My Motivation, My Mission

This week’s deep dive debrief made me think back to my personal experience with motivation. More specifically, the reason I quit my full-time health and safety job was to go back to school and become a teacher. I originally got into the career of occupational health and safety because I was struggling to figure out what I wanted to do in grade 12 and sought guidance in my career choices. My parents, with my best interests in mind, recommended that I get into health and safety, same as my cousins have done, since it was very abundant in job opportunities, high-paying salaries, and in high demand within the job market. 

So I took this path, and I honestly went through school with no challenges, and the first years of my career were easy as well (or so I thought). Thinking back to all those years past, I did well in terms of managing expectations, workload, and achieving what my intention was. However, I was never motivated throughout this journey and in the end, I was not doing something I had a genuine interest in. I felt like those years of my life came and went, and I was a bystander. I did not strive for a promotion or a next step in my career, and I became a bit unsatisfied with my life. For the next year, I began to spiral and evaluate my life and what career I would have. 

I knew deep down that I enjoyed working with adolescents and teenagers. I loved educating, guiding, mentoring, and serving people. However, I was too worried to make a big change in my life and go back to school to follow my dream of becoming a teacher. What changed it for me was reaching out to my old High school Chemistry teacher and asking for advice. I wanted to hear it from her: what is the job like, why do you do this, what motivates you? 

All her answers resonated with me deeply, I felt seen, engaged, and eager to take this next step no matter what it took. Since I have made the decision to go back to school, I have never felt more passionate and motivated at any point in my life. A complete contrast from my previous post-secondary experience, I look forward to learning, improving, trying new things, and hearing new perspectives. I feel engaged and eager to become the best version of myself. 

The difference now is I am motivated; I am motivated to help other kids one day to find their motivation, to find their passion, and empower them to chase it. I believe students require motivation to truly learn at their best, and our job as educators is to help them find their motivation. Also, we must try to motivate and inspire them constantly, similar to how a coach gives their team a pep talk before a game. Motivation looks different for different students, and our job as educators is to help each student find what motivates them and what they are passionate about. It can be as simple as giving them autonomy over certain tasks, encouraging effort, or trying something new. 

Our role is to keep students reminded of “why” they do what they do. This is what will create valuable and powerful learning experiences. 

PaulM@OTU

Bringing AI Literacy to Early Grades: Practical Resources and Guidance for Teachers

 Here is an article/post from FaceBook:

There is a lot of debate around using AI with children. From what I have seen in the Canadian context, the general approach is to avoid giving children in the early grades direct access to generative AI.

That caution is understandable. Children are still developing their cognitive, emotional, and social skills. We need to think carefully about where AI might support that development and where it might take over activities children need to practise themselves.

For more information, visit: 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1048019523623103/posts/1341315360960183/

Courtesy of JasonM@OISE

When the right answer mattered more than the learning

Growing up and going to school in Macedonia almost 20 years ago, my experience with education was quite different from what I see in Canadian classrooms today. Looking back, I often wonder how much of what we were taught we actually understood and how much we simply memorized to get a good grade or avoid getting into trouble.

Most of our classes back then were teacher-led, with the teacher usually standing at the front explaining the lesson while we, the students, listened, took notes, and were expected to remember the information. There was very little room for discussion, questioning, or exploring different ways of learning, and one thing I remember particularly well was the oral questioning, which often felt more like an interrogation than an opportunity to demonstrate what we had learned. We were expected to stand up and answer questions in front of everyone, and not knowing the answer felt quite intimidating, as we often did not have the right answer because we simply did not understand the lesson or what we were supposed to learn from it. Instead of feeling supported when we struggled, we often felt embarrassed or afraid of making mistakes.

Thinking about our recent class discussion on motivation, I can now see how much of my learning was driven by the fear of failure rather than by genuine interest. We genuinely did not understand what was taught; therefore, we lacked motivation and willingness to participate. Getting a good grade or avoiding a bad one became more important than the learning itself. When we discussed the difference between mastery and performance motivation,  it made me think about how different my experience might have been if teachers had encouraged us to ask questions, make mistakes, and learn from them.

