Vol. 7, Issue 1 - Alternative Education

HEY, TEACH! Vol. 7, Issue 1 ■ Fall 2015

The Victoria College Education Magazine

In this issue...

Three Questions That “[Ask students], ‘How can I make Changed Me this course about you?’ When students feel validated and able to express their opinions, they thrive.”

Alternative

Education Feature interview with Dr. Jack Miller, Professor with the Department of Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning at OISE

...and more!

“I’m interested in alternative education that offers a broader approach to education, a more diverse approach than the current one we have in public schools.”

Hey, Teach! is dedicated to developing the philosophies and ideas of aspiring teachers.

We’re online at heyteachvictoriacollege.wordpress.com & heyteach@utoronto.ca!

THE STAFF OF

Hey, Teach!

MAGAZINE Editor-in-Chief: Melody Barclay Senior Editor: Marissa Mark Senior Productions: Brittany Yuen Public Relations: Samantha King Associate Editors: Abeera Ali Michelle Brooks Taylor Cenac Jessica Concepcion Mehak Jamil Elizabeth Hall Julia Lin Victoria Minchopoulos Tal Oren Elizabeth Parker Nadia Pasta Carmen Russo Natalie Sanchez Chelsea Spagnolo Amanda Squillace Agatha Ulewicz Associate Productions: Saranja Neelananthasivam Elizabeth Parker Ben Swadron Contributors: Michelle Brooks Maddy DeWelles Cassie Fast Ashley Harripersad Mehak Jamil Samantha King Sydney Lang Joanne Lieu Saranja Neelananthasivam Nadia Pasta Nicole Pereira Tali Voron Vittoria Tesoro

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HEY, TEACH! FALL 2015

Letter From the Editor

Let’s start with the word ‘alternative’. It is the word used to suggest another choice. Alternative education was conceived as an alternative to traditional education. It is the other choice. What is particularly interesting about alternative education is that it can take many forms. Alternative education is an umbrella term for many types of learning that can all present themselves in opposition to traditional education, but it doesn`t have to be the case. This issue takes up this umbrella term highlighting experiences, opinions, and research from the community as well as what it means to be another choice.

Our writers offer poetry and prose to define alternative education and what it means to them. Ashley Harripersad invites us into her experiences with the education system, sharing her struggles and hopes for the future of school. Like Ashley, Samantha King draws us into her world through poetry, asking us to consider the need for an alternative approach. Joanne Lieu reflects on questions she poses for herself as a result of her encounters with teaching. She communicates her thoughts on the implementation of alternative education in teacher-student relationships, and how this ameliorates student experiences. Natalie Sanchez, Maddy DeWelles and Michelle Brooks take a look at the relationship between mainstream education and alternative education while engaging in considerations of what it means to incorporate and weave ideas of both into the classroom.

Nicole Pereira and Sydney Lang share their direct experiences with taking on ‘outside-the-box’ educational experiences in their own university careers. These are only a few of the pieces in this issue that place the spotlight on alternative education methodology.

This issue’s feature interviewee is Dr. Jack Miller from Curriculum, Teaching and Learning and the Centre for Teacher Education and Development departments in OISE. As a researcher and educator, his interests lie in holistic education. He shares with us his beliefs about holistic education and alternative education as an umbrella term. He encourages us to welcome holistic education into our classrooms in order to educate our students about themselves and about the world.

It is imperative that education be centred on our students. We need to think about what they need and how to provide them with the best opportunities to learn. For too long, the education system has failed many. As students, future educators and people of this world, we cannot sit by as more and more students are not seeing themselves reflected in their education. This issue has encouraged students to begin thinking about the education they have received and the education they would like to have and see future students receive.

Sincerely, Melody Barclay Editor-in-Chief Any questions regarding the articles in this issue can be addressed to the Editor-in-Chief.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 3 Can We Be Too Liberal?

Cassie Fast, Year 2, English Major, History and Education & Society Minor Page 4 Defining Alternative Education Melody Barclay, Year 4 CTEP, Equity Studies Major, French Minor Page 5 Alternative Education: Is it Really the Best Alternative?

