lta local link - surviving child poverty - winter 2016

8/20/2019 LTA Local Link - Surviving Child Poverty - Winter 2016

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/lta-local-link-surviving-child-poverty-winter-2016 1/8

local.link LTA member - to - member communications

Winter 2016Vol.13, No. 2

Langley Teachers' Association #100, 5786 Glover Road, Langley BC V3A 4H9 (604) 533-1618 Fax (604) 533-1400

email: [email protected] website: www.langleyteachers.com

tml:usw2009:leu#35

Links

Sudoku Puzzle 2

From the Editor:Change is in the Air

J. Dyck 2

School Management

Systems in B.C.

R. Beaudry 3

TTOC Winterbreak

Event

A. Ross 3

Langley's Non-

Instructional Day,

January 15th

Pictorial 4

Responses to the

Revised Curriculum

from LTA

Facilitators 4

New Curriculum &

Social-Emotional

Learning

G. Casella 6

Infusing Aboriginal

Ways

S. Croll 7

The Revised

Physical &

Health EducationCurriculum

Wendy Cook 7

The numbers are shocking, and more shockingly, they have been likethis for far too many years. In 1989 all members of Canada’s parliamentvoted to eliminate child poverty. It is 2016 and there are still 167,810

BC children living in poverty, enough to ll the Disneyland themepark four times. (www.still1in5.ca) British Columbia does not have apoverty reduction plan, even though twenty-three of twenty-nine BCregions have at least 1,000 children living in poverty. BC’s povertyrates continue to exceed the Canadian average and BC’s per pupil funding continues to be$1,000.00 less per student than the national average. BC’s poor children attend BC’s publicschools, with the second poorest level of funding in Canada.

Teachers see the effects of poverty on children in their classrooms every day. According tostatistics from the BCTF Poverty and Education Survey, one in six teachers say half of thestudents they teach each day are living in poverty. What does that mean on a day-to-daybasis for these children? It means:

• 81% had students who start the day hungry

• 43% state their schools operate a breakfast program• 80% have students with no lunch or snacks• 44% state their schools operate a lunch program

These are the numbers, but the effect on brain development, the impact on social andemotional development due to the absent opportunities for inclusion in the ‘perks’ of schoollife, imposes an incalculable toll. Events such as eld trips, sports teams, even attendingtheir graduation are not ‘givens’ for these students who suffer the stigma of being ‘seento be absent’ on these occasions.

How do chi ldren surv ive in theseconditions? For those who do

survive and thrive, theyfrequently do so on the

kindness of their teachersand the random acts ofkindness of completestrangers. Facts from the

www.still1in5.ca site showthat one in every two BC childrenof single parents were poor in 2013. I was oneof those children, with my two sisters and my mother, living inpoverty during my childhood years in Nova Scotia. There were no food banks to turn to,so the local churches served the same purpose, as well as family and neighbours withsomething to share and the will to reach out to those in need.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs states that the individual must have their physiological needsmet – food, water, clothing, shelter, relative health, and a safe and secure environment. Iwould agree and yet that isn’t an easy accomplishment. Social assistance rates have neverbeen high enough to actually feed and house a family, clothing is frequently second or thirdhand, and your health is a luxury provided by Canada’s free (except for in BC) medicalsystem – thanks to the vision and persistence of Tommy Douglas. Frequent moves fromrentals to public housing – nineteen moves before I left home to live on my own - didn’tcreate a sense of security of ‘place’ but there was security in knowing we would survive,we always had, we believed we always would.

Surviving Child PovertyGail Chaddock-Costello, LTA President

continued on page 8

Accordingto statistics from the

BCTF Poverty and EducationSurvey, one in six teachers say half of

the students they teach each dayare living in poverty.



Sudoku PuzzleComplete the sudoku puzzle and return tothe LTA for a chance to win a $50.00 giftcard to Beatniks Bistro in Fort Langley .Winner will be announced on Monday, March7th - at the Staff Rep Meeting.

Fall 2015 Winner - Lisa Mirecki - Lynn

Fripps. Congratulations!

2

Editor: Jonathan Dyck - Many thanks from the Communications Committee to the many talented and busy Langley

teachers who have taken time to share their experiences, insights and interests with other members in the Link. We

hope you all enjoy this latest edition of the Link and nd food for thought in these pages. Local.Link welcomes letters and

articles by LTA Members.

Submissions reect authors’ views rather than ofcial policy of the Langley Teachers’ Association.

Submissions must be signed and may be edited. Advertisements will not be accepted.