Another thing that stood out to me from our class was the importance of cooperation. I don't remember having many opportunities to work with classmates, share ideas, or learn from one another. Most of the learning was individual, and success was measured by how well we could remember and repeat information, how well we did on tests, and the score we got. Now, working as an ECE in a kindergarten classroom, I see how much children can learn through conversations, play, exploration, and working together. Sometimes a child can explain something to another child in a way that makes more sense to them than when an adult explains it, as we often forget how children think, and what makes sense in our brains does not necessarily make sense in theirs. 

I also think about the importance of teachers being supportive and approachable. A teacher should be someone students feel comfortable approaching when they don't understand something, rather than someone they fear disappointing. I find that many students are more willing to participate in classroom activities, ask questions, and challenge themselves when they know that making mistakes is an accepted and welcome part of learning. 

As I continue my journey toward becoming a teacher, I find myself reflecting more on my past experiences. Although I cannot change how I was taught, I can use those experiences to shape the kind of teacher I want to become. I want my students to feel that their ideas matter, that they can ask questions without being judged, and that learning is about much more than getting the right answer.

And perhaps the biggest question I am left with is this: How many students are capable of so much more than they show us, simply because they are afraid of making a mistake? Looking back at my own experience, I know for sure I was one of them!

HristinaM@OTU

Group work isn’t always teamwork – how can teachers make cooperation meaningful?

We’ve all experienced group work at some point or another where a few people ended up doing most of the work, or even you yourself did all the work. Personally, I’ve experienced the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to group work, which has made me realize that putting people into groups doesn’t automatically mean they are cooperating. 

This challenge was touched on during this week’s learning key presentation. While working with others can help students learn new perspectives, share ideas, and build their communication skills, it can also leave some people feeling unheard or excluded, while others take on the whole workload. I think this is especially important to consider when teaching in elementary classrooms, as students are still developing their social skills and learning how to work with others. 

As a future teacher, I want to create opportunities for students to learn from one another while ensuring everyone feels that their contributions matter. Some strategies discussed in today’s presentation, such as assigning clear roles, setting expectations for participation, and checking individual understanding, can help make group work much more effective. For example, during a science group project, I could assign roles to students, including researcher, recorder, materials manager, or presenter. This ensures that everyone has a responsibility and therefore should be contributing equally. 

Ultimately, I believe cooperation is a skill that needs to be taught and practiced, rather than something we assume students already know how to do coming into class. When we do not teach students how to cooperate effectively, that is when we see unequal distributions in workloads, opinions and thoughts being excluded, and clashing personalities and working styles. So as future teachers, I believe it is vital that we teach students at a young age what effective cooperation means and looks like.

Courtesy of: ZaraK@OTU

Beyond the Lesson Plan: Balancing Tech, Nature, and the Whole Student.

One of the things that stood most out to me throughout this course is how teachers can use different methods to improve their teaching styles and support their students. Teachers achieve this by implementing the latest technology that they have access to in their day to day life which can make their lesson planning and teaching easier and more efficient. This allows teachers to spend more time focusing on what matters most in the class, the topics they teach, how they teach it, and how they support their students. 

Using up to date tech can help reduce some of the time-consuming work that leads to the teachers having to work overtime and can lead to burnout. It also helps teachers stay organized, learn new things, and be more prepared for teaching everyday. Rather than seeing technology as a shortcut or cheating, I see it as a way for teachers to work more efficiently and make more time for the important parts of teaching. 

My group’s tech tool workshop on Google Classroom helped me understand this better. Tools such as Gemini can help teachers create diagrams, translate or change texts, and develop different resources to explain difficult topics. Google Classroom also helps teachers stay organized and create an online classroom where students can access and engage with learning materials. These tools have shown me how technology can support teachers when it is used in the right way.

I also think teachers should try and understand the importance of the natural environments in students’ learning and development. Spending time outdoors while studying allows students to explore, ask questions, and develop their curiosity and sense of wonder. Our Wonder Walk at Kinsmen Valleyview Gardens Park helped me see how my future students could benefit from learning through observation and having a chance to explore their surroundings and question things that they would usually overlook. As future teachers, I believe that we should give students opportunities to connect with nature and learn from experiences both inside and outside of the classroom. 

Another one of the concepts that stood out to me through this course was how teachers see their own students and how their personal opinions can affect their learning experiences. The seminar on learning styles and gender made me realize that the way teachers understand and treat their students also drastically affects their students' learning. For example, when a boy is loud, energetic, or acts out, people may say he is “just being a boy.” When a girl behaves the same way, she may be seen as troublesome, difficult, or disruptive. This made me think about how easily teachers can make assumptions about students based on gender without even realizing it.

