Everyday Teachers. Extraordinary Impact.

Everyday Teachers. Extraordinary Impact.

Ontario’s education system is getting top marks Good things are happening in education. Ontario is now ranked fifth in the world for quality of education, and we are in the process of making the transition from “great” to “excellent.” These are results that we can all be proud of.

Teachers in Ontario’s English Catholic schools are striving for excellence, and to make our schools first in the world for the quality of education that our students receive.

Many factors contributed to the progress that we have seen to date in education — increased funding, progressive government policies and increased respect for teachers were key among them. The Ontario government should stay on its proven course, while strengthening its focus on enhancing the classroom experience and student-teacher interaction. Here are five areas of focus for continued growth in education.

1. Professional and Qualified Teachers Teacher effectiveness is the single most important factor in student learning.

Teachers perform best when they are respected, and given autonomy to direct learning in their classrooms as well as their own professional development.

Research has shown that leading educational systems focus on creating an environment that will encourage creativity and innovation among educators. Critical to this goal is providing for self-directed professional development opportunities for teachers.

Increased respect for the professionalism of teachers is integral to continued education progress. Ontario’s teachers are well educated, certified and regulated by the Ontario College of Teachers, and recognized around the world for their high calibre.

Teachers are most effective when they are given the resources and the freedom they need to do the work they do best.

Recognizing the importance of teacher judgement and continuing to provide self-directed professional development opportunities is essential.

In the final frontier of school improvement that is the journey from great to excellent, systems focus on creating an environment that will unleash the creativity and innovation of its educators and other stakeholder groups. (McKinsey Report)

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2. Meeting Individual Needs Smaller class sizes improve student achievement and enable teachers to spend more time helping their students reach their full potential. Smaller class sizes — especially in the primary grades — are critical to student performance. It’s the best way for teachers to address all of the needs of their students. Research has shown that an important determinant of student performance is a teacher’s ability to address their students’ social, psychological and academic needs — something that is difficult to do with larger classes.

Smaller class sizes in Ontario have resulted in better learning environments, opportunities for meaningful assessment and evaluation, and more time for professional dialogue and parent communication.

Ontario has taken steps to address equity issues in the classroom and to customize programs to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population.

Ontario is cited in numerous international studies for the great strides that have been made to close the gap between the highest- and lowest-achieving students.

These initiatives have helped to move Ontario’s education system forward, while making sure that no child is lost in the crowd.

Targeting resources is the best way to serve the needs of students who require special attention. There is a need to improve the current funding model in Ontario so that it adequately addresses the diverse needs of students, and provides staff with the necessary materials and supports to meet those needs. An adequate funding formula will help to create a safe classroom environment characterized by manageable class sizes and teachers who have the expertise to address students’ needs.

Maintaining programming and targeting investments, with a goal of meeting the individual needs of Ontario’s diverse student population, is essential if Ontario is to continue to close the gap between its top- and bottom-performing students.

Everyday Teachers | Extraordinary Impact Everyone has a story about a memorable teacher: someone who inspired and motivated him or her to achieve more than they knew they could, who listened when they needed someone to talk to, or who made learning fun. Our schools are full of these everyday teachers who have an extraordinary impact on students.

A teacher can make a great difference in a student’s life — and that is evidenced each day, through every lesson, conversation, and interaction.

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3. Safe School Environment Creating physically and emotionally safe schools is a necessary precondition to ensuring a positive learning environment for students.

Ensuring that school facilities are properly maintained and conform to health and safety requirements not only makes for safe workplaces for teachers and employees, but also safe classrooms where students can focus on learning.

More complex is ensuring that schools are emotionally and psychologically safe places by addressing bullying in a coherent and effective way. Government must continue investing in bullying prevention training and resources for teachers, students, and parents.

This includes providing support to equity and bullying prevention clubs in Ontario’s schools for all marginalized groups.

Safe schools respect the emotional, physical, mental health and psychological well-being of students and teachers and are essential to the continued improvement of Ontario’s education system.

“The quality of education depends first and foremost on the quality of teachers.

Teachers must be well trained, receive decent remuneration, and be valued in their societies.” (Susan Hopgood, President, Education International)

Everyday Teachers | Extraordinary Impact Ms. Y | Thinking globally and acting locally every day Ms. Y lives what she teaches. Not only does she speak to her students about compassion, social justice, empathy and responsibility, she exemplifies these values through her extensive community work in underdeveloped countries. She believes in taking care of the environment and helping those in need, and is actively involved in the school’s Fair Trade Club, Youth Against Bullying Club, Raise the Roof Campaign, and Development and Peace Committee, to name a few. Ms. Y recently encouraged her students to write letters as part of Amnesty International’s annual Write for Rights Campaign.

Her commitment to helping others and building a community of compassion knows no bounds. Her colleagues say it best: “She is truly an incredible person… inspiring students and colleagues alike.”

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Everyday Teachers | Extraordinary Impact Mr. G | Who says math can’t be fun every day?

