Deb Weston General

Invisible, unpaid, voluntary hours

 

Working long invisible hours

 

2020/2021 has been a very challenging school year for educators. We’ve worked thousands of hours to make the school year work for our students. It was exhausting, working through weekends with few real breaks away from school tasks.

Thousands of teachers worked long, invisible, unpaid, voluntary hours.

Why did teachers work so hard? It was to ensure students had the best possible education during these very challenging times.

After 21+ years in teaching, I’ve learned a great deal about how my work is valued by boards of education and the Ontario government.

  •  Teachers are expected to work long hours with few supports and even larger class sizes.
  •  Teachers are directed, by their boards and ministries of education, to provide supports that are not directly linked to education such as being responsible for students’ well being and mental health. Teachers are expected to deal with students who have significant behaviour needs with few supports while teaching a class of students. Note that teachers are not trained mental health therapists.
  • Teachers’ time is taken up due to the underfunding of students’ needs, resulting in working through breaks and beyond school hours.

During Covid, teachers were expected to make their online and hybrid classrooms function well. Teachers were given few or no resources to run a virtual classroom with teachers using their own money to purchase technology and curriculum materials (I personally spent a great deal of my own money on student workbooks and technology in which I was not reimbursed.)

The challenges of teaching through Covid were downloaded to teachers as we were left to figure it out on our own. The lack of resources went beyond teaching materials as some teachers were given no planning time during their teaching online (part of the collective agreement.)

Of course, administration praised teachers for their work in one breath, then started asking teachers to do more. It is like asking someone to clean the house on their own time and then asking them to do the windows next!
Teaching in the hybrid model was the most taxing job I’ve had in my entire history of work in 40+ years. I had to attend to students in class, students online, technology and the lesson in which I was teaching. With the addition of behaviour management, my skills were so strained that I became ineffective.

Healthy relationships require limits. Teachers’ working conditions are becoming abusive. If these working conditions are sustained, my relationship with teaching needs to end.

Working long, invisible, unpaid, voluntary hours, I will not stay in an abusive relationship.

Collaboratively Yours,
Deborah Weston, PhD

Note: The Covid-19 Pandemic has brought unique and unprecedented challenges to teaching. ETFO’s position on in-person learning remains unchanged. The union firmly believes that in-person instruction and learning in publicly-funded schools provides the best experience for learning, quality delivery and is the most equitable model for all students. In order to support educators during remote learning, several resources have been created to support members.

Tammy Axt General

What I wish I had known three years ago

Three years ago, I moved to my current school in the role of self-contained teacher of students with developmental disabilities. When I applied for the job, I did not have extensive experience with self-contained programming or even special education for that matter. All I knew was that I loved working with students who had exceptionalities when they came to my music class. Three years later, I have learned so many important things.

Since I am unable to travel back in time, I hope what I learned will help you get started in supporting students with developmental disabilities in your inclusive or self-contained setting.

Set high expectations. My students achieved a lot in the past three years. Some of my students learned how to read at the age of 12, some were able to take care of their personal care in the bathroom for the first time at 13, and others greatly improved their social skills and empathy towards others. I truly understand the statement: “Just because the student never did something before, does not mean the student won’t be able to do it now.”. The students impressed me time and time again. We ran a business, hopped on a bus and went shopping, we led activities for others in the school and on one particular occasion, my incredibly shy grade 6 student walked up to the dunk tank and in front of 50 grade 8s, pitched and dunked my principal. The sky is really the limit. Expect a lot from your students and they will be able to do so many things!

Focus on the students’ strengths and build from there. Building a program for instruction that is strength-based will help the students achieve so many things!! It builds momentum and confidence with students when they achieve something and allows them to do their best learning. For example, once we connected numeracy activities to one student’s expertise of running, her counting really took off. We focused on the numbers she was confident with and added on from there. For another one of my students, he really enjoyed riding his specialized bike around the school. We learned that if we continued to build his gross motor skills during his bike rides, he would be more comfortable getting up and down from chairs, walking up and down the stairs, and dancing with his classmates. His physical strength carried over to so many areas of his daily routine.