Email submissions to Jonathan Dyck at [email protected]

A lot has happened since the last edition of the Local Link appeared in the fall, and the federal election was certainly oneof the highlights. While I was hoping for a stronger NDP result,I think most of us can agree that a change of government waslong overdue and that Mr. Trudeau’s Liberals have already takensome steps in the right direction. I would have preferred aminority government, but we can certainly continue to hold themaccountable on key issues – and the Canadian Labour Congress

(to which we belong) is a great advocate under the leadership ofHassan Yussuff! Locally, the new riding of Cloverdale-Langley City did notelect a Conservative MP as expected; my new MP is John Aldag ofthe Liberal Party. I have met him a few times now, and he’s a kindand capable man – he used to work for Parks Canada and managedthe Fort Langley historic site, and isnow active on a number of issuesincluding the ParliamentaryStand ing Committeeon Environment andSustainable Development.He is respected in thecommunity and works hardon behalf of his constituents,

and it is refreshing to have a newvoice and perspective contributing to Langleypolitics. Along with Langley MP Mark Warawa, John Aldag alsoapproached our new Minister of Immigration and Refugees, JohnMcCallum, to intercede for Jose Figueroa, who had been forcedto seek sanctuary in a Langley church for the last two years(I’ve written about his story previously). As a result of the newminister’s intervention, Jose was able to leave the church andreturn home for Christmas! He still has various legal issues toresolve, and he’s hoping to advocate for other refugees who havebeen treated unjustly by the Canadian immigration system, butat least he can do so while living with his family again. In provincial politics, change is in the air as the NDP wonboth of the recent by-elections and made history – the new MLA for

Vancouver-Mount Pleasant, Melanie Mark, is the rst Indigenouswoman elected to serve in Victoria! The general provincial electionis just over a year away (May 2017), and there are certainlymany issues that need to be addressed. From child poverty and

mental health to the underfunding of public education, we needto continue to advocate for better policies, and the BCTF has astrong tradition of speaking up and lobbying both governmentand the opposition. If John Horgan and the BC NDP want todefeat the BC Liberals next year, they will need to articulate acompelling alternative to the status quo, one that values equityand environmental preservation above short-term prots. One of the things that has gone well provincially is the

renewal of the BC curriculum. BCTF members been fully involvedin writing and reviewing the drafts, and there is some powerfulnew language around social responsibility and environmentalissues, especially in the core competencies and the new sciencecurriculum. Moreover, the explicit acknowledgement of FirstNations principles of learning across the disciplines should help to

undo some of the damage of our colonial past – we haveincluded a great article on “Infusing Aboriginal Ways,”

and if you want to learn more about what thislooks like, take a look at Jo Chrona’s excellentanalysis (firstpeoplesprinciplesoflearning.wordpress.com). Of course, many concerns remain about the

timelines and support for implementation ofthe redesigned curriculum, and we have included

a number of reections and responses to the curriculumfrom Langley teachers in this edition of the Local Link. We are lookingforward to our second non-instructional day in April, when we willhave more time to examine thecurriculum changes and sharestrategies and lesson ideaswith our colleagues. Rememberto thank your colleagues whohave volunteered their time tohelp facilitate these sessions,and keep sharing your feedbackwith the LTA/BCTF as well as theministry. This is our curriculumand professional practice,so let’s own it! Whether it’s

through political engagement orprofessional learning, teachersmake a better world.

From the Editor: Change is in the Air Jonathan Dyck, Langley Education Centre, LTA Communications & Social Justice Chair

In provincial politics,change is in the air as the NDP won both

of the recent by-elections and made history– the new MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant,

Melanie Mark, is the first Indigenouswoman elected to serve in Victoria!



3

With what has quickly become an annual

favourite, December 10th marked thetrue beginning of the holidays with theTTOC Winterbreak event. Held at thebeautiful Steel Workers Hall in WalnutGrove, over 50 people enjoyed seasonalmusic, crafts & a festive spread. Thechildren welcomed Santa with a rousingrendition of "Here comes Santa" and wereecstatic, thrilled and even a little unsurewhen he called them by name to comeget a special gift. It was a fantastic event,enjoyed by all - and only possible withthe many dedicated volunteers of the LTA. Stay tuned for our next event, and make sure

you come join in the fun!

TTOC Winterbreak Event Ashley Ross, Aldergrove Community Secondary, TTOC Chair

So here's a funny story. The BC government, likemany other governments, has open biding forcontracts on a variety of services. The problem,in such a process, is that a prevalent outcomeis that the contract is often given to the lowestbidder. This isn’t necessarily a good thing asdescribed in a judgment in the BC Court ofAppeals:

“Many a ‘low’ bidder has found that his priceshave been too low and has ended up in nancialdifculties, which have inevitably resulted inadditional costs to the owner, whose right torecover them from the defaulting contractoris usually academic. Accordingly, the prudentowner will consider not only the amount of thebid, but also the experience and capability ofthe contractor, and whether the bid is realisticin the circumstances of the case.”

