It’s a New Year, and many people are making resolutions. Although this is not something that is commonly discussed among young people nowadays, as teachers I am sure that in addition to September end of term in January may be a time to coincide with the western New Year date to examine what you want to accomplish with your students.
Last year, I was lucky enough to receive some funds for my French program. As the only FSL teacher in the school, I am in the unique position of being one of the only teachers in charge of a sole subject, but that means I also take seriously having the decision on which activities to use with the allotted money rest with me. So after browsing the list of suggested experiences, I went about asking myself a few key questions:
*What were students able to engage with as an activity due to it being exciting in its novelty or ‘fun factor’?
*What activity would give the students a skill or interest that was useful and set them up for further curiosity?
*What experience would give students a chance to interact with their families in lockdown with low stress and have everyone have a chance to participate regardless of circumstances, etc.?
The choice was clear: the activity by Chef à l’école (Chef in School) would satisfy all three. Students would learn about French vocabulary for the recipe on making ‘langues de chat’ (cat’s tongue sugar cookies), a French Canadian recipe. They could send me photos of the recipe if they chose, participate in a Kahoot, and I even added steps on how to make a paper torque (chef’s chat) if so desired. During the lesson, students were very engaged despite us teaching online at the time and I could see some families setting up the recipe during the class instead of waiting until later to follow along like a TV program.
The students sent me photos and the accommodations were given on how to modify the everyday ingredients for vegan or religious substitutions. Chef Suzanne remarked that one advantage of the program was being able to offer lessons across Google Meet to students outside of her travel zone given the company’s quick adaptation to online presentations. Here’s hoping in the future they can visit our school in person!
As someone who struggles with cooking myself, I hope I was able to give students an opportunity to seek out what fun baking can be with other recipes from various cultures. And as our film viewing of Disney’s Paris set Ratatouille showed, it’s true that “anyone can cook!”
Psst…if you want to try for yourself and also practise some math skills with measurement, here is the English recipe: https://www.ricardocuisine.com/en/recipes/404-langues-de-chat-cookies-cat–s-tongue-shaped-thin-cookies-
misfires and dry spells
I have a problem with self-perception that needs explaining in this medium, and I may not be the only one with it. #fingerscrossed
Have you ever heard the terms “misfires” or “creative dry spell”? I’ve experienced each of them, In fact, they happen in and out of the classroom fairly frequently. I am pretty sure that it happens to everyone at some point in time. If you’re nodding your head at this, does it come with bouts of self-doubt/loathing for you too? #stuffhappens
Since it is the end of the calender year. Lists are always fun. Here are 6 things that have been on my mind for you to ponder:
- Be positive about your skills and know they are always evolving
- Stop getting in your own way. Try new things.
- Learn that failure can be an excellent teacher. Don’t take it personally.
- You can’t control anything around you except how you respond to it
- Things will go wrong. Sometimes this will lead to something amazing and new.
Other times it will require a restart. Educators are natural born problem solvers. - Take time to see and enjoy the big picture of your impact on the lives of learners.
Despite these moments, when nothing flows or moves forward, things manage to get accomplished in some shape or form. At times, I have little to no recollection of how, but accept that going through the highs and lows whether they are in the creative process or in teaching have allowed me still do many things despite the voices of discouragement telling me to give up or that the work is not good enough. #justkeepmoving
In past iterations of my practice, I chose to internalize my inabilities as a personal failure. That was until I accepted that failure was a natural part of the creative process and that every so called failure of mine was actually a lesson as well when looked at objectively. I found this to be quite liberating and began to look at failure without the fear that may have clouded my thinking around it from the past. #learnfromfailure
A few years back there was a poster in my classroom that read FAIL meant Frequent Attempts In Learning. It was accompanied by a Chinese proverb that read, “Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up.” These two thoughts guided our year and ultimately helped students to value their efforts at all times in the process rather than stressing about the mark(s). It was during this time that I confronted my own demons getting in the way of my own creativity and abilities. The first thing to do was stop trying to be everything to everyone and start being myself. #confrontyourdoubts
The next was to not worry about the temporary obstacles placed in my path because they were just that, temporary. This meant learning to move around, under, over or destroying them with a lot of creativity, patience, and an occasional strategic surrender to regroup. I have become comfortable in retracing my footsteps, although it may cost a little time or necessitate starting a journey along a different path if the old one needed to be abandoned in the process. Kind of like teaching in that way isn’t it? #stickwithit
All of this got me thinking about how my “misfires and creative dry spells” might actually be good for my teaching practice. #donotmissthelearning
Teachers by nature are problem solvers. I am no different. This is one of our super powers. Yet, even with these incredible skills to adapt within everchanging spaces, we find it difficult when something goes wrong whether it was within or beyond our control. I have come to love what comes of the inevitable mistakes that occur in my classroom, and have seized upon making my mess and my mistakes a bigger part of my message as they reflect a truer version of myself as an educator. #teachingismysuperpower
I may not be able to control all of the outcomes or actors, but I can definitely control how I respond to them. Accepting that every lesson and class will not be perfect, but will still move us to someplace where we might see things more clearly or at least differently is a great place to start. #teachersashumans
We juggle and manage dozens of moments simultaneously. We are constantly prioritizing the wellbeing and needs of our learners/selves throughout each instructional day. We are adapting to variables with a depth of skill that would astound a chess champion. Teachers make real time course corrections as they navigate students through their learning. In all of this there is bound to some incredible learning occuring in each of these moments. #teachersmakethedifference
And then at the end of the day, we reflect on our reflections about the day and prepare to do it again the next.* It’s okay to nod. #reflecttogrow
Happy Gregorian Calender New Year. May 2022 be good to us all. In safety and solidarity. Thank you for reading. #gratitude
*I remember telling the dean at my faculty of education that I have become a mirror after so much reflection. She laughed.