There are many policies/Acts that you need to know. Find a comfortable chair and start reading. PPMs outline some the requirements of your job, especially those that focus on Special Education such as: PPM 81, 140, 149 and 156. There are also a lot of policies that impact your responsibilities such as the Ontario Human Rights Code- Policy on Accessible Education for Students with Disabilities, Ontario with Disabilities Act and Accessibility for Ontario with Disabilities Act. This is something easy that you can do now, before your job begins in September, but will have a big impact on what you’re required to do in your new job.

Ask for good assessment tools on day one. Information about your students is so important. We know this. In every classroom in Ontario, teachers are assessing students and making decisions about programming every day of the school year. The tricky part about students who are developing skills outside of the Ontario Curriculum is that many schools do not have really effective assessment tools that can capture their learning. If your school does not have a great tool for assessment of students with developmental disabilities, the FISH Functional Independence Skills Handbook and The Carolina Curriculum are a great place to start.

Read about Alternative Goals and Programming before your job begins. For most of us throughout our career, we have used the Ontario Curriculum as a measure of achievement for our students. For students who are focusing on skills outside the Ontario Curriculum, it is important as an educator that you have a deep understanding of Alternative Goals, Programming and Assessment. To get started, the website http://www.thea4ideaplace.com/ will introduce you to different goals that are outside of the Ontario Curriculum and how to assess students’ achievement of these goals.

Resources come in many shapes and sizes. Speech and Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists and SEA Technology will often play an important role in your students’ success at school. Learn what is available to students and understand how SLPs, OTs and PTs can support your students. You will need to advocate strongly for your students to get the materials that they need.

It also helps if you are aware of some of the technology that can support your students’ learning such as:

· Core first board

· Clicker 6

· Switches

· Speech to Text

· Board Maker Online

· Read and Write for Google Chrome

· Go Talk

· Big/Little Mack Communicator

· Prologue2Go

· Big keys assistive key board

· Clicker Connect

· Abilipad

Make social skills a priority. I’d love to say I used some amazing social skills program and voila, we had an amazing community of learners. However, it required a lot of observation of students and creating lessons and resources that responded to my students’ needs. We used a lot of social stories and acted out situations so students could learn appropriate ways to respond in a variety of situations. Once I made social skills the most important focus of our class, the students developed a strong community and our learning really took off. It was like you had 13 cheerleaders rooting you on and celebrating every part of your day!!

Parents play an important role in their child’s education. This is a true statement for every child at school. What I didn’t know when I first started my current role, was how important I was to going to be to helping my students’ parents get the community supports that they needed.

That last thing that I wish I would have known three years ago:

That this was going to be the coolest, most awesome and incredible three years of my teaching career!

Tammy Axt General

Thank You, Teachers!!

Thank you for everything that you have done this year.

Thank you for supporting students who felt isolated and alone.

Thank you for supporting students while you received unclear communication and direction from the Ministry of Education.

Thank you for becoming an expert in IT to support students and parents through device issues.

Thank you for your commitment to dismantling anti-Black racism.

Thank you for continuing to commit your precious free time to your own professional learning. I met so many of you in book talks, workshops, webinars and in AQs that I took this year. Your passion for learning is inspiring.

Thank you for self reflecting and acknowledging areas of needed growth.

Thank you for writing report cards, IEPs, transition reports etc. while at home and isolated from the usual support of your colleagues.

Thank you for supporting parents through this difficult time.

Thank you for working extensive hours to prepare for online learning.

Thank you for staring at a page of avatars for hours on end while teaching lessons enthusiastically.

Thank you for speaking out loudly against the hybrid model of instruction. I taught in a hybrid model this year and I can say from the experience that it is the absolute worst model for kids. No child or teacher should learn or instruct in this model.

Thank you for keeping 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds engaged during online learning.

Thank you for running online GSAs this year so our students who are members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community felt loved and supported.

Thank you for supporting your colleagues through some very difficult times with their mental health.

Thank you for teaching from home while trying to help your own children with online learning.

Thank you for everything that you have done this year. I am very proud to stand alongside you as a teacher in Ontario.

Will Gourley Celebrating Success, Emergency Distance Learning, General, Making a Difference Through Education, Mental Health, self reflection, Teaching online, Year End Reflection

Before you click “End the call”

After 10 months of learning at the lag and speed of education during a pandemic, the end of this school year is at hand. Our students and fellow educators have been through so much. Considering the obstacles(emotional, physical, virtual), doubt, stress, isolation, frustration, and constantly shifting plans that elected and system leaders have laid before us, we made it. 