Math can be tough — for some much more than others. Since he started teaching, Mr. G has developed a wide range of innovative and fun ideas to help students get their heads around, and even excel at, math. Mr. G’s ‘math cafes’ and after-school programs have been tremendously successful in engaging students, and providing additional opportunities for growth and learning. His engaging and charismatic style, combined with his passion for guitar (as the founder of his school’s guitar club), have endeared Mr. G to all of his students and fellow teachers. Every teacher wants to find what works best with their students — and it sounds like Mr. G has found the right note.

The courses members take that lead to ABQs/AQs — designed by teachers for teachers — reflect the experience and pedagogy of the teaching profession in Ontario. This is one way of demonstrating their dedication to teaching and to providing their students with the best education possible. (Ontario College of Teachers)

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4. Partnerships Working with an education-friendly government has led to considerable improvement in the relationship between government and teachers. This relationship is based on genuine dialogue and mutual respect. Working with students in classrooms every day, teachers have a unique and valuable perspective about student needs.

The teachers’ relationship with government is only one piece of a broader network of partnerships that includes parents, administrators, school boards and many other stakeholders such as health providers, social and justice workers, and community agencies. Schools are community hubs that require various levels of support from communities, government, and parents, in order to help every student maximize their potential. When schools have strong links to community organizations and programs, families have access to a support network and students are more likely to succeed.

The Ontario government should continue to consult with teachers and engage in open and respectful dialogue around education reform. While we’ve come a long way, Ontario still has more work to do in order to put schools at the centre of their communities.

As the system improves, the engine for improvement shifts to instructional practices. This, by its very nature, has much less to do with the centre and is primarily driven by the teachers and the schools themselves: it is all about turning schools into learning organizations. (McKinsey Report)

Everyday Teachers | Extraordinary Impact Mrs. M | Outside-the-box thinking every day Drawing on her own experience in visual arts and film production, Mrs. M added a whole new dimension to her religious education classes by having her students interview people in their own neighborhoods about social justice issues and capturing their stories on film. Based in part on the success of this program, her high school now offers a specialized arts and media program. Under Mrs. M’s guidance, the school runs a highly successful documentary media festival which focuses on social justice issues. Mrs. M consistently pushes her students to think critically, empathize, and initiate positive change. Students and teachers agree that her ‘outside the box’ thinking has created extraordinary experiences and opportunities for her students, inspiring many to pursue careers in film and media.

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5. Progressive Policies The introduction of full-day Kindergarten, the Equity and Inclusive Education Policy, and the reduction of primary class sizes are examples of progressive policies that focus on the student-teacher interaction.

Unfortunately, the government’s initiatives in assessment and evaluation have added new layers of bureaucracy and administration. A top-down reform model is sluggish and unnecessary. We know that education reform is most effective when investments are directly tied to the classroom. Benefits to students are less apparent when spending is further removed from the classroom, such as when funding is directed at the administrative level.

Imposing spending cutbacks on the education sector will only compromise the gains that have been made. Moreover, cutbacks may have the unintended consequence of increasing the gap between “have” and “have not” schools. We can find cost savings in the system without sacrificing student performance. Education funding must continue to focus on the classroom, where it will do the most good.

Evidence-based education policy, supported by sustained public investments, will help to solidify the gains that Ontario has made in education.

Collaborative practices can unleash sustained improvement; over time shifting the source of a system’s improvement away from central leadership to the educators themselves. (McKinsey Report)

Everyday Teachers | Extraordinary Impact Mr. S. | High performance education every day As the transportation technology teacher, Mr. S takes his love of cars to the next level. He runs the auto club and often gives up his lunch hour to allow students to work on their projects. When he isn’t in the shop, before class or after school, he’s busy organizing fundraisers that support school trips as well as local charities. Students have won countless skills competitions, and many have successfully moved into the workforce or gone on to apprentice at the post-secondary level, thanks in part to connections that Mr. S has formed with the local college. In addition to the time he spends with his students, Mr. S is also a dedicated mentor for new teachers. Staff and students know how lucky they are to have benefitted from the guidance and leadership of Mr. S.

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Conclusion Investments in Ontario’s publicly funded education system have resulted in system-wide progress. The gains have helped our education system become one of the strongest in the world.

We need to continue on the successful course that Ontario has set for itself by protecting and advancing the gains that have been made. Investments must continue to put students first, direct funding toward the classroom and strengthen student-teacher interaction. We must ensure that teachers continue to have the tools that they need to best meet the needs of their students.

Teachers in Ontario’s English Catholic schools will continue to ‘speak for children’ and work together to put students first.

Every day.

Everyday Teachers | Extraordinary Impact Mrs. H | Lifelong learning and empowerment every day Colleagues of Mrs. H have described her as an innovative teacher, lifelong learner and invaluable team member. Mrs. H is constantly taking on new projects that keep students and staff on the cutting edge of educational topics. Not only does Mrs. H initiate and encourage lifelong learning in her students, she has continued her own professional development and teaches online courses to other teachers. A real team player, she works to ensure that her colleagues also benefit from the knowledge she has gained. As one colleague stated, “Our whole school community benefits from her persistence in keeping up with the most recent research and practices in education.”

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Photography: Liam Sharp. Special thanks to the TCDSB. Creative: Scott Thornley + Company. STCworks.ca