"Why read when you can watch the movie?" In my eight years as an educator, no other sentiment has been quite so crushing to hear from children.

I avidly recall a second grade class that would excitedly huddle around my rocking chair for story time. Students scrambled around sliding chairs to the carpet where I read heartwarming and sometimes zany tales, they reminded me that story time was counted among the most meaningful and cherished moments of a child’s day. Story time is a child’s portal into endless worlds, kingdoms, and dimensions.

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 my classes I use a team-structured, project-based approach to teach history and civics. It’s an approach that covers nearly all the bases.

Many students dread reading Shakespeare because they think his works have nothing to do with their 21st century interests.

In March 2020, we received a rather cryptic message from our Technology Director: “Bring your computers home during the break, just in case the situation changes.”

When I first learned about The Mentoree, it immediately resonated with me. I was eager to connect with someone who had relevant experiences and could help answer the many questions I had.

The first steps a student takes after graduation are as critical as graduating itself. While some students have a clearly defined plan and purpose, many others do not.

All people living collectively in Canada are “treaty people,” meaning that we all have rights and responsibilities for this land we call home.