I guarantee that not a single soul wishes to do it over again either. It’s time to close the book on lockdown learning in a pandemic. We all get gold stars for our efforts along with some well earned time away from the screens to which we have stared and spoken too frequently. Although, the number of school days can be counted on one hand, I still need both hands and one of my feet to count the digital meetings ahead before logging out for a while. The thought of this got me very excited, perhaps my reward centre released some hormones in anticipation or something neuroscientific like that, but I think it is more likely a sigh of relief. An overdue exhale if you will. I wonder if CO2 levels will rise on the last day of school?

As joyous as this impending summer recovery and associated unstructured time will be for all of us, I wonder what that last day is going to be like for the hundreds of thousands of students we have been serving after we “end the call”? What are you going to do to celebrate? We have a lot to cheer about. I have been weighing that last Google meeting quite heavily this year, and it is understandable considering how many times we have all logged on and off this year.

For my class, I really want to spend time listening to the students, playing social games, and dancing out our time together. This is not unlike the last day at school in real life for me other than copious amounts of candy and snacks. Everything is on the table from Blookets to Buddy Board Games, and from Kahoots to Just Dance vids (see links below). I think that Karaoke (YouTube) might even be on this year’s schedule too. My class loves how well I can sing any song off key and not feel any shame. Anything to send the class off into their summer break with a smile. I want our last meeting to also make sure the students know how much they have been appreciated for their hard work and their commitment to making this year way better than bearable. 

So what’s your goto end of year guaranteed goodtime activity? Please feel free to share by adding your favorite to the comments below. However you choose to end your last online class of 2020-21 school, take an extra moment to reflect on what a year it has been for all of us. Celebrate the good that is in your students as you send them off for a safe and restful summer. I know that I am starting to miss my class already, but that we are all ready for a break to recharge our emotional and physical batteries. Before I click end the call maybe I’ll play one more song for us to dance out the year. 

Just Dance Choice Tracks
Turn Up the Love – Far East Movement

Dynamite – BTS

Old Town Road – Lil Nas X

Happy – Pharrell Williams

I’m Blue – Hit that electro beat

Animals – Martin Garrix

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.

Michelle Fenn 21st Century Learning, Communication Tools, Constant Learning, COVID19, Distance learning, Diverse Learning Needs, e-learning, Engaging students with online learning, General, Inspiring Teachers, Learning in a Real Life Context, Making a Difference Through Education, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Modern Learning, Professional Learning and Growth, Remote Learning, Teacher Appreciation, teacher efficacy, Technology, Use of Technology, Using technology well, Wellbeing, wellness

Top Ten Tips for Attending Virtual Professional Learning for Educators

So much learning is happening virtually now and it is amazing.  I recently attended a virtual EdTech Conference in Nebraska!  This is an opportunity I never would have been able to take advantage of before the pandemic.  I have attended a number of virtual conferences during COVID and I’ve also organized and facilitated virtual learning over the last year and it is a different way to get your learn on!

In order to really get the most out of Virtual Professional Learning here are my go-to suggestions:

