REPOST: ATA Website For the Teachers! (Teacher's Rights in the Workplace)

Introduction

All teachers have a legal and a professional liability and are governed by the Canadian Criminal Code and the law of torts or civil law in relation to their duty of care for students. Teachers’ professional liability occurs because their profession is governed by the Teaching Profession Act and the Education Act, and their conduct is subject to the Code of Professional Conduct and the general bylaws of the Alberta Teachers’ Association. For a detailed analysis of this liability, teachers are referred to the Association’s Monograph No 7, Teachers’ Rights, Responsibilities and Legal Liabilities. A copy of this monograph is available in every Alberta school.

In Loco Parentis

Traditionally, the teacher was considered to be acting in loco parentis. This means that in relation to the student, the teacher stands in the position of a caring, responsible parent and unofficial guardian. This concept allows the teacher some of the privileges of a parent but also brings with it added responsibilities for the protection of pupils. Thus, a teacher could be liable for injury or damages to a pupil if the teacher’s conduct falls below the standard of care deemed to be necessary under the given circumstances. In some instances, the duty of care owed by the teacher may exceed that of the parent if special knowledge makes the teacher aware of dangers that the parent might not appreciate.

In Parens Patriae

More recently, the teacher has been judged to be acting as an agent of the state or in parens patriae. The duties of teachers outlined in section 196 of the Education Act emphasize this role. (See also Teachers’ Rights, Responsibilities and Legal Liabilities.) Thus, the actions of teachers are often compared to those of law enforcement personnel, social workers and other public employees. The actions of a teacher must comply with the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act, the Youth Justice Act and legislation in the area of human rights.

Monograph No 7 provides further details in this regard.

The duty of care to individual students and the need to serve the best interests of the state has further complicated the already demanding role of the teacher.

Negligence

Negligence comes under the broader heading of tort law. The word tort means crooked or twisted. Generally speaking, a tort is a wrong committed by one person against another. Examples of wrongs are assault, harassment, defamation and negligence.

Negligence means not doing something a prudent and reasonable person would do or doing something a prudent and reasonable person would not do in a particular situation. It can be the subject of a lawsuit between persons whenever there is a duty upon one person not to be negligent and when a breach of that duty occurs and causes damage to another person. Negligence exists where the activity or conduct on the part of the teacher creates an unreasonable chance of danger. When teachers ignore danger or do not respond properly to danger when they should, they may be found negligent if someone is injured as a result.

Four elements must be present before negligence is established:

The plaintiff has suffered some damage.

The damage was caused by some act or omission of the defendant.

The act or omission was one that a reasonable person behaving with ordinary prudence would not have committed.

The defendant has a duty of care to the plaintiff with regard to that act or omission.

The extent to which the injured party contributed to his own damage would also be an issue in determining the amount of damages to be awarded.

Often, because they are expected to have expert knowledge about certain matters, teachers are held to a higher standard of care than parents. This is especially true in school situations that may be inherently dangerous (for example, the use of chemicals, machinery, appliances or apparatus, as well as student participation in complex activities).

Substitute teachers must be certain they have knowledge of the necessary skills and safety precautions associated with teaching a particular lesson that has inherently dangerous components. If substitute teachers do not have this knowledge, they are advised to use other relevant activities instead. The regular teacher and the school administration should be informed as to why the change in the lesson plan was made. The regular classroom teacher and the school administrators should be aware that they would very likely be named in a lawsuit brought on behalf of a student if injuries were suffered while a substitute teacher was implementing elements of a lesson plan he or she was not adequately trained to teach.

Insurance

Section 54 of the Education Act deals with powers of school boards. Among other matters, this section requires that every board carry liability insurance or make equivalent arrangements to cover its exposure, including the exposure of its employees.

54(1) A board shall, in respect of its operations, keep in force adequate and appropriate policies of insurance for the purpose of, at a minimum, indemnifying the board and its employees and school councils in respect of claims for

(a) damages for death or personal injury,(b) damage to property and . . .

Any claims, including lawsuits, against the board and/or any of its employees would be dealt with by the insurance company (or equivalent agency), providing the coverage required by this section of the act and the regulations developed pursuant to it.

Supervision

Substitute teachers are often expected to fulfill supervisory functions as part of their assignment. Substitute teachers should be certain that a system of supervision is established in the classroom or wherever an activity takes place to ensure that the instructions given to the pupils are obeyed. There is no expectation of having one supervisor for each pupil except in extremely dangerous activities. Teachers’ own experiences will normally give them a good idea of what level of supervision is required to ensure an adequate degree of safety.

The extent of supervision required depends upon the age, mental ability and emotional stability of the students being supervised. If there is a lack of supervision, it would have to be shown that the failure to supervise caused or contributed to the injury. Negligence will be determined by a judgment of what was reasonable in a particular set of circumstances. In any event, if the teacher is performing assigned duties, the school board’s liability insurance will provide the necessary protection in the event of a lawsuit, to the extent of the limits provided in the policy. Teachers providing service in high-risk situations should check the adequacy of coverage.

The substitute teacher might supervise students on a field trip. In this case, substitute teachers should check with the principal to be certain that the activity is school sponsored, in which case the school board’s liability insurance will cover normal liabilities. A number of schools require parents to sign a permission slip, which serves as a useful communication device but does not eliminate the possibility of liability arising out of untoward events occurring during the field trip. A permission slip does not give the teacher the right to commit a negligent act. Students must be instructed in advance on all aspects of safety during the field trip and all foreseeable dangers should be brought to the students’ attention.

It is important that the substitute teacher review both school and school board policies as they relate to field trips. Because a substitute teacher works in many different schools and sometimes in more than one jurisdiction, these policies may vary; therefore, it would be dangerous to make assumptions about what is an appropriate or accepted procedure. Substitute teachers must review all school policies and procedures before taking students on a field trip.

Student Discipline

One of the first steps taken by a substitute teacher when going to work in a new situation should be to become familiar with the discipline policy of the school and the school board.

Even though section 43 of the Canadian Criminal Code permits the use of reasonable force by teachers on students under their care, many school boards have banned the use of corporal punishment.

43. Every school teacher, parent or person standing in the place of a parent is justified in using force by way of correction toward a pupil or child, as the case may be, who is under his care, if the force does not exceed what is reasonable under the circumstances.

Teachers must use approved procedures when disciplining students under their care.

All teachers should be aware of section 31 of the Education Act, which outlines the student responsibilities, and section 36(1), which provides legislative support for appropriate discipline policies and procedures related to section 31.

Assaults

Common Assault

There has been an enormous increase in the number of teachers accused of assault, both common and sexual, in recent years. The common assault allegations generally result from disciplinary action taken by a teacher. Section 43 of the Criminal Code notwithstanding, it is becoming more and more unacceptable for teachers to use force in disciplining students. Recent court decisions would indicate that corporal punishment may well become a thing of the past. In order for an action to constitute common assault, three elements must be satisfied: (a) lack of consent by the victim, (b) intent and (c) an application of force to the victim (or the threat of force that the victim believes will be carried out).

Sexual Assault

Sexual assault is defined as conduct that includes all of the elements of common assault plus one additional element: the assault is committed in circumstances of a sexual nature, such that the sexual integrity of the victim is violated and/or the accused gained some sexual gratification from the act. The sexual nature of the assault must be detectable by an objective standard. It is not necessary that contact be made with the victim’s sexual organs or that the assaulting party’s sexual organs be involved. Even a pat on the behind can be a sexual assault if it is done to obtain sexual gratification or to violate the sexual integrity of the victim.

These offences are very broadly defined. It is easy to see how false allegations could be made in a wide variety of innocent student–teacher interactions. However, innocence may not save one from accusations, or even conviction.

Advice

What can teachers do to avoid these sorts of problems? Obviously, they should studiously avoid behaviour that would give rise to legitimate charges.

Many authorities, particularly those who deal with cases of this nature on a frequent basis, suggest that teachers should refrain from all physical contact with students. This runs counter to the beliefs of many teachers and to some educational theorists who believe that hugs and pats are important, positive acts. Each individual teacher will have to decide what is the best course of action. However, consistent behaviour with all students is good advice.

Here are some other prudent and useful tips:

1.    Be completely familiar with the school board’s and the school’s policies with respect to corporal punishment, and if you decide to use corporal punishment at all, do so in strict compliance with those policies.

2.    Document your discipline of students and any accidents that occur while you are on supervision. Such documentation should be retained in your permanent personal files; there have been many cases of accusations being made years later.

3.    Avoid being alone with students, particularly those in the early years of puberty. If you must be alone with a student, ensure that the door is open, that the window blinds or drapes are open and that the time is kept to a minimum. Let someone else know where you are and who you are with.

4.    Unless you have special training or an assignment in counselling, avoid counselling students who display signs of sexual, emotional or mental instability. At the very least, consult regularly with the teacher counsellor in the school or with someone else with expertise in this area and keep a record of such consultations.

If Accused

The primary rule in dealing with allegations of assault or sexual assault is remain silent. You have the right to do this under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This right is the best available protection. Do not waive this right until after you have seen a lawyer. You are required to identify yourself (name, address and birthdate) to the police. Beyond that, you should not volunteer any information or respond to any questions until you have sought and received legal advice.

As a teacher, you have access to legal advice on matters relating to your work. Contact the Association as soon as possible. In the meantime avoid discussing the situation with anyone else (other than your legal spouse). Discussing it with others may put them in the position of being called to testify against you.

Do not panic. While this may be a terrible experience, staying calm, listening to advice and taking the situation one step at a time will, at least, avoid making it worse.

