is me:

 

I am fortunate, that for the umpteenth time in my teaching career, I am changing roles yet again! I started my career in the senior division with a grade 11 class, moved to intermediate, transitioned into junior and continued the shrinking trend by teaching a lovely primary class. After my primary days, I decided I needed a change and became a full-time music teacher and after that I taught an amazing self-contained class of students with Developmental Disabilities for three years. That brings me to this year, and I am excited to say that I am an English as a Second Language and Special Education Support staff at my very busy middle school. I feel so fortunate to be in a profession that has so many opportunities for learning and growth.

Throughout my blogs this year, I look forward to sharing my learning with you. I will be learning extensively about the role of an English as a Second Language educator and about best practices to support English language learners at school. I will also be excited to blog about my experiences supporting students with Autism and Learning Disabilities who I will be supporting in their classroom settings. It is going to be an exciting year of learning.

Throughout my career, I have also really enjoyed leading extra curricular activities at schools where I have taught. I’ve led everything from Taiko drumming, Step Club, Recorder Quartet, African drumming, Hip Hop dancing, Japanese Manga art and meditation. I thoroughly enjoy this time with students where we can co-create dance, art and music. It has been awesome. This year, I will be beginning my year by co-ordinating my school’s GSA (Gender Sexuality Alliance) and I look forward to sharing my experiences with you.

I have one piece of advice for those just starting out in the career that I have learned from all of these teaching assignments. Make relationship building your first priority.  The relationships I built with parents, colleagues, Educational Assistants, outside agencies, Principals and of course students have been the most important factor in the success in all my teaching assignments and educational endeavors. When you have a strong relationship built with students, they will come to you if they need help understanding a concept. Students will also feel safe in taking risks in their learning. When you have a strong relationship with parents, they will give you a heads up when their child has had a bad night and may need extra time on assignments at school. When you build strong relationships with every support person that works to make school accessible for all your students, you set your students up for success academically, socially and emotionally. Relationships are key.

I hope you are having a good start to the school year and that hopefully things are starting to settle into a nice routine at your school.

Will Gourley #hybridhurtskids, Challenging Topics, Communication with Parents and Guardians, General, Making a Difference Through Education, Mindfulness, Resilience, self reflection, Start of the year, Teacher Working Conditions, Wellbeing, wellness

Survival tips

I am not talkative. I will share my voice in writing though. Perhaps it is more a function of selective participation rather than voluntary silence. Writing provides me with some permanence, albeit only in pixels, as much as it does a chance to reflect on the words I do choose to share. Instead of my mouth going off like a cannon. I can chew on my words a bit more before spilling my thoughts on a page. In short, it has been quite a month and if I am going to survive the next 9, I will need to get some things off my mind.

Most of this September felt like driving in the dark of night and every oncoming car had its highbeams on. I found it hard to see where I’m going and it hurts. With so much time staring at a screen now, the additional online professional learning is blurring my vision and I am starting to develop an aversion to screen time. It has me thinking twice about how much I want to integrate tech in my classroom right now too. 

I see your high beams are on, but do you have to drive in my lane?

I have been trying to make sense of the way the government ghosted education, the rising COVID case numbers in schools, and the unconscionable decisions being made by many school boards regarding hybrid learning. 

This is also what hurts:

Of course it has been completely safe to go back to school this year even though cases are nearly 5 times higher than September 2020.
We have HEPA filters in every classroom. Mine must be hidden somewhere.

Of course the hybrid model will work for families instead of dedicated Elementary Virtual Schools. “Teachers will figure it out.”
We have figured it out by the way. It sucks.

Of course the glaring gaps in equity and decisions made “for all” only benefit the privileged who have the wherewithall and choice as to whether their child stays home or not.
Here’s a terrible camera and headset so you can syncronously miss being present in your physical and digital classrooms. 

It is very clear that the “brain trust” tasked with these decisions declared, “We’ve tried nothing and we’re all out of ideas.” I can’t shake these questions: When was the last time any system leaders taught an online class on a daily basis? Where is their compassion, consideration, or consultation with current classroom educators? Why in good conscience would anyone with mental health as a pillar in their foundation allow this to happen? How did they lose their way so completely at the expense of their most valuable resources? It is dizzying. 

How about the feeling of knowing you are going to pass out just before passing out? That’s how it felt when the news of having to teach the hybrid model came down from the folx above. This decisive disconnect was dropped on us without a single consideration of the trauma it would cause in and out of classrooms. It was at that moment when I went into survival mode. I needed to “guard my heart and mind” from diving into dark spaces as it was very clear that no one else was going to do it for me. 

This realization got me thinking about what I needed to do to keep a grasp on my sanity and professionalism in order to do my job in these conditions. Here is what I have come up with so far:
1. Guard your heart and mind. Don’t get caught up in actions and activities that will only stretch you thinner. It’s okay to let someone else lead a meeting or division, run a club (when permitted), or welcome a student teacher. You are allowed to focus on you first. 

2. Resist through rest. I saw this in a tweet from @MsDhillon6A and it really resonated with me. Educators are notorious for taking on too much. We are doers and getters of things done, but we also need to pace ourselves. Teaching is a marathon not a sprint. It takes stamina and determination to maintain a steady pace. The 2021-22 school year is a great time to learn to say no and to let go of extra activities that drain the life out of your practice, body, and spirit.

3. Set boundaries with colleagues, students, admin, and families. There is nothing wrong with having office hours from 8 until 5 pm Monday to Friday. That email reply from the weekend will wait until Monday. You deserve work-life balance not work-work-life imbalance. 

