Fostering a Growth Mindset

Carol Dweck’s work in this regard speaks volumes about the power of belief. If students believe they can be successful, they will be. If teachers believe they have the power to influence student learning outcomes, then they can make a positive impact on their learning. It’s interesting how a rather simplistic concept has garnered so much attention in the world of education. Educators here and everywhere are humming this new buzzword triumphantly as the catch-all phrase of the 21st century. But is it really that new?


The power of positivity has been around for years. Everyone knows that having a positive attitude is a prerequisite for overcoming obstacles. So why the big buzz? Dweck’s work is now backed by research in the field of education, that’s why. The research indicated that students with fixed mindsets did not perform as well as students with a growth mindset. So it begs the question, how do we, as educators, foster a growth mindset amongst our students?


We start from an asset-based model. We look and wholly consider what assets students are bringing to their learning. Knowing our learners and capitalizing on their strengths, interests and abilities helps. Starting with the end in mind also helps. Where do we want to see our students at the end of the year? How do we effectively use learner profiles to encourage a growth, rather than fixed mindset? What other tools can educators use to be impactful and inspire learning? And are there old adages that, once proven, can be powerful ideas to transform the landscape of education?

Mont St. Michel

Incredible views - A World Heritage UNESCO site - a monastery and more . . .

Using Assessment for Learning to Design an Inclusive School - Step 1

Simple Rule: The school will employ effective, inclusive and research-based formative assessment practices in the classroom to positively impact student achievement and to align with Ministry and Board assessment policies. Designing a school with effective assessment practices requires articulation of those practices and development of a school-wide schema (Bain, 2007). Ontario’s Ministry of Education makes explicit reference to the positive impact of formative assessment on student learning in its recent release of its new publication Growing Success (Ontario, 2010a). Parts of this document mimic the CBAL model (Cognitively Based Assessment of, for and as Learning) as a ‘theory of action’ (Bennett, 2010) for implementation in the classroom. In direct alignment with the Ministry policy, our school board released an assessment policy with a similar approach. Also, the Ontario School Effectiveness Framework, a schema used for school improvement planning purposes, offers specific assessment strategies to use in the classroom. The document makes references to the use of ‘assessment as, for and of learning’, ‘feedback’, ‘learning goals’, ‘success criteria’ and ‘self and peer assessment’ as particularly effective formative assessment practices (Ontario, 2010b). It is important to note that often policies and government publications are informed by relevant and applicable research. In particular, the research on the impact of formative assessment is clear: • learning goals and assessment aligned with instruction affords greater learning possibilities (Dwyer, 1998); • formative assessment when used with students with disabilities enhances their learning (Black & William, 2001) and; • using, articulating and revising learning goals enables teachers to deepen their understanding of the curriculum and thereby affect student understanding (Falk, 2011). The research, government and board policies offer tenets of the same message: formative assessment is inclusive and positively impacts student learning and achievement in the classroom. The simple rule is designed to be used in the classroom to inform instruction and next steps. It is questionable whether or not a focus on summative assessment would yield similar results compared to formative assessment and its impact on student learning (Black & William, 1998). The value of focusing on assessment as and for learning is to scaffold the learning so that the student is better prepared and has a deeper understanding of the material which will be evaluated on the summative assessment. Sharing success should be a key feature in the design of this simple rule. Successful formative assessment strategies used in individual classrooms should be shared in ‘communities of practice’ (Bennett, 2010) to strengthen pedagogical approaches to impact student learning and achievement in every classroom.

Developing a Cultural Consciousness

Create, curate and collaborate – seem to be the new buzzwords for students learning in the 21st century according to @markbrumley’s recent blog post. Other c buzzwords that have also been mentioned in the past have been: communicate, and think critically. A 21st century learner would be hard pressed to find substantial employment anywhere without these vital skills. But this list is not exhaustive. In fact, I would argue, that an essential element is lacking from this list which is vehemently vital to our students’ future and would prepare them for a 21st century global society in which they will live. This element is not only a skill that students have to purposefully develop; it will also build their character and ultimately the societies in which they live. Today’s 21st century learner not only needs to collaborate, curate, communicate, think critically and create. They also need to be much more culturally conscious.

Cultural consciousness means understanding what defines one’s own culture – small c and big C and also how it may be similar or different than other’s small c and big C. Big C culture refers to religious denominations, patriotic symbols, language, race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation. Small c refers to the small things that we do such as family traditions or individual preferences. For example, I may be a Canadian of Italian descent (big C) who does not eat pasta (small c). By heightening our cultural consciousness, we understand people better and are able to make more meaningful connections across ‘big C’ cultures. Teaching kids this important distinction is necessary for maintaining a cohesive social fabric which melds the entire human race together.