  1.  Organize your time and your conference selections in advance.  If there are many choices, take the time to do the research on the session and on the presenter. If there are digital links for presentations on the conference site to add into a digital tote-do it before your sessions so that you aren’t tempted to leave the session in order to do so.  Thank you ISTE LIVE 21  for the digital tote feature!
  2. Be PRESENT.  Be mindful and intentional about your learning.  If it isn’t the kind of learning that you were expecting, hop over to another session otherwise you’ll be resentful of wasted time and learning.
  3. Put your “out of office” email message on and don’t check your email.  If you were in an in-person setting, checking your email would be rude. This is time for your learning so treasure and protect that time.
  4. When possible attend LIVE sessions not asynchronous or previously recorded sessions.  LIVE sessions have opportunities to engage and ask questions which makes the learning is deeper.
  5. Have a PLP (Professional Learning Partner) or two! No one really wants to go to a conference by themselves. Some of the best learning takes place when you share what you learned in a session that your PLP wasn’t able to attend! You double the learning!
  6. Participate in the learning.  If there is a chat feature then put who you are and where you are from in the chat.  Ask questions, engage and connect.  This is where you grow your Professional Learning Network.  In a face to face conference you would sit down and meet new people.  Think of how you would engage with others in a real conference setting.
  7. TWEET! TWEET!  Get the conference hashtag, follow it, retweet and tweet about your learning and the presenters.  Follow those presenters and give them a shoutout. Take a picture of the slide that they are sharing and post it (without people’s faces and names in it.)  It is awesome as a facilitator to see the tweets afterwards.  It is timely feedback and motivational for the presenter.
  8. Take notes.  My PLPs and I recently collaborated on note taking using a Google Slide deck while attending a conference.  We pasted links, took screenshots and put notes of important information into the slide deck so we have the learning for later.
  9. Participate.  As a presenter, it isn’t nice to present to the empty boxes on Zoom or Webex. Just as in person, it is nice to see the reaction of the audience to pace yourself and to know that they are still with you! That being said, if you are eating or dealing with your dog or family or have decided to multi-task, leaving your camera on can be distracting for the participants and the presenter.  If there is a question asked in the chat, respond! There is nothing like being a presenter left hanging.  If there is a poll, a word cloud, a Jamboard,or a Kahoot, play along! The presenter created these things in order to make the presentation interactive for the adult learner.
  10.  Take Breaks.  Make sure you look carefully at the schedule (and the time zone) in order to plan your screen, water, coffee, bathroom, movement or snack breaks.

The most important thing to remember is that the presenters put time and effort to share their learning and expertise with you.  It is nerve-wracking to present to a group of educators.  Tech savvy people have tech issues too.  Give presenters grace and remember to thank them and provide feedback for their work and expertise.  They will appreciate it!

 

Will Gourley Advocacy for public education, General

Getting involved in your ETFO

Since this space is dedicated to encouraging new teachers it seems like a great time to share some of the important benefits that you can gain from getting involved early on in your careers in education. 

So here is a little list and some handy links for you to click on to get you started;

  1. Your voice matters and as such you should feel represented and included. Joining a committee and following your ETFO local news is a great way to connect and find opportunities to learn how things work as well as find ways to support and serve in your region. A quick glimpse through some of the provincial locals shows committees for social justice, political action, and new teachers. Make sure you also attend your annual general meetings too. Your votes matter too.  
  2. Find a mentor. This does not have to be someone in your building. Technology and social media have created excellent mentorship channels for new members. ETFO Provincial has a link and as mentioned above, local chapters have New Teacher Committees. New teachers might also want to check out The Mentoree website. 
  3. Don’t go it alone. Although many of us graduate from teacher’s college feeling we have to have it all together, the truth is that no one comes out fully prepared. Once you graduate, and enter the classroom as a teacher or occasional teacher, the real learning begins. ETFO offers the Survive and Thrive conference to new teachers within their first 5 years of their careers. Some school boards also offer summer sessions for teachers who are switching grades or taking on new roles. YRDSB has hosted its Great Beginning Conference for years and it allows attendees to meet others and gain valuable and practical resources from experienced fellow educators. 
  4. Remember you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. When you are new to teaching or even looking to update your own lessons, ETFO has curated an excellent set of resources for its members. Start with Teaching and Learning and click on a sub-topic and scroll down. ETFO members has many phenomenal resources for educators by educators. Check out:
    ETFO Action on Anti-Black Racism 
    Building a Just Society 2SLGBTQ+  
    Adressing Anti-Asian Racism resource booklet
    There are way more to share, but I will let you enjoy discovering them at your own pace. 
  5. Take ETFO AQ and other courses. They are incredibly relevant and well taught by fellow member educators. They are also affordably priced and designed to fit your schedule. 
  6. Get on social media and find other like minded folx in education. #onted is a great place to start.
  7. Subscribe to the Heart and Art of Teaching and Learning blog. 

Most importantly, don’t forget that we are a family of committed, creative, and caring professionals who share a common goal to maintain the best public education system in the world. If you would like to connect please drop a line in the comments section. Welcome to ETFO. 

Tammy Axt General, IEP

Alternative Curriculum Reporting

It is that time of year again when everyone gets to do their favourite part of teaching….. Report card writing!! Woohoo!!

