Clik here to view.
Ontario College of Teachers and school boards need to do more to protect...
The Ontario College of Teachers and school boards are supposed to protect students from teachers who engage in criminal behaviour that does not respect teacher/student boundaries. Is OCT doing...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Poor teachers dramatically reduce students’ life-time earnings
Image via Wikipedia I have come to a frightening conclusion. I am the decisive element in the classroom. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
We can learn from Finland’s school success despite the differences in our...
Thirty years ago Finland’s education system was quite mediocre and very inequitable. In short, it was a mess. Sound familiar? Today, Finland’s education system is a stunning success. I know I’ve...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The flipped classroom strategy for academically at-risk students.
I’m always looking for ways to improve my teaching practice to engage my academically at-risk students. In doing research for my recent MEd course, I came across an interesting teaching strategy called...
View ArticleA strong young voice encouraging us to stand up against bullies.
Congratulations to Megan Landry and her friends for creating this music video encouraging us to be strong and stand up to bullies. Megan sent me an email asking me to share her anti-bullying message. I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Thumbs promote student understanding
512 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) I just read about a new app for digital devices that students can use to let their teacher know whether they understand what the teacher is teaching. No, it’s not the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Are Credit Rescue and Credit Recovery programs avenues for socially promoting...
School boards in Ontario have been spending tons of money on various alternative student success programs for the last 5 years or so to try to increase the number of students who graduate from high...
View ArticleHelping students reflect on their test taking preparation strategies
I’m obsessed with trying to help my students accept responsibility for their learning. I honestly think some students believe their learning is the teacher’s responsibility. I’ve heard students who...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bullying is a cry for help.
I wrote this article about bullying in April of 2007 and would like to share it again since bullying continues to be a problem in school and in society. Bullying behaviour is really a cry for help. One...
View ArticleBarriers to good teaching
I don’t know how many times I’ve asked myself and anyone else who was within earshot of me why weren’t my academically at-risk students more successful. I was doing everything I could except stand on...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What does student success actually mean?
Of course I want my students to be successful. All teachers do. But, I think the Ministry of Education and I have different ideas about what student success means. I don’t think students are...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Participating in extracurricular activities benefits students and teachers
When I was a student, I loved being in the drama club and playing volleyball and basketball on the junior and senior teams at my high school. I wasn’t a star by any means, but I was a member of the...
View ArticleSuccess in school and in life depends on more than a high IQ
Doing well in school and in life depends on more than a high IQ. I’ve taught students who have had a range of IQ’s. Not all my students who scored high on IQ tests did well in school. Not all adults I...
View ArticleParticipating in sports and losing can help kids develop their emotional...
The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics is in day five so there’s lots of talk in the media about what’s going on in the various Winter Olympic sports. Yesterday I was listening to a local radio station,...
View Article
