Shifting the Learning Paradigm
Written by bblack
Of the many memories I have from high school, many come from my grade 9 physical education teacher. On several occasions, he would have us run the track out back of the school as a warm-up at the start of class. If it started to rain, we would start to whinge, to which he would … Continue reading “An Alternative to Due Dates”
Written by bblack
When I was in grade 4, my teacher, who was walking us through an exploration of the middle ages, tasked us with a project. The assignment, likely one that is still used in some fourth-grade classes to date, was to build our own replica castles. Naturally, I was excited by this assignment; what fourth grader … Continue reading “My Grecian Urn Project”
Written by bblack
Sitting on the couch during a beautiful summer day, my phone buzzed, signifying that a new message had been received. I glanced at the screen to see a red notification dot over Gmail, my work email. If you’re considering what I was doing inside on a gorgeous, sunny day, or why, when I had the … Continue reading “The Best Gift That I Ever Received as a Teacher”
Written by bblack
‘Twas the day before winter break, when all through the college Not a test was assigned, not even for knowledge; The assessments were edited by students with care, In hopes that the break would soon be there; The housemasters were nestled up top in their studies; While visions of empty houses they dreamed with … Continue reading “‘Twas the Day Before Winter Break”
Written by bblack
Gen-Z Decoder Tea- gossip Spill the tea- sharing gossip Wig- freak out Shade- insult Triggered- angered Get the bread- let’s do it Full send- work hard Low key- secretly High key- opposite of low key Woke- to become aware Flex- show-off Real talk- to be honest Extra- excessive Lit- Good/ cool I’m about to spill … Continue reading “That Time I ‘Spilt the Tea’ in Class”
Written by bblack
I’ve always loved learning. When I was younger, my brothers, who were three and four years older than me, were some of my earliest teachers. They would teach me things like how to play sports, how to laugh when I was sad, how to skateboard, and how to stand up for myself when needed. From … Continue reading “In a Classroom of 16 Students There Should be 17 Learners”
Written by bblack
“How did you do on the assignment?” she asked her deskmate tentatively. “I did really well,” the girl responds. “How about you?” “I didn’t do so well. I worked really hard on it too. I hate that: when you work hard on an assignment and you don’t do well.” The classroom can be a place … Continue reading “Hard Work Does Not Guarantee Success”
Written by bblack
Students need to have voice in the classroom. Of course, there’re many different ways that this can be achieved and I’ve found that student feedback is one medium that provides them with this opportunity. Ever since my first year as a teacher, I’ve sought feedback from my students. Over time, I’ve refined this process and … Continue reading “Giving Students Voice: Conferencing Feedback”
Written by bblack
You wake up, blurry-eyed, in the early hours of a Saturday morning in what has been a frigid and dreary November. You should be sleeping in, at least, that’s what you tell yourself. Yet, despite your need for rest, you’ve embarked on a year-long professional development, which means no sleeping-in for you this morning. ‘It’ll … Continue reading “Saturday morning PD: is it worth it?”
Written by bblack
“Reflect, reflect, reflect!” This is likely a phrase that my students have heard continuously since the start of the school year as I’ve been mindful of regularly giving them the chance to reflect on their own learning. Doing so was not only to help them shift their mindset from marks to skills but also to … Continue reading “Taking a Risk on Unit Conferencing (2/2)”