Assaults Against a Teacher

An area of growing concern is the increased number of assaults on teachers. These assaults are most often perpetrated by students, but teachers have also been assaulted by parents, former students or others. The significance of these assaults must not be minimized, and teachers are advised to report all assaults and ensure that charges are brought against those responsible. The Association will advise and assist members who have been the victims of assault while performing their professional duties.

Professional Liability

As professionals, teachers are held to a higher standard of conduct than the general public. All teacher members of the Association are obliged to maintain professional conduct and to assist the Association in its duty to provide protection to the public and to the profession. The Code of Professional Conduct provides general guidelines for teachers to follow, but the scope of professional-conduct expectations goes far beyond the code. Teachers should be familiar with the code and with the responsibilities placed on them by the Teaching Profession Act. These responsibilities are contained in Appendix B and Appendix D. Substitute teachers should become familiar with these responsibilities and govern themselves accordingly. Note that adhering to the provisions of the Code of Professional Conduct is a 24-hour-a-day responsibility. Even when acting as a parent or a community member, all teachers must respect the standards of the profession. These provisions also apply to other teachers in their relationships with substitute teachers. The Members’ Handbook and the publication Teachers’ Rights, Responsibilities and Legal Liabilities include details about the steps to be taken if a teacher believes that another teacher has been guilty of unprofessional conduct. However, before taking any action, consult with the Association.

E-Liability

Teachers are expected to model ethical and appropriate conduct in their use of school computers, laptops, Internet connections and cellphones. This expectation extends to use of their own computers when posting on social networking sites.

Teachers are in a position of trust with students and can be held accountable if their actions expose students to inappropriate material or communications. The following cybertips for teachers should be kept in mind at all times.

Be Prudent

At work, do maintain exemplary professional standards when sending e-mail messages to students, parents, colleagues and administrators; always keep a copy of your e-mail messages; and

use a signature that includes your name, assignment title and school name.

At work, don’t share your password with other colleagues or students or leave your computer on and unattended when students are around.

At home, don’t use your home/personal computer to contact students or parents;

permit images of yourself to be taken and posted on any site without appropriate privacy safeguards;

post criticism of colleagues, students or administrators on social networking sites; or

share confidential information about students, colleagues or administrators on social networking sites.

Be Prepared

If you find yourself the target of cyberbullying, take the following steps:

Make copies of all questionable messages/web postings/information and other related materials and data, including the URL.

Demand that the sender stop transmitting or posting the material and state that the conduct is inappropriate and unacceptable.

Avoid engaging with the person who is targeting you, because this may escalate the situation.

Advise your school administration of the inappropriate communication if the situation requires immediate action and/or if the communication continues.

Access appropriate support/guidance through the school district’s cyberconduct policy or manual.

If the person who is cyberbullying you is a student, contact the student’s parents.

Inform and involve your school-based occupational health and safety committee.

Contact your ATA local if the actions taken to address the inappropriate communication are ineffective and/or if you need further support/advice.

Remember

Nothing is truly private when you use digital communication. When you are using board equipment and communication links, the board can access all your messages and online sites visited if any of the communication went through board servers or was accessed using board equipment.

These forms of cyberbullying are considered criminal acts:

Communicating repeatedly with someone if the communication causes someone to fear for their own or others’ safety

Publishing a defamatory libel—something that is designed to insult a person or likely to hurt a person’s reputation by exposing him or her to hatred, contempt or ridicule

Spreading hate or discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, or disability may be a violation of the Canadian Human Rights Act and/or provincial/territorial human rights legislation.

If there is a question as to whether the inappropriate communication is criminal, call the police. It may also be necessary to involve internet service providers (ISPs) and mobile telecommunications service providers in addressing the inappropriate communication to the point of deleting the offending material from temporary/permanent sites and archives.

Know Your Rights and Your Responsibilities

These activities can result in disciplinary action against a teacher:

Visiting inappropriate websites, eg, adult content, racist, pornographic

Sending or forwarding offensive jokes and pictures via e-mail

Online gambling using school district equipment

Downloading audio, video or text-based materials in violation of copyright laws

Using board/employer equipment to engage in activities relating to a second occupation

Constant text messaging, instant messaging and/or e-mailing during school time

Posting pictures of yourself and sharing them over the Internet, especially if they are suggestive or inappropriate.

(Editor’s note: The material in this section on e-liability is adapted from the Canadian Teachers’ Federation; more information is available at www.ctf-fce.ca.)

EDAQ-A4333E-W-2-2024AQ1-WEB Guidance and Careers Part 1 (M4)

Introduction - Every Kid Needs a Champion

The following quote looks to the future of our students and the challenges that await them.

“The landscape of the workplace is changing rapidly. Future Ready students will need strong leadership and global competencies to be competitive as they meet the expectations of this new environment. Share how you are engaging students in their future pathways with knowledge of labour market information, innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship.” (~ Sourced from the The Ontario School Counsellors’ Association, www.osca.ca)

Rita Pierson engages her students. She believes in her students. She is a champion of kids, all kids. Reflect on how, as a Guidance Counsellor, her 'talk' resonates with you in your responsibilities as a Guidance Counsellor, and educator.

YouTube URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFnMTHhKdkw

Task 1: Guidance Curriculum (Discussion Board)

Are you familiar with the Guidance Curriculum? The Guidance Curriculum can be found online on the Ministry website. Flip through the curriculum document to familiarize yourself with the pedagogy of guidance.

Task for I/S qualified teachers:

In order to further familiarize yourself with the Guidance curriculum;

Ask a Question related to the curriculum document

Respond to a Classmate's Question

Share a Learning Activity that supports the curriculum  

Submit your responses to the Discussion Board.

Task for P/J qualified teachers:

Guidance counsellors are not always available in elementary schools.  Think about the role that you would play as a teacher providing guidance to a P/J class. 

What question might you ask to P/J colleagues about how to support P/J student needs?

Answer the question posted by another student in the course.

Share an activity/lesson that you would use in a P/J class to address/promote a guidance related topic - something that a classroom teacher could execute within their practice.

Submit your responses to the Discussion Board.

J/I qualified teachers may choose either task.

As per discussion, 

"Greetings, 

After reviewing the curriculum document, one question I have is, why doesn't the curriculum expect the student to interview or make an appointment to meet with the guidance counsellor at least once-consider it a mandatory check-in, an opportunity to see where the place is and what it is about, it might feel like that ol'BC reading expection "read in a quie environment for 20 minutes" but realistically, I mean, why wouldn't it be an expectation that the student is meeting with a guidance counsellor if they are expected to identify the information about pathways and OSAP. I mean, ya technically they could meet with their teacher or their teacher might be the guidance counsellor, but there is a difference that is given when it is straightforwardly worded and when it is implied. Especially for a private school where there are many others who teach GLC2O, not solely a guidance counsellor and who may not know about OSAP or other varying aspects that the curriculum entails.

I have included a link to a learning activity from my sellers page on TpT, its free, ties into a larger task, SMART Goal Setting

Rudy_Film Viewing_Goal Setting DEMO (CHV;GLC;GLS;Careers;ENG;HPE)

This is a LITE version of a lesson from GLS class, the teacher introduces SMART Goals and an assignment wherein students are creating SMART Goals. The teacher (in this demo) introduces the film Rudy; see the full assignment for all assignment parts.this assignment demo includes-Lesson Plan-Film View...

TPT

Feel free to comb through and grab whatever you you're interested in, 

Cheers"

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Task 2: Guidance & Special Education (Discussion Board)

What is a Guidance Counsellor’s role with respect to IEPs and supporting students with exceptionalities? For this task, we are going to build on one another's ideas in order to gain insight into the role and expectations of a Guidance Counsellor. Review 'the Case Study of Anna' below and choose the scenario that best aligns with your qualification level.  If you wish to challenge yourself, you may choose a scenario from an area in which you are not qualified.  How and what do you think the Guidance Counsellor should be doing to support Anna?

Before sharing your own response to the Discussion Board, be sure to review your classmates' ideas so that together we are collaboratively building on, and adding on to a success plan for Anna.  Note: your instructor may not comment in this discussion thread until all participants have had a chance to add their ideas.

Consider the following when responding:

What are Anna's social and/or emotional needs?

What issues that Anna may be dealing with?

What art the interventions that would support or benefit Anna?

What are Anna’s academic strengths/weaknesses?

What are Anna’s interests/sports?

What communication strategies would you use for Anna and her parents (if applicable)?

What are the available programs in schools or communities that may support Anna?

The Case Study of Anna (choose only ONE scenario based on your current teaching position)

Primary/Junior: Anna is a grade 4 student. She has an IEP which she indicates she is LD and struggles with comprehension. She is unable to read or write full sentences and still mixes up some of her letters.  Her stepmother and father arrive at the school to meet with someone who could help their daughter. Stepmother is considerably younger than Dad. Anna's parents indicate that she has been stealing items from them and friends. They also indicate that her friends are considerably younger than her and she is still playing with baby toys. They also indicate that she has been taking their cell phones and tablets, using them without supervision.  Due to her low comprehension abilities, Anna has navigated to some dangerous websites, and used the camera on two occasions to broadcast her picture to others on-line.  Anna's grade 4 teacher has noticed that Anna spends a lot of time drawing when she should be doing her other work. The parents are asking for your help and advice. What do you do?

Junior/Intermediate: Anna is a grade 8 student. She has an IEP which she indicates she is LD and struggles with comprehension. Her stepmother and father arrive at the school to meet with someone who could help their daughter. Stepmother is considerably younger than Dad. Anna's parents indicate that she has been stealing money from them and friends. They also indicate that her friends are considerably younger than her and she is still playing with Barbies. They also indicate that she has been taking their cell phones and using the computers at school to access chat rooms. Anna's grade 8 teacher has not noticed her on the computer recently but has noticed that Anna spends a lot of time drawing when she should be doing her other work. The parents are asking for your help and advice. What do you do?