A student in Canada may not speak the same language as a student in Afghanistan, yet may love to play soccer like they do. The more small ‘c’ culture we find in common, the closer the human race becomes to each other. Though the human race is diverse, we know that diversity can be regarded as strength and not weakness, such as has been evidenced in our rich multicultural and bilingual country – Canada. In fact, as we understand each others’ preferences, traditions, happiness, hardships, trials and tribulations better, we can relate and empathize with one another.

Social media has been blamed for causing rifts and divisions within communities and amongst people. But we must remember that it has also been used to unite people, to build capacity, to cause revolutions, and to raise our level of cultural consciousness. Though two people may not be from the same country or speak the same language, they may both like to watch old Tom Cruise movies on youtube. This is a trait which unites despite other differences. But we may not know or understand these small ‘c’ cultural quirks until we get to know each other better and realize that we are not really that different after all.

Our pluralistic voices all have one message – the betterment of humankind and societal development. It is our civic duty as educators to make students more culturally aware of themselves and their local & global peers.

How to make a Culturally Proficient School

As I entered my school building this morning, I saw that it had transformed into a Christmas building over the weekend. Garlands hung on all the banisters, a huge Christmas tree was placed in the foyer, posters advertising Christmas and Santa were everywhere to be seen. Ironically, I am celebrating Eid this week and there was no mention of this anywhere (yet). I do work in a school where the majority of the population may be Christian; however, the overwhelming presence of one holiday represented over another took me by surprise. I have worked at this school for many years and do typically enjoy seeing it decorated. This year I was somewhat startled by my preliminary reaction.

It is true, I did grow up in North America and in this culture, and Christmas is everywhere. And I do know that non-Christians also celebrate Christmas in some way or form. My husband lived in Pakistan until he was 16 years old celebrated Eid there every year and it is a big deal (sometimes 3 days long). When I looked at the Christmas decorations around my building this year, I thought about the minority of students who do not celebrate Christmas. I thought about their reaction to their own holiday and the perception of their holiday that they would be bringing home to their parents.

Becoming a culturally proficient school may very well mean, treating each culture equitably. On Friday during our subject PD day, Maureen Smith (a professor at the University of Western Ontario) made a presentation on how we define culture. She spoke about the idea of “drive-by shooting” and that this concept of culture should not be how we integrate it into our classes. It should be woven into the fabric of the school every day, all the time. How can schools become more culturally proficient in what they do every day? Having an awareness and understanding of other cultures is a start. I grew up singing Christmas carols because that is what I learnt in school despite being non-Christian. Perhaps we need to start broadening our base and see all cultures in the school equitably represented.

Principal as an Instructional Leader

On Saturday, our PQP2 class listened to an LNS presentation by Anne Macdonald on the key leadership functions of a principal. These functions included: Building Culture; Leading Change and Managing Complexity. Interestingly, the Ontario Leadership Framework mimics some of these ideas as well. The idea of the principal as an Instructional leader in the framework was echoed throughout the presentation in various ways. The idea of a principal as co-learner with teachers was presented. Though a principal has certain knowledge and competencies, he/she does not know everything. Anne Macdonald included a great quote which summarized it nicely: “The expert in the room depends on the question being asked.”

So it begs the question: “Can the Principal be the Instructional Leader and a co-learner at the same time?” Despite the apparent contradiction, I believe that the answer unequivocally is: “Yes!” One of the competencies of the Framework state that a principal demonstrates “effective teaching and learning.” As a teacher, it is imperative to demonstrate to kids that though we may be teachers, there are many things that we don’t know. In effect, teachers can be co-learners in the classroom too.

According to the LNS, a good classroom instructional task is “connected to the world, has intellectual rigor, involves substantive conversation and multiple entry points.” The role of the principal as an instructional leader according to the framework is to develop professional learning communities for school improvement. In order to do so, a principal needs to incite shared collaboration and ask questions to facilitate discussion. Those questions should be “connected to the world, have intellectual rigor and involve substantive conversation and multiple entry points.”

Therefore, in terms of being an instructional leader in the school, the principal mimics the role of a teacher in a classroom as a co-learner, asking probing questions and facilitating discussion and reflection.

Staff Professional Development

How do leaders in the school effectively engage staff in professional dialogue?

The NSDC (National Staff Development Council) delineates 12 standards for developing pd for staff. In this journal, I would like to reflect on Learning Communities and Collaboration since both are inextricably linked and they are the bases for moving a staff forward in affecting student achievement.

In order to be successful, the NSDC suggests that these communities meet almost every day. In my opinion this may be somewhat idealistic. However, a weekly or bi-weekly or even monthly meeting may be more realistic. I believe that teachers must decide on a focus area that their meetings should target. There should be some literature that is research-based (also one of the standards) available to explore for these teachers. The purpose of the meetings should be clear and the time allotted should be clear.

