I've been incorporating making into my classroom in the past few years. Some of my biggest challenges and one of the things I spent the most time on was sourcing different needed materials and supplies. Knowing what to get, what was the best buy, what works well with students - all things that took some … Continue reading Some of My Favourite Makerspace Supplies
During lunch today, I started painting. About five kids stayed inside instead of going out for recess cause they wanted to paint, too. Those 20 minutes were the most chill moments with these kids ever. I learned a ton about them as we talked and worked. When the other kids came back from recess, you … Continue reading Autonomy, Mastery & Purpose
My goal this year has been to give students as much of an active role in their own education as possible. For 2-4 periods each day, students have the freedom to learn based on their own curiosities, interests, and strengths. It's an interesting shift as an educator because I'm consistently battling with myself on how best … Continue reading Self-directed Learning in Grade 4
Many have enjoyed my previous space - the tech lounge at Fairlawn PS. This year I am at a new school and teaching a grade four homeroom. My goal in moving to a homeroom has been to recreate the type of environment I had created in the tech lounge. Someplace that feels like "home", provides … Continue reading Classroom Tour 2016
It has been one of my goals this year to make math authentic, when and where possible. To make it hands-on, active, and practical. To not just be numbers on a page filled with hypothetical situations, but to have the problems come to life. It's not the only way we practice math but it is … Continue reading Making Math Authentic: Why Sewing?
What do you think of when you hear play? If a child were to tell you that they "played" at school, what would you think? How do our beliefs about play affect our educational system and the choices we make as educators about how we deliver the curriculum? How does that evolve over time? Play … Continue reading Play is Not a Four-Letter Word
I am beginning a new journey this year as a grade four homeroom teacher. I have been teaching grade four Core French for many years (and will continue to do so) but after having over 400 students/year, I am loving the chance to have more time to get to know a smaller group of students. … Continue reading Integrating Pedagogical Documentation in Junior Grades – Beginning Our Journey
I was inspired by hearing Todd Rose's TEDx talk so much that I just had to get his book to read more. Over the past few days, I have devoured it and it really had reshaped how I look at the historical context of education, the findings of social sciences that I took for granted … Continue reading The End of Average
There's something that Erica Fox, Google's Director of People Development, said to us that keeps coming back to me. When talking about growing Googlers (aka professional development), she said, "At Google, nothing is mandatory." Wait, what?! Training sessions, even their awesome "noogler" on-boarding process - optional. They will nudge and prompt you to go to relevant … Continue reading Making Learning Optional Makes Learning Better (Google Innovation Academy – Part 3)
How do we teach in an innovative world? What is our value as educators? It used to be that educators were the keepers and distributors of knowledge and information - that is no longer the case. How do we reshape our ideas of learning and what is important to learn when the world's information is … Continue reading Informacy is as Important as Literacy and Numeracy (Google Innovation Academy – Part 2)