Written by Welcome to my Cohort 21 Blog, where I will reflect, share, collaborate, and converse as I move through the C21 Action Plan process.
I am a French and Spanish teacher at University of Toronto Schools (UTS), an independent school that provides enriched courses for students in Grades 7 to 12 with high intellectual abilities. Now in my 6th year of teaching, I appreciate being part of the worldwide community of educators and I feel fortunate to have found an occupation that I deeply care about.
Looking back on my own K-12 education, I would describe my younger self as an empathetic introvert who was most inspired by teachers who were thoughtful, kind, and had a sense of humour.
A teacher that inspired me when I was growing up was my French teacher in Grades 6 and 8. Although I do not exactly remember our classroom activities, I do remember how she made us all feel valuable and cared for. As any good teacher, she demonstrated a genuine concern for the well-being and growth of her students. She had a brilliant positive energy and I believe that in itself motivated me to continue learning French. I do remember her drawing a cute smiling pig on my work (that pig named “Alphonse” was the main character of the book we were reading). It is the little things that often mean so much. She was one of the teachers who nominated me to attend the Ontario Educational Leadership Centre (O.E.L.C.) for a week-long arts program in Grade 8. I remember saying that I really did not see how I could be a leader, but she replied that I am a “quiet leader”. I was fortunate to have had her encouragement in middle school, and I guess I always hoped to play the same role for students one day.
The one learning skill that I feel is most important in this day and age is initiative. According to the Ontario Ministry of Education document Growing Success, a student who takes initiative:
• looks for and acts on new ideas and opportunities for learning;• demonstrates the capacity for innovation and a willingness to take risks;• demonstrates curiosity and interest in learning;• approaches new tasks with a positive attitude;• recognizes and advocates appropriately for the rights of self and others.
The quote and image from Dr. Seuss’ wonderful book, The Lorax, best captures for me the essence of this learning skill.
How do I intentionally build it into my curriculum and develop it in my students throughout the year?
I think classroom projects that are inquiry-based allow for students to explore topics and causes they are passionate about, and so I am increasingly looking for authentic audiences for them to present their work to, real-world problems for them to think about solving, and real-life situations where they can communicate in their target language.
I look forward to learning alongside my fellow educators in Cohort 21 this year.