As a future teacher, I want to be more aware of this. It is easy to make assumptions about students, especially when we grow up seeing certain behaviours as normal for boys or girls. Students are much more complex than the  labels given to them such as “visual learner” or “kinesthetic learner.” Getting to know students as individuals is just as important as understanding how they learn, as everyone learns in their own way. Teachers should create a classroom where students feel supported and can learn in different ways.

Ultimately, I believe good teaching is about finding a balance in a teacher's teaching style between using technology, connecting students to their environments, and understanding each student as their own individual. Technology can help teachers work more efficiently, nature can encourage curiosity and wonder, and getting to know students can help teachers understand how to support them. These ideas remind me that teaching is not just about delivering lessons.

Brought to you by: SandeepR@OTU

What I Learned About Classroom Management

After reading over the presentation on classroom management, I realized how important it is for teachers to create a positive and supportive learning environment. Before becoming a teacher, it can be easy to think that classroom management is mainly about making sure students follow the rules and stay on task. However, I learned that it is about so much more than that. It also involves building relationships with students, communicating clearly, setting expectations, and making sure students feel safe and respected in the classroom.

One thing that stood out to me was the importance of handling conflict in a positive way. Students are still learning how to communicate their feelings, solve problems, and work through disagreements with others. Instead of immediately punishing students, teachers can encourage them to talk through their problems, listen to each other, and find a solution. I think this is important because students can learn from these situations and develop skills that they can use outside of the classroom as well.

I also found it interesting how something as simple as the classroom seating arrangement can make a difference in how students learn. For example, having students sit in clusters can make it easier for them to work together and share ideas, while sitting in rows can help students focus on the teacher during certain lessons. This reminded me that teachers need to think carefully about how they organize their classrooms depending on the activity and the needs of their students.

Another important takeaway was the role of communication between teachers and parents. Using emails, phone calls, and classroom letters helps keep parents informed about their child's progress, learning, and behaviour. I think having a good relationship with parents is important because students benefit when the adults in their lives communicate and work together to support them.

Overall, reading through this presentation helped me realize that effective classroom management is not just about controlling behaviour. It is about creating an environment where students feel comfortable, supported, and ready to learn. As a future teacher, I want my classroom to be a place where students understand expectations but also feel like they can make mistakes, ask questions, and learn from their experiences. I know that every classroom will have different challenges, but I think being patient, consistent, and understanding will help me build a positive learning environment for my students.

NelehW@OTU

The Importance of Constructive Criticism

It is common to seek confirmation rather than criticism however criticism is essential for growth. This week's TT Workshop did a great job of highlighting the different types of criticism and ways to give supportive criticism. As a teacher it is important to provide your students with feedback that supports their learning, improvement, and growth. Feedback has the ability to motivate students but also has the ability to cause students to shut down. Which is why it is so important to be aware of the feedback you are giving by approaching it as a way to let students know where they can improve while also praising what they did well.

I have personal experience of receiving belittling criticism from a teacher and it led to me being defensive towards any feedback that came from this teacher. In elementary school for book discussions we were allowed to come up and look at the different options before making a request list for our teacher to take into consideration when assigning books. I remember being excited looking at one of the books and putting it on my list when my teacher approached me and said something along the lines of “why are you even looking at that book like I would ever even consider putting you in that group you can’t read a book like that”. This criticism led to me completely shutting down. Later on the teacher ended up assigning me that same book but decided to make a comment as she handed me the book which was “don’t make me regret giving this book to you”. This type of criticism affected my learning experience in this class as I no longer felt excited or motivated to be doing this assignment. It also made me no longer feel comfortable asking this teacher questions if I was ever confused about something.

This experience really showed me that when I become a teacher I do not want to give criticism like this. Criticism should not be something that feels like a personal attack or makes students feel like they are not capable of improving. Criticism should help students enhance their work and personal growth. In my future classroom I want students to actively listen to the feedback I give and learn from it to help them on their learning journey. 

No worries: NatashaM@OTU

Finding My Element: A Journey Through Teaching and Learning

Joseph Joubert, a French moralist and essayist, said, “To teach is to learn twice.” 

