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Wow, what a year (and then some) it has been. For everyone. My last blog post was dated August 11, 2019, and it’s been absolutely crazy. We have all been struggling to stay mentally, physically and emotionally well during Covid. On top of that, I started my very first leadership job as a PYP coordinator in August of 2020. And on top of all of … Continue reading Return to Blogging
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The Love of Reading in Upper Elementary Books and stories are a powerful tool in connecting people of all ages. They are a vital part of any curriculum and can evoke different emotions and lessons based upon the author’s message, or the reader’s interpretation. My literacy professor in teacher’s college David Hornsby (a well respected educator in Australia that promotes the whole language approach) believed … Continue reading Upper Elementary Book Recommendations; Recommended by Students for Students
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A Prior Idea + Collaboration = Innovation Innovation has recently been a key buzzword in education. Some schools and administrators use it as a synonym for the advancement of technology and some schools often attach the word innovation with robotics, 1-1 laptops or Ipads for students, VR simulation or other engagements. However, I believe innovation can be an adaptation of a prior idea or an … Continue reading An Alternative Way to Innovate
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Transitioning from the Early Years to Grade 4 The end of the school year is a great time to reflect upon the last ten months and celebrate the accomplishments, challenges and changes. This year has been a different sense of reflection because after 11 years teaching in the Early Years I transitioned to teaching and leading a Grade 4 class. It was a year of … Continue reading Take the Jump!
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Yesterday was the very last day of the 2018-2019 school year and with mixed emotions of relief, disappointment, sadness and elation I said good-bye to my wonderful students, cleaned my classroom and turned off my email notifications. I have 8 weeks of summer to now focus on myself. Some of my plans include reading non-education books, drinking lots of coffee, sitting out in the sun, … Continue reading Could I have done more?
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Presenting is a skill. Some people are naturally gifted at commanding a room; they engage and interact with a room full of people with ease and confidence that commands respect. Some people work hard at this craft and little steps are made through hard work, practice and preparation. I am in the second group. I co-led my first IB workshop in September of 2017 and … Continue reading 21CLHK Presentation Reflection Notes and Presentation Slides
The students and staff at St. Paul Nursery, Mwanza, Tanzania My name is Josephine John. I am a Tanzanian lady. I am the director at St. Paul Nursery School found in Mwanza Tanzania. I qualified a certificate in Montessori Early Childhood teaching education in 2007 in Mwanza Tanzania. I have been in this field of teaching for 10 years now. I started teaching in 2008 … Continue reading Guest Blog Post: Inspiration from Mwanza, Tanzania
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It seems each year there is a new buzzword in education. You will be familiar with words such as differentiation, flipped learning, growth mindset, grit, innovation and more recently student agency. With each new concept there is an expectancy of implementing and mastering the concept quickly, often without really understanding what the buzzword actually means. Defined by Grace on the Knewton blog: ‘Student agency refers … Continue reading Student Agency, Change and Pushing Boundaries
Historically “school” is a building where learning takes place. Recently, building relationships between staff and community members and navigating those relationships often eclipse the learning. Building relationships with students is easy: most educators enter the profession with the innate ability to help and connect to students of all ages. But for some educators, building relationships with each other and the adults within the community can … Continue reading Communication within Schools; Tips for Fostering Better Communication
The Elijah Tupling Fun run is an annual event that takes place in a small town of Stayner, Ontario, Canada. Stayner, a town of 4,100 is a small rural town approximately 130 kms north of Toronto. The town consists of a small elementary school and high school, a library and a hockey arena. Why is this run so special? The Elijah Tupling Fun run was … Continue reading The Elijah Tupling Fun Run