Vittoria Tesoro, Year 3, English and Renaissance Studies Major Page 6 The Box Samantha King, Year 2, Sociology Major, English and Education & Society Minor Page 6 Fieldwork Experience Sydney Lang, Year 4, Equity Studies and Anthropology Major Page 7 Three Questions That Changed Me Joanne Lieu, Year 5 CTEP Page 8 An Education Tali Voron, Year 2, English Major, Psychology and Education & Society Minor Page 9 Alternative education? Mainstream education? What about just education?

Maddy DeWelles, Year 2, Sociology Major, Equity Studies and Education & Society Minor Page 10 Private Schools Are Not the Problem Nadia Pasta, Year 2, English Major, History and Education & Society Minor Page 10 Private Schools ARE the Problem Benjamin Swadron, Year 1, Vic One Ryerson Stream Page 11 SEED: An Education Alternative Saranja Neelananthasivam, Year 2, History and Equity Major, Education & Society Minor Page 12 Reap the Rewards!

Nicole Pereira, Year 5 CTEP Page 12 Alternative Education Rosie Spada, History Major, Sociology and Education & Society Minor Page 13-14 Implementing Ideas from Alternative Education into the Regular Curriculum Michelle Brooks, Year 4, Biodiversity and Conservation Biology Major, Psychology Minor Page 15-19 Holistic Education: An Interview with OISE’s Dr. Jack Miller Interview conducted by Rija Saleem and Samantha King Page 20 An Alternative Route Ashley Harripersad, Year 4, Equity Studies and Political Science Major Page 21-22 Alternative Elements in Mainstream Education Natalie Sanchez, Year 3 CTEP, English Major, Sociology and Education & Society Minor Page 23-24 Why is Empathy so ‘Alternative’?

Mehak Jamil, Year 3, English Major, Psychology and Education & Society Minor Page 25-26

Final Thoughts

HEY, TEACH! FALL 2015

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Anyone who knows me knows that I most definitely believe our education system requires an

overhaul. I know alumni who still have nightmares about failing exams or missing assignments years after they have graduated, and I have far too many friends who suffer from school-induced anxiety.

Consequently, I do not find it terribly radical to propose that education not be something we should have to recover from, and I am not the only one who feels this way. Many liberal forms of alternative education and pedagogy have arisen from the same awareness that traditional and mainstream education often fail to meet student needs holistically. So, we combat legalism with liberty, replace the desks with more play time, and lectures with group work. It does not sound bad at all, but I do wonder, as this continues into older years, how such ‘liberal’ education might work within a system that was not built to accommodate it.

Here I mean to pose a question, or rather, bring to light a tension. By doing so, I have no underlying intention of defaming or exalting either traditional or progressive education. While I believe education should be holistic and comprehensive and that it should never cause emotional or mental damage, I also find value in traditional elements of schooling such as the necessary rigour of university education, lecture format, and the diligence of studying. So, herein lies my tension: we find it reasonable that children learn through play in their early years, that they learn creatively and cooperatively through elementary school and even throughout high school. Then, in post-secondary, we expect them to sit through three-hour lectures and learn just the same. How liberal and creative can we be without ill-preparing our students for the future?

I believe it comes down to the differing, yet present, goals of education. Is the goal preparation for the next phase of school: post-secondary education? Or is it holistic learning? Can it be both? In my experience, the high school classes I found the most valuable were not the more “progressive” ones that required group-work or creative interpretations or skits. Rather, they were the ones modeled after university lectures and the ones that prepared me for the post-secondary format of learning.

At the end of the day, the system of education I function within requires me to learn a certain way, and produce a certain kind of product in order to succeed. And while the teachers who encouraged group work, physically active and unconventional methods of learning, did so with good and noble intentions, and although I am sure those approaches were beneficial in their own right, they did not prepare me for what was ahead or what would be required of me.

Therefore, I believe we need either a balance to be struck between progressive, liberal education, and the necessary more structured preparation for post-secondary education, or else an overhaul of the entire system. The one currently in place was not built for the sort of learning we propound today.