4. Do something for yourself. Take a personal mental health day. Practice good sleep hygiene. Walk, yoga, play pickle ball, or call an old friend who you used to work with to touch base. I like to read, cook, and work on my not so secret goal to be a stand up comedian. As a primary teacher on occasion, I am used to tough crowds so I am half way there. 
And finally, 

5. Don’t silo yourself away. You do not have to go through any of this alone. Share your frustrations, joys, ups, and downs. It is another year unlike any other. Teachers need to know that there are tens of thousands cheering for each other to make it through the day in the service of our students. Tag me anytime via Twitter  if you are having a rough day and need to share. Watch how the #onted family is there to rally and offer kind words of support. 

I’m going to listen to Gloria Gaynor now? Feel free to join me.

 

Please note: ETFO’s position on in-person learning remains unchanged. The union firmly believes that the daily, in-person model of instruction and support best meets the educational, developmental and social needs of students, provides the best experience for support, and is the most equitable learning model for all students.

ETFO’s expectation is that elementary virtual learning in any capacity, including through hybrid models of instruction, will end once the pandemic ends.

Will Gourley #hybridhurtskids, Building Inclusion, General, Inclusion, LGBTQ2S, Making a Difference Through Education, Mental Health, Mindfulness, social emotional learning, Start of the year, Wellbeing

3 things

It’s  the start of week 3 in most public schools, and it feels like we are in for some long months ahead. I have 3 things to share to start the year:
1. Hybrid teaching sucks
2. Your students have something to tell you
3. Did I mention that hybrid still sucks?

1. Despite the social, emotional, and physical toll of teaching and learning during a pandemic, I can’t shake the optimism I have when spending time with my students. Bar none, they are the only source of inspiration strong enough to power me past some medieval level system decisions made by our current government and local school boards.

The hybrid learning option is a stunted and thoughtless response to the educational needs of students and their families. It is an institutional cop out that is replete with a debilitating amount of sadism to demean the well-being of educators charged with making magic with little more than cheap tech, a perfunctory kudo, and a “Your wellness matters” memo. Countless educators have shared how this method of education does little to serve student or teacher yet it was still chosen as the “viable option”. #hybridhurtskids #hybridharmseducators

2. Have you checked in with students to see how they’re doing yet? I know it has been a hella couple of weeks already, but have you asked this year’s class how they feel, how they like to learn or what challenges they are facing being back in the classroom? If you did, were there any surprises? If you didn’t, no worries, it’s never too late.

My experiences with dedicating class time to conversations, Google forms, or free writing tasks to asking these questions are very insightful. Students have voices. They are honest and opinionated. Best of all, students will speak their truths as long as they have a safe, judgement free place to do so.

I have found this beginning of the year check-in to be a powerful way to build relationships of caring and understanding from the start. This comes by establishing the conditions from which they are safe to do so. That usually happens by listening first, holding back the urge to solve or fix or give unsolicited advice or admonishment. Trust me. It’s worth it in order to build trust with learners from the earliest days. This year, more than ever before, students whether in class, EVS or in syncronous hybrid pergatory need to know their teachers are there listening to them, seeing them, and willing to support them.

Here are a few things shared over the past couple of weeks

“I am stressed about getting good marks by my family.”

“I feel anxious when we do math and I get called on.”

“I do not like presenting in front of others.”

“I am bad at; math, art, french, english, science” etc.

“I don’t have any friends who understand the way I feel.”

“My parents are fighting at home and it bothers me and my sister.”

“Someone close to me or my family died, and I am sad.”

“My pronouns are he/him, she/her, they/them,”

Hearing and reading such honesty from students can evoke strong emotions. Their words speak truth into the role we all have in the lives of not only the academic learner, but the whole child. In short, relationship, mental health, trust, and wellbeing need to happen first before any lessons are shared.

Thankfully, these beginning of year conversations and questionnaires also yield a lot of optimism and hope from students too. They are thrilled to be back with their peers, in their school, and with their teachers. Student voice is often the only fuel I need to fuel my emotional fire to teach somedays. We all need something to get us through tough times when the system is designed counter-intuitively to the needs of the community it is tasked to serve.

3. As you read through the 2nd thing, I hope you did not forget that #hybridhurtskids and #harmseducators. As I start my 3rd week with a mic on my head, a mask over my face, and webcam on, I fear for the disconnect that is happening with my OGs(online guys). Now instead of devoting both ears to 26 students in class, I have one ear for 24 and the other for 2 hybrid learners. As age continues to take away my ability to hear, this concerns me. It’s exhausting and many times I am only able to hear a fraction of what I could when not divided and encumbered by tech.

First, how is this fair to any one child when I can only devote half of my auditory function to a room filled with students? How can students be expected to hear me clearly when I articulate a particular pronunciation to practice in reading or vocabulary when I can barely hear myself with a headset on? And then there are the visual content issues?

Not everyone has a document camera to share texts or show how to share thinking spontaneously or good lighting for hybrid kids to see what is being shared on the board. How are students expected to see what I am sharing when the camera does not focus or adjust? Anything projected to the whole class becomes washed in the worst possible lighting fluorescent bulbs can provide.

Then there is the whole OT and prep teacher transition piece. Connecting is not easy, especially when the tech does not always come with the proper cords from class to class. I now have an HDMI, USB-C, and VGA adapter, but know many educators do not. There are significant gaps starting to happen already and coupled with the emotionally taxing work that is happening, something is going to give. Does this seem familiar?

And yet, this is what is going to happen next…

I am going to teach like I am on a reality show tomorrow. I am going to give the performance of the day. I am going to go home defeated, drained, and desperate to believe that the next time back in class will go without a hitch. I will continue to listen to my students first, honour their voices and fight against the derogation of education by people who have not been in a classroom in decades.