BCeSIS (the British Columbia EnterpriseStudent Information System) had problemsfrom the start in the view of teachers across BC.First among many was the issue of an archaicinterface that proved to be unpopular withteachers. The general design of the interfacewasn’t tested by teachers or on differentbrowsers and received failing grades by teacherstrying to use the program. Secondary to thiswere concerns about security in using theprogram. BCeSIS was created using an outdatedformat of JAVA and a newer version was neverimplemented.

Teachers involved with technology in schoolsexpressed concerns with the slowness of theprogram and constant freezing of the screenwhen teachers were using the program. Therewere discussions that the program wouldexperience serious problems when big localslike Surrey and Vancouver were added tothe system and regrettably, we were proven

right the week that Surrey joined BCeSIS.To alleviate congestion on the network, therehad to be bandwidth throttling, the intentionalslowing down of the program to minimizecongestion. They succeeded but it caused noend of grief for teachers, who were supposedto use the program for timetable changes,student transfers, and attendance. Teacherfrustrations with the program led some teachersto create some clever parodies that did giveteachers some reason to smile about some ofthe problems.

By 2011, the BC Minister of Education statedthat some changes were needed even though “the system had glitches but was still goodvalue for money, and was being replaced largelybecause the technology was outdated.” If onlyhe had talked to teachers before the programwas launched.

MyEdBC

So in 2014, the BC Ministry of Educationlaunched MyEdBC. This program, costing $95million, was set to replace BCeSIS, which costBC taxpayers $89 million dollars and neverrecovered from all the problems and glitchessince it was launched.

BCTF President Jim Iker expressed BC teacherconcerns about the new program to theBC legislature’s committee on finance andgovernment:

“In the rst two weeks of school, we’ve seenslow logins, missing class lists, time outs, andmany other glitches. The result is growingfrustration with teachers who can’t do their jobsbecause the government’s next great software

program doesn’t meet their needs.”

In a case of dejàvu, MyEdBCalso requiredbandwidththrottlinga s w e l l a sexperienced thesame problemsencounteredby teacherswith BCeSIS.Adding to thefrustration ofteachers this round is the fact that they areusing MyEdBC for entering marks. This hascaused some districts to delay the report cardsbeing sent home and teachers have expressedconcerns with using different browsers wherethe program seems to have difculties.

Entering data in MyEdBC has also causedclerical workers in schools across the provinceto express frustrations with the program. TheSuperintendent of Schools in Prince George,Brian Pepper, expressed his concerns withMyEdBC as teachers were getting ready todo their report cards: “Either program wasn’tideal but unfortunately our clericals are sayingBCeSIS was the better program.” Based on thefeedback of teachers in Langley, MyEdBC is stillexperiencing performance issues.

So the question that remains with BC teachersis why the government goes with the lowestbidder in technology. The result is a series ofcomputer networks across the province thathave experienced problems with a price tag of$2.5 billion dollars and they have gone overbudget to the tune of $300 million. Funny story?Truth be told, teachers as well as taxpayersacross BC are not amused.

School Management Systems in BCRichard Beaudry, LTA 1st Vice-President



4

Which schooldo you teachat? Whichsubject /grade level doyou teach?

What are the positive aspectsof the renewed curriculum,and what are you lookingforward to in educationchange?

What are your concerns? What supports are needed fromgovernment, school boards, and yourunion?

ChristaBarberis

Langley SecondarySchoolEnglish 10 & 11,

Social Studies 11,Social Justice 12,and Law 12

I’m looking forward to the opportunity todelve deeper into the curriculum. Withthe removal of some PLOs, there is room

to breathe, to think, and to explore.

There is a lot of discussion around personalizedlearning. What does that look like in a class likeSocial Studies? The Curricular Competencies

must still be addressed, so how does one ensurethat each individual student’s needs are met?

Government: funding to ensure that resourcesare in place – if personalized learning isto take place, smaller class sizes would be

helpful. School Boards: continued professionaldevelopment workshops; funding of initiativese.g. technology in the classroom. Union:professional development workshops, sharing ofresources, literature.

MichelleAllen

BrookswoodSecondaryComputers andYearbook/Grades9-12

I am excited to see that a lot of whatwe are already doing is now beingrecognized as “ofcial,” and I believe thatthere are major benets to students whoare truly excited to learn.