Collaboration in Learning Communities does not always have to happen face-to-face. Technology can facilitate online collaboration through the use of wikis, forums and google docs. Learning Communities are also not limited to staff within the school, but can also include teachers from the district, different districts and even go beyond conventional borders to include teachers teaching abroad.

According to the NSDC, collaboration (in PLCs) also satisfies the need for “social interaction that often deepens learning and interpersonal support and synergy for creatively solving the complex problems of teaching and learning.” When those conversations are purposeful they can be very powerful in changing practices.

My practicum proposal - Empowering our future global citizens through digital literacy

How does the purposeful and intentional use of technology integrated into professional development and dialogue affect student achievement? This is the question I wish to address during my practicum proposal. The intent of the proposal is very clearly articulated first and foremost under the category of leading the Instructional Program of the Ontario Leadership Framework. It indicates that a “principal has knowledge and understanding of (the) use of new and emerging technologies to support teaching and learning.” In addition, one of the practices of the principals in setting direction is to: “ensure creativity, innovation and the use of appropriate technologies to achieve excellence.” The framework goes on to highlight that a principal has knowledge of “new technologies, their use and impact; (and) leading change, creativity and innovation.”

My practicum will also address how a principal develops the organization and “challenges thinking and learning of staff to further develop professional practice.” Professional Development should push the envelope and allow staff to explore new and different ways of teaching. Lastly, creating and taking part in professional learning communities on the topic of technology or through the use of technology is an area that I further wish to explore during this practicum. The Framework does indicate that a principal “is able to collaborate and network with others inside and outside the school.”

Some of the first questions that PQP part 1 explored from the onset was: “What do you value? What are your beliefs? How does your behaviour exemplify your beliefs?” Before embarking on a change in career path, it is vital that we all have a very good understanding of our personal goals and beliefs. I believe that our students are global citizens, that they need 21st century skills and that they should have a universal conscience. Students in my classrooms are exposed to such ideas and I firmly believe that more and more teachers should embrace such a philosophy. As a teacher, I may be able to reach students in my classroom, but as an instructional leader, I can reach many more.

I can see some links with my philosophy of education and Fullan’s book studied in this course, The Moral Imperative of Leadership. In chapter 4, Fullan speaks of making a difference at a societal level, but stops short at discussing change in the context of a district through collaboration and personal learning communities. (Fullan, 2003) I would take this imperative a step further, to say that, as school leaders, we have a global moral responsibility to affect education for the betterment of society as a whole. We can attain this goal through collaboration in online learning communities, like twitter, which are already affecting change in the lives of educators and leaders alike.

According to Méndez-Morse, “Leaders of change recognize shifts in the environment and guide their organization to be responsive to those changes.” (Méndez-Morse, 1992) As the new literacy creates a new world order, our future citizens must know how to filter through information and use it to the end of a common good. The York Region District School Board is committed to a vision for technology that, “will transform our educational and workplace environments for improved student achievement and success.” (Board, 2010)

Under Curriculum Implementation of the board’s School Effectiveness Framework, the board intends to: “develop and implement a multi-layered learning strategy to provide opportunities for digital literacy and new approaches to learning” by 2012. (Board, Board Plan for Continuous Improvement, 2009) During my practicum, I wish to explore what is meant by a “multi-layered strategy”. Moreover, I wish to engage teachers and students to explore digital literacy in an intentional manner to harness the power to collaborate globally and learn from one another.

Throughout this practicum, I will have the opportunity to work with students, staff, parents and the community at large. With limited resources at times, access to technology is somewhat limited in our school. It is important to note that the board has recently introduced wifi in all areas of our school building. This will change the scope and increase technology use in the building through PDA’s and personal laptops. To ensure equality of access, it may be important to have laptops available for sign out through the main office or library.

It will be imperative to work with staff on various PD sessions outlining options to work with the technology now available in classrooms. This year, I was actively involved in planning and presenting a workshop on Moodle, an online, board endorsed classroom management resource. My role was to present the technology and then have one-on-one sessions with staff to help them explore.

Student achievement is always at the crux of any new school initiative. I can explore the uses of technology as I have always done, through demonstration and time to experiment with it. For instance, this last school year, I introduced the prezi, an online presentation software similar to powerpoint, but much more effective in demonstrating connections between concepts. More information is available at www.prezi.com. Many of my students were intrigued by the prezi, and several of them used it in presenting their culminating assignments. It is important to note that students need to be taught how to use technology appropriately, and how to avoid being accused of plagiarism, one of the major issues plaguing technology use in the high school classroom.

It is my intention to increase awareness of the different technologies available to support success for all students. Parents may not be aware of the gamut of resources the web provides, nor the safety issues or bullying possibilities that may arise while students are online.