Intermediate/Senior: Anna is a grade 10 student. She has an IEP which she indicates she is LD and struggles with comprehension. Her stepmother and father arrive at the school to meet with someone who could help their daughter. Stepmother is considerably younger than Dad. Anna's parents indicate that she has been stealing money from them and friends. They also indicate that she has few friends who are considerably younger than her and are not yet in high school.  Anna is an attractive young woman who garners the attention of the opposite sex wherever she goes (wanted or unwanted). They also indicate that she has been using her cell phone and home laptop to access chat rooms and Tinder. Anna's teachers have noticed that Anna spends a lot of time drawing when she should be doing her other work. The parents are asking for your help and advice. What do you do?

Adult: Anna is 26-year-old woman with 3 children under 7 years of age - each with a different birth father. Anna did not do well in school - she states she struggles with reading and can't understand 'things with a lot of words'.  She states that she didn't have an IEP because her mother didn't want her in the 'stupid class'. She is on Ontario Works and must come to school as part of the Ontario Works support plan.  Anna does not have contact with any of the birth fathers or her own parents.  Her father is in jail, and her mother has been in and out of rehab many times.  Anna admits that she uses drugs and alcohol and often parties at her apartment when the children are in bed.  In the initial evaluation of Anna's records, you find a notation that "Anna spends a lot of time drawing when she should be doing her other work".  Anna is in your office asking to register for adult day school because she is required to in order to satisfy Ontario Works.  Anna admits that she doesn't see herself finishing high school because she isn't smart enough.  What do you do?

As per discussion

"What are Anna's social and/or emotional needs?

-Anna's social and/or emotional needs seem to be related to attention and family issues.

What issues that Anna may be dealing with?

-Anna seems to have a step mother who is quite young in relation to her father, there are many different (potentially) family issues that may be rooted in social/emotional needs.

What are the interventions that would support or benefit Anna?

-Peer-tutoring would be a beneficial support that might allow her to feel she can be social and also get support in her needs (socially-emotionally); Development of a personal portfolio

What are Anna’s academic strengths/weaknesses?

-Arts

-Socializing with Others

What are Anna’s interests/sports?

-Socializing

-Drawing/Arts

What communication strategies would you use for Anna and her parents (if applicable)?

-Meet with the student first in a safe space, complete a deeper understanding of the student, if a portfolio does not alreayd exist.

-Offer insights into productive ways to socialize or meet people on a more social and professional level

-Offer to bring the parents in to meet and discuss the positive successes; during the sit-down, parents and student will only use single sentence communication around-table as 6 worded statements (max) with regards to responses regarding whether or not the various ideas introduced to the student seem acceptable or intersting enough to try.

What are the available programs in schools or communities that may support Anna?

-Peer-Mentoring

-Cheer-Leading

-Various Art Clubs

-Volunteering Opportunities with Children and Visual Literacy; soup kitchen

The Case Study of Anna (choose only ONE scenario based on your current teaching position)

-->Intermediate/Senior

This "success plan" is focused on a generic case study where in a student is expressing themselves through maldaptive behaviours and rather than progressing forwardly through their student career academically, they are socially digressing as they are making friends with a significantly younger audience and are disengaged in academic/constructive activities.

A case for exploration into puberty and decision-making processes specifically could be made here, however for the simplicity of "initial introductions", as there is no clear indication that the student is sexually active or at risk physically-yet, there in lies the rub.

The student is on an IEP, as counsellors, we don't seem to have this information, but all the same, there seems to be a lot of details missing, which might imply that this student has not formally worked with a guidance counsellor before or that the previous guidance counsellor was rather absent for the student and thus this case comes to your desk. Hypothetically."

find a copy of the success plan PDF here,

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Guidance-and-Careers-Resource-Success-Plan-Case-Study-11325681

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Task 3: Guidance Counsellor's Knowledge (Review Resources)

There is an expectation that Guidance Counsellors have all the answers and will be able to provide students, parents and teachers in their school communities with the resources they require to succeed/help them make informed decisions.

In previous modules, we have discussed the Counsellor’s role with respect to social and emotional issues. In this module we are focusing on career pathways. Most teachers have followed a career path, which included university, so in order to assist today’s youth a Guidance Counsellor may need to explore all avenues available to students:

Secondary Topics

Co-operative Education

Alternative Education

Dual Credit Programs

Apprenticeships/OYAP

Gap Years

College

University

Alternate pathways to get to a goal i.e., Bridge programs from diplomas to degrees or from an entry level position to specialization (i.e., RPN to RN or Vet Assistant to Vet Tech to Vet)

College programs for students with IEPs that include significant learning challenges

Transition Planning - to post-secondary

Community Living

Workplace options

Post-secondary study options in other countries

 Elementary Topics

Transition planning - grade 8 to 9, junior to intermediate, primary to junior

Enrichment opportunities for elementary students

Reach-ahead opportunities for elementary students

Career Exploration/Experiential Learning at the elementary level

Unique educational summer opportunities for elementary students (music camp, math camp, robotics camp, coding camp, etc.) - create a repository of information about these opportunities within Ontario

Check out the "What’s Next" guide for information on the various education pathways for students.

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Task 4: Creating Pathways for Students Case Study AssignmentTask 4: Creating Pathways for Students Case Study Assignment

Guidance Counsellors help students plan for their academic futures, but also support students in so many ways!

For this assignment, you will review the case studies below and choose one student to 'support'. As a Guidance Counsellor, how will you support your student? What is your plan?  

Depending on the Case Study you choose, below are some guiding questions that will help you develop a plan for your student's success. They are guiding questions only. You may present and submit your student plan in a format of your own choosing however, an organizer format is highly recommended.

Below you will find some things that you may want to consider as part of your case study.  Remember to deal with the 'whole' student - not just the student you see at school.  

What issues is your student dealing with ...? (e.g., academic, social, emotional)

In what area does your student require support or what supports does your student need?

What career or education pathway options would you suggest for your student? (e.g., apprenticeship, college, university, other)

How would you involve your student in the process?

What strategies would you implement to engage, communicate, and include your student?

Are there specific courses or programs, which your student would benefit from participating in? Use of the Ontario curriculum may be referenced here.

Given your student's background, experiences and/or interests, are there specific supports you would recommend?

What Ministry documents would you reference?

What interventions, if any, need to be put in place for your student?

Are there any programs/activities in the school and community that would help to support your student? Are there part-time jobs or volunteer activities that would help your student?

Is there an outside agency, with specific resources and tools, to address and support your student's specific issues?

For assessment details, review the Assignment Assessment Rubric -  Assignment Assessment.docx Assignment Assessment.docx - Alternative Formats  

Submit your assignment to the Dropbox when completed. Be sure it is in a file format your instructor is able to access/open.

The following case studies are intentionally vague in nature to encourage you to think of the possibilities.  If you make assumptions to ground your response - please list those assumptions at the onset so your instructor has an understanding of your student from your perspective.

Student Case Studies

Student #1: Afrim has exhibited significant difficulties with most of his classes except his automotive course. His behaviour in class can be disruptive but he loves his technology classes. His family believes that graduating high school may not be a possibility. His teachers are frustrated with his behaviour and see him struggle maintaining focus in class. He is not identified but struggles with writing. Afrim arrives in your office and asks you to help him decide what to do after high school. Afrim is first generation Canadian and his parents do not have a full understanding of what the skilled trades entail.

 --

Student #2: Ellicia is 17 years old with a 14-month-old child. The father of the child is not in the picture to support her, or the child.  Ellicia is committed to finishing school.  She hopes that she can continue on to post-secondary studies.  Ellicia mentions that she likes working with both kids and animals.  She struggles with math but excels in her biology class. Ellicia has never had a part-time job and is currently supported by the Children’s Aid Society but since she is 17 – she is considered an emancipated minor (she can make her own decisions without approval from CAS or parents). Ellicia has not had contact with her family since she announced to them that she was pregnant.  Ellicia hopes to make a better life for herself and her child. Ellicia walks into your office and asks you to help her decide what to do now and to help her decide on her future. 

 --

Student #3: Amanpreet is a headstrong and at times confrontational student. When teachers describe her, the word angry is always mentioned. She has been removed from class several times by her teachers and administration because of confrontations with  teachers and support staff.  She believes that she is going to university but is currently failing her grade 10 academic math class.  Her teacher recommends that she take grade 11 college math but she wants to take math in the university pathway in grade 12. She states that she has to go to university to study physics. Her parents do not believe that she should take the grade 11 college math class, but they cannot stand the anger and frustration she exhibits when she is working on her math homework - they simply don't think she is trying hard enough.  Amanpreet and her parents arrive in your office asking what they should do regarding math and how she will make it to university to study physics. 

 --

Student #4: Oliver is a shy grade 9 student who does not want to bother anyone. He prefers to sit quietly alone in the library at lunch and read. Oliver is determined to be a teacher. He loves science and math but worries that he lacks the confidence to stand in front of a class. He is committed to improving his confidence in front of people. Oliver arrives in your office and wants help planning his future and to work towards improving his public speaking. 

 (Selected)

Student #5: Patrick (Pat) struggles in school and knows that attending university and college is out of the question. Pat is creative with a talent for painting. Pat wants to work in a hair salon but worries that without attending college or university success will be difficult. Pat has begun to experiment with marijuana and has begun to distance himself from his peer group.  You are aware that Pat has been questioning his gender orientation recently, but it is not something that Pat feels he can discuss at home due to his parents' strong religious beliefs.  Pat has indicated that he have his pronouns changed to “they/them” while he figures out where he is on the gender spectrum.   Pat arrives in your office and says “Help me. Who am I? What will I do for the rest of my life? If I don’t go to college or university, am I limiting myself?” 