There will be students who have gone throughmostly the “old” system, in grades 9-12, thatwill not be accepting of this new curriculum(parents will also likely “push back”), whichmeans that those who teach at the secondaryschool level will need to “retrain” a lot ofreluctant learners. This revised curriculumdoes offer time and ways to reach many typesof learners, however, so that will in and ofitself help us get everyone on board, includingparents.

I believe that there has already been a startwhen it comes to offering supports, but someschools are “support rich,” whilst others remain “support poor,” and this puts many studentsat a great disadvantage. The equality of theeducation system as a whole is being put tothe test, especially with the desire for moretechnology use and training at all grade levels.Some schools have one iPad for 6 classes toshare, versus others that have class sets. It justwon’t work if it means that a good (and modern)

education is dependent on where you happen togo to school…

AshleyRoss

AldergroveSecondarySocials 9, 11 andEnglish 10

That there is a renewed focus on voicesand perspectives previously unaccountedfor.

That the graduation requirements might neglectsenior electives for socials.

There are so many amazing possibilities with thenew curriculum, but funding for development,resources and collaboration time is needed.

AmandaSlade

Lynn Fripps /District EarlyLearningKindergarten

Having the core competencies runningthrough all subjects.*I am excited about the possibilitiesthe redesigned curriculum brings.It empowers teachers to respond tolearners and their needs. *Fitting all thepieces together for deep understanding isa refreshing shift... less content driven!

Timelines for reporting guidelines. Specic examples of how curriculum can bewoven together in a cross-curricular way.

Ellen

Bornowsky

LangleyFundamental

Middle SecondarySchoolCore French andHealth & CareerEducation

It validates good instructional practicesand continues to provide exibility

with regard to planning (at least, forFrench). I’m really looking forward toopportunities to work together withexperienced and new colleagues toexplore the curriculum. Change is scaryfor some people, but I’ve been enjoyingall the conversations we’ve been engagedin this year.

I’m very interested to see what’s in store withregard to assessment, evaluation and reporting.

I’m wondering about learning resources, aswe’re being told “there’s no new money.” I’mhoping there will be additional release time forthe coming school year so teachers can continueto work together in a variety of groupings (gradelevel, subject area, areas of interest, etc.).

We need release time, and release time costs thesystem money.

Kari Hall Langley Fine ArtsResource/Math

More teacher input, opportunity for kidsto do more inquiry-based learning, bigideas for teaching/learning.

Not all areas have been decided, and we need toimplement this all soon.

Clarity on high school + exams + curriculum +university transfers.

Responses to the Revised Curriculum from LTA Facilitators . . .

Langley's Non-Instructional DayJanuary 15, 2016



5

Which schooldo you teachat? Whichsubject /grade level doyou teach?

What are the positive aspectsof the renewed curriculum,and what are you lookingforward to in educationchange?

What are your concerns? What supports are needed fromgovernment, school boards, and yourunion?

GoldaJanzen

West LangleyElementaryGrade 4 & 5

I love how there are more studentinterest opportunities, as well as teacherinterests too to share with their students.

Eagerly awaiting what assessment & reportingwill/can look like, as this stage has not yet beenclaried or determined.

Continued workshops when all the stages are inplace, as right now it has been planning withoutan end in mind… without knowing what thereporting/assessment can/will look like it doesnot feel like planning can thoroughly be achieved.

TracyCramer

James KennedyElementaryKindergarten /Grade 1

A positive aspect of the new curriculumis that it falls so nicely in the mindsetof teaching for the whole child, allowingeach and everyone of my students togrow and explore and fall in love withlearning.

My concerns are that we will denitely beable to see the have and have not schools interms of money and equipment. My other hugefear/concern would be what the province willdecide assessment will look like. This is a newcurriculum and can not be assessed under thecurrent reporting system. I mean it can, butit does not support the new curriculum andwith such hands-on exploration we need morepictures and anecdotal, rather than a masteryscale.

I need nancial support from the government…in so many areas of the new curriculumtechnology seems to be involved. I have nothingin my classroom for my students other thana leased laptop from the District and my ownpersonal phone.

Dave Low LangleyFundamentalMiddle SchoolMath 11-12

The new math curriculum mirrors howI do math myself. I have been fairlysuccessful in mathematics. The mainway I've been successful is to makesure to place an intuitive meaning of

every formula that I've seen in my head.Just as a reader translates words intoimages (this is part of what is called"literacy") I like to translate formulasinto images. This is a huge part of whatI feel "numeracy" means. However thewhole act of doing this slows the paceof the curriculum down. Teachers andclasses had very little time to exploreconcepts to this level, since the pace ofthe curriculum did not allow for this. Inthe past I would have a tough time bothexploring a concept and also getting allof the curriculum accomplished. The newcurriculum gives time for my classroomsto explore and build deep understanding,not just "formulaic understanding."

