Andrea and I were going to meet at a warehouse after school at 3 pm sharp. A brilliantly sunny yet absolutely freezing cold day about a month ago. We were picking up free books that had been gifted to a local organization by First Book Canada (they donate brand new books to organizations BUT the… Read More Access & Abundance
Andrea and I cannot stop thinking about the question, “why should we learn?” This question comes on the heels of many many articles on engagement that whip by on my twitter feed on any given day and because I know many many educators who turn themselves inside out trying to connect with their students and… Read More Backseat Learning
My daughter has been in school for 20 years. She turns 24 in July. She will be off the dole this month for the first time in her life. I remember her first day of school; raincoat, rubber boots and a Spice Girls’ lunch box. What I did not know was that her teacher for… Read More Feels Like Home
A month ago, during two different, beautiful learning teams with educators, nestled deeply in the Indigenous Learning Model, we felt something change. It started as a quiet nudge and gained steam between our two brains. If we were going to deep dive into something then we needed a truly important voice. We asked Colinda Clyne… Read More Looking for Real Space Between…
We are two white women of privilege and settlers to this land. We are taking on the work of truth and reconciliation because we believe that it is time to decolonize our thoughts and actions. In conversation with of Colinda Clyne, an Anishinaabe Algonquin (Kitigan Zibi) guest to Mississauga territory, we are again telling a… Read More The Journey from Head to Heart
I love a glass of wine. Anyone who knows me understands my love of wine. I am not a connoisseur. I love the feeling associated with it. I love the feeling of getting home, walking in the house, changing my clothes and as I cook dinner for my family having the sacred glass. This glass… Read More Filled to the Rim
When I go to the hair salon I go to relax. I usually roll in on two wheels, slightly late and profoundly apologetic and I then proceed to nestle into the chair and nod off while highlights and colour are applied. The sounds around me are familiar and comforting and do not inhibit my peace.… Read More They Have to Learn
During a day of learning for new teachers in November we were deeply moved by an incredible human during the keynote. I sat in that room with him and I can only explain what happened to me as shockingly unexpected. Laughing, crying and suddenly knowing that I needed him, in that moment in my life… Read More In the Birch Trees
Who signs up, stands up and antes up to fail? For most people who live in education, it’s the everyday risk of learning that matters. There is an epic chance that failure will be a part of the work day. The everyday moments in education are the juiciest. We pay close attention to all of… Read More The Beast Comes Alive
“I need you to take some time and think before you start writing your answer.” “Have you thought about that?” “Did you think about your arguments before writing them down? It is important to really think about what you read and plan your answers before you start writing.” If I tallied the number of… Read More Changed Forever
The Beast 