2 weeks
Happy December folx,
I’m writing this on a Saturday, and it feels good. I am not sure when it will actually be posted though. It has been a day since wishing my in-class and hybrid learners “happy holidays” and “merry Christmas” so the significance of the next two weeks outside of school coupled with exhaustion, uncertainty, and another COVID19 wave have not hit me, yet.
Did anyone else wake up at their normal time even though the alarm wasn’t set? My body and mind will need some time to sync with the holiday hiatus whether they are ready or not. I am not going to force the issue either. It is important to sleep when you’re tired and wake when you are ready over the next 2 weeks.
I have found it best to spend the first 2 days of any long break keeping regular routines. I do this because of the inevitable let-down that happens once my brain and body realize that it will not be business as usual at school on day 3. I have learned the hard way that not easing into the holidays left me really rundown and often with a cold. As the spread of the recent varient rivals the proliferation of Christmas music everywhere, it is wise not to let your guard down.
The holidays offer freedom that when paired with a built-up desire to cram numerous overdue social activities into a finite amount of time can be very tempting. Self-care over this break needs to be your first priority even when a voice in the back of your head is screaming you forgot something at school. I encourage you to leave your work email alone as much as possible over this time, Being aware of this over extended time away from work has been very helpful to my mind and body.
To admit that this break comes as a relief is the best way to express how it feels today. I am tried, tested, tired, and trying to avoid a tirade from a sensed disappointment in students, their families, and fellow educators all of whom have been left looking for some clarity as to what will happen when we are scheduled to return in January.
At days end on December 17th, there was little evidence of a clear message/acknowledgement from the current minister of education or from many school boards in response to the rapidly changing numbers of new infections in our province. I guess we should be thankful to have made it to the end of this school month, since the numbers of new infections have been increasing so rapidly in and out of schools. This year’s break could not have come at a better time. Speaking of the time, I will continue this post tomorrow. I am off to cook dinner.
Time for a little politics
It’s Sunday morning, coffee pot empty, breakfast cooked and eaten, dishes done, and it’s back to the keyboard. A reread of the previous day’s paragraphs, several phrasing/content changes made, and action. By the way, dinner was delish. Asian inspired pork with a tangerine ginger garlic sauce over rice and stir fry veggies. Yum! It’s go time.
Over the holidays our students will be able to isolate more and monitor their health using the 5 RATs (rapid antigen tests) each was given. Now they can line up with their parents while they get theirs and call it ‘family time’. I am appalled that the citizens of our province have been forced to line up to receive a pack of tests like this will solve the spread of COVID19 and its varients. It did not surprise me either to hear that RATs would be available at some LCBO locations, not all. Now their employees(also unionized) can be run off their feet even more during their busiest time of year.
I think local MPP offices would be a much better location to pick up these tests as it would provide a chance for them to look their constituents in the eye and see what their decisions have wrought. They don’t seem to be doing a lot with their free time out of the legislature other than photo-opping.
Teachers felt the mean spirited message the current government sent them when they were not included in the distribution of RATs. It speaks again to the malicious intent to demoralize a decimated workforce already coping with underfunding, understaffing, poor public policy, indifference, broken promises, and the visceral contempt of the profession by the current government.