When I began my job as a teacher of students with Developmental Disabilities three years ago, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to write on my student’s reports. All of my students were working towards Alternative expectations on their IEPs and the reporting on the goals was much different than I was used to doing.  It was the first time that I developed Alternative Expectations (expectations that are developed to help students acquire skills that are not in the Ontario curriculum) and the first time I reported on them at the completion of first term. The ministry of Education explains that “for the vast majority of students, these (alternative) programs would be given in addition to modified or regular grade–level expectations from the Ontario curriculum.” In my students case, they have completely alternative IEPs.

In Ontario, there are five categories of Exceptionalities: Behaviour, Communication, Intellectual, Physical and Multiple. Some of these categories have more than one exceptionality under its umbrella, resulting in a total of twelve exceptionalities as outlined by the Ministry of Education. My students who have a Developmental Disability fall under the Intellectual umbrella along with Giftedness and Mild Intellectual Disabilities.

After consulting with parents, guardians, previous IEPs, Occupational Therapist reports, Speech and Language Reports, other staff and Psychoeducational Assessments,  I created goals that my students focused on for the first term of school. For some students, the goal changed many times throughout the term as we made it more challenging or complex because the child mastered the initial goal. For other students, the goal had to be altered completely to meet their changing needs. When preparing to write the report card, I gathered all the assessment that we as a team had gathered and used the evidence to write a comment that reflected the student’s progress.

After three years in my role, I am no expert by any means, but maybe the comments I have used may help give you some ideas of how to start.

Here are some comments for some areas of the Alternative Curriculum:

Communication:

_____ regularly initiates conversation with students online and in the classroom. ___ is working on listening closely to others responses and respond to questions that they have asked. ____ is beginning to be able to express her feelings in detail in the classroom.

_________continues to be able to communicate confidently with staff and students online and in person. ___ has improved in his ability to add his own thoughts and questions to conversations and no longer relies on a model to share his experiences and interests. _______ began Speech and Language online sessions in the Winter of 2020 with a focus on improving ______’s articulation. He has adjusted well to the format of the focused sessions and is very committed to improving.

_________ has improved a lot in her ability to express how she is feeling throughout the day at school. She is able to ask for breaks when she is tired or thirsty and confidently shares when she is having a difficult morning. Her ability to express her feelings has helped her to be more focused in class. ______ has gained more confidence throughout this school year and is now able to ask for assistance from multiple people in the classroom.

Behaviour:

_______ had a very successful term two. He was able to stay calm and focused by using his strategy board when he felt anxious with minimal prompting from staff. During online learning, he used some deep breaths when he felt overwhelmed and remained very calm and focused.

With minimal teacher support, ________ has made significant improvements in her/his self regulation when upset or frustrated.  The use of a calming space with student selected staff, allowed ______ time to use tools to help manage her emotions throughout the day. Using a first then choice board, _______ was beginning to comply with more requests throughout the day.

Fine Motor/Gross Motor:

________ printing has improved this term. It is more clear and easy to read. ___ spent much of the term writing for specific purposes such as letters to all of her friends at home. ____ is able to use scissors well to cut paper activities and is working on completing lacing activities accurately. Currently, he is able to lace straight lines consistently and is working on lacing curved shapes.

________ is completing 3 to 5 laps of the interior of the school every day on his bike. He rides the bike with fluid motion and lots of energy. _______ with consistent support and encouragement is beginning to go up and down the stairs of the school 3 times a week.

Functional Academics:

______ can count to 100 with 80% accuracy. She sometimes need assistance with the numbers 60, 70 80 and 90. She is able to demonstrate one-to-one correspondence up to 20. When __________takes her time, her accuracy increases and she is able to demonstrate one-to-on correspondence up to 20

____ has expanded his list of words that he can recognize in a variety of texts. The words include, but are not limited to: a, and, big, blue, can, funny, go, here, I, is, in, it, jump, little, look, me, my, play, red, run, said, see, the, to, up, we, yellow, you. ____ is also able to sound out unfamiliar short words with 86% accuracy. _____ loves to write and happily learns new words to write every week.

______  showed great commitment to learning some new sight words this term. She identified them 90% of the time using the Olwein method of instruction which worked very well for her. She also thoroughly enjoyed playing games with the words. She can identify the 5 sight words Cars 3, school, colour, her name and run in a variety of contexts. ______ was also able to trace and copy many personally relevant words for a variety of purposes such as writing letters to her friends who are learning at home.

