Thoughts and reflections on teaching and learning – Cohort 21 Member Blog
Written by Garth Nichols
Fellow educators, please read this book…or at least this review. Stuart Shanker sets out to reframe our understanding of ourselves and others in a way that enlivens our call to action as educators – it can reinvigorate our practice and our craft. That our future, of education (pre, during and post Covid19) , or ourselves […]
Written by Garth Nichols
This book offers an outstanding approach to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. It tackles the issue of racism at the neuro-psychology level, and offers strategies and a practice for how to breakdown and rebuild our unconscious, implicit biases. Shakil Choudhury began his consulting career focussing on anti-indigenous racism, and this echoes throughout the book, and the […]
Written by Garth Nichols
From the author or “The Road to Character” this is his follow up non-fiction book about the Quest for a Moral Life. This book was recommended to me by a professional colleague, and as I was reading it, I kept wondering about the connections to the role of an educator. This is not a book […]
Written by Garth Nichols
To many of my readers, there is a long break ahead for the summer, while for others below the equator, schools are just getting started. This will be my last of my “3 Resources…” posts for while (I hope!), so I’ve decided on three compelling resources that offer compelling reasons and hope that education will […]
Written by Garth Nichols
I am walking throughout my neighbourhood more than I ever have. It allows me to think, to pause, and I often stop to smell the flowers – literally – and to see what books my neighbours have put out on the lawn. There have been some real gems! I’ve added to my Seth Godin library […]
Written by Garth Nichols
As school’s wrap up the student experiences of their Remote Learning Plans, there is much to reflect upon. How have students survived, thrived or not? How have students learned more about themselves as learners, and how do we know? The same can be asked of our organizations. This week, during the CIS Ontario Remote Learning […]
Written by Garth Nichols
This has been a week. A week of pain, struggle and yet of inspiration and hope. Two things that I hold on to are words spoken by people I admire and respect: First is my Principal who often says that her mantra is”Hope is a choice”. I choose Hope. Another close colleague of mine said, […]
Written by Garth Nichols
Consider These Two Different Stories about Lampposts: Story 1: There was a man walking down the street in the dim light of dusk. He saw a man on his hands and knees crawling around. He asked “Are you okay?” The other man’s response was “I am looking for my wallet.. I’ve lost it.” The man […]
Written by Garth Nichols
As we begin the close on the year that has been, many of us may be looking to the beginning of next year. Inevitably, this brings with it new staff, onboarding and dedicated professional learning. We need to get this right. We need our new faculty to feel welcome, situated within the culture and confidence […]
Written by Garth Nichols
This week has been a short week with the long weekend, and it was a week that saw Ontario easing some of its restrictions again. This has schools thinking more and more about what it might look like to return to campus and what it means for planning: logistics & regulations, wellbeing of faculty and […]