We need to demand better from the people who are elected to serve us. Students, their families, and educators deserve better. We deserve leadership that serves the public and not the profiteers in whose pockets they pander.
Stay safe. Stay strong. In solidarity we stand.
Possibly next time
In my last post parents and guardians, I mentioned wanting to share some further thoughts about communication tips in support of new educators, but that will have to be something for the future.
Diversifying your Curriculum Content
As a music teacher, the past 2 years have certainly been eye-opening as to the content I have teaching within my arts program. It has been eye-opening to see that some of the songs I am learning to be educated about in terms of racial insensitivities were ones that have been listed in music songbooks and sung around campfires for years. However, I am naturally committed to insuring the elimination of curriculum violence in all of the subjects I teach. So, how does one go about this long overdue and necessary task?
I started by examining the content I had included for years. Were there other examples that could be presented from a variety of perspectives? I now include teaching the Nutcracker unit with the inclusion of Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite to show students how jazz and classical music can come together. This gives an opportunity for students to have a critical thinking opportunity to see how musicians can infuse a piece of music to give a more inclusive representation of ideas while maintaining the original creation. I also looked at examples of the ballet that included Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (BIPOC) dancers to demonstrate that the arts are continuing to change to allow opportunities for performers of multicultural backgrounds to achieve their dreams and showcase their talents.
Next was looking at the examples I included in my arts presentations. Students attended a virtual concert from Indigenous duo, Twin Flames in Canada and examined some of Notorious Cree’s Tik Tok dances. They were able to connect the infusion of the past and present with examining real world examples of why we say the land acknowledgement every day as well as learning to appreciate the similarities and differences in the arts from a variety of cultures.
Finally, I continue to look at resources in my spare time such as documentary specials or books that highlight a variety of people challenging the stereotypes of what it means to be a member of a community, such as basketball superfan Nav Bhatia or the first coder Ada Lovelace. As libraries both public or in schools re-examine the content that students have access to, it is imperative that we as educators work together in looking at our pre-conceived notions we bring to our teachings.
Media Sites for Students: www.cbc.ca/kids
Throughout the past year, particularly online, I am always looking for ways to include meaningful media content for my students. While researching coding, I came across content on www.cbc.ca/kids that I found very useful in terms of the following categories:
*Articles: the content is kid friendly in terms of the language and includes serious topics in a way that doesn’t get into graphic details (such as reconciliation). The students enjoyed seeing examples of technology around the world and there are many topics that are searchable, from “Arts” to multicultural celebrations. Plus, you know that the site is reputable with its content which is important for kids nowadays to assess the accuracy of their digital sources. There are many Canadian focused articles as well as content from around the world.
*Videos and Quizzes/polls: if you are looking for a more interactive experience, search through various topics and find mini questionnaires like “would you rather” and multiple choice trivia. Last year one student was so excited about the video game quiz he called over his dad on the Meet and they both had a blast playing along with their “old school” and “Gen Z” knowledge.
*Games: there are a variety of simple computer games that don’t require downloading or apps that students even young primaries can navigate: in fact, we explore this every week with the online kindergarten class. The games are organized by categories such as puzzles or strategy and even have a three star rating system for students to communicate their thoughts. We also used the games in coding to discuss how simple they would be to create. There are even seasonal selections for different celebrations, including non-denominational ones such as build a digital snowman. Once again, the games are safe in terms of content, lack of needing to sign in with an account which is sometimes an issue with finding internet games online.
If I could change one thing about the site, it is that there doesn’t appear to be a French language option to include students from the FSL program. But all in all, this is a great resource for students of all elementary grades (and a good resource to have on hand in the event of an emergency supply day, or an afternoon where students need some down time while still following the curriculum before the break).
In Solidarity
We’ve all heard the phrase or received the emails signing off by saying, “In solidarity”. Over the last little while, I’ve been thinking of what it really means to be in solidarity with others, particularly educators. A quick Google search will reveal that solidarity is defined as “unity or agreement of feeling or action, especially among individuals with a common interest; mutual support within a group”. While I know that as educators, we are passionate with regard to our common interest of having a collective agreement that is fair and beneficial to members, I wonder how much further we are really willing to take this idea of solidarity? In this post, I’m picking apart this definition of solidarity and asking educators to reflect.