I recall the first time I truly comprehended the meaning of the phrase. 

I was tutoring grade 11 chemistry.

As a background, I had achieved straight A’s in high school and even in university chemistry. I had mastered chemistry, or so I had believed. It was not until I began tutoring chemistry to high school students that I realized I had never truly understood it. I was able to find the solution to most chemistry reactions (excuse the pun), but I realized in those hours of tutoring that I never actually understood why those reactions were occurring.

Reviewing those fundamental terms and models enabled me to connect my university-level knowledge and lived experiences with the basic knowledge I had taken for granted all those years ago. It was as if the chemistry world had unveiled itself to me for the first time, and I was reacting in pure awe (last pun I promise!).

As educators, we must remain humble.  This means acknowledging our own limitations and being open to learning alongside our students.

When we approach teaching with a sound sense of humility, we grant ourselves the grace to make mistakes, learn from our students, and remain open to new ideas and perspectives. In doing so, we are effectively modelling to our students a healthy approach to lifelong learning.

I have heard several times from fellow teaching candidates, “What will I do if a student asks me a question and I do not know the answer?” How we respond to this situation helps model to young people the importance of humility and navigating the experience in a healthy manner. Inviting students into the mystery of the unknown is not only educational, it demonstrates that we are all human. Teachers are human; we are not computers with all the information, but we are designed with curiosity and made for community. 

When confronted with challenging questions for which you lack an answer, invite students into that moment of humility, humanity and community. Learn together and discover the answer collaboratively. In the process, you will likely gain new ideas, perspectives and opinions. Learning should not be confined to a mark on a report card; it should inspire and equip us for our future.

AliciaL@OTU

AI Literacy is a Priority, Not a Prohibition

AI Literacy is a Priority, Not a Prohibition                           

              Artificial Intelligence (AI) is shaping healthcare, marketing, scientific research, education and many other fields. Yet, many school districts and governments are restricting Generative-AI. According to them, this will create concerns about plagiarism, independent problem-solving and development of basic reading and writing skills. While these concerns are valid, I believe we should move past from standard panic of misuse and focus on introduction of systematic AI literacy.

Switch from Traditional Learning to AI-Driven Learning

               During my school days, technology played a limited role. I had to rely on textbooks, classroom instructions and libraries to build my knowledge. Today, students can access AI tools that can generate ideas, explain complex concepts and promote personalized learning. They can enhance their knowledge to any extent they want.

               In my learning, I have come to realise that teachers are no more the only source of knowledge. Students can also introduce new ideas that can help teachers learn. If AI is used thoughtfully, it can support this exchange of knowledge. However, students must understand that AI should be used to support learning, not replace independent thinking.

Nurturing Critical Thinkers

               I believe AI is not a cheating tool, rather it is a solution of how knowledge can be communicated and processed. Using AI as a tool to summarize a topic or complete an assignment does not promote meaningful learning. However, banning it also won’t teach students how to use it responsibly. Instead, students should learn to express and configure high level prompts, customize tools by identifying inaccuracies, weak logics or hidden biases and verify information from reliable sources. Also, interactive AI- supported activities and gamification makes the learning process engaging and interesting.

 

Inclusion Matter

As future educators, we frequently discuss techniques and values of inclusive learning environments. There are students who rely on screen readers, translation or speech-to-text tools to access the curriculum. For multilingual learners and students with diverse learning needs, a complete ban of technology unintentionally limits their participation.

               Furthermore, many students do not have access to technology at home and rely on classroom learning. Absolute restrictions to digital tools will widen equity gaps for them and leave them unprepared for an AI-infused workforce.

 

Digging Deeper

Moving forward, educators need professional training, clear guidelines and best practices for integrating AI responsibly in education settings. Assessment practices should also evolve. Rather than evaluating only the final product, teachers can ask students to critique AI answers, identify gaps in reasoning, show their brainstorming map and reflect on the topic. The goal should be designing an assignment where learning is visible. Most importantly, teachers must remain actively involved in the learning process. Sometimes AI can hallucinate and provide misleading information. Students need foundational knowledge to evaluate and improve AI drafts. Students need to develop analog and the digital co-processing mindset. AI should enhance learners’ creativity- not replace them.

The future of education should not be about choosing between independent, traditional learning and digital tools; but learning how they can work together responsibly.