______ can say the numbers in order from 1-12. She can recognize the numbers 1, 2 and 3 100% of the time and can identify 4 and 5 50% of the time. She is able to demonstrate 1- to-1 correspondence on the numbers 1, 2 and 3 with 50% accuracy.

Social Skills:

_________ requires consistent redirection and cues to treat others with respect and kindness. With these supports has begun to show improvement. She continues to respond well to reminders and will use phrases such as “thank you or you’re welcome” when prompted.

_______ awareness of personal space has improved consistently this year. ______ has used visual tools/cues to check how close she can sit beside someone during whole class gatherings

Will Gourley Challenging Topics, Constant Learning, Differentiated Instruction, Distance learning, Emergency Distance Learning, General, Mental Health, self reflection, social emotional learning, Teacher Wellness, Teaching online

Some days I don’t like teaching

The above title is not a lie, but it hasn’t always been like this. I have no intentions on adding on more unlikeable days either, even while there are forces beyond my control always at work. I am seeking to understand how and why it feels this way?

Prior to January 2020, it would have been easy to count the number of bad days I have had  over 11 years of teaching on one hand – that includes the Laurel Broten years as MOE. Okay, 2 hands #FireLecce. Sadly, a year and a third later, I am using the segments of my fingers too.* I am sure that this admission probably mirrors what many in our profession are feeling whether in class or in virtual school settings. For the sake of this post, I will stay in my lane and write for myself with the knowledge that this is common ground. 

Not that my students would ever notice, but there are numerous days when I find it hard to like what it takes to facilitate instruction of any sort. I am struggling to find any of the profound and prevalent joy that naturally occurs in the in-person classrooms in which I am privileged to teach. While emergency online education has occasional moments of brilliance, they seem more like faded flashes of light than beacons of lasting inspiration lighting the way forward. I perish the thought that this becomes acceptable in education beyond these “extreme and exceptional” circumstances. 

These moments pass through our cold screens as quickly as posts on a social media feed. Lately, it seems as if students have become conditioned to seeking out fleeting moments of happiness/joy while on-line – something akin to the addictive need for instant gratification. They need to know the answers now, and don’t want to wait for them. Are you noticing this happening in your lockdown learning spaces?

At a time when most answers are available to learners by simply opening another tab or pointing an app at a screen, it is hard for students to get excited about “the learning” when it comes without a healthy struggle or a need to problem solve. By being able to get what they need without any demand on their intellect other than Google skills, students are missing out on some deeply foundational learning right now. The issue comes when they are asked to apply some of this instant knowledge to something different that can’t be searched. 

At first, I wondered whether it was the type of questions I was asking. Were the answers googleable? Teachers can fall into that trap really easily, but it can also be avoided by asking students to evaluate and infer as part of their responses rather than to regurgitate the who, what, when, and where answers. I am a why and how guy when it comes to asking questions so most of the literal variables in questioning are out. I suggest reframing questions to help students respond to content in ways that ask for their opinions while using the lesson or text to reference and support their own ideas.

Then I wondered whether the pace of instruction was too rapid? Was I assigning too much? I teach a combined class and try to provide enough time built in for much shorter lessons with considerably more digital supports for students to reference when they are working independently. Providing time in-class, re-negotiating due dates, reminders, and check-ins are all part of the process.

Despite multiple hours of availability on and off line, students have still been struggling to complete work in a timely manner. With so much pressure to keep everyone engaged more content/lessons/assignments get shared over the course of a the instructional week, more check-ins for understanding happen, and the cycle of lockdown learnig online repeats itself. Adding more work was not the answer. Maybe variety is the answer?

So I mixed it up with TED talks, TED Ed lessons, discussions, visual Math, digital manipulatives, assessments with links to prompt and remind students, and some extra time be silly and do Just Dance. That moved the excitement and engagement needle in the right direction and then in the last little while, the cameras began staying off. 

Cue the dots

This is what teaching looks like during a pandemic yet this is the reality of virtual instruction right now. Despite the differentiation it is still hard to find joy or connection in these spaces. At least the sounds of voices and the occasional witty remark in the chat lighten things in the moment. I can only imagine how hard it must be on the students who have been thrust into this virtual maelstrom and expected to perform as if nothing has changed in their lives or the world around them. I am still working on making it better for all of us in the spaces we are forced to occupy right now. In the meantime I am want to make sure that our time is meaningful, fun, and mentally healthy in advance of a return to in-person instruction in the future. Maybe then I can stop counting the unlikeable days and resume counting the amazing ones again. 

