The Other Side of Courage
The most important
Empower Students Today: Student Voice Wanted!
This post is part of a series on the rights of children to an education free from violence. In Canada, it is still legal for adults to physically assault children under Section 43 of the Criminal Code of Canada. Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission published the Calls to Action in 2015. Call to Action #6 […]
What Can Football Teach Us About Public Education?
How can we help parents get as excited about the quality of learning in schools as they do about the quality of the football?
This Book Must Be Removed From Schools
I am not a book banner. Books that have been published in the past have value in understanding our historical context. However, books written to guide professional practice can’t be allowed when they cause damage, especially to children. What we know: Childhood Experiences Impact Brain Development Over the last decade our understanding of how the […]
The Level of our Systems
“We do not rise to the level of our goals, we fall to the level of our systems.” James Clear, Atomic Habits We’re great at dreaming up goals, aren’t we? High achieving educators probably have too many goals in mind most of the time! We are coached to write goals – SMART goals even – […]
Unfinished
I noticed such an interesting book title online this morning. I have yet to read this book, but the title so eloquently stated some of my fundamental beliefs as an education leader. I explored a preview of the book on Amazon, and I’ll share this one quote that stood out for me: “I’ve written this […]
Teaching When Knowledge is Exploding
How did you feel when you first learned that Pluto was being demoted? Pluto is no longer a planet in the solar system, and people are mad about this! We have an emotional connection to what we learned in school, and what we know to be true. It’s disruptive and disturbing when we find out […]
Disturbing “Normal”
Which do you prefer for your front yard? Beautiful, perfect, manicured grass, or a more natural approach to landscaping? One of the youngest winners of this year’s Bondar Challenge questions our pursuit of perfect lawns: “People still pay a lot of money to get them [dandelions] out and take so long to dig them out.” […]
Species Literacy Matters
Do you know the difference between a Least Sandpiper and a Spotted Sandpiper? I don’t. I’m sitting here with hundreds of pictures of living things in my natural world, and I don’t know what they are. Over the last four days, I have been participating in the Nature Conservancy of Canada Big Backyard Blitz, an […]
Another Look at Standardized Testing
In Ontario, the Liberals and NDP have promised to overhaul the 25-year-old EQAO testing system if elected next month. Political views aside, what is the best next step for high-stakes standardized testing in Ontario? Dr. Andy Hargreaves spoke with CBC in Ottawa (Hallie Cotnam) about the historical context and the current controversy around EQAO testing […]