Lastly, making a difference beyond the school is really my moral imperative. Not only do I want to affect learning from within the system, I want to affect learning on a much broader scale. In connecting teachers and students to others with similar interests via the web, our entire global community is strengthened. Not only are we preparing the students in our school or district for the 21st century, we are creating citizens of the world, working together for one common purpose and that is: progress.

Supervision & Safety of a school

The importance of knowing the policies regarding supervision, safety and suspension became very clear in this module. According to Education Act, it is the duty of principals to supervise performance and behaviour of all board employees. Principals must act therefore, in a very deliberate manner to supervise employees, and maintain safety of the premises and people.

In class, we learned that legal issues may arise from time to time involving a teacher or principal. Being aware of what we could be held responsible for, therefore, is important. It is also important to document all that we do in our role as principal and to keep that documentation for a period of 7 years. A case can arise at any time, and by doing our due diligence, we can avoid any unfavourable outcomes.

In the online video for this module we learned that all board employees have a positive duty to report any action that could be subject to suspension or expulsion to the principal using form 1 under new legislation for the Safe Schools Act section 175. The principal, teacher or educational assistants also have a duty to respond and/or intervene when they see students engaging in behaviour that is affecting the school in a negative manner. It is important to note that even if this behaviour is not on school property, the student can still receive consequences from the school.

In class, we also examined the legitimacy of a court order in custody cases and releasing of information. It is integral that we do not release ANY personal information on a student to anyone. Only teachers, the principal and vice principal are subject to having access to this information.

According to the Family Services Act, teachers and principals have a duty to inform Children’s Aid Services (CAS) in the event of physical, sexual, verbal, psychological or emotional abuse. It is important that the principal make this clear to staff from the onset. Teachers and Principals are bound by the standards of practice: care, honesty, integrity & respect towards all students.

Not only are our obligations rooted deeply in our morals, school leaders must also rely on policy to dictate their response to a situation. Our moral imperatives may guide us, but following policies and procedure will have the best possible outcome for our success in this role.

Educational Leader - Friend or Foe?

Reflection on the Dual Role of a Leader: Supervisor & Team Builder
The apparent contradiction in the role of a principal as both a supervisor and team builder is in fact, not a contradiction at all. Just as a teacher teaches, supervises and fosters co-operative learning in a classroom, a principal does the same in a school context, but on a larger scale. In my current role as department head, I do supervise programs and ‘informally’ supervise the members of my department. As a principal of a school, those supervisory responsibilities are definitely intensified. The Ontario Leadership Framework succinctly addresses this dual role under the categories of: Building Relationships and Developing People &; Developing the Organization.

It is important that a principal ‘develop, empower and sustain individuals and teams’ (p.10, OLF). A principal can do so by implementing a process that shifts responsibility and accountability onto the shoulders of staff members. For instance, including staff or department heads in developing the School Plan for Continuous Improvement, implicates their own efforts to collectively pursue these objectives. The process of Differentiated Leadership involves knowing the strengths and personality styles of your members and allowing them to take a lead in areas which suit their interests and talents best. In doing so, you can form a team of teachers who take initiative and make it work.

A principal is one who ‘supervises staff effectively’ (page 11, OLF). Supervising staff means knowing and “befriending” respective collective agreements. A principal should be familiar with teacher, support staff & OT collective agreements. A principal is also responsible for the Teacher Evaluation Process (TPA). If staff professional development has been a collaborative and shared responsibility, it will inform the practice of teachers thereby leading to more successful TPAs. A good relationship with the union representative can also improve teamwork and collaboration amongst staff. It is important to consult with the union representative and your superintendant when in doubt on matters pertaining to grievances, arbitration, discipline or collective agreements.

In all, many of the pitfalls of the supervisory role of leadership can be successful avoided through effective collaboration and team building amongst staff. It is important to be knowledgeable of all the policies and procedures of your board and governing bodies. By organizing and encouraging staff to come together, many sensitive issues can be avoided. A principal doesn’t have to be a friend or a foe. He/She can lead by empowering others to be leaders of their own right.

The Covert Leader

I am blogging my assignments for a leadership course I am taking this summer. Here is the second one.
Identify a successful leader who has influenced your life; describe the skills, knowledge and attitudes that made him/her effective

My best friend, a teacher, a mentor and a silent leader retired this year. She was not an administrator, nor a department head; she was first and foremost, a teacher who taught me more about myself than I knew. She led, not in an overt and overbearing manner, but instead by her constant encouragement, her anecdotal stories, her positivity and her humour. Her wisdom in dealing calmly and rationally with overbearing parents would be her greatest gift to me. My friend Lillian Howe is truly an example of Covert Leadership at its best.