To get more information on this topic, go to:

·        https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-with-technology-articles/beyond-bans-rebuilding-teaching-for-a-world-with-ai/

·        https://onlinedegrees.kent.edu/blog/beyond-banning-ai-teaching-students-to-use-it-well

·        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPQ_tv45jo4

 

Generated by: SnigdhaM@OTU

Curricumate Demo

In this full 15-minute walkthrough, you’ll see how teachers are using Curricumate to save time on lesson planning, assessment design, differentiation, report writing, IEP support, and more — all directly aligned with the Ontario curriculum.

Unlike general AI tools, Curricumate connects directly to grade-level expectations and instructional practices used in Ontario classrooms.

Click the link >>>>> https://youtu.be/ELGliWtlf14

Enjoy, from John @NUO

More demo videos are coming your way. Stay tuned

Disability Rights in Today's Classrooms

Looking back on my observation week, I realize how normal it felt to see students with special needs integrated into the classroom. They had Educator Assistants (EAs), noise-cancelling headphones, iPads and modified worksheets. It wasn't always like this; the law changed.

A big shift since the 1970s

Since the 1970s, political and social attitudes have steadily shifted toward including people with disabilities in everyday activities (Seifert & Sutton, 2017). They describe three major American laws. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 required that programs receiving federal funding accommodate people with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 extended that protection to employment and public spaces. First passed in 1975, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) focused on education and fair evaluation. It guarantees students a free, appropriate education in the least restrictive environment and an individualized educational program (Seifert & Sutton, 2017). 

The authors also note that these laws both caused and reflected a change in attitudes (Seifert & Sutton, 2017). Disability went from something people were excluded for to something schools are legally expected to support. Seifert & Sutton (2017) add that if you teach long enough, you will very likely have a student with a disability in your class. That was true for me in just one week of practicum. My class had four students with special needs, including one student with ADHD and a learning disability and three students who are non-verbal and have Level 3 Autism Spectrum Disorder. 

What the law looks like in Ontario

In Ontario, the Education Act requires school boards to provide special education programs and services for students formally identified as "exceptional," and Regulation 181/98 sets out how those students are identified and placed (Ontario Ministry of Education). Before placing a student in a special education class, the committee must first consider whether a regular class with the right supports would meet their needs (Ontario Ministry of Education). This closely aligns with the "least restrictive environment" idea in the chapter (Seifert & Sutton, 2017). Ontario's special education program also includes an Individual Education Plan (IEP) with objectives and an outline of the services the student will receive (Ontario Ministry of Education). 

Additionally, a second layer of protection, the Ontario Human Rights Code, guarantees equal treatment in education without discrimination based on disability and education providers must accommodate students with disabilities up to the point of undue hardship (Ontario Human Rights Commission).

Personal Experience

I see this shift of inclusion in my job too. I work as a live transcriber where I take lecture notes for deaf and hard of hearing college students so they can follow lectures as they happen. Colleges and universities fall under the Human Rights Code's duty to accommodate (Ontario Human Rights Commission), so this service is a legal right, not a favour or an advantage. Seifert and Sutton (2017) explain that evaluations should not assume abilities, like hearing questions, that a person with a disability cannot be expected to have. They also suggest giving students with hearing loss visual support for what is said aloud (Seifert & Sutton, 2017). Live transcription does just that and I am happy to be a part of it. 

Inclusion is being debated right now

In October 2026, Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra signaled that the province is re-evaluating whether the current inclusion model is effectively working for students with special needs and whether funding adjustments are required (Yazdani, 2026). This connects to rights and plans like IEPs only working when there are enough people and resources to carry them out. Seifert and Sutton (2017) describe the IEP as a team effort needing staff, time and funding. 

The law has made inclusion the standard, but a law alone is not enough. As my TA said to me, "Inclusion without support is abandonment." 

References 

Ontario Human Rights Commission. Accommodating students with disabilities: Roles and repsonstitilies (fact sheet). https://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/accommodating-students-disabilities-roles-and-responsibilities-fact-sheet

Ontario Human Rights Commission. Policy on accessible education for students with disabilities. https://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/book/export/html/2976

Ontario Ministry of Education. Identifying student's special education needs. https://www.ontario.ca/page/identifying-students-special-education-needs

Seifert, K., & Sutton, R. (2017). Educational psychology (Chapter 5: Students with special educational needs). Global Text. CC BY. 

