A Teacher's Ruminations

What do people mean when they say that a school has a toxic environment? According to a quick google search, toxic is always associated with poison or toxins. It is harmful and unhealthy. So, when a school's environment "goes toxic" whose job is is to cure it? Who is responsible for this outcome? How did it get to be that way? And, does it matter why it's that way or is it more important to figure out what to do to turn things around? I've been in toxic school environments that seem to get worse before they get better. Often, this starts out with teachers feeling that they are not being respected by the administration. Then, teachers start talking to each other because, more often than not, this is the only outlet they have to check their perceptions about what's going on. Sometimes teachers will feel like they're alone in their feelings or like there's something wrong with them. So, one brave soul will test the waters by bringing up a concern in c...

Lately, I've been thinking about modelling and its place in the classroom. I've also been thinking about how we often don't model the behaviours, strategies, etc that we want our students to demonstrate because we are in a rush to move through the curriculum or because we figure they should get it if we tell them what it looks like. The power of modelling is underrated and I've begun to adopt it with a zeal. Well, maybe not with a zeal, but certainly I've stopped more often than not to demonstrate and then have students practice while I observe. This helps me to plan next steps. This may sound like it takes a lot of time but, in the long run, it saves time.  So, I've been thinking that by skipping this step we are doing our students a disservice. In a future post, I will expand on these ruminating thoughts. I would love to hear how you model desired behaviours and strategies to your students.  Cross posted to  A Slice of Life - Challenge...

At a September back to school session on school culture, our director asked each of us to reflect on the following question:  What will be your most important contribution to the culture of our school this year? I found this question so intriguing at the time that I decided to write a public response on my blog...that I never finished and therefore never made public. I n light of  recent challenging personal and professional events, it's time I finish my response to this question and, in turn, reflect on whether or not I've been successful in taking up the challenge offered by my director.    At the time and in the space I found myself, the answer to this question was quite simple:  be positive.  Perhaps, this is too trite and therefore meaningless but after a full year reflecting on what gives me joy in all aspects of my life, I have found that the simplicity inherent in being positive - looking at the bright side - resonates well with the road I'd ch...

Feb. 12, 2013 It's 11:10 a.m. I'm sitting on a pool deck in Miami Beach. Two of my children      cavort in the water. The weather report says 27 degrees Celsius but there's a late morning breeze and scattered clouds that occasionally block the sun. I'm starting the middle of the second week of our February vacation. The weather app on my phone informs me that it's still raining in Quito, sunny in Miami, dead winter in Calgary, Boston and NY. I send warm rays of sunshine to the north, Great White and otherwise. How do I unravel a childhood to get at the adolescent - pre- and young adult - that lies dormant inside me? My family is no help. My memories are closed off locked somewhere: Access denied. No journal or diary to read. No love letters to remember. No photographs to help      jar my poor memory,      atrophied,      lost in space and time. So, I must look to the present. The only w...

I am trying to stick to all of my New Year resolutions. It hasn't been easy. I read every day. For school. For work. For fun. I write every day. Something important And, sometimes, not so important. I try to remember to stay in the moment. I have finished two books. 98 to go. I am not eating as healthy as I would like. I have yet to start an exercise program. At least, I have the schedule written down. Now, I just have to start going. Now, I am sitting in writing club. The four girls in my class are writing away. Well, at least three of them are. One is arranging her crayons in some kind of order. She distracts herself and those around her. Which is about everybody else since there are only four girls in the class. I try to ignore it. 10 minutes to go before the end of silent writing time. I'm doing pretty well, I think. Until one little girl approaches me ready to ask me a question, I guess - at least she's whispering - "Can I us...

I am currently enrolled in the Daily 5 Online Course at the Upper Iowa Universtiy .  It is the only course approved by the Two Sisters , creators of the Daily 5 literacy block management system , so it comes with a special stamp of approval. I have been implementing the Daily 5 in my classroom for the past 6 years, primarily in a self-contained, grade 2 Spanish bilingual classroom in Canada.  Now, I am one of two ESL teachers in grades 4 through 8 in an international school in South America.  I am mostly self-taught in the Daily 5 and even though I've been "doing" the Daily 5 for a long time now, I jumped at the chance of collaborating with other teachers on a common interest.  Thankfully, my school is paying for my course which is a great advantage. We're doing a lot of reading and responding on the online board set up by the university.  As usual, I am finding myself learning so much from the other participants.  In fact, I've started to keep careful ...

I know.  I know.  A lot of bloggers have been writing about their New Year's Resolutions.  Some even did it right before the new year and some right on the first of January.  This post might be a bit late in the stream.  A Johnny come lately, of sorts. Nevertheless, by posting my resolutions and making them public, I intend to be accountable to myself. So, I am doing this for me.  By going public, I am making a commitment to myself to carry them through. It always amazes me how easy it is to commit to something in the relative calm of a break from school.  Once I'm back in the classroom I start to fall behind.  But, I don't want to use the excuse of being too busy as a reason for not following through on my resolve. I want to build stamina so I know each resolution listed below won't become a habit right away.  I will try not to beat myself over the head if I do fall behind, which is inevitable.  I will pick myself up and...