Teaching for the Future: What Little Choice Do We Have?

At a recent workshop that focused on Inclusion, I was reminded of the latest World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report that was published in 2016. I share this post in order to call to our attention the continual shift; as a reminder of the real purpose of public education in our society today. Education is … Continue reading Teaching for the Future: What Little Choice Do We Have? →

Knowing Thy Learning Environment: Learners’ Perspectives

I think that I'm starting to get it. No, seriously. I am. I am starting to recognize the importance of knowing and understanding the place in which you learn (formally that is). Our amazing learning support teacher recently asked a group of Grade 6 aged students what makes Wildflower School a bit unique. This is … Continue reading Knowing Thy Learning Environment: Learners’ Perspectives →

Capturing What They Bring: Inclusive Education

In special education, there's too much emphasis placed on the deficit and not enough on the strength.Temple GrandinA Somewhat Subtle Shifthttps://youtu.be/PQgXBhPh5ZoShelley Moore is an inclusion-educational consultant in Vancouver, BC. With a YouTube channel and newly minted podcast (available from your favourite podcast provider), Moore has hit the road and worked in several public and private jurisdictions. … Continue reading Capturing What They Bring: Inclusive Education →

Know Thy Employee: The Millennial Educator

While nearly two years old, this interview featuring Simon Sinek is one of my all-time favourites. One question and Sinek is out of the gate! He sheds much enlightenment on millennials (age demographic born between 1984-2002) and their purpose-seeking motivation. Sinek also argues that many companies today are not equipped to support them and a … Continue reading Know Thy Employee: The Millennial Educator →

A Gentle Reminder: Just the Essentials

At a recent professional learning workshop with inclusion specialist, Shelley Moore (more on that amazing experience in the future), I was reminded of a truly powerful post by innovative learning and teaching consultant, George Couros. And after the intense, insightful, inspirational, reaffirming spark-inducing day, I felt that now was a good as time as any … Continue reading A Gentle Reminder: Just the Essentials →

Sitting with It: A Healthy Reflection

This past week ended with our fall parent-teachers conferences, and unlike many educators, I actually look forward to them. However, one of the 15-minute sessions left me shaken, confused, and unsure about my planned approach for the remainder of the year. I felt judged. Or at least my pedagogical approach was being heavily scrutinized. The … Continue reading Sitting with It: A Healthy Reflection →

Deeper Learning Dozen: A Longing for Relationships

No significant learning can occur without a significant relationship. James Comer This fall my school district embarked on a journey. With support from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Jal Mehta's lab, the Kootenay Lake School joined eleven other school districts from British Columbia, Massachusetts, and California as a part of the Deeper Learning … Continue reading Deeper Learning Dozen: A Longing for Relationships →

Powerful Fridays

Life itself is your teacher and you are in a constant state of learning. Bruce Lee TGIF: Another Reason For the greater part of my two-decade-plus teaching career, I, like many of my fellow educators, viewed Fridays at school as either a test day, a movie day and/or a combination of both. I will admit … Continue reading Powerful Fridays →

Gender, Sex, and the Classroom

Last week, our middle school students engaged in the first of a four-part (I know you're probably saying that four is not enough) workshop with our trained adolescent sexual health educator with a focus on SOGI education. The facilitator opened the class by addressing anonymous student questions submitted the previous week. In a nervously anticipatory … Continue reading Gender, Sex, and the Classroom →