Mindful Ed

This Labour Day weekend two events transpired which have precipitated this post: 1. My five year old nephew and I visited a pond together 2. I had a visit from an educator whom I admire greatly who encouraged me to share my voice more often So here I am ... on the eve before a new school year ... sharing a rather cheesy analogy that popped into my head while playing at the pond with my nephew. First the story of the pond. My nephew Ben and I went on a wee adventure to a pond close to our family cottage on Lake Huron. We spotted a snapping turtle sitting on a log and he asked, "Why does he live here "? What's better than a curious five year old? Words cannot express my childlike happiness. My primary teacher instincts immediately kicked in and we got into a discussion about what we noticed about the pond - Lots of space, green stuff on the surface of the water that maybe he could eat, sunshine, a nice big log to sit on, not many people around bugging it, etc. I la...

Every year on Labour Day weekend I run to my favourite little alcove along the beach that is filled with the most wonderful rocks of all shapes, sizes, and colours. I collect a jar of my favourites for the first day of school. Each student selects a rock, writes their name on it, and says a little something about why they picked the rock they did. Each rock is placed in a glass container on our prayer table to show our uniqueness. Last year, a student said something during this activity that I will always remember (Thanks A!). She said: "Each rock glitters in its own way. Sometimes you have to pick them up and take a closer look to see their beauty." Isn't this the most relevant reminder for the starting of a new school year?  Each student comes to us with their own lived experiences, perceptions, hopes, and fears. All of these things, and so many more, impact their interactions in the classroom and school community. As educators, building relationships with our s...

Picture this: sixty-six international educators boarding the train for a weekend excursion in China. Cues forming (well, more like scrums) ready to board. Selfies snapping sporadically amongst the group - as well as a few with inquisitive onlookers. Upon arrival, unforgettable landscapes and cultural experiences await. As beautiful as the Shaolin Temple and Longmen Grottoes were,  the real story of this blog lies in the train ride . It is here that a conversation about robotics unfolded with my friend and colleague John Burke from Arizona. I had the pleasure of meeting John last year at  SFLS  and was delighted that we were both back again this summer. We had over two hours on the train, refreshments in our hands, and so much to talk about in light of our shared interest in STEM. With no time limits and no pressure, our conversation just ebbed and flowed. We talked about the previous school year - what new things did we try? What went well? What flopped? I shared o...

To day we had quite the experience in Room 207 - a reporter and a photographer from the KW Record came to visit our classroom to learn about how we use Chromebooks. I was delighted when asked by senior admin to be a part of this article. I am proud to showcase the amazing learning taking place by so many students within WCDSB, and knew it would be a positive experience for the students and a way to connect beyond the walls of our classroom. I am making a conscious effort to check my own insecurities (the little voice that says Why me? ) and think Why NOT me? and more importantly Why NOT my students? Saying YES to these experiences and opportunities might be a little uncomfortable, but it is when in these states that growth happens! I need to be reminded of this not just for myself, but also for my students. Before he arrived, I wanted the students to have a chance to reflect, so quite simply I asked ... "In what ways do we use Chromebooks to support our learning?"  I was...

Inspired by a recent tweet and blog post by  +Jonathan So  . Doing some reflecting before tonights #peel21st blog hop: https://t.co/Di5qoEETTe #edchat #raylearns #sharesease — Jonathan So (@MrSoclassroom) November 17, 2015 http://mrsoclassroom.blogspot.ca/2015/11/5-best-things-that-i-have-done-this-year.html This year has marked many first for me, as I have moved from teaching mostly in the primary division to intermediate. With this change, has come tremendous personal growth. Every day is a new adventure! My students have come to recognize this as well - to expect the unexpected! Just last week we engaged in lip sync battles, created our own games in scratch, learned about the importance of giving credit to authors in digital and print texts, and debated the use of the carrot vs stick approach in history (with props). I will admit that the sheer amount of content to be covered overwhelms me at times, but I remind myself that substance and deep learning far out...

In our session today,  +Michelle Booth  and I shared our learning journeys using digital tools (D2L ePortfolio and Blogger) to create professional portfolios. We examined portfolios as reflection-in-action (on going) and reflection-on-action (showcasing).  It is not a one or other thing - I personally use blog feeds to curate, capture, and reflect and pages within Blogger for portfolio building. The image to the right is a live shot taken while presenting as a way to demonstrate the ease of adding artifacts. Check out our Slide Deck below: After our session I went to the Learning Space area to talk about Periscope in the classroom - an app that allows for real-time broadcasting and social sharing. The discussion was vibrant and thought-provoking. My biggest 'ah-ha' was the need for digital citizenship to be embedded within decision making in the classroom as it happens. Discussions of the pros and cons of apps and digital tools are necessary for stude...