As a group we are all fairly new at this. The rstfew years are going to be difcult. In those rstfew years it is my hope that we don't criticizethe results too quickly. I have become fairlyefcient at the "stand and deliver" method. I've

become more entertaining than I once was, Iknow how to keep a pace and I am a betterorator than when I started teaching. In the rstfew years of doing more project-based work andexploratory-based work my skills in managingthis new kind of classroom environment willneed to go through a learning curve. Although Ihave given projects and have done explorationsbefore, I haven't done it as much as the "standand deliver" method. In those rst few yearsmy classroom won't necessarily run as smoothlyas my "stand and deliver" classes now do (afteryears of perfecting). I hope I don't reject what Isee too readily in my rst year or two of the newcurriculum, and I hope that others don't as well.There will be times when "stand and deliver" willbe appropriate, but not as often as I had used it

in the old curriculum.

From government: I would love to have a fairnumber of Pro-D days, so that I can work on myproject based and exploratory-based classroommanagement skills. I would love resources to gowith the new curriculum.

From the school board: I would love to haveyour support. Also, we will need to have anongoing dialogue with parents in particular.We need to show them how this new model ofdoing math can and will lead to having bettermathematicians. Your support in this process willbe vital. From the union: Your continued advocacy, thankyou.

NinaPowar

LangleyFundamentalMiddle SecondaryMath 8 and V&P 8

Freedom to change and implementationof personal teaching styles in a project-based format. More hands-on andgroup learning. Less “lecturing” andmore student-teacher and peer-peercommunication which will enhancelearning. I believe the latter will helpto build self-esteem and condence in astudent’s learning and will open up moreopportunities for the teacher and studentto share concepts with each other,providing a new channel of learning in anopen environment (rather than behind atext book). Looking forward to change.

Minimal information on assessment. Myconcerns still are that many teachers are stillfeeling lost as to how to implement the newchanges. I feel it would be more benecial ifteachers could meet with grade groups anddiscuss examples of some projects/big ideasthey could implement and talk about how theymay teach to these new example (e.g. samplelesson plan making sessions?)No resources for math (and possibly othersubjects) – textbooks etc. Are these to bediscarded?

Technology and online resources availableto teachers and students. More sessions oneducating teachers perhaps with exemplarson lessons/projects/units. An opportunity forprofessionals to share with each other.

Langley's Non-Instructional DayJanuary 15, 2016



New Curriculum & Social-Emotional LearningGina Casella, Parkside Centennial Elementary

Working as a facilitator was denitely one professionalopportunity I am glad I was able to take advantage of.Collaborating with like-minded facilitators under a timecrunch had its moments, yet these moments highlightedour strengths both personally and professionally. TheLangley Teachers’ Association (LTA) organized a successfulNon-Instructional Day (NID) focusing on the newcurriculum. Attendees included teachers, administration,

support staff, and members from the School Board Ofce.Everyone worked together to make this day a success.

Participants were asked to keep several things in mindduring the day, including the First Peoples’ Principlesof Learning; an important quality one would personallywant today’s kindergarten students to have when theygraduate from high school; and our very own LangleySchool District vision and mission statements. Themorning was led by facilitators presenting informationand getting conversations going. In the afternoon wehad the gift of time to dive right into lesson planning orperhaps explore the new curriculum website (if you wereable to connect to it).

The feedback about the NID continues to be positiveand encouraging. Many have also shared constructivesuggestions moving forward, such as more technicalsupport so systems do not crash because too manyare logged on at the same time; a need for Aboriginalresources and resources in general; Aboriginal speakers toinform us of things we may need to be aware of or shouldbe mindful about; the reporting; something targeted forsupport staff; and having multiple sessions on one topicoffered at the same time in smaller rooms.

Many are looking forward to our upcoming professionaldevelopment day, where the optional rst session isfocused on Aboriginal content. Ongoing are the helpfulNew Curriculum Series speakers and the opportunities

to investigate the new curriculum at staff meetings,if you can make them. A mix of frustrations due tocommitments after school and job share situations arepreventing people from attending these valuable sessions.Not only are these people missing out on these valuablesessions, but these valuable sessions are missing out onthese valuable people!

If you attended Langley Fundamental on the NID, I thankyou again for your time and for your ne contributionsto our day. People were self-motivated, self-directed,had an openness to explore the new curriculum, had awillingness to listen to what others were saying whilebuilding on their ideas, and most of all, were humbleenough to share their fears, or to admit they had not

even looked at the new curriculum. We took a momentto remind ourselves that teaching and learning are alwayschanging to meet the needs of the learners. Having saidthis, we are life-long learners. We are always growingand learning. Our status as professional teachers makesus professional students.