Further reading
The Twitter Generation: https://tomprof.stanford.edu/posting/1182

https://medium.com/launch-school/the-dangers-of-instant-gratification-learning-d8c230eed203

Tammy Axt Equity, General, Indigenous Perspectives

Residential Schools

The remains of 215 Indigenous children were found at Kamloops Indian Residential School this past week. Every child found was a brother, sister, daughter, son, grandchild, and important member of their family. Every child found loved and was loved by their family. Every child found was taken from their home and stripped of their culture and dignity. Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation is working with the coroner’s office to determine the causes and timings of their deaths, which is currently unknown. What is known, is that no one from the school, community or government documented these deaths. It is a grave reminder that many people knew the horrors of abuse and disease that was going on at residential schools across Canada and no one stopped it. Not a member of the community, the government, a chief medical officer, a teacher or mayor stepped in to stop this horrifying situation for 150, 000 innocent children and their families. It is imperative that we share these stories so every student in Ontario knows this history and can become an advocate for Indigenous rights in Canada.

A couple of years ago, I was sitting at an outdoor theatre with my aunt watching Charlottetown’s Confederation “Centre Young Company” perform a musical that told stories from all around Canada. At the conclusion of the performance, my aunt turned to me with a surprised look on her face and said, “I didn’t know that happened.” She was referring to the powerful song, written and performed by a very talented young man from Nunavut who spoke of the intergenerational trauma of residential schools. I was incredibly surprised that my aunt had not been aware of the cultural genocide that happened at residential schools but soon realized that through conversation that she was never taught it in school and had never heard about it in other areas of her life. As our conversation continued, I saw the transformation in thoughts about our Indigenous peoples as education and the arts can do.

As educators, it is imperative that we do not have more children graduate from our schools not knowing the harm that was caused by residential schools and the history of Colonialism which is still very much ingrained in our current educational and child welfare systems in Canada.

To support teaching about residential schools, there is a Bookstore in Toronto called GoodMinds. This bookstore is First Nations owned and operated. Below, I have highlighted different books that can introduce and continue to tell the horrific history of residential schools in Canada. It is important as educators that we are teaching our students that as settlers, we all have a responsibility to learn the history and advocate for our Indigenous peoples.

Primary:

When We Were Alone/Quand on était seuls by David A. Robertson and Julie Flett

This book is a very gentle introduction to the concept of residential schools that can be read to children as young as Kindergarten. The young girl asks her grandmother, Kokum,  about her brightly coloured dresses, long braided hair, Cree language, and about the times when she was a young girl. Kokum tells her about her experiences attending a residential school for a number of years as a child in a way that her granddaughter can understand.

Shi-Shi-etko/Shi-Shi-etko by Nicola I. Campbell

Shi-shi-etko is a picture book about an Interior Salish child with just four more days at home until she goes to residential school. She takes time to explore her environment and spends quality time with her family. The illustrations are beautiful and conveys the connection to one’s community. Although the book is the final days at home before departing, residential schools are only mentioned on the introductory page.

Junior:

I am Not a Number/Je ne suis pas un numéro by Jenny Kay Dupuis (Ojibwe) and Kathy Kacer

This is a dual language book in English or French and Nibisiing.  Nibisiing was the language that Irene was not allowed to speak at the residential school where she was forcibly sent by the “Indian agent”. The book I am Not a Number tells the story of Irene Couchie Dupuis and her horrible and frightening experiences of being in the residential school system. The book is written by her granddaughter Jenny Kay Dupuis.

The Orange Shirt Story/L’histoire du chandail orange by Phyllis Webstad (Northern Secwepemc (Shuswap) from the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation (Canoe Creek Indian Band)

The Orange Shirt Story by Phyllis Webstad explains the truth behind Orange Shirt Day held each September 30th. This book describes the sadness Phyllis experienced being away from her family and the cruelty she experienced in the residential school system in Canada.

Intermediate:

Residential School. With The Words and Images of Survivors by Larry Loyie(Cree)

This book honours the survivors, the former students, who attended residential schools. It offers a first-person perspective of the residential school system in Canada, as it shares the memories of more than 70 survivors from across Canada.