 --

Student #6: Jonah was a Crown Ward and up to 18 years of age had been in 8 different foster homes. He is now living in a one-room basement apartment near the school and is supported by Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). Jonah has had a string of bad relationships throughout high school, but ODSP has supported him remaining in school in attempt to obtain his high school diploma. Jonah is 20 years old and is about to age out of the traditional high school system. He is unsure of his future goals. He has a criminal record, but all offences were committed as a youth (under 18 years of age).  He has mentioned that he would like to either work as a youth counsellor or in construction. Jonah arrives at your door on the verge of tears. He utters a few words; “he feels alone, and he needs to have a plan for next year”. What would you do to help Jonah? 

 --

Student #7: Santos is a lively grade 11 student. Many teachers are annoyed by his lack of motivation but are charmed by his personality.  He is a solid college pathway student. Santos has been moody lately and appears to have a swollen cheek. Santos’ dad arrives to meet with you smelling of alcohol and mentions he has been actively trying to keep Santos in line lately. Santos demonstrates a talent in Phys-ed and is thinking of a career that keeps him active. Santos and his father sit down at your desk to talk. Santos' body language is very guarded when his father moves or starts talking.  What issues - academic, social, emotional, and physical do you address? What is the plan? 

 --

Student #8: Gabriella (never ‘Gabby’ as she reminds people often) is a very talented dancer. Her evenings and weekends are spent in the dance studio or at dance competitions. Her academic life has suffered because of her commitment to the craft. She is a grade 10 student who is consistent in the applied pathway when she prioritizes her academics. Her dream is to be a high school dance teacher.  She excels in science but struggles in everything else because of her commitments. Gabriella pirouettes into your office and tells you if she can’t become a dance teacher, she is going to kill herself. Can Gabriella reach her goal?  What alternatives might be out there for her to consider?

 --

Student #9: Malik is a grade 7 student in a senior public school (grade 7 – 9 only). He is frequently absent and as a result, has fallen significantly behind in his classes. He has missed an entire strand in math. His father is a single parent and a note in the OSR indicates that mom is to have no access to Malik's records or information. Malik's grandmother arrives and demands to talk to someone who can help Malik. As the teacher with a period of guidance in the school, you are called to this meeting. A quick examination of school records indicate that grandma is not listed as a guardian. She reveals that dad is facing charges of impaired driving and mom has reappeared after having not contact with Malik for two years. How can you help Malik?

 (Selected)

Responding to Parental/Caregiver Concerns

1) The guidance counsellor will ask the grandmother to wait a moment while the documents are provided for request to access the requested documents.

+Protocol and Procedures of School Record Keeping

2) The guidance counsellor will inform the principal of the situation and seek legal representation from the school board to get details on legal actions/responses as needed.

+MFIPPA

+Education Act

3) With regards to liability, first and Foremost, the courts need to provide documentation as recognized by school board in order to release said documents to anyone not listed as “caregiver”

4) Provide family request documents as needed, offer them a scheduled follow-up a week later “to allow for communications to take place”

Providing Student with Academic Supports and Guidance

Addressing the emphasized concerns of Mathematics literacy in the case, 

1) The guidance counsellor will ask the the math teacher (or general classroom teacher if applicable) to provide insights into Malik’s performance prior to the current math strand, giving an idea of Malik’s performance of the last strand for a better picture of Malik’s abilities.

+Accommodation

+Modification

2) The guidance counsellor will meet with the principal based on the evidence from the Math teacher’s anecdotal notes/triangulation and brainstorm any potential assistance that the administration can offer him in regards to planning math classes for the upcoming year, a 7/8 Mathematics split class versus an 8^th grade Mathematics class.

+Student pressure offloaded

 

As for other courses,

3) The guidance will touch base with the teacher(s) and opt to provide the teacher resources that might promote safe classrooms and discussions wherein ask that teachers keep anecdotal notes on Malik regarding absences and his mood/behaviour prior to leaving as well as when he returns in hopes that we can better gauge the direction Malik is developing in.

4) The guidance counsellor will set a meeting with Malik’s mother once the paperwork for access to the OSR has gone through.

+The guidance counsellor will seek to get the whole picture from the mother with regards to dates and implications of the father’s charges (will he be away or still present as a guardian) from her perspective

5) The guidance counsellor will ask teachers to observe and document Malik’s emotional states periodically, if the guidance counsellor is privy to dates from the mother regarding court appearances, the counsellor can schedule meetings with Malik around those times to have a sit down or chat with him in the form of a Check-in prior to heading out.

6) If Malik is willing, follow-up check-in’s would be an opportunity for the student to debrief and share their perspective on things with an unbiased set of ears.

7) If his time at home with his mother is something that is seemingly bothering him, the guidance counsellor can open a discussion with the parent and get more insight in regards to what might be going on at home that makes him seem uneasy about going home. Likewise, with a student like Malik he will likely be going into court and this would have a huge negative impact on his emotional states, it might be worth keeping teachers aware of dates that Malik may be missing moving forward to get assessments prior to the absence as well as maybe planning more lessons on social emotional learning based subject matter during those times (where possible).

8) Following-Up with the Father and Mother together may be requested by the guidance counsellor if/when things have been settled in order to establish a fluid recuperation of Malik’s academics moving forward.

9) On-going observations and meetings with Malik will be arranged as needed.

Reference:

https://www.edcan.ca/magazine/pandemic-aftermath/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwq86wBhDiARIsAJhuphlqqYz_ajK-ntJa7FYfXe6DzQtAZRwwZKSgXSh-fNBpZeJBiWV4I40aAipSEALw_wcB 

Student #10: Hope is a grade 4 student who has lived what seems like a lifetime already.  Hope was diagnosed with cancer in her eye at birth.  She subsequently lost that eye to the cancer.  Even with treatment, the cancer and the vision loss never hindered Hope.  She met all developmental milestones, excelled in her schoolwork, made friends easily and kept an upbeat and positive attitude throughout her first years at school.  Hope also lost her father in a car crash when she was an infant.  Recently, she has become withdrawn and complacent.  Her schoolwork has suffered, and she is not the hopeful, positive child of the past.  Another teacher has mentioned that she seems to avoid any male staff and any of the boys in her class or in the school.  You do know that Mom has a boyfriend living at the house.  How do you proceed to figure out what is causing Hope's change of attitude and what actions do you take?  

--

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Task 5: Role of Guidance in Test Administration and Interpretation (Journal)

Read through the Leadership and Peer Support Programs and Measurement and Evaluation sections (to the end of page 43) of the 2022 OSCA Ethical Guidelines.

Choose ONE of the following tasks for your journal response.

Task A: The ethical guidelines identify a number of essential topics for which peer assistants should receive as much training as possible prior to being placed in a helping situation.  Choose one of the topics and provide a detailed outline on how you would provide training for students on that topic.

OR

Task B: Choose one test, assessment or evaluation method. Describe the test and test purpose, how a counsellor may assist students in preparation for the test/assessment or evaluation, how to support students during the test/assessment or evaluation, and the role the counsellor may play in the debriefing of students and/or parents after the test/assessment or evaluation is complete and the results are available.

Examples:

Strong Interest Inventory/other formal interest inventories-aptitude tests

WISC (Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children)

SATs for entry to U.S. Colleges and Universities

My Blueprint or Xello career inventory tests

Woodcock Diagnostic Reading Battery

STAR Math or the Scholastic Math Inventory

General test taking skills/study skills

Assessments/diagnostics for IEP development/IPRC review

Early identification of learning difficulties in children

Literacy and numeracy assessment for elementary students

Complete your journal entry and submit it by clicking on the Journal tab on the left.

 As per journal, 

The OSCA Ethical Guidelines for Ontario School Counsellors 2022 introduces the need to address peer-mentoring training. Peer-mentors need to take on the skills and habits that we as teachers are expected to exhert on a regular basis. For a student, especially at the Grade 11 level, could prove to be challenging. As instructors we want to promote positive accumulation of said attributes and allow peer-mentors to develop their skills as leaders as well as focus on the needs of the mentee as well.

Through a "lecture, listen and let them do" approach, I seek to introduce in two days, the importance of the professional relationship they have as well as the appropriate communication skills needed to be successful in their position. 

This topic is important, especially with regards to the content of the 21st century learning because this is where education becomes hands on in applicability to diversity and acknowledgment of empathetic practices/inclusive listening. What that means, is where students are able to recognize what they have and what they can offer is half the battle, but the ability to listen to what they can understand better to offer their mentees more, this is the mist important part. For many mentors, there will be instances where they feel, like many teachers, in that, it doesn't matter how many times you express the content, the student doesn't get it, the difference between the mentor and the teacher though is that the mentor can choose what it is they want to focus on in a conversation without a great deal of pressure on themselves to reach any other audience for the duration of the time set aside. 

To begin the lesson I have prepared for students, the idea of introducing the Peer-mentors to communication skills would be best done in a group setting where they would be given inputs and then be applying these inputs in a practical setting.

Find the detailed plan for introducing Communication Skills to Peer-Mentors in GPP3O here on TPT as a free resource, 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/GPP3O_Peer-Mentoring_Introducing-Communication-Skills-11394884

EDAQ-A4333E-W-2-2024AQ1-WEB Guidance and Careers Part 1 (M5)

Introduction - Legalities and Ethics

Guidance counsellors need to be aware of both the legal and ethical issues when working with students. Our course document, Ethical Guidelines for Guidance Counsellors, has hopefully, shared many of the situations that counsellors are presented with throughout their careers. As gatekeepers of student information, which is more often than not, confidential in nature, you need to know when to maintain confidentiality and when to break that confidentiality. The challenge is not with the big issues, but with those issues you are just not sure what to do. This module is about thinking about real challenges and when we need to seek support beyond the Guidance Office.