As teachers we spend so much time reminding ourselvesabout inclusion and differentiated learning, yet we oftenforget to recognise we have our own differentiated waysof internalizing information. For me personally, I had toliterally print, cut, and paste the new curriculum ontodifferent colours of construction paper. It was timeconsuming; however, being a concrete learner this iswhat I had to physically do for my brain to internalize

the information. It also helped me tremendously staymotivated because the process fooled my brain. Throughplay, the same heavy workload suddenly felt a lot lighter.Yes, as an adult professional teacher, this is what workedfor me. If you are curious, I wanted to do a rainbowpattern with the construction paper, although my coloursat home prevented this. I did consider an ABAB patternwith the construction paper colours, but preferred one

subject to have one colour. The point is, choosing coloursand patterns were part of my play. I was shy to share

my process and my new colourful resource, especially asa facilitator, not to mention that the glue on one sheettotally did not dry clear. However, practically everyonewho attended my session would like a copy or for thedistrict to provide something similar for all grade levels.I still need to work out the proles and somehow “Gina-ize” those to better understand them. When full-daykindergarten came into full effect, a very handy guidewas provided. Langley teachers would like a simpliedhard-copy guide of the new curriculum. I hope you enjoyplaying around with the new curriculum and I would loveto hear how you are playing to help you internalise theinformation.

During my session, we agreed to disagree on a popularnotion, something along the lines that reporting andcontent do not drive teaching or learning. We felt stronglythey certainly can. What kind of learner the teacher iswill drive lesson planning and assessment. When weconsider the multiple intelligences, we recognise weare individually a mix of all of the intelligences, someintelligences more dominant than others.

Logic is an intelligence. There are deductive reasonersand inductive reasoners. One way of logical thinking isnot superior to the other. Some of us weave throughboth. Traditionally, teachers are hung up on targetinglearning for deductive reasoners and for verbal learners.If you are an inductive reasoner, like myself, you tend to

do academics non-traditionally, a bottom-up approach,the long way, you come up with your thesis statementlast, and that is okay. If you are a pictorial learner likemyself, my learning really kicks off with pictures, graphs,and pie charts.

The beauty about the new curriculum, specically theKnow-Do-Understand Model (KDU), is that it doesnot matter where you start, it just matters you startsomewhere because the learning standards do interweaveand you can achieve cross-curricular success. If youare like me, you cannot wait to get your hands on thereporting piece because that is traditionally my startingpoint, which sounds like it may not be available until thefall. More clarication on the proles as well would be

appreciated and how they link to reporting. Teacherswere encouraged to continue using the already createdPrescribed Learning Outcomes and their suggestedachievement indicators, while trying to incorporate thenew curriculum.

Although we are changing the lens, we are back to severalfamiliar questions: How do we turn formative assessment

into a letter grade, a number grade, or a percentage? Willmany students remain in their zombie-like state whilewe manufacture them through the education system? Isupport not failing students, but then for example, wekeep expecting a Grade 5 student who is at a Grade 2math level to be ready for high school math and suddenlygraduate to be “the educated citizen”? Wait a minute, I donot support that because it is not realistic. Everything aswe know it makes sense in theory, but how will the realityof the new curriculum unfold? Already we are pressedunder a time crunch, relying on volunteers, and thereporting piece is missing. Is the new curriculum helpingus to move towards more quality and less quantity? I feelgrades 1-12 teachers should see their programs reectiveof Kindergarten, where the gift of time is given so learning

is made deeper and not longer, where less really is more.B.C. teachers have been thankfully running a half-dayKindergarten program in a full day setting. The reportingpiece would help clarify this for grades 1-12 teachersand I feel would also help with cross curricular planningamongst teachers at the high school level.

After all, social-emotional learning is a priority ineducation; academics are secondary. We have all kindsof evidence and research supporting the notion of “payingnow” or “paying later,” but we keep choosing to paylater via various social services and it costs much morenancially, not to mention that it is costing us a fortunesocially and emotionally. Part of the new curriculumshould directly coincide with supported social-emotional

research, for example, putting relationships rst byreducing the number of students in one class ultimatelyincreasing student success in all areas. There is a needfor increased services like Speech Therapy, EnglishLanguage Learning, and Counselling because they arepart of the equation, yet due to cut-backs, we deny manystudents a piece of the whole. A number of studentsare destined to have excellent math skills, excellentliteracy skills, excellent resumes, excellent experience,excellent qualications and they will be turned awayfrom employment opportunities. Why, you may wonder?Specically, prospective employers are not interested inhiring people who are socially-emotionally unstable and/or difcult to understand verbally. In fact, many lowerpaying positions, such as retail, are having people ll out

questionnaires when they submit their resume online.They are a mix of customer service based questions andthey include a mix of social-emotional/self-regulationtype questions.

