Arianna Lambert General, self reflection

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”.

Will Gourley Celebrating Success, Challenging Topics, Communication Tools, Communication with Parents and Guardians, General, Homework, Interviews, Report Cards, self reflection

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. 

 

Tammy Axt General

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!!

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.