The Ontario Leadership Framework for Principals & Vice-Principals delineates the importance of building relationships and developing people as one of the practices and competencies required. One important skill that Lillian had which is very integral to this competency is that of “listening empathetically and actively.” She truly listened when someone was talking, and her response was always one of empathy and understanding. Lillian often referred to herself as the resident psychologist because of her gift, many staff members felt at ease in approaching her to discuss something that was on their minds.

Lillian was a discreet leader in many ways. Her voice was not loud, though it could be heard. She chaired our staff meetings and always peppered our agenda with a dose of humour. On the last two days before she was to retire, she worked tirelessly all day to revamp our graduation script in an attempt to make it more succinct. Though it was not well received by some other staff, she demonstrated an attitude of resiliency and did not carry forward any negative emotion. This is an important lesson to learn for a leader who may want to implement change but meets up with resistance. As per the Leadership Framework, a resilient, optimistic and hopeful attitude is a key attribute of a leader who will need to overcome these types of barriers.

Lillian always led by example, and modeled her core values in everything she did at the school, from contact with students and parents. She never raised her voice; she always explained her actions and insisted on respect in her classroom. She experimented with many different teaching strategies and was open to change. She was an exemplary teacher.

Although I do not possess all of the natural talent and abilities of my friend, I know that these are areas that I have to work on, in order to be a successful leader. Will I have all the practices and competences delineated in the framework when I begin? Unlikely. But by recognizing that building relationships is important, I can begin this journey. And I am up for it.

Leadership is ... Starting a Fire!

A Leader? A Firestarter!

When I was young, I remember researching about how the first IBM computer came about. I remember reading about how large they started out and how much information they could store. I also remember reading horror stories about computers taking over the world and becoming smarter than humans. Today, all the computers in the world cannot find a solution to an oil spill in the Gulf or a cure for Cancer. Are our future citizens up for the task? How can we prepare them for what lies ahead? Clearly, our schools need to foster creativity, ingenuity and 21st century skills to tackle the problems of the world through collaboration, cohesion and changing the way they operate. A successful leader can be the firestarter for change.

A leader? A Change Implementer!

So onto practical matters: How can we implement change in the school system? Michael Fullan was quoted saying that “practice informs theory” and not the other way around. If this is so, then careful and thoughtful experiments in schools can produce real solutions to change the way our students learn. Experimenting with the way a course is delivered, or scheduled could be an example. Collaborating with each other, not only in the same school, or board, but around the world (via twitter or blogs etc.) will give us the data-driven decision making that we need to inform our theories about education. In other words, if a school board has just changed what a school day looks like, part on-line, part in-class, then the success of this approach could incite another leader to try the same approach. An informed leader is also a reflective one, who gauges the success of a particular program, or decision and if necessary, alters direction.

A Leader? A Thought Provoker

A leader provokes critical questions such as: Does the age of a student in a particular grade, indicate the probability of his/her success? Are December babies less likely to be successful? And if so, how can our school system better accommodate their needs? Questions are important because they provoke thought and possible solutions by stakeholders who include but are not limited to: teachers, students, parents & community members. A perfect solution may not always be present, but having courageous conversations on the issues, is productive and eventually leads to change.

A Differentiated Leader?

Just as a teacher would differentiate learning to suit the learners of his/her class, a great leader differentiates leadership roles for staff to suit their interests and talents. Many teachers are aware of their interests and talents and a good leader knows how to encourage teachers to share those talents for the betterment of the school and students. Conversely a leader can also integrate differentiated professional development to help staff along their own learning continuum. Differentiated Leadership also allows for more lateral decision-making, since decisions are shared. By collaborating and sharing our ideas, decisions can be more thorough and cover more contingencies because more people with different expertise are working on them collaboratively. In this way, the fallout from unsuccessful decisions are shared by a group of people rather than solely resting on the laurels of a select few or one person.

A Leader and the box of chocolates:

I have always believed that information is powerful. The more we have, the better informed our decision becomes. This information should not solely remain in the hands of one person. Information should be shared just like a box of chocolates. What better tool to share information than through digital media? It should be a leader’s role to share information and encourage others to share. Starting up a facebook or twitter group or a blog or google document specific to a school or issue at a school may be a start to sharing information online. Involving outsider input is also beneficial, even if the context may be different. I often send out a monthly or bi-weekly article, blog or video to all the staff concerning a hot topic in Education. Some have even generated a discussion or two, which is the hope.
I admit that I don’t always like to share my box of chocolates. But information sharing has always been second nature for me. As society shares more and more information via online media, so should our schools, as micro chasms of society. An ideal school has staff and students who are digitally literate; who work together utilizing their individual strengths for the betterment of the school; and last but not least, who ask and attempt to answer questions which bring about change. Lighting the match that starts the fire is the role of a successful leader.