Unity or Agreement of Feeling or Action
Immediately, this had me thinking about those who feel safe within the school space and those who do not. How do you feel walking into your school and being your authentic self on a daily basis? Sit with that question for a minute. What are the first few emotions that came to mind? Now I know that we are in times that are challenging as we are navigating a pandemic. So many may think that they are tired or overwhelmed but I want you for a minute to consider what you may normally feel when you walk into your building. For some, it may feel great, in that you have a colleague or two that you can connect with or plan with. What happens if you don’t feel this way? What happens if you are feeling isolated because you have chosen to stand up against the status quo? What happens if you are on the receiving end of daily microaggressions? It’s in these moments when you realized that there are possibly a variety of groups who are in unity or agreement of feeling but that there is not one universal feeling when it comes to education. This might be considered a microcosm of the world but in a profession where this word is so often uttered, I wonder how we might come together for true unity. School historically hasn’t been safe or welcoming for many. In spite of policies and procedures in place, many still struggle to enter with a common feeling and we haven’t even dug into the actions yet.
Among Individuals With a Common Interest
As teachers, what is our common interest? I would offer that it should be ALL of our students and ensuring that there are conditions available for them to succeed. If the success of all of our students is the goal, why is there such a dissonance when it comes to hearing what is needed and us being able to act accordingly? If we know that some are achieving while others are not, then shouldn’t we all be commonly interested in ensuring that we do whatever it takes to support those who aren’t? Many are eager to reflect on and change practice but it’s sometimes scary to see the push back and dare I say abuse that comes to facilitators of learning spaces when educators are asked to reflect and grow. How can we in good faith possibly call our students to do better when we ourselves aren’t willing to? What is our common interest in education? Is it student-centred?
Mutual Support Within a Group
What does mutual support look like within a group?
It looks like people being able to freely show up as they are without fear of being dehumanized but rather supported within their workspace.
It looks like having the opportunity to collaborate with others and respectfully dialogue about how best to meet the needs of students so that students are given opportunities to thrive within the school environment.
It looks like rather than sending a message or calling after witnessing harm, people speaking up for one another so that the harm doesn’t continue to occur.
It looks like everyone doing their part and being respected for what they bring.
How do we show mutual support within our school communities? As I mentioned before, we are all going through challenging times. Many of us are tired and burnt out. How do we show up for and support each other through the challenge? I’m not talking about having fun and doing special days. Those are problematic and superficial at best. But how do we really show up for one another so that we can do right by our students? That’s really what I am interested in finding out.
What are the ways in which we can show up for our colleagues in order to ensure that our common interest – students – are centred and we are unified in taking action? The next time you utter the phrase or send the email with “In solidarity” in your signature, please consider what it actually means and whether or not you truly are in solidarity with the person on the receiving end of your “greeting”.
parents and guardians
There are numerous allies in education outside of our schools. Parents and guardians are always at the top of the list. To reframe a quote, “they are our partners in education”. In other, perhaps more ominous words, everything we do in the classroom is linked inextricably to them and their children – good, bad, or otherwise. No pressure there, eh?
When I started out as a teacher, I had to learn the delicate dance of dealing with parents. Coming from a media, sales, and entrepreneurial background, prior to education, provided me with a mix of no nonsense and conversational finesse. Perhaps, the number of kilometres on my life odometer have made interactions with parents and guardians different for me compared to my chronologically younger colleagues. I noticed that even though we started out at the same time, our experiences from our first parent conferences back in the day were quite different. This is still happening today, 12 years later as I try to mentor teachers new to their roles in schools.
Was and is my age a factor ? What about my gender? What about my privilege of being a white-cis male too? Yup, yup, and double-yup.
At first I found it odd that families saw me as more experienced based only on their visual assumptions? I never hid my rookie status from families. Yet, I witnessed how some younger teachers seemed to be second guessed by some parents/guardians for no perceivable reason other than their youth even though they had the same experience as me. I can guarantee you that most of them could teach circles and other shapes around me.
Seeing this year after year proved that this was not an uncommon occurence in education. In subsequent years, I felt strongly about making sure teachers would rally together in support of our new team members on staff by ensuring that there is a supportive structure around them. I know it’s called NTIP, but I never recall meetings with parents and guardians as high on the learning priority list. For me, this focus is also extended to all faculty of education students. It is important that they get a chance to be present when possible for meetings too.
the set-up
Looking back, it may have been the way I front loaded communication prior to those meetings? For my part, I have always believed that the student is the best agenda. I have always expected them to share their days and responsibilites with the adults at home in their lives. I have also learned that an agenda can be conveniently lost or recycled at the most interesting times.
When I was given my first homeroom, I made sure to let parents know what they could expect in terms of communication forms and frequency. As such, even though students had agendas they were expected to fill them as they saw fit throughout the day. This year I chose not to ask for agendas for my grade 4/5 class which left some parents a bit uncomfortable. A colleague solved that issue by cutting an 80 page writing book in half. Voilà, an agenda is born.