I nd academic assessment to be over-rated and wouldlike to see more social-emotional outcomes reported.I am looking forward to assisting with the second NID.It was great getting to know people within the schoolcommunity and working with them. The self-motivatedatmosphere created a space where people could be open-minded, think critically about the new curriculum, and formany, to leave with a lesson plan they could immediatelyimplement.



Whether it is through social studies, English courses,science, First Nations' studies, or including books andother materials in school libraries, many BC teachers formany years have made sure that Aboriginal histories andcultures are part and parcel of their teaching.

The revised curriculum, however, adds another impetusto this desire. Weaving Aboriginal ways of knowing andthe First Peoples Principles of Learning throughout thecurriculum for all grades is now a stated intention. TheBCTF, along with other organizations like the First NationsEducation Steering Committee (FNESC) have advocatedand pushed for the inclusion of Aboriginal education formany years. While changes to the curriculum are welcomerst steps, the day-to-day work begins with teachers inclassrooms helping their students learn about Aboriginaleducation in ways that are knowledgeable and respectful.

That is one reason why 14 teachers from a secondaryschool in West Vancouver attended the BCTF workshop,Infusing Aboriginal Content, on their professional

development day in November. As non-Aboriginalteachers, some of the teachers shared their anxietiesabout wanting to integrate Aboriginal education in theirsubject areas. They were afraid they might not get it rightand inadvertently contribute to the racist stereotypes andhistorical wrongs done to Aboriginal people in BC andCanada. Regardless of their fears, these teachers' goals,shared by teachers province-wide, are straightforward: todo Aboriginal education justice, and contribute positivelyto reconciliation.

Workshop facilitator and Gulf Islands teacher, CarolArnold, a Metis-Cree woman from the shores of LacSte. Anne in Alberta, reassured people that strategiesand resources are widely available to help teachers

gain condence and skill in teaching about Aboriginaleducation.

She referred to the First Peoples Principles of Learning(see back page of this publication) and how teacherscan use these principles to guide all of their teaching,

regardless of subject area. Other workshop participantsconcurred with Carol and explained that theseprinciples, while rooted in Aboriginal education, are inmany ways universal because they embody the processof deep learning.

Carol had placed a collection of stories and graphicnovels at teachers' tables. She wanted to conveythat many of the ideas, concepts, and histories aboutAboriginal peoples are often told through story. At thesame time, she said it was truly important than non-Aboriginal people understand what “appropriation” is.Appropriation is akin to stealing, or taking someone'sstory without asking for permission and/or giving creditto the story's originator.

She further explained that First Nations people havebeen “anthropologized”-studied and examined by non-Aboriginal people-for far too long. The antidote to thiskind of behaviour is to nd, hear, and share authenticAboriginal voices.

Carol also shared key resources that can help groundteachers and allay their fears about teaching the “wrong”thing.

One of Carol's favourite resources is Reel Injun, adocumentary produced in 2009 by Rezolution Pictures andthe National Film Board of Canada. It analyzes how thedepiction of Aboriginal people in 4,000 Hollywood movies,from the silent movie era to now, has misrepresentedAboriginal people, their cultures, and shaped stereotypes.As one of the lm's narrators recalls, he was introducedto movies in church basements. “Raised on cowboys andIndians, we cheered for the cowboys never realizing wewere the Indians.”

The documentary is available for classroom use and canbe downloaded through the NFB at www.nfb.ca/lm/

reel_injun/download/.

Carol also stressed that First Nations studies courses

should be available at every secondary school regardlessof its size. “You can never have too few or too manystudents for this course. Offering this course shows aschool's commitment to Aboriginal education. Learningabout Aboriginal ways of knowing is about healing,

identity, and well-being for First Nations and for everyone.”

Time runs short in every workshop, this one included,to cover every topic or answer every question. Afterteachers had the chance to take a quick look at the bookson their tables, Carol ended the workshop by returningto the First Peoples Principles of Learning. The seventhprinciple states that “learning involves patience and time”-two qualities that teachers will have to keep in mind toease their anxiety about Aboriginal education and what'sinvolved in true reconciliation.

In addition to the workshop described in this article, theBCTF offers 11 more Aboriginal education workshopswell-suited for professional days that members can book

at no cost. Go to bit.ly/1OLffY6 to view the completelist of workshops and for booking information. You canalso contact Ashley Gurat [email protected] for furtherassistance.