I have had many friends and colleagues ask about my first weeks teaching in the intermediate division. All I can say is GREAT! It truly has been a great experience so far. I feel a renewed sense of energy and excitement for teaching. It has been busy. I spend many evenings late at work as I did in my first years teaching - figuring out the perfect hook to kick-start a lesson, finding relevant and captivating materials for reading and inquiry, moderating with my wonderful teaching partners as I navigate assessment. I have loved every minute! Why you ask? It's the kids! They have been so kind, so patient, so understanding. From the very first day when they walked into an empty classroom, they have had open minds and open hearts. We have created a cozy physical space where we all enjoy working and learning together. The wooden table and bench my grandpa made many years ago is perched under the window. It fills me with joy when I see students sitting at it side by side. I have made m...

It's the night before school starts and it amazes me that even after 9 years teaching I still get the back to school jitters. I know I am not alone in feelings of excitement, apprehension, and restlessness. The tangible and intangible drawing nearer - Are my introductory lessons prepared? How will they be received? Do I have all materials ready? How are the students feeling? What barriers will have to be overcome? How can I best make connections with these new individuals - based on trust, respect, kindness? This year is slightly different, as tomorrow marks my first day teaching in the intermediate division. After a summer of reading and reflecting on overarching pedagogical practices, I am attempting to put a vision to life. Part of this reflection has included thoughts on how to establish community with students at this grade level. I made a conscious decision to leave the walls bare, desks pushed to the side, and chairs in a circle. It is my hope that together we can create...

http://www.otrk12.ca/ In her opening keynote address, Jessica Holmes (@happyfeetholmes) entertained, dazzled, and inspired. Woven through her comic performance were thought-provoking anecdotes from her own life that reach all of us. She asks us to question: Is there an area in my life where I should be focusing more attention and energy?   Find your joy Finding balance is something that I think we can all relate to. Each of us has our own unique way in dealing with stress. For me, getting outside and enjoying a trail run or spending time in the garden helps me to gain perspective. I need to remind myself to make the time for these activities, schedule them in, to maintain balance. I think this was a wonderful way to kick-off the day as technology allows us to connect and create in amazing new ways, but we must also make time for other aspects in our lives that bring us joy, Jessica Holmes reminds us that: Everyone is someone's child.  We are all born with...

In a recent M.Ed. class our topic was on conducting a peer review for scholarly writing. We discussed how important it is to set aside adequate time, ensure appropriate tone (difference between negative and constructive feedback), and going beyond the micro level issues (conventions) to macro issues (ideas, evidence, organization) when reviewing writing samples. Each of us had a very different take on what it feels like to give and receive feedback which was an interesting point of discussion. Feelings included apprehension of presenting writing/fear of judgement, lack of experience providing critiques, and insecurity offering true critical advice. This got me thinking - wouldn't all this be true for peer feedback, even with the youngest of learners? When I returned to school the next day, I took a closer look at some of the feedback grade 2 classmates had been giving each other in writing (we often offer stars and wishes for each other). I saw a lot of "Good job!", ...

This school year I was invited to participate in the EPCI (Early Primary Collaborative Inquiry) working group along with two of my teaching partners. Earlier today I attended the regional face-to-face with other members of our board's learning team. We had the opportunity to engage in rich discussions with other educators from around our region, share our learning, challenge each other, and think about building capacity moving forward.  Our guiding question Here are some of the pivotal learning moments from our collaborative inquiry: Student learning is improved when: - teachers reflect upon questioning and feedback/wait time (sometimes unnecessary feedback/prompting stops student thinking short) - student are engaged in rich learning tasks (low-floor/high ceiling tasks) - learning is connected and and embedded in a meaningful context (real world connections, vocabulary use across strands/subject areas) - students become a part of pedagogical documentation and re...

My journey in the world of education has always been rich with professional development opportunities. Just as we ask students to connect their learning, I believe educators need to do the same. As a new teacher I was surrounded by skilled and talented mentors who highlighted for me the importance of developing positive relationships with students and creating a learning atmosphere where students feel they are valued, respected, and free to take risks. As a young educator I also registered for multiple additional qualification courses which helped solidify my understanding of content and pedagogy. Since this time I have been fortunate to be a part of collaborative learning teams at the school and board level that have challenged me to be a more reflective educator- adapting best practice to meet the changing needs of students. It has been through collaborative learning teams that I have begun to adopt an inquiry stance with my own teaching practice. This has allowed me to dig deeper in...