In my classroom, I focus on taking the time to intentionally and thoughtfully form positive and meaningful relationships with my students.

I have lost count of the number of times I have been told that rules without relationships lead to rebellion. Yet today, relationships with students seem to be feared instead of embraced. Over the years, quite by accident, I have discovered that this precept from days gone by is critical to classroom rules and to learning itself. Relationships are an essential part of learning, especially relationships between teachers and students.

In honour of Asian American Heritage Month, which is celebrated every May, I tasked the students in my three Asian American Literature classes with a special project.

In English classes, which require students to sit and read or write for extended periods of time, it can be challenging to get them to want to do their work.

The height of the pandemic brought many moments of upheaval and uncertainty, but amidst the tensions, there were also moments of laughter.

I am Teacher. I can wear fifteen different hats on my head and not one of them from the same shop.

Students need to be allowed outside more often, and beyond just the playground—especially in areas where schools are the only green space.

Books used in the classroom remind us that education is most powerful when it affirms the dignity of every child. Paired with history, inquiry, and compassion, they create a foundation for inclusion that reaches far beyond the school walls.

When my principal asked if I would like to lead our school’s new Justice, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee, I was both surprised and delighted.