Task 1: Acts and Guidelines for Counsellors (Discussion Board)

Read through the Counsellors and the Law and the Maintenance of Records sections (to the end of page 50) of the 2022 OSCA Ethical Guidelines documents. Familiarize yourself with the following:

Counsellor-Police Relations

Guidelines for Court Appearances

Youth Criminal Justice Act

The Child and Family Services Amendment Act

Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession

Age-based Legal Milestones

Professional Misconduct, Ontario College of Teachers

Professional Advisory, Professional Misconduct Related to Sexual Abuse and Sexual Misconduct, Ontario College of Teachers

The Student Protection Act

Use of Electronic Communication and Social Media

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act

Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act

Education Act and Ontario Student Record Guideline

Choose one Guideline or Act from the list above and report on its importance/significance to guidance on the Discussion Board.

As per discussion

" 'Municipal Freedom of Information Act' requires that local government institutions protect the privacy of an individual’s personal information.  As teachers, we often come into contact with student's personal information, such as their identity documents as well as their medical records.  It is important that teachers hold high ethical standards and do not disclose or use students' personal information other than for the purpose that it was collected for.

MFIA is really important as it reminds us as teachers that we need to be extremely careful with regards to the ideas that we cannot bring work home with us in some cases, wherein what happens at schools stays at school sometimes. This also having implications on the way that we ask students to participate in community invovlement initatives.

From the list I would select The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as it basically branches down into many of the other policies/acts/laws that we recognize as canon today. One of the acts that are passed as an essential piece of our duties as teachers comes from 1980 and was revised in 1990, the Education Act, which in turn acts as base for all or most roles within the schools.

Education Act 1990: http://ncee.org/2017/01/ontario-education-act-1990/

This is a piece of legislation that sets out to govern and regulate the education of Ontario's youth as well as set an example of what Education needs to be. The legislation is essentially seeking to accomplish a lot. I am writing with ambiguity because the question is ambiguous-if one asks what is the purpose of the legislature is one asking for the "actual purpose" or the presumed idea that the legislature was created for many purposes but some underlining ones more than others.

The Education Act of 1990 produces answers and regulations as well as amendments to 1980's Education Act. In regards to Special Education, the differences were necessary. After the Charter of Rights and Freedoms were approved (1982), there was what seems to be an immediate call for policy change/creation that was known as the Human Rights Code which reigns specifically over Ontario and calls upon "equal treatment with respect to services, good and facilities". After the introduction of the Human rights code and the Charter of Rights and freedoms-que the Education Act of 1990 which protected separate schools; called for education to all regardless of how they identified or what barriers may have existed, as well as set standards that needed to be met by professionals in the education system.

It is not an "early" piece of legislature but one that certainly focuses more on the issues and social movements that were forthcoming at that time. At this stage in Ontario's educational development I have seen the special education system in effect and make a difference in some lives. After things like budget cuts and lack of provincial government support, it makes me believe its the opposite though.

Growing up, our rural separate school had limited facilities for students with special needs and saw students supported in the regular classroom quite well. Back then, we also had Educational Assistants who would be in the classroom helping students. That role that the school faculty plays is a bit different now and approached through the school board contigent to the IPRC's decision on placement/identification of the student.

As a student in High School, our school developed a "Peer-Mentoring" course where the students who signed up for this course would work together with the special needs students and the fauclty or SERT to support them in class as well as help integrate them into the routine social environment of the classroom."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Task 2: 'Legal' Case Study Assignment

Choose one of the case studies below to focus on.

Read your chosen case study carefully and provide an action plan that you would take to effectively deal with the given situation.  

Include what legal Acts or guidelines you are bound by or that come into play with respect to your chosen case study.

Similar to your module 4 assignment, if you make assumptions to ground your response - please list those assumptions at the onset so your instructor has an understanding of your student from your perspective.

You may wish to consider some of the following ideas for your organizer:

Basic Information/Background

Supports & Connections - in the school, in the board, in the community

Follow-up plans

Concerns or any other information

Please try to avoid "one big paragraph" answers.  Much detail is required, therefore using an organizer or at least sub-titles to isolate the major 'chunks' of information is highly recommended.

Case Study #1: In your conversation with a male-identifying student (Angus), he talks about a fascination with fire. Angus talks about how he learned in science that some chemicals will burn off without damaging the item it has been spread upon. He was intrigued by the demonstration that his teacher did when they were discussing this topic.   Angus reveals that he spreads Axe body spray on his arms and sets it on fire. It is one of the substances that burns off without damaging the skin underneath, according to him. Note: This student, is identified as having Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD) and possesses an IEP.  What do you do with this information? 

 

Case Study #2: A female-identifying student (Sophie) arrives in your office and shows you a picture sent via text message of arms that have been cut and are bleeding. Sophie is reluctant to tell you who is in the picture, but you notice the phone number on the top of the image which Sophie has made no effort to hide. She also mentions how the dance teacher, Ms. Gadenski is aware but has never shared it with anyone to protect confidentiality (she does not say whose confidentiality the teacher is protecting). How do you proceed? 

 

Note: the case studies are written up to be very vague for a reason.  Often you have little to work with when you first start dealing with a student issue.  You have to ask questions, to find out what is going on and then formulate a plan to work toward a solution.  These scenarios are attempting to illustrate that situation.

When responding, try to think of all the 'what ifs' and the 'whys'.  Don't just think about the student in isolation but about the immediate world around them - in and outside of school.  

These are not simple cases - the answers will require some depth and breadth.

Refer to Assignment Rubric for assessment criteria -  Assignment Assessment.docx Assignment Assessment.docx - Alternative Formats

Submit your assignment to the Dropbox. Be sure it is in a file format your instructor is able to access/open.

Task 3: Every Teacher as a Guidance Counsellor (Discussion Board)Task 3: Every Teacher as a Guidance Counsellor (Discussion Board)

Students far outnumber their Guidance counsellors. What could you do as a classroom teacher to help or reinforce what Guidance Counsellors are doing? (e.g., school-wide initiatives to promote well-being of students, environment, community) Even if you never become a Guidance Counsellor, what can you do or change in your own practice as a teaching professional to help Guidance Counsellors support students and their success? Share with your classmates on the Discussion Board one thing, big or small, that you feel after taking this course that you could do in your own classroom.

Task 4: Journal Self-AssessmentTask 4: Journal Self-Assessment

Complete a self-assessment of your Journal Reflections

Consider the journal feedback you received from your course instructor and your commitment and overall effort in linking theory to practice and challenging your own ideas and learning about "Guidance".  Consider the following when completing your self-assessment.

1.  Your self-assessment is based only on what you completed as part of your reflection journal entries based on the OSCA Guidelines document.  Your discussion and assignments are NOT part of this self-assessment piece.

2.  The rubric assessments that were provided for your 2nd and 4th journal entries are formative assessments to help guide you with your decisions.   Please hold off on doing any of the journal self-assessment component until you have had the chance to read over and consider the feedback from all 3 of your submitted journal entries.  

3.  When you submit your self-assessment, please include a copy of the Journal Rubric (found below) with your levels filled in.  The rubric can be downloaded from the Assessment/Grading tab found on BlackBoard.  You can choose to fill in the rubric similar to the way that I have been doing throughout the course in your module feedback, or leave the rubric blank and make specific reference to each category in your rationale.  

4. Please provide some rationale for the level that you are choosing to give yourself for each category.  It doesn't need to be overly long, 3-4 sentences would easily suffice.   Feel free to refer directly to any of the feedback that you have received from any of the journal entries.  

5. When determining your final grade for yourself, consider the weighting of each journal entry to be equal.  Remember that a level 3, 70-79% means that you have met the expectations, while grades in the 80%+ range mean that you exceeded the expectations for your journal entries.  Treat the rubric and your associative grade like you would if you used a rubric in your classrooms and that it makes sense.  (E.g. don't give yourself all level 3s on the rubric and then a grade of 86.5%)

6.  Make sure to give yourself a final grade out of 100 somewhere at the beginning or end of the assignment.  You would be surprised how many people forget to do this!  Be realistic with your self-evaluations - I have a hard time thinking of reasons why anyone would give themselves an overall mark of less than 70 or a grade of 100.  Be critical and honest with yourself and don't focus on the number. 

 Journal Assessment Rubric.docx Journal Assessment Rubric.docx - Alternative Formats

Submit your self-assessment to the Assignment Dropbox.

2023-2024 Ontario Ministry of Education Inspection-Notes as Teacher

 Greetings, 

It's that time of the year again, INSPECTION. For those who don't know, Ontario (as many other-if not all) Canadian offshore schools based internationally are inspected by the their province's respective ministries. In Canada the education system is differentiated to accommodate the learning needs and diverse populations of the Canadian provinces. This means where in a place like BC (as an example), might have a literacy test that holds weight towards their students final grade, Ontario might not. Why? Generally speaking this weighs a lot on the decisions of policymakers and the overall expectations of the universities/colleges that students from that province are generally applying to. 