The trauma inflicted by residential schools is still very much a part of the lives of many of our Indigenous peoples across Canada. Below is a plea from Kelly Fraser, an outstanding Inuk musician, who spoke about the call to action for all Canadians before her tragic passing in 2019.

“Both my mothers are residential school survivors, both their father’s dogs were taken away and killed so they couldn’t go dog sledding to get their food to feed their family. TB/influenza caused our people to convert to Christianity and let go of their culture (drum dancing, tattooing, throat singing, shamanism…etc)  because the priests were the only ones with the medicine and I’m not here to say being a Christian is not right, I believe in the freedom of believing what you want to and I respect ALL religions. The Mounties were sent by the government to take away our kayaks and made my family walk thousands of kilometers to a new settlement where they were told there would be houses when there weren’t any. I believe we can rise above what has happened to us by telling each other to please find healing and help by elders, mental health workers, there’s the internet where we can learn to meditate, learn about our culture and reach out and help each other heal. Its time for us ALL people to also call onto the federal/provincial/territorial/municipal governments to give us food that is affordable, programs that will help us heal, proper housing, proper education that allows us to go straight to college after grade 12 and proper healthcare by writing to them and calling them up, this is up to ALL Canadians too!!”

Velvet Lacasse Anti-Racism, Assessment and Evaluation, Building Inclusion, Celebrating Success, Curriculum Planning, Differentiated Instruction, Equity, General, Inclusion, Indigenous Perspectives, Integration, Outdoor Learning, Play-Based Learning, Science, Social Justice, Teaching online

Buiding an Inclusive Playground

I am having a lot of fun learning how to center issues of disability justice and equity throughout the curriculum.

Every week, during MSI (Math-Science Investigations) the Grade 2 students solve problems using a variety of building materials. As part of the Science curriculum, we are learning about Movement and Simple Machines. We started this inquiry when we were face-to-face and finished on-line.  We have integrated this learning with disability justice, equity and community activism. For example, we went on a walk and collected data about barriers and “bridges” in our local community. Then, the Grade 2 students designed inclusive playgrounds where everyone is welcome.

Here are some other examples of how we are deepening our understanding of Structures and Mechanisms, and making connections to the local and global community.

World Water Day:
We celebrated World Water Day on March 22, as part of our year-long inquiry about water. Throughout the year, we have explored a variety of texts, including resources from The Junior Water Walker website. After reading “The Water Princess” by Susan Verde and “Anna Carries Water” by Olive Senior, our class simulated the experience of carrying a bucket around the track for 1 km, to represent the journey taken by girls and young women every day.

 

Then, we used building materials to investigate: How might you move water from one place to another?

We learned about a simple machine that was invented to help families carry water in rural India. We watched a YouTube video about The Wello Water Wheel, and talked about the impact it might have.



Toy Day:
On Toy Day, the MSI challenge was: Design a structure that moves or helps your toy to move.

Freda made a wheelchair for her doll.  Svea made a sled.

After building, we watched this video:
Science Max: Simple Machines

Outdoor Learning:
One day, we collected materials to bring outside to investigate simple machines. We worked with partners to explore: How might you use ramps and different balls to investigate levers and inclined planes?

Before schools went back to on-line learning, we went on a Community Walk.  I invited students to think about: “How might we make our community more accessible?  What are some of the barriers and “bridges” in our community?”  Students worked together to draw, write and collect data on clipboards.  We found ramps made by StopGap Foundation, and followed up our walk by reading books about children with different abilities.



Inclusive Playgrounds:
The summative task was: Design and build a model of an inclusive playground that includes a simple machine. The equipment must move a person up and down, or round and round or back and forth.

Students used a variety of materials to build their inclusive playgrounds, including Lego, recycled materials, clay, and Minecraft. Before building, everyone was encouraged to make a plan and draw their designs. Everyone worked on their project off-line and came together to share their VIP: Very Important Projects at the end of the week.

Clem used a glue gun to spell “PARK” in Braille letters.  Avery included an elevator.



Oral presentations have been an effective way to connect, share ideas and feedback, and assess students’ understanding. Technology/Being on-line has created space to hear each other, share our screens and look at photos of our work up close, and invite others into creative Minecraft worlds.  These integrated learning activities were engaging, fun, creative, and provided meaningful opportunities to explore inclusive design and disability justice.