Practice informs theory

I thought I would highlight some of my understandings from the amazing Quest Conference I attended. I don't know that I have a handle on many of these concepts or that I have represented the ideas correctly. Also, some ideas may warrant further investigation. I thought I would capture them in a few meaningful words.

Here goes:

Dr. Michael Fullan: We need “whole system reform”

Our work needs:

1. To be precise
2. To go deeper
3. To adhere to the speed of quality change

Change the mindset: Practice determines the Theory
Teachers have a “moral imperative” to “Raise the Bar” and “Close the Gap”
”Interdependent Practice” - essential between student, teacher and admin.

Dr. Douglas B. Reeves:

Mistakes and Perfection:

Teachers have “initiative fatigue” – so keep it simple: IDEAS=ACTION
Take risks, get up from the falls and KEEP GOING because MISTAKES lead to PERFECTION
Malcolm Gladwell – Expertise is equivalent to 10, 000 hours of performance
Data = Efficacity
PASSION is STRESSFUL – so we need “harmonious passion”- examine data based on classroom by classroom and teacher by teacher
SUCCESS = defined by the Greater Good

Formative Assessment:

FEEDBACK must be: 1. Accurate 2. Specific 3.Timely
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT – is derived from People & Practice and NOT Programs
Do your assessments match goals? Do you involve students in designing assessments?
What are the consequences of not doing the work? = Do the work.

Role of Leaders:

Listen more than you talk
Have focused meetings without a single person “in charge”
Principal participates as a “learner”
Examine need for TIME/SPACE/PEOPLE

Role of Teachers:

Individual and Shared Responsibility to teach and learn
Intelligent Accountability
Job Embedded Learning – Interactive Collaboration = increases depth/focus

Importance of Writing:

Non-Fiction writing improves student scores in Math and Science
Teachers should also try to write non-fiction for their own practice and engagement

Know Thyself

One of the sessions I attended at last week’s amazing Quest Conference had to do with “Cultural Proficiency”. The first activity the presenters asked us to do was to think of 3 great things that described ourselves and explain them to a colleague. Needless to say, it ended up sounding like a job interview. The second activity was to write down 5 descriptors that were used to explain who we were and that were integral to the “core” of our being. Next we were asked to remove them from the list one by one based on any criteria we wanted to establish. What we were left with would explain our priority/priorities or most accurate descriptor. The last one standing on my list was “mother.” The presenters explained that in order to know others, we must look within and know ourselves.

This activity undoubtedly helped explain why being away from my kids for 9 days was so difficult. What did I miss while I was touring France and Belgium with 60 kids and 6 other teachers? My daughter’s first tooth came out. As I told this story to a fellow teacher at the conference, she asked: “Did the tooth fairy still come?” I replied: “He did.” To my disappointment, when I came back, my daughter lost her second tooth while I was catching up on my jetlagged-but-much-needed sleep. This one went down the drain and so a letter to the tooth fairy was in order. My daughter decided she would politely ask the tooth fairy what her name was instead of asking for a certain amount of money which I told her would be ill-advised. She left a pen under her pillow for the tooth fairy to respond. In the morning, the tooth fairy wrote a single name: Fatima. My daughter carried around the letter all day informing all her friends of the breakthrough in finding out the tooth fairy’s name. It almost made up for my absence.

My trip to France and Belgium was incredibly amazing and it was the first time I had been there. The tour included: La tour Eiffel, Montmartre, Mont-St.-Michel, Caen, Rennes, Dieppe, Juno Beach Centre, Arras, Le Louvre, L’Arc de Triomphe, Versailles, Ieper, the Menin Gate, Passcheandale and Vimy Ridge on Remembrance Day. They were sites I will never forget and that I can share with my kids someday. But for now, I am happy to be home and happy to be spending time as a “mother” with my family.

Welcome Back Global Citizens!

As September looms on the horizon, teachers are beginning to think about the first day of school, the activities and rules they will be establishing in their classroom and the approaches to discipline they will take. In addition to establishing routine and learning names, teachers should give some thought to knowing their audience. Students come from all different backgrounds, religions and social classes. Exposing students to news events, books, articles, movies etc. that do not only represent a particular segment of society is paramount. The most important item in my classroom, for instance, is a map of the world.
It is essential for students in North America to realize that they are not the centre of the universe and that the world is a bigger place. All perceptions they have regarding what life is are just that: perceptions based on their experiences. What if I told them that where I come from, children walk barefoot in the streets? If they lived in Malawi, children would be working on tobacco farms where they would be exposed to so many carcinogens that their lungs deteriorate only after a few years. More than 75 000 children work on such farms in Malawi. (Monday August 24th,2009 Globe and Mail ) The Canadian government has decreased most of its aid to Africa and is now concentrating on South America. The argument is that problems of corruption and dependence on foreign aid have weakened economies in Africa to the point they cannot self-sustain. Africa has already received billions of dollars in aid with deplorable long-term results for its prosperity. Does aid really inhibit sustenance? How can aid be used more effectively to guarantee a country’s prosperity?
My most vivid memory of my time in Nairobi was on my birthday. My aunt took me to a slum area in Nairobi. We picked up bread and milk. Our driver went about to gather the people and they all lined up. My aunt instructed me to hand out a portion of bread and a bottle of milk to each person. They were mostly women and children in the line-up. For that day they would be full. But what would happen the next day? And the day after that? Was I doing a disservice to these people? Or was I just keeping them from going hungry for one more day?
Why not start the year up with a debate or discussion relating to the “real world” in one of your classrooms?

