You poked my heart

Behind the scene on education

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Education is about caring. Not just teaching the young minds of students from pre-school until high-school graduation. There is also adult educations for new immigrants wanting to learn English as their second language. There are parents that requires education on … Continue reading →

Stop complaining. Give the teacher a hug!

There is us. There is them. There is We. All that we share.

There are those we share something with
There are those we don’t share anything with
And then something,
There is us.

A question. Answer it honestly.

We who are brokenhearted
We who are madly in love
We who feel lonely …

We who acknowledge the courage of others
We who have found the meaning of life
We who have saved lives.

Then there is all of us.

Death of a Million Cuts

This gallery contains 3 photos.

It’s Holy Saturday and I am meditating on The Way of the Cross as I see it focus on education in picture form. Suffer the little children, the parents, special needs, new immigrants, teachers, front line works, aboriginals, and much … Continue reading →

Write! Write! Write! – Talk! Talk! Talk!

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Talking and writing are great partners in celebrating life. It’s an antidote for depression. Just take a look at this recent discovery exchange of words between one depressed person to another: I talk to anybody on the street more than … Continue reading →

Sharing a house called Canada

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Tell me a story. It’s not a question, more of a request I asked the apple of my eyes , Mike, about the time he disappeared. Of course, it’s hard to get stories from him, instead I hear bits and pieces of … Continue reading →

Hey – Did you hear? So, rumor has it that…

This gallery contains 1 photo.

If you are going to spread rumor, make it good that it will benefit others. You can quote me on that. This was the gist of my short talk about Occupational Health and Safety at our General Membership meeting . … Continue reading →

Feeling Good

This gallery contains 2 photos.

I’ve never read the book Anne of Green Gable written by L. M. Montgomery, a Canadian writer. The book is supposed to be a classic literature. Curiosity took over me and I came across with Chapter 5: Anne’s History. “Well, … Continue reading →

What adults don’t know

As a first-year teacher, I worried about how much I didn’t know about my students. I explained to them that I wanted to get to know them better. I wrote, “I wish my teacher knew . . .” on the board and asked them to complete the sentence.

Each student’s response was unique. They responded with honesty, humor, and vulnerability. Sometimes their notes talked about their favorite sport. Sometimes students complained about conflict with siblings or friends. They wrote about their home life and the people who meant most to them. Sometimes they articulated their hopes for the future and sometimes they explained obstacles they were facing. After completing this lesson, I was amazed at how well it helped me connect with my students. Their notes became a tangible reminder for me to truly listen to the voices of students in my classroom.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Imagine a world in which every child’s potential is valued; where every child receives the excellent education they deserve. What would our government look like? What would our neighborhoods look like? What would our schools look like? What would our classrooms look like? What would school be  like if we asked students to tell us what we adults don’t know?

Source: Excerpt from I wish my teacher knew by Kyle Schwartz