The Ontario election is in just a couple of days, and the polls are predicting another majority win for the Conservatives. I’m honestly afraid of this result. Not just for the next four years, but for the future of Ontario in general. This is because children are the people who will populate this province in Read More
Category: School Snippets
Truckers vs. Convoy-ers and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
It’s now been almost two weeks since the “Freedom Convoy” truckers and allies rolled into downtown Ottawa and started honking their horns, ostensibly to protest vaccine mandates. As Canadians know, many protesters left the area after that first weekend, but some are still there and still making noise. Well, not just noise, but according to Read More
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Back to School in Person!
Today was the first day back at in-person school since the winter holidays began in December. On the day last week when it was announced that we would head back this week, I remember that as the news sank in, my brain gradually released this huge invisible ball of stress and I started to feel Read More
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The Diversity of YouTube – Gratitude Day 19
Today, I’m feeling grateful for YouTube. It feels funny that I can remember the babyhood of YouTube even though so many people I spend time with every day cannot (because they weren’t even born). I remember thinking, “Who is going to watch random strangers doing inconsequential things in their living rooms?” Turns out, almost everyone! Read More
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Back-to-School Thoughts from a Teacher/Parent
A week ago, as you know, it became official in Ontario: we’re going back to school this September. In the days since then, there has been an outcry from parents, staff, unions etc. who feel that the Covid-19 measures announced by the government do not go far enough to keep students and staff safe. I Read More
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Dear Ontario Students: You Know Your Teachers Care About You
Dear Ontario students, We are in the midst of a big week for your schools and your educators. Whether you’re in high school or elementary school, public or Catholic, French or English, your teachers have already begun job action. This week is especially important because the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (of which I’m a Read More
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Pearls of Grade 3 Wisdom
I teach a group of Grade 3 French Immersion students English for 40 minutes a week. They are mostly a very sweet and funny group. We’ve been working on poetry, including a poem with a template called “I Am.” The first two words of each line are given, and then they fill in the rest. Read More
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A Little Faith in Humanity from Remembrance Day
Hi, lovely di-hards. It’s been an emotional week, n’est-ce pas? Right around this time last Tuesday, there was a disbelieving dread building on my Facebook news feed. I could hardly bear to look at the actual stats. My daughter had strep throat; we all slept badly, and felt ill the next day – on so many levels. Read More
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#NaBloPoMo, Day 19: Questions excellentes
Today at school, we talked a little bit about Paris. I showed my Grade 4s and 5s that little boy and his dad – not just because the vocabulary (très, méchant, gentil, fleurs, maison, etc.) is right on point, but because when they see a child, they instinctively relate. Two days a week, I have Read More
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#NaBloPoMo, Day 2: Perfect Storm
It’s not just Monday. It’s the Monday after Halloween, a few days off the full moon. The kids had a three-day weekend (Friday PA day). And we just changed the clocks. School was a bit wacko today. It would figure that – less than 24 hours after I’d mentioned how well the kids were sleeping Read More