Yazdani, T. (2026). Education minister signals potential changes to Ontario's special education model. The Trilium. https://www.thetrillium.ca/news/education-and-training/education-minister-signals-potential-changes-to-ontarios-special-education-model-12846203

MakaylaS@OTU 

Failure Is Part Of The Process Called Life

There was an incident during Observation Week where I had made a mistake pronouncing the DECE’s name. Two of the children immediately corrected me, and one said to my face that “I shouldn’t be making mistakes, because I’m a teacher!” I gently replied to him, saying that as a student teacher I was also here to learn, and that even teachers can make mistakes. Thankfully the lesson began before the student could begin arguing with me, but that did not stop me from reflecting on the KEY Workshop we had the week before and what we had learned there.

While the workshop focused mostly on the student’s own perception of failure, it only went a little bit into the teacher’s perception of the term (mostly saying that one should lead by example and reward students’ efforts). I can’t speak for every TC in the class, but for myself one of my biggest fears regarding the profession is that I will fail to become a “good teacher”. How was I supposed to cope with the idea of failure in this context when it means that the students I am responsible for will be the ones paying for it?

This train of thought led me to reflect on the educational figures in my life – in fact, I began with my professors in Teacher’s College. A handful of them (including John) had mentioned how awful the first few years of their teaching careers had been. Similarly, I began thinking about how I flubbed through the beginning of my many jobs and careers over the years before I had finally gotten the hang of it. Failure was inevitable, I just had to accept it as part of the procedure and do my best nonetheless.

If there was one solace, it was that I wasn’t alone. My AT had told me point-blank that practicum was my opportunity to make mistakes, since her and the DECE were there to support me if I stumbled. OTU was available for support whenever it was needed, and I could lean on my peers who were in the same boat that I was. If there is one failure I still need to be wary of, it is the failure to take advantage of this opportunity because of fear on my end.

I don’t believe disliking failure is necessarily a bad thing – fully embracing it can actually lead one to become unmotivated and unwilling to improve. Love of failure cannot stand on its own, as it must be paired with the desire to succeed, to change, to grow. Even as failure discourages you, you must feel encouraged by that feeling of disappointment, because it means you aren’t satisfied with where you are at the moment. Failure is part of the process called life… and pursuing success is what makes life worth living!

Hyeji Yoon - HyejiY@OTU (Tuesday Class)

Virus-free.www.avg.com

Student Diversity in the Classroom

When people hear student diversity, they often think only of race. In reality, diversity shows up in a classroom wherever you look. It can be in cultural backgrounds, in social and economic classes, in learning preferences, and in students who are gifted and talented. Learning about it in class made me realize that some of these differences are not just concepts to me, as I have experienced one of them.

I grew up in a Hispanic household where only Spanish was spoken. When I started preschool and my teachers spoke only English, I struggled to communicate in either language. I made up my own mix of the two, or "my own language," as my parents called it. I had to go to speech classes, and that is where I became more fluent in English. My teachers say I went from a quiet kid to one who could not stop talking once I could finally be understood. While it may sound like a success story, it came with a price. Today I understand Spanish, but I rarely speak it.

I never knew the terminology for this experience until class. When I started school, I was what is called an unbalanced bilingual, meaning I was still learning English and was not yet fluent in both languages. Then as I became fluent in English, I experienced language loss, which is when a student loses some of their home language along the way. I wish my school had offered something like a parallel-track bilingual program, where students learn in both languages instead of trading one for the other. It would have told me that my first language was worth keeping, not something to lose over the years.

Diversity is not only about where students come from. It is also about how they learn. Every student walks into a classroom with different preferences for taking in information. Some students understand a concept best when they can see it in a diagram or a video. Others need to hear it explained, talk it through with a classmate, or get their hands on something and try it themselves. Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences is a good reminder of this. He describes eight different types of intelligence, and it suggests that a lesson can be built to reach more than one kind of thinker. When teachers vary how they teach, more students get a chance to learn through their strengths instead of being forced through a single door.

