The Hypocrisy of Student Well-being
It is well accepted that we have a crisis in children’s mental health in Ontario. Children’s Mental Health Ontario (CMHO) reports that the number of children waiting for mental health services in...
View ArticleUnpacking The PISA Report on Collaborative Problem Solving
“In today’s increasingly interconnected world, people are often required to collaborate in order to achieve their goals. But students still typically learn individually. Schools will need to become...
View ArticleAn Hour Before The Bell Rings
Sometimes, on social media and in real life, I encounter people who are down on teachers. The talking points will be familiar to most educators: we’re over paid, we’re lazy, we have out summers off,...
View ArticleCan We Make School Staff Meetings Better?
School administrators have a difficult job, and one of the hardest is the monthly school staff meeting. It’s a generally accepted rule that school staff meetings are awful. Teachers say that most staff...
View ArticleThe Math Curriculum Doesn’t Add Up
I loved reading “Freakonomics” the book, and rolled right into “Freakonomics Radio” the podcast that helps you “discover the hidden side of everything”. I referred to a previous podcast they did when...
View ArticleManage Your Teaching Goals
The classroom is a complex environment with so many ever changing factors. The student who worked well and made gains yesterday may well show up tomorrow appearing to be a completely different person...
View ArticleThank You To My Teachers
I heard someone say this week that you teach the way that you were taught. I don’t think that’s true, but there’s no denying that the teachers I’ve had along the way have influenced both my desire to...
View ArticleDiscuss The Election With Your Students
The the federal election is imminent and so this week my class will be hosting Student Vote in our school. Canadian government is on the curriculum, so it’s a natural fit for us, but I like to think...
View ArticleWhy You Should Apply For Project Overseas
Since 1962 The Canadian Teacher’s Federation (CTF) has placed Canadian teachers overseas with the goal of strengthening public education and teacher competence in those host countries. In 2019 I was...
View ArticleAn Alternative To A School Cellphone Ban
Schools have become the place where all social issues can be addressed and corrected. No matter what the issue, social mobility, poverty, public health, economic prosperity, etc. schools have a role...
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