Yes, its a bit of a convuluted situation, I digress. Our school, being an Ontario school, has a yearly inspection where in 2 teachers are selected to brunt the burden of representation for the department. This means, nothing out of the ordinary really other than meeting with the inspector after they observe your class. It doesn't pose much inconvenience but for teachers who might be course content developing to accommodate a group of learners that wasn't as one expected-its uncomfortable to an extent. Where you think you should be and where you think you are in regards to the LRP (long range plan) that will be referenced (as the inspector isn't there to get the full picture of the department or the regiment that your leadership might run) the expectation is that you can speak to your situation confidently and relative conviction (you should generally know the subject and what to look for), if the inspector were to find little old PE/ENG/SOC.SCI. Bono in Calculus and Vectors, there might be questions as I might having them draw circles and make posters or infographics look and sound nice but generally speaking aren't demonstrating the requirements of the course. Sure one can "fake it" (as they say), but at the same time, I guess the expectation is that our leadership wouldn't actively put our department members in such a position-unlike other places I have worked in the past. That being said, the inspector will expect to see the following, 

Course Outline & Long Range Plan:

Check out this one from the EWC4U class I have been building this semester,

Professional Portfolio: 

https://app.seesaw.me/pages/shared_item?item_id=item.ed308690-907b-4f92-8906-15040839388d&share_token=lLdAJzatRHyXX1qWtpjnCQ&mode=share

Check out this one from the ENG4U class I have been building this semester,

Professional Portfolio: 

https://app.seesaw.me/pages/shared_item?item_id=item.70fcc20d-3779-474e-8f08-2950ad2211e2&share_token=4nFA4GAMSH-ipb300OzmDg&mode=share

Lesson Plans:

Check out samples from the EWC4U class I have been building this semester,

TpT: 

Check out samples from the ENG4U class I have been building this semester,

TpT: 

Student Samples of AAL (Assessment As Learning)

Check out samples from the EWC4U class I have been collecting this semester,

Professional Portfolio:

Check out samples from the ENG4U class I have been collecing this semester,

Professional Portfolio:

Student Samples of AFL (Assessment For Learning)

Check out samples from the EWC4U class I have been collecting this semester,

Professional Portfolio:

Check out samples from the ENG4U class I have been collecing this semester,

Professional Portfolio:

Student Samples of AOL (Assessment Of Learning)

Check out samples from the EWC4U class I have been collecting this semester,

Professional Portfolio:

https://app.seesaw.me/pages/shared_item?item_id=item.50a1dc4d-9269-4811-809a-29406ba6d001&share_token=XZqjY8o0QB2O0nFNooC1Ww&mode=share 

Check out samples from the ENG4U class I have been collecting this semester,

Professional Portfolio:

Samples of AOL (Assessment Of Learning)

Check out samples from the EWC4U class I have been building this semester,

TpT:

Check out samples from the ENG4U class I have been building this semester,

TpT:

Examples of Work Habits:

Find the template on TpT:

EWC4U exemplars provided, (Seesaw)

https://app.seesaw.me/pages/shared_item?item_id=item.5c3c66eb-1959-4bb0-9fbe-2700b6fbf6e5&share_token=00vIij15R9i2x2_QiCj-ZQ&mode=share 

ENG4U Exemplars provided (Seesaw)

https://app.seesaw.me/pages/shared_item?item_id=item.5f55270a-dd08-4a83-875f-aeebacc56165&share_token=gwS2HqsyQPOwIkNyJrER3Q&mode=share

Sample Conversations (For Purposes of Triangulation):

Find the Template for the Learning Goals on TpT:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Student-Engagement-of-Learning-Goals-Through-K-W-L-10992727

Find the template for K-W-L on TpT:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/K-W-L-Chart-Resource-Generic-Fillable-PDF-11334111

EWC4U: See Learning Goals K-W-L

*will have on friday*

Temporary Example:

ENG4U: See K-W-L Chart for Literary Theory

*will have on friday*

Temporary Example: 

Sample Observations (For Purposes of Triangulation):

EWC4U: See Timeline Documents

(Interview With a knowledge Keeper-"Student is independent")

https://app.seesaw.me/pages/shared_item?item_id=item.802f8794-1f8d-4781-8dd4-58bf7bfad972&share_token=uGadhTkUThKbvBrGto7p9w&mode=share 

(Movie Review-"Student Actively Seeking Feedback")

https://app.seesaw.me/pages/shared_item?item_id=item.3f43418d-4fb3-4868-b0a9-10c57b595957&share_token=8aVLpxaRSwiHN-YeQVh81g&mode=share

ENG4U: See Rubric Examples from Debates 

Sample Products (For Purposes of Triangulation):

 EWC4U: See Film Review

Professional Portfolio:

EWC4U: See Interview with a Knowledge Keeper

Proefssional Portfolio:

ENG4U: See Rubric Examples from Debates 

Professional Portfolio:

Attendance:

Not going to provide this document as it contains student identifiers and to be honest-its an attendance sheet (documents Absences;Presence;Lates)

See template on TpT:

Admin Doc Access:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1gbYe6-9Ta3Euosi4JUArigcrFVnpQjMR?usp=drive_link

PQP 2: Practicum Feedback (SIP: OSSLT and Overall Literacy Scores of School-Private international School Population)

First Piece (Observer 1)

Hi Carmelo,

Thank you for your presentation yesterday. I think that you are working toward a data collection and literacy improvement plan for the OSSLT that can pave the way to create positive change for students and staff. I appreciate the planning that you have done and the time that will be spent planning and supporting students.

Here are my thoughts and feedback regarding your presented plan.

Thank you,

Tina

 Second Piece (Observer 2)

N/A

(2024W) EDUC-4827-Inter C&I Family-ABQ (Module 5-School, Parent/Guardian and Community, Legislation and Policy)

As per Module 5.1

"Module 5: Part 1 – Communicating with Parent/Guardians

Communicating with parents/guardians is a key component to student success. Oftentimes when a student reaches secondary school, the parent/guardian has less communication with the school. It is up to the teacher to initiate communication and to maintain communication with parents/guardians.

Post to the discussion board the ways you communicate with parents/guardians, the frequency and effectiveness of your communication. Read 2 and comment on 2 other postings."

-----------------

As per discussion, 

"The first and foremost effective means of communication between the teacher and the caregivers if there is an LMS maintained and purchased by the school would be through the "parent" portal (portion of the classroom assigned for caregiver's observation and audit) of the provided LMS. An example in Canadian classrooms might be through Google Classrooms or Canvas Instructure, these are two softwares that allow teachers to include caregivers into the classrooms to a) keep caregivers in the loop with daily happenings of class tasking and b) allow caregivers to be aware of the student's progress.

While working in China, I have been in two schools, the first was Maple Leaf International School (now called Maple Leaf World School), their LMS was initially "Pearson's Powerschool" this included "Gradebook" which parents could use to collect details on student progress. There were functions that we were unfamiliar such as "contact" parent, but not many parents were connected due to the system's way of organizing/leveraging human resources within it. Later the school adopted licensed use of Canvas which was much more functional and much more parent intuitive. It took awhile for teachers to get behind because what and how things were being introduced (online-2020), but thereafter it became one of my favourite tools.

After leaving Maple Leaf, I have since been at Huamei where there was no LMS, and began introducing Edmodo to colleagues. which others were using schoology, both have advantages, but neither supercede the school's decision to establish use of "Classin" (I don't like as it has not matured to the extent it should have been when the school purcahsed the license leaving teachers to make-shift modular learning and establish grading protocols independently etc.) 

Long and short, in all these online communications with parents, there are recurring themes that tell me that they are not effective, 1) confirmation of the last statement, an example: "So if my son hands in this work, they will pass the class?" and 2) plea for improvement strategies, an example "So if my daughter has a 90, what can she do to improve her score to 95?"

In person conversations with caregivers are never easy-unless you are congratulating them on rasing such perfect and wonderful children-then ya, but even then, sometimes caregivers inquire, "right, how can they be better?". I digress, in person communications here allow for one of two things to happen, 1) everyone walks away with a new direction or on the same page regarding the discussion happening; or 2) Someone walks away saying they will bring their child to another school and get a higher mark elsewhere, but realistically, maybe that is what is best for the student as the caregiver believes so that isn't always a bad thing if it is a potential option for that family. (no, I have never had anything that extreme be said across the table, but close-very close sentiments, and understandably, with organizations like "Rosedale" and "Ontario Virtual High School", why wouldn't you shell out the extra change if you had it and clean-up an A+?). In every situation though, the problem was resolved, when communicating online, the problem just becomes more volatile, confusing and leads to a great deal of disregard for what is actually being said by either party-no accountability, especially if teachers (which has been the case in the past), is being expected to communicate through "Wechat" (Chinese Software similar to WhatsApp, not a professional tool of communication in nature)."

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As per module 5.2

"In module 1 you read a background paper on Family Studies, CHEA Position Paper. In this paper, it states:

“Home Economics/Family Studies is the only school subject whose primary focus is on preparing students for everyday life in an increasingly complex global society. It is unique in its systematic, integrative approach where problems of daily life are addressed in a holistic manner.”

One of the major issues in our daily life is our increasing concern with the environment.

What does your school do to help to preserve the environment? In a Family Studies class what could be done? How have you included environmental issues in your unit development?

Post your response on the discussion board. Make any necessary changes to your unit plan."

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As per diuscussion,

"Moving forward in planning of this course in a tangible and meaningful way that may also respect the FNMI principles of teahcing and learning, I am looking at the idea of incorporating a gardening project into the HFN2O course where in the course cohort over the year would be responsible in developing a garden based on horticultural practices with guest speakers and corwd-funding (if applicable).

I remember, erpsonally, going to school, Lakeheshore Catholic and our school was backed-up against the yards of a suburb area, a lot of elderly italians with small gardens in their backyards and even my elders in my family have gardens in their backyards. For HFN2O there is sometimes parts of food that may not be used and rather than disposing of in the trash, there is an opportunity to compost and make meaningful cross-curricular connections with science courses as well.