At the same time, I do not think a preference should become a label. Telling a child that they are one type of learner and leaving it there can limit them. A preference is where a student starts, not the only place they can learn. Using multiple methods actually improves learning for everyone, and a balanced approach is what helps students become well-rounded learners. I would rather build on a student's strengths while also helping them grow in their weaker areas. If a student is strong at working with others but struggles to work alone, a good teacher does not just keep giving them group work. They help that student build independence too. Students will not always get to learn in the way they like best, so they need to be able to learn in other ways.

Gifted and talented students are another part of diversity that I think gets overlooked. Because they seem to be doing fine on their own, it is easy for a teacher to assume they do not need much attention. But being gifted does not mean a student no longer needs to be taught. A student who finishes every assignment early and gets every answer right is not necessarily learning anything new. They can end up bored or disengaged instead of learning how to struggle with something hard. Those students deserve to be challenged just as much as everyone else.

This is why differentiating instruction is so important. Each student should be working at a level that pushes them to grow. For a gifted student, that might mean deeper questions or extension tasks that go beyond the regular lesson. For a student who is still learning English, it might mean sentence starters, extra time, or support in their home language. Sentence starters give them a way into the conversation without having to build every sentence from scratch. For a student who learns best by doing, it might mean a hands-on activity instead of another worksheet. I know that is a lot to ask of a teacher, but I believe it is one of the most important parts of the job. A lesson taught only one way will always leave some students behind, and others waiting for the class to catch up. Student diversity looks different in every classroom, and I can't teach as if everyone learns the same way.

KellyH@OTU

Embracing Lifelong Learning

A common theme discussed throughout the presentations and lectures in week 4 was the notion of lifelong learning. While nowadays this concept is familiar and obvious to me, if I am being honest, it was not too long ago when I first truly discovered what this concept meant and how important it is in respect to our everyday lives. 

For as long as I can remember, learning was something that happened in the classroom or confined to the walls of a school. While I knew that as we grew older our experiences and exposures would allow us to learn, the bulk of learning appeared to me as something that coincided with formal schooling. And, truthfully, I was pretty stuck in this mindset up until a few years ago when I engaged in my own “recreational learning” and realized that this process is not simply something that needs to take place in a certain location or has a definite endpoint. See, I had always wanted to learn Italian and after taking classes in elementary school and not remembering much, I assumed it was just something I would never be able to learn. But, as I was preparing for a family trip to Italy, I knew I would regret it if I made absolutely no effort to try again and learn the language. So, I opened my Duolingo app and started watching the Italian channel on TV, and slowly but surely I began to learn parts of the language and gain an understanding that I never previously had. To this day, I still continue to practice and broaden my Italian vocabulary, and while it is certainly not perfect, it has given me a new appreciation for what learning is all about.

In this experience, for the first time I truly saw learning not as something I needed to study for or spend hours in lectures talking about, but rather, as something organic, that can happen anywhere and any time. This is a lesson I intend to hold especially dear to my heart as I become an educator. While it is important that students value school and my classroom as a learning space, it is equally as important that they do not get caught up in the same misconceptions I had, and appreciate the fact that learning has no set constraints. School is just one opportunity to learn, but this does not happen in isolation.

By framing learning to my students as something with no simple end point or destination, they can see there is no simple perfection to strive for or box to check, rather learn to embrace the ongoing journey of growth they are on, and continue to take away value from every experience they engage in. 

Still Learning, Lifelong Learner, EmmaT@OTU

A Tool to Help Teachers - Curricumate

 

From lesson idea to classroom-ready resources. Fast.

Create lesson plans, slide decks, worksheets, and quizzes that work together — beautifully designed and aligned to K–12 Ontario curriculum expectations.

You can get started for FREE - Totally Canadian and aligned to Ontario MOE

Every plan includes curriculum-aligned worksheets, quizzes, slide decks, lesson plans, in-class activities, and report card help. 

Generate your entire lesson bundle at once, rather than creating each resource from scratch.

Aligned to your curriculum

Every lesson Curricumate generates is anchored to Ontario curriculum expectations — by grade, subject, and specific expectation code. No more cross-referencing the curriculum document manually.

• Auto-align or choose your own expectations
• Specific expectation codes displayed on every resource
• Supports all Ontario grades and core subjects
• English and French Ontario curriculum expectations

For more information visit: https://curricumate.app/

Do yourself a favour and visit the Curricumate site - check it out and muck around with the tools.  

The FREE elements are worthy of your time.  

Work smarter so you can have more time to do other things.

Courtesy of John@OTU