For the tech savvy

Living with a software developer has not always been easy. In this day and age, having someone in the house who is technologically savvy can often be regarded as a bonus. It’s nice to have someone to rely on when the technology eludes you. It’s also nice to have access to free downloaded movies, songs and TV shows that we missed. Unfortunately, keeping it simple has never been my husband’s forte. He is constantly on the search for better and better use of technology and the ease of use it provides. Easy for everyone, except me. When we first got married, my husband set out to simplify my teaching life by writing a program to keep track of my marks. Despite my repeated protests, he spent every night in front of the computer ironing out this marks program and occasionally showing me how he had created the next box or diagram or whatever. I explained that I was already using a great marks program called MARKBOOK that works really well and contains Ontario Curriculum Expectations, rubrics etc. After many nights at the computer, he eventually abandoned the task. It was a good thing since the following year, our school board mandated MARKBOOK as the only marks program that we could use.
My husband loves to, in my words, “mess” with the computer. If he could, he would have a computer in every room. As soon as I got a laptop from work, he pounced on it and found a way to network it to our computer and then hook it to the TV so we could watch our free downloaded movies or TV shows. Since he got his iphone, he has no longer needed my laptop and has been playing movies from there using a cable from China?? Don’t ask. I don’t know. He just “jailbroke “ his iphone and can now do videos, access our home computer and so many other things that are too long and crazy to mention. He now wants to mess with my phone and I said, “stay away”!! Not that I don’t want to have access to all this cool gadgetry that I will never use, but I would like to keep it simple. Simple means things don’t go wrong. Somehow, at the most crucial times in my life, the computer has always failed me. For instance, on a couple of occasions, our computer got “infected” with a “virus” and therefore I lost all my marks! No I didn’t back up. With all the “questionable” applications running on our computer, it was no wonder we got a virus. But, not to fear, my husband has discovered a new virus scanner that is superior to all others. Only problem – it takes twice as long to access anything on the internet because of its security features. Yes we do have high speed internet but what is the point?
My husband reformatted our computer recently and neglected to save any of my bookmarks and so I lost them in the shuffle.
“You don’t use GMarks?” he said.
GMARKS, schmarks – what in the world are GMARKS???? No, I use the simple, basic bookmarks that come with the computer okay! So I discovered that as a result of the reformatting, our internet is much faster, however, my WORD processing software has been upgraded and everything looks different. Now, in order to save a file, it takes 5 minutes as opposed to 30 seconds. Today I needed to open up a power point presentation for my online course, and guess what? No power point has been re-installed. Today our home phone, or should I say internet VOIP phone doesn’t work. Sure we save lots of money every year by using an internet phone and we get long distance practically free – but TODAY it doesn’t work!!
My husband’s latest project is hooking the iphone to our car stereo system and DVD player. He has also figured out how we are going to make practically free long distance calls from the States when we go to Vermont next month for our family vacation and use a roaming data plan for under $20.00. I sure hope it works.

Perspicacity

It's a nice sounding word. Now try to say it 5 times and fast! Stuck?? Perspicacity, perspicacity, perspicacity, perspicacity, perspicacity. It reminds me of part of a poem I once wrote:
Try as we might;
To shed some light;
Clarity (or Perspicacity)
Forever
Remains
Out of
sight.
On any topic, there are always more unanswered questions than answers. On love. On life. On kids. On death. On education (yes I did throw that one in!). So this summer, I am setting out on a quest to acquire a better understanding of some of these and other areas. In terms of education, I am taking an online course - yes teachers do spend their summers thinking about the fall. Until now, I wasn't really interested in the course I had signed up for. It was simply a course that I need to take another course that I plan to do next year. A stepping stone. Much to my surprise, I am really enjoying the course because I can still make links to secondary education and my prodigies are my kids. I was never interested in primary education because I felt it wouldn't challenge me in the way that I need to be challenged. I was wrong. It is the old adage: "You never know something until you try it." The course has really been interesting in terms of deciphering what kind of learner you are and what kind of learners your students are. Howard Gardner's multiple intelligence theory has been poked an prodded on so many levels that now there are so many types of quizzes used to describe learning style. So here's a really good one done by the Birmingham Grid for Learning:

http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks3/ict/multiple_int/index.htm