This is certianly more well-recieved in elementary school setting but, in high school, this has great applicability to the cooperative education program and students who are potentially seeking careers in agricultural studies and food technologies.

Some examples of what i would use as an inspriation would be based on these success stories from the States:

https://www.fns.usda.gov/f2s/growing-your-farm-school-program#SuccessStoryEdibleGardensInNewYorkEncourageStudentstoExplore"

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As per Module 5.3

"For the third and final time, revisit and review the work you have done to date. Add to this chart from Module 3. This chart should now be complete. Upload to the assignment board for assessment as learning."

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As per Module 5.4

"As teachers in Ontario, we have obligations to keep our students safe from harm, both in and out of the classroom. This includes physical, social and emotional harm. This is clearly stated in the front matter of the curriculum document as quoted below. Students need to be aware that they also have an obligation to themselves and others.

HEALTH AND SAFETY IN SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

As part of every course, students must be made aware that health and safety are everyone’s responsibility – at home, at school, and in the workplace. Students must be able to demonstrate knowledge of the equipment and products being used and the procedures necessary for their safe use. In addition, simple precautions such as wearing closed-toe shoes, tying back long hair, and removing loose jewelry (or taping it down in the case of Medic Alert bracelets) contribute to a safe environment when students are engaging in some of the hands-on components of social sciences and humanities courses.

Teachers must model safe practices at all times and communicate safety requirements to students in accordance with school board and Ministry of Education policies and Ministry of Labour regulations.

In planning learning activities to help students achieve the social sciences and humanities curriculum expectations, teachers need to ensure that students have opportunities to consider health and safety issues. In food and fashion courses, for example, use of hot equipment and sharp or hot tools must be carefully monitored, and such items must be securely stored when not in use. Food safety protocols must be in place in all food classrooms to avoid food spoilage, cross-contamination, and allergic reactions. Appropriate routines need to be in place in both food and fashion classrooms to help students avoid physical injury. Social sciences and humanities teachers must work together with all other teachers using dedicated facilities and with their school administration to ensure that the physical layout of food and fashion classrooms contributes to students’ safety.

Health and safety issues not usually associated with social sciences and humanities education may be important when the learning involves field trips. Out-of-school field trips can provide an exciting and authentic dimension to students’ learning experiences, but they also take the teacher and students out of the predictable classroom environment and into unfamiliar settings. Teachers must preview and plan these activities carefully to protect students’ health and safety.” (The Ontario Curriculum, Social Sciences and Humanities 2013, p. 34-35)

Review the Professional Advisory – Safety in Learning Environments: A Shared Responsibility (OCT 2013)

Read the case studies below. Answer the questions and write a reflective journal on your reaction to these situations. Submit this journal to the instructor for assessment as learning.

Case Study #1

Sabina has been teaching elementary Family Studies for 14 years. She has a Home Economics degree and a Specialist qualification in Family Studies. Her classroom is a multi-use room with areas for different activities. The grade eight students are working on a hand-sewing project but a few students have chosen to work on sewing machines. Prior to the beginning of the unit Sabina reviewed the safety rules for working with sewing equipment and required the students to get perfect on a safety test. In class one day, Sabina was working at the back of the room with the students who were completing their projects on the sewing machines. The students who were hand sewing were seated at the front of the classroom. Sabina would frequently move to the front of the class to check on the seated students. A student got out of his/her seat carrying a pair of scissors. While walking the student began to open and close the scissors. At the same time, another student raised his hand to ask a question. The scissors clipped the skin between the thumb and forefinger of the student asking the question, causing it to bleed profusely.

What could the teacher have done differently?

What would you do?

What next steps should be taken?

Who should be informed?

What follow-up needs to be done with the class?

Case Study #2

Angelo has been teaching for two years and has Family Studies, Part I qualifications. He is teaching a Grade 10 Foods class. He has taught safety procedures and shown his students a safety video. The students are completing their fourth lab of the semester. The unit being studied is Local and Global Foods. Angelo purchased jalapeno peppers for students to use in their recipe, and provided gloves for the students to wear while prepping the pepper.  While slicing the pepper, a student rubbed her eye without first washing her hands or taking off her gloves. She started screaming immediately. Angelo knew that he had to wash her eyes with clear water. Not having an eyewash station in the classroom, he rushed her down the hall to the science classroom.

What could the teacher have done differently?

What would you do?

What next steps should be taken?

Who should be informed?

What follow-up needs to be done with the class?

Post your response to these case studies on the discussion board and respond to 2 of your colleague’s posts.

Ontario Legislation Relevant to Teaching

Access online and read the following legislation:

Ontario Human Rights Code

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Safe Schools Act

Accepting Schools Act

Ontarians with Disabilities Act

Municipal Freedom of Information Act

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act

All of this information is relevant to teaching, but some is perhaps more relevant than others. Which 3 of the above legislations have the greatest impact on you as a teacher?

Post your response on the discussion board; respond to 2 of your colleagues’ posts."

As per discussion

"Carmelo Bono

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EDUC 4827

Professor Laura Featherstone

March.08/2024

An Investigation in Case #2 from Module 5: Part 4 - Legal Obligations with regards to HEALTH AND SAFETY IN SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

Introduction:

As an actor accessing the role played by myself, I am drawing understanding from provided questions listed in Module 5 of the EDUC 4827 course (2024), with regards to the teacher’s (Angelo’s) behaviours after giving the instruction to his class (HFN2O) with regards to the use of jalapeno peppers. This incident includes a student (female) who suffered chemical burns in her eyes.

Step 1: Identifying the Problem

The problem here is that the teacher overlooked the human error and may not have offered explicit caution with regards to the use of the pepper and then left the classroom to provide the student with medical assistance.

Step 2: Taking Stock of Varying Perspectives

Through the lens of the teacher, the first and foremost concern is the students’ well-being. In a triage situation, the student who is injured draws one’s most attention. The teacher has overlooked the other potential issues in the classroom having left with hazards and a class that may not have complete context to the situation. Having been a fourth lab, the teacher imagines students have food safety awareness and that they would not touch hands to their face while working with food.

The injured student’s first and foremost concern will be self-preservation and will seek whatever help they can get. The student made a human error that may have been corrected had they been informed of the dangers of the materials/ingredients.

Classmates of the injured student may be in shock and may not be sure what to do, in this emergency it would be good to know that they had some exposure to first aid training making them able to assist the classmate as the teacher may request.

The principal who must be informed of the incident will need to consider the further training of future food teachers and potentially request first aid training for students in order to be able to have the class prepared for emergencies. Likewise the teacher’s classroom may need to be equipped with appropriate safety equipment/facility as spicy peppers (although uncommon) are not the only thing that may enter a student’s eyes in the food lab.

Step 3: Consider Possible Challenges and Opportunities

A challenge that immediately springs to mind would be the conversation with the caregiver that may need or want to pick up the student post-incident and have them taken for an eye check at a local clinic. The challenge would extend into the mediation between the student and teacher’s account of events wherein it may be revealed that the teacher was not consider the hazards of the classroom that they have introduced to the classroom.

This is an opportunity to create conversation about the need for more accessibility to safety equipped classrooms and first aid training for students and teachers a like. Likewise, it raises a need to revisit food policies and allergies in the school and what other underlying risks may be brewing.

Step 4: Imagine Equitable Outcomes

In a given medical/criminal incident, the principal should be accessible at the time of an incident, the teacher has access to a cellphone or other communication tools in the 21st century, and if not, another teacher in the hallway who they may ask to conjoin classes for a moment (if needed), however then there would be the assumption made that a student could accompany the injured student to the science lab where the science teacher could be notified of the incident and anticipate the incoming student with injuries.

Step 5: Brainstorm Immediate-Term Responses

In the immediate-term as a leader reviewing this situation, the first and foremost concern I would have is, “did the student get treatment and are they relieved?” as if left untreated, the injury could have a worsened impact on the student’s life. Next I would question, “did you call to notify the principal?”. In this situation, while the student is rinsing their eyes, the principal could be attending to the foods class to ensure there are no further issues, likewise, they can take stock and relieve any brewing uncertainties of the situation. Thereafter or therein, the principal or vice-principal could ask a secretary to notify the caregivers as needed and fill in the incident report.

Step 6: Brainstorm Longer-Term Policy and Practice Adjustments

As a school, the leadership may seek to offer opportunities for training and anticipated hazard awareness for staff with regards to food allergies, reactions and use of first aid facilities. Likewise going over emergency situation policies will be something that the leadership may ask this teacher to spear head and introduce to the faculty members as a teachable moment rather than shameful experience.

Step 7: Craft a Plan of Action

After the student has been released medically, regardless of whether or not the teacher had explicitly provided caution to students about the use of hazardous materials/ingredients, the teacher would need to complete the PLC task as described in “Step 6”. This plan would come to application within the PLC within the span of a month, if not sooner.

The principal will need to connect with WHMIS and/or ParaCPRFirstAid and the school board to arrange presenters/speakers for the next PLC in the area of field trip regulations.

This would be a task that the teacher is expected to meet regularly with the principal about within the realm of office hours (where the teacher may have other tasks to assume), the principal would log PLC time in with that teacher specifically to offer recognition for their dedication to reassure the school community that the school and its staff have student safety in mind. This one on one PLC time and would allow the teacher to draw attention, reference and focus on different policies (or the lack thereof-in potentiality of a hypothetical situation).

After reviewing the documents, the teacher would need to create a PLC resource for presentation purposes on safety in labs and classrooms with hazardous materials (including arts rooms) that the school’s PLC may also invite parents to (potentially).