It is important to remember that it is your class and you need to manage it in terms that work best for you. Consider it as a differentiation of sorts. Gardner would be proud.
I prefer to communicate with adults at home in a more corporate manner via email. This is mostly due to my atrocious penmanship skills. My hand moves too slowly for my brain. Typing has allowed me to find the goldilocks zone for my brain and body. Parents and guardians receive updates about classroom events such as what is being learnt and any assessments that might be coming home or upcoming.
I also use my emails to families as a method of letting parents know how hard their students are working and that I appreciate their support. This medium of communication has always been effective for me.
If you are fan of agendas then the answer is built into your instructional day already as students copy down what is on the board to take home each night. I see the value of developing the fine motor skills of younger students by printing, but am also aware that this can be an incredible instructional time suck. With the rise of digital classroom spaces (G**gle et al) many of the daily notices can be shared online without daily delay which would give time for other fine motor skills practice anyway.
I also believe that students can come to loathe the activity if they struggle with printing/cursive writing like I do. Communication does not have to be daily. See my above where I mentioned how students can be the conversational conduits of their school days instead of a series of disconnected written prompts that require explanation anyway. This brings me to my next point about how frequently educators need to share with families, but that will have to wait until my next post because there might be some stories and opinions to share that would make this read a bit too much like a long note home in an agenda.
Knitting, Crocheting and Loom Knitting
With three weeks left until the winter break, it is a great time to introduce a new project to help us remain calm and carefree. For many people, knitting is used as a relaxing pastime to calm emotions and focus energy and I have seen it have a great impact at school. I currently work with 25 students at my middle school on developing knitting, crocheting, and loom knitting skills once a week. Some students are also working on designing their own patterns and projects. The hour and a half that we knit is a relaxing and calm sanctuary in a very hectic week for both staff and students.
I took up knitting very randomly about a decade ago when I decided to knit a Dr. Who scarf for my partner. For those that are not fans of the long running TV show, it was a pretty unusual first project. The scarf is incredibly long and a fairly big project for a beginner! Although, my mother, sister and grandmother all had a long history of knitting, I had never started. With YouTube to help, I taught myself the first three stiches and away I went. Miraculously, the scarf was completed, and I was pleased with the result and never looked back. Since then, I have knit a variety of projects and have passed on the love of knitting to my students. It really helps me refocus my anxious energy and gives me a sense of accomplishment which is how I hope my students feel as well.
Every year, I also instruct my class in knitting, crocheting and loom knitting as an art project. When I was preparing the first time to introduce the artform to my class, I realized very quickly that there was a problem. The majority of the instructional videos on YouTube and other platforms did not reflect the gender, race, culture or age of my students. I also tried to buy knitting magazines and books but ran into similar problems. According to a New York Times article about Black Female Knitters and the history of racism in knitting “After scrolling through nearly 1,400 images of paintings and photos of people knitting on Google Arts and Culture, Ms. Kern found only two who were Black.” One of the images was of Sojourner Truth seen here: (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/05/style/knitting-hobby-black-women.html)
My students were fairly skeptical about this new artform as it seemed no one they could relate to did crocheting or knitting. Then along came Jonah Larson. A couple of years ago, a young man named Jonah Larson became famous for his unbelievable speed at crocheting! (I wish I could crochet at half the speed he does) I now use some of his instructional videos and interviews in class to change the way that the history of crocheting and knitting is being presented. He is young American who was adopted from Ethiopia. His talent is incredible and inspiring and my students really enjoy his videos. A couple of his videos are here:
If you would like to try knitting or crocheting with your class you will need a few items to get started:
A crochet hook/a loom/knitting needles (For students that struggle with hand-eye coordination, loom knitting is probably the best choice)
Scissors
A couple of darning needles for the whole class
A ball of yarn per person
Some technology devices to watch instructional videos.
No matter what materials your students have access to, the best project to start with is a facecloth. There are thousands of patterns online for knitting, crocheting, loom knitting and hand knitting a facecloth that your class can use to get started. At the beginning, there may be a lot of frustration and the students will need to have a lot of perseverance. I encourage students to work as a collaborative team and get up, move around and help each other until all students are successful. As mentioned above, for students that you may anticipate having challenges with fine motor skills, my experience has been that loom knitting can be very successful.
Ultimately, teaching a skill that students may use in the future to help with anxiety and stress can be an important tool for their future happiness.
Happy knitting and crocheting!!
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.
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