Subscribe from $5.99
0,00 USD

No products in the cart.

Welcoming Refugees into Your Classroom

Advertisement

Originally published February 2016

By Meagan Gillmore

Adele Rezai recalls a few girls opening the windows of her classroom saying, “Let’s get the air of [those] kids out.” It happened quickly, as a class for students learning English was leaving and Rezai was preparing for her next—geography. In the 20 plus years she’s taught in Toronto, Rezai calls this one of the worst things she’s witnessed.

“My geography lesson in that session changed into talking about human geography,” Rezai says. She explained how those comments had “connected the smell with a certain group of students in our school.”

Subscribe to Keep Reading

🔑 You’re one step away from unlocking premium content.
Subscribe now for as low as $5.99 and get full access!

Subscribe

If you’re already subscribed, please Log In.

Meagan Gillmore is a freelance writer in Toronto, ON.

Education News

Teaching Children to Be Better, More Critical Internet Users

McGill researchers designed and then tested a program that was shown to improve elementary students’ digital literacy skills.

Common Sense Media Launches Youth AI Safety Institute

The first-of-its-kind AI safety lab focused on children will independently test AI products, broadly publish the results, and set clear standards to protect the safety, health, and development of a generation growing up with AI.

Providing Easy Access to Curriculum-Aligned Indigenous Resources

Ontario’s Niagara Catholic District School Board and Nelson partnered together to support educators who are teaching subjects with Indigenous content.

Controlled Chaos: Lessons in Laughter, Growth, and the Magic of Teaching

“Controlled Chaos” is a collection of stories that will have you in stitches, feeling inspired, and questioning the very idea of what “normal” looks like in education.

Updated Guidance on Responsible Use of Technology in Schools 

The third edition of “Setting Conditions for Success” reflects evolving expectations around AI, student well‑being, and digital citizenship.

Many Canadian Women Wait Years for Adequate Menopause Care, National Survey Shows

The survey findings highlight systemic gaps in care, workplace support, and navigation during midlife health transitions.
Meagan Gillmore
Meagan Gillmore
Meagan Gillmore is a freelance writer in Toronto, ON.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Read More

Mental Health and Student Attendance: The Intervention Hiding in Plain Sight

A punitive response to a late or absent student, the recorded tardy, the “you’re late again,” doesn’t just fail to help. It adds to the weight a struggling student is already carrying.

Murdoch is Cracking the Case on Student Engagement

Murdoch in the Classroom offers a fresh, distinctly Canadian way to bring story-led, curriculum-connected learning into the classroom.

How Slam Poetry Transforms the FSL Classroom

My FSL classroom is rarely quiet. There’s laughter, music, performance, and sometimes a bit of chaos, but it’s the productive kind. On poetry unit days, students sit congregated in groups, and they transform the space into a “scène de slam.”

Act 47 Is a Promising Start—Now Pennsylvania Must Get It Right

With Act 47 of 2025, the state is advancing towards stronger reading instruction by mandating evidence-based curricula, regular screening in early grades, improved educator training, and intervention plans for struggling students.

8 Ways to Build a Creative Classroom

Creativity isn’t innate—it’s a cognitive skill that all students can develop with time and the right opportunities. While cultivating a creative classroom may seem intimidating, it doesn’t have to be.

How a “Year of No” Allowed Me to Be My Best Teacher Self

This year, I am practicing “no.” Mind you, this isn’t a disrespectful, hands thrown in the air, uncaring “no.” Instead, it’s the most mindful and caring “no” that I can muster.