Infusing Aboriginal WaysWhat does the revised curriculum say about Aboriginal education?Susan Croll, Editor, BCTF Teacher Magazine ( Reprinted with permission)

The inclusion of Aboriginal perspectives and knowledge is based on the understanding that Aboriginal perspectives and knowledge are a partof the historical and contemporary foundation of BC and Canada. An important goal in integrating Aboriginal perspectives into curricula isto ensure that all learners have opportunities to understand and respect their own cultural heritage as well as that of others. Over the pastdecade, curriculum has integrated Aboriginal content into courses and grade levels. The education transformation work builds on what waslearned and extends Aboriginal perspectives into the entire learning journey rather than in specic courses or specic grade levels. This meansthat from Kindergarten to graduation, students will experience Aboriginal perspectives and understandings as an integrated part of what theyare learning.

from Building Student Success, BC's New Curriculum, Ministry of Education

It was with great trepidation that I decided to throw my name into the hat in order tohelp facilitate the sessions on the implementation of the revised curriculum, but thepositive feeling in the room on January 15th as the teachers entered the gym wasinspiring. Even though my area of expertise is Social Studies, it was a valuable learningexperience to have had the opportunity to look at the Physical and Health Education(PHE) changes.

The group of teachers who came to the PHE curriculum development workshop wereopen to looking at the changes and were frank in their discussions. They took the timeto look for what they were already involved in and how they could bring in some of

the curricular ideas. The session included a SWOT analysis of the draft curriculum,i.e. the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that each group discussed.

There was general agreement that the use of personal tness goals and the pushtowards physical literacy were strengths. The opportunities of getting to know thestudents beyond the physical component and addressing fundamental movementskills and patterns beyond specic skill development would be an asset. The discussionremained positive and constructive.

The weaknesses included a concern with the measurement of the competencies in aquantitative way. With the push towards healthy living, the resources are often out-dated, have no real appeal, and are costly. Who would be supplying the departmentswith the new resources? The grade 8 and 9 curriculum has too much to cover andstudents would spend more time in the c lassroom than moving in a tness environment.

Some of the competencies at this level are highly emotional and social and they requireextensive individual solutions – are PE teachers qualied in this area?

The threats were also noted, one of which is theneed for PE specialists at the Elementary levelin order to develop the proper foundation. Therewere also concerns about the assessment piece –when students are in alternate environments, theteachers can teach but cannot assess individualsat home. Overall, there is now more to be taught

in PE, not less: two curriculums in one!

The last part of the session was an open discussionon a response to the Ministry and the BCTFregarding the revisions. The largest concern wasresources: who is going to fund all of the changesin order to make them the most effective? Alsothere was a desire to further discuss the planswith other PE departments. There was generalagreement that more planning was necessary in order to make curricular changes.

I appreciated the chance to facilitate the discussion and was impressed at how much wasaccomplished – the energy at the start of the day continued into this afternoon session.

The Revised Physical & Health Education CurriculumWendy Cook, DW Poppy Secondary, LTA Local Rep

"Aboriginal ways of knowing are an entry way to showthere is more than the western world of knowing andlearning." Carol Arnold, BC teacher



Looking back, I know we were fortunate in manyways. Teachers nurtured and encouraged ourtalents; we were bright, resourceful and tenaciousstudents. I was encouraged to dream big and to nda path to get there and I did. I could in part because

we had a social welfare system, health care, publichousing and most importantly and most inuentiallyfor me, free public education. I remember eachand every teacher who made an impact on mylife, who complimented me, acknowledged myaccomplishments, encouraged me to go furtherand look higher. School was where I ourished. Forme, there was no higher calling then to become ateacher and make a difference in the lives of otherchildren who needed to know they mattered.

Our BC Liberal government needs to act on theirpromise of a ‘families rst’ agenda and create apoverty reduction plan with the ability to lift children

and their families out of poverty. This governmentneeds to resoundingly answer these questions: Doblack lives matter? Do Aboriginal lives matter? Dopoor lives matter? Do the lives of all marginalized

people matter? Apparently they don’t matter enoughto affect meaningful political/social change in BC.

As activists and educators we need to be at theforefront of agitating to ensure child poverty is asignicant vote, determining issue in the provincialelection of 2017. Our children, our families domatter and as teachers, we care.

Gail Chaddock-Costello is running for the full-time position of 2nd Vice-President of the BCTF at the spring AGM. If sheis elected, this will be the rst time Langley hashad a full-time table ofcer at the BCTF since KenNovakowski 34 years ago!

You can learn more about Gail and read her

endorsements here:

https://gailchaddockcostellobctf2ndvp.wordpress.com

Please "Like" her Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/GCCCforBCTF2ndVP

continued from page 1

lta local link - surviving child poverty - winter 2016

Documents