If not possible to invite parents to the PLC presentation on health and safety with the other presenters present, the principal may decide to make the PLC available for PTA review or hold another sitting in which the teacher is requested out of expression of dedication to the school community and student health and safety policies of the school board, to present at a PTA meeting. The idea of making this PLC opportunity available to parents would be to keep parents informed as a level of query that helps align teachers with the concerns of all stakeholders in the school community.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, as a principal/leadership, this case has been reviewed through case study framework and through the investigation it is clear that this is a common error in judgement by the teacher and student, wherein the (hypothetical) training provided by the teacher to the student has been disregarded and the teacher did not conduct extended safety precautions in belief that a common understanding was previously established in the classroom that is (hypothetical present in the classroom and well-known by all students). The teacher however abandoned their post (even in the preservation of student-well-being) and this requires attention through raising awareness of protocol and procedure rather than punitive measure as this may have been a near traumatizing experience for a teacher who has never had an incident where student physical well-being was raised in emergency. NOTE: Had the teacher had previous experiences with these emergencies, the outcome would be more serious as the teacher would have or should be familiar with the protocols in the given situation-relatively.

Carmelo Bono

EDUC 4827

Professor Laura Featherstone

March.08/2024

An Investigation in Case #1 from Module 5: Part 4 - Legal Obligations with regards to HEALTH AND SAFETY IN SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

Introduction:

As an actor accessing the role played by myself, I am drawing understanding from provided questions listed in Module 5 of the EDUC 4827 course (2024), with regards to the teacher’s (Sabrina’s) behaviours after giving the instruction to her class (Grade 8 Family Studies) with regards to the use of assorted sewing equipment. This incident includes a student (female) who has caused bodily injury (laceration) to a (male) student who has suffered injury to their hand, specifically skin between the thumb and forefinger.

Step 1: Identifying the Problem

The problem here is that the teacher overlooked the human error and may not have offered explicit caution with regards to the use of the equipment wherein had caution been made at the beginning of the class it may provide the student with more awareness of potential hazards. Likewise, labels and cautionary reminders around the room may be beneficial.

Step 2: Taking Stock of Varying Perspectives

Through the lens of the teacher, the first and foremost concern is the students using equipment that poses a more imminent risk. In a larger group situation, the student who is injured draws one’s most attention. The teacher is act risk of overlooking the other potential issues in the classroom having various areas of the room with hazards in use during a class at one time. Having been a unit expectation that the students score perfect on the safety test prior to lab work, the teacher imagines students have safety awareness and that they would not do something haphazardly.

The student who has injured the other student may be a student with an exceptional learning need and although may have made a mistake, did not intentionally mean to do it and may experience some shock themselves.

Classmates of the injured student may be in shock and may not be sure what to do, in this emergency it would be good to know that they had some exposure to first aid training making them able to assist the classmate or teacher as the teacher may request.

The principal who must be informed of the incident will need to consider the number of students in the room at one time and potentially request that students are working in “shifts” through their unit. In order to be able to have the class prepared for emergencies the teacher’s classroom may need to be equipped with appropriate safety warnings and cautionary reminders.

Step 3: Consider Possible Challenges and Opportunities

A challenge that immediately springs to mind would be the conversation with the caregiver that may need or want to pick up the student post-incident and have them taken for stitches at a local clinic. The challenge would extend into the mediation between the student and teacher’s account of events wherein it may be revealed that the teacher was not considering the hazards of the classroom that they have introduced to the classroom.

This is an opportunity to create conversation about the need for more accessibility to first aid training exposure in classrooms/first aid training for students and teachers alike. Likewise, it raises a need to revisit subject enrollment numbers for courses that include the use of hazardous equipment in the school and what other underlying risks may be brewing.

Step 4: Imagine Equitable Outcomes

In a given medical/criminal incident, the principal should be accessible at the time of an incident, the teacher has access to a cellphone or other communication tools in the 21st century, and if not, another teacher in the hallway who they may ask to contact the principal, likewise the teacher will hypothetically have a first aid kit and be able to dress the wound before having the principal escort the student(s) to the main office.

Step 5: Brainstorm Immediate-Term Responses

In the immediate-term as a leader reviewing this situation, the first and foremost concern I would have is, “did the student get treatment and are they relieved?” as if left untreated, the injury could have a worsened impact on the perception of the incident. Next I would question, “did you call to notify the principal?”. In this situation, while the student is applying pressure to the injury, the principal could be attending to the needs (psychological) of the student who injured the other student. Thereafter or therein, the principal or vice-principal could ask a secretary to notify the caregivers as needed and fill in the incident report.

Step 6: Brainstorm Longer-Term Policy and Practice Adjustments

As a school, the leadership may seek to offer opportunities for training and anticipated hazard awareness for staff with regards to use of first aid facilities. Likewise going over hazard awareness and anticipation will be something that the leadership may ask this teacher to spear head and introduce to the faculty members as a teachable moment rather than shameful experience. If the student who was using the scissors in an incorrect manner was a student who is identified as a student with needs in learning settings, this may also mean that teachers could coordinate an action plan to help the student avoid behavioural (if so) situations like this; likewise be become more aware of potential risks that degrees of varying behaviours may result in.

Step 7: Craft a Plan of Action

After the student has been released medically, regardless of whether or not the teacher had explicitly provided caution to students about the use of hazardous equipment, the teacher would need to complete the PLC task as described in “Step 6”. This plan would come to application within the PLC within the span of a month, if not sooner.

The principal will need to connect with WHMIS and/or ParaCPRFirstAid and the school board to arrange presenters/speakers for the next PLC in the area of field trip regulations.

This would be a task that the teacher is expected to meet regularly with the principal about within the realm of office hours (where the teacher may have other tasks to assume), the principal would log PLC time in with that teacher specifically to offer recognition for their dedication to reassure the school community that the school and its staff have student safety in mind. This one on one PLC time and would allow the teacher to draw attention, reference and focus on different policies (or the lack thereof-in potentiality of a hypothetical situation).

After reviewing the documents, the teacher would need to create a PLC resource for presentation purposes on safety in labs and classrooms with hazardous materials (including arts rooms) that the school’s PLC may also invite parents to (potentially).

If not possible to invite parents to the PLC presentation on safety policies in the school with the other presenters present, the principal may decide to make the PLC available for PTA review or hold another sitting in which the teacher is requested out of expression of dedication to the school community and student health and safety policies of the school board, to present at a PTA meeting. The idea of making this PLC opportunity available to parents would be to keep parents informed as a level of query that helps align teachers with the concerns of all stakeholders in the school community.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, as a principal/leadership, this case has been reviewed through case study framework and through the investigation it is clear that this is a common error in judgement by the teacher and student, wherein the (hypothetical) training provided by the teacher to the student has been disregarded and the teacher did not conduct extended safety precautions in belief that a common understanding was previously established in the classroom that is (hypothetical present in the classroom and well-known by all students). The teacher however needs to reconsider seating and positioning in the classroom to better anticipate the potential hazards of equipment use. NOTE: Had the teacher had previous experiences with these emergencies, the outcome would be more serious as the teacher would have or should be familiar with the protocols in the given situation-relatively."

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As per Module 5.5

"Review your unit and activity plans and revise them if necessary to ensure that all safety considerations are being met. Investigate your school board’s safety policy and school’s safety policy ensuring that you have included these policies in your unit and activity plan.

Preparing yourself to teach Family Studies

You are nearing completion of this course, Intermediate Family Studies that legally allows you to teach Family Studies from grades 7-10. As you know, at the secondary level, there are both food and fashion courses. If you are asked to teach these courses you must be skilled in these areas. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have obtained the practical skills necessary to organize, and safely run a food or fashion lab. This may involve taking a practical course in cooking or sewing, offered in your community.

Community Norms

Although the curriculum is provincial, a Family Studies classroom may look different depending on the area of the province that you are teaching in. Most communities have an awareness of environmental concerns. These may be recycling, composting, animal protection, food-related strategies, and fuel efficiency to name a few. There are other issues that are particular to individual locales.

Identify the environmental issues found in your community?

How will these be reflected in your Family Studies classroom?

Ensure that your community norms are reflected in your unit and activity plan.

Post the answers to the above questions on the discussion board. Read and respond to 2 of your colleagues' postings."

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As per discussion

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As per module 5.6

"Everyday, as teachers, we struggle with the use of social media and personal technology in our classrooms. Our students have grown up with the Internet, cell phones, texting, IMS, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Instagrams, Edmodo and many other forms of social media. Prior to the turn of the century, these were not issues in the classroom but today they have a strong presence. Teachers, also, are using social media in their classrooms and personal life. As professionals we need to be aware of appropriate use of all technology. Some forms of social media have been designed specifically for educational purposes, others have not, and it is imperative that you practice sound judgment in the use of social media.

Read the following:

http://www.oct.ca/resources/advisories/use-of-electronic-communication-and-social-media

“Maintaining professional boundaries in all forms of communication, technology-related or not, is vital to maintaining the public trust and appropriate professional relationships with students.

Members should be able to answer this: How does my online presence – that which I control and that which is posted by others – reflect my professionalism, and how does it reflect on the teaching profession?”  (OCT 2011)

Write a reflective journal on your use of social media in your classroom and the boundaries that you set for yourself and your students. Upload to the assignment board for assessment as learning."

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As per discussion

""

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As per module 5.7

"You have been working on your unit plan and activities throughout this course. Peer edit and descriptive feedback from the instructor have been given to you. Incorporate this feedback into your unit plan and upload your completed unit and activity plan to the assignment board for assessment of learning.

Look to Appendix 5.1 for a checklist of what must be included in your unit plan."

find the lesson plan available on my teachers pay teachers here:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Resources-By-Bono

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Module 5.8-UNLISTED

Module 5.9-James Banks Continuum

Module 5.10- Final Refleciton