My hidden talent

“Can you say it again,” asked my 10 grade English teacher Mr. Proctor.
Oh no, I thought, after presenting a memorized soliloquy of a Shakespearean play. Did I screw up my lines? Perhaps I wasn’t loud enough? So I repeated my lines once more as Mr. Proctor listened intently.
Afterwards he said, “You have a gift.”
So now I was getting a present?? My bewilderment was obvious.
“Your pronunciation and enunciation was flawless and your ability to move people with your voice is remarkable,” he continued.
“Oh.” I said, still bewildered and now dumbfounded. I walked back to my seat to digest the news.
I had enjoyed reading Shakespeare aloud; except for the memorization part (I have a terrible memory). By evening my glee was obvious.
“Mr. Proctor says I have a gift!” I screamed when my mom walked through the door. As I spilled all the gory details to my mom, I awaited her response.
“That’s good,” she said. “But ask Mr. Proctor how the gift can help you in your future career.”
Future career? What difference did that make? I thought. I have a gift. Period.
My mom explained, “People often make career decisions based on their talents. If this is one of your talents, then you need to know how you can use it to your advantage.”
I guess she had a point. The next day, I gathered up the courage to ask Mr. Proctor the very same question. Mr. Proctor paused for a moment then said:
“You could be an actor,”
Acting? I was definitely not into acting. I am extremely straightforward and acting in any situation is not my forte.
“Or you could go into languages.”
Okay. Getting warmer. I did love learning French.
“Or you could be a teacher.”
Maybe, I thought, he’s onto something, as I walked back to my seat.


I recently shared this story with my students last week to explain that all of them have talents in different areas. Sometimes, someone points us in the right direction. Sometimes we choose to ignore the signs. I know I did. Luckily, my career destiny did finally materialize. The signs are always there. And destiny always wins.

Le Racisme

En lisant le journal hier et aujourd’hui, j’étais bouleversée en apprenant qu’il y avait un incident de racisme et l’intimidation dans une école où j’ai travaillé, il n’y a pas longtemps. Je n’étais pas complètement surprise en entendant de ces nouvelles de racisme, parce que je sais que cela a existé pendant mon séjour. Je l'ai senti parmi quelques étudiants et malheureusement parmi leurs parents. Cependant, mon expérience personnelle n’était pas complètement mauvaise. Et d’après les 400 élèves qui ont protesté à Keswick High School contre le racisme et l’intimidation et en faveur du garçon qui a été intimidé, il est évident qu’on peut affecter le change. Pourquoi le garçon qui a été intimidé, était-il accusé, c’est une question que tout le monde pose. Connaissons-nous tous les détails de tout ce qui s’est passé ? Probablement non. Est-il juste qu’un garçon qui a été harcelé et frappé par un autre, soit chargé de l’assaut physique à cause qu’il s’est défendu contre son agresseur ? Le garçon qui s’est défendu avait une ceinture noire en karaté. Jusqu’à quel point peut-on utiliser la force pour se défendre contre l’harcèlement et l’intimidation ? Apparemment, la loi dit qu’on n’a pas le droit de se défendre jusqu’au point que l’agression devient excessif. En tant que quantité, qu’est-ce qui constitue la force excessive ? Est-ce qu’on doit attendre jusqu’on reçoit trois coups de poings avant de réagir ? Est-ce que nos lois sont trop rigides pour évoquer la justice ? Ce sont des questions que je poserai dans mes classes dans la lutte contre le racisme et l’intimidation.

It’s a cruel, cruel winter. . .

January is scorching by in its usual frigid way and what are you still doing? Feeling cold? Feeling sorry for yourself as you brace for the next snowfall or record cold temperatures? Hibernating? Trying to nurse a cough or a cold which just won’t go away?

Prepare for summer. Ahhh, summer. The sweetness of summer is indescribable, like opening up that 1st delectable chocolate truffle and feeling it melt in your mouth as you close your eyes. In the summer, birds in the sky retract their wings to say “thank you.”

Winter must also be thanked for its blahs and blues. The true meaning of summer cannot be understood without a good dose of winter. Its stark contrast is what makes it apparent and appeasing. Like Black and White. Imagine. A black man in a white house. That is apparent and appeasing.

The winter is long and bitter. It tempts and taunts us with its glittering icicles and singable snowmen. It is not long before frostbite sets in. There appears to be no end in sight.

Never fear. Summer is here. Imagine a field. Imagine the wind blowing softly upon this field. Imagine the sound of music. A dance, perchance? Only the imagination can conjure up images of such contrived contradiction.

The reality of summer may be months away but its image is forever etched in our hearts.