Though we do still require that sort of learning, the gears do not fit in the machine. We must put the gears in anyway, and become content with an oddly functioning mechanism, or else forsake the entire machine for one that accommodates our gears. By no means are these ideas meant to be solutions, but they are intended to outline my perspective of the problem. Our intentions for education, whether they are holistic learning or preparation, or both, are clashing, and in some ways, this contradiction between system and content may do our students a disservice. The extent of liberalism in education and the question as to its limits may remain unanswered, and a solution may not easily be found. But, it is, at the very least, worth the conversation. ■

Cassie Fast Year 2 English Major, History and Education & Society Minor

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HEY, TEACH! FALL 2015

CAN WE BE TOO LIBERAL?

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s an Equity Studies major and future teacher, alternative education is music to my ears; however, it is quite a broad term. Indeed, alternative education is the umbrella for all forms of education that differ from traditional methodologies. Under this umbrella we find: holistic education, anti-racism education, anti-homophobia education, Montessori education, and the list goes on. In recent decades, there has been a move to adopt these methodologies or some of their approaches to education. What’s so great about alternative education?

As an elementary school and middle school student, the general perception toward alternative schools was negative. Everyone thought that alternative schools were where kids who could not handle the regular schools went. They were too stupid to go to regular school, so they were sent to an alternative school instead. I was always uncomfortable with those perceptions. Flash forward to the future. Here I am now with a newfound understanding of what alternative education really is and how it can be used to change the lives of students.

Defining Alternative Education Melody Barclay Year 4 CTEP Equity Studies Major, French Minor

Traditional forms of education have often excluded particular students from finding themselves in their education and therefore from having their identities affirmed.

If students cannot see themselves reflected in their education, they will not want to learn. The consequences of this have largely been faced by marginalized students. By changing the way that we see education, we can open up new worlds for students who have otherwise been pushed out. Alternative education offers opportunities to provide students with new ways to learn and become engaged in society; however, within the public education system it can often be difficult to implement the full methodology.

Public schools must cater to a variety of students. Often children go to these schools because it is their home school, not because of any particular programs that are offered at the school. It then becomes the role of the teacher to ensure that all students have opportunities despite the vast range of learning preferences and identities in the classroom. Teachers may choose to borrow approaches from different methodologies to create a mingling of alternative education and the regular curriculum in their classrooms.

Ensuring that students have what they need to succeed should be a goal in any classroom.

Teachers need to do what they can in order to make this happen. â–

HEY, TEACH! FALL 2015

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ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION: Is it Really the Best Alternative?

Education is a right in to which all individuals

are entitled to experience. The methods of which education is experienced differ depending on the various learning styles of the individuals concerned. Learning can take place anywhere we are exposed to something new or different. This does not necessarily have to be in a classroom.

We all learn differently, and at different rates too. Some individuals enjoy the interaction of fellow eager students, whereas others may concentrate better through home schooling or online education. This is what Alternative Education is for! Alternative Education is a form of teaching that differs from traditional classroom methods in public and private schools.

This type of learning alternative is ideal for students who feel that they are not benefitting from the regular school system. Many kinds of Alternative Education provide specific learning strategies that cultivate a student’s natural ability to inquire and prosper through self-discovery.

There are several types of Alternative Schools such as career-themed schools, home schools, charter schools, internet courses, and schools that combine high school with college, just to name a few. These types of schools truly illustrate a worldwide educational revolution.

Schools that focus on unique curricular and instructional approaches, such as Montessori or Waldorf schools, engage students with various philosophical and revolutionary teaching strategies from an early age. Schools that focus on the arts, whether performing, musical or

visual, along with athletic-focused schools, are an excellent alternative for students to learn in the areas in which they excel and find the most pleasure.

I find these types of alternative schools to be an excellent option for students, both at the elementary and secondary level. The accommodations these institutions have made are admirable, as they recognize the diversity of learning styles and interests that students have.

Unfortunately, not everyone considers these schools to be appropriate alternatives. Some may critique and argue that these types of schools are not “real schools”, or perhaps provide an “easy way out” of the curriculum standard advocated by traditional public schools. There may even be the perception that these students are lazy, or even unprepared for the “real world”. This mindset certainly needs to change. I think that there should be a focus on learning, rather than on the school itself. As long as a student is learning at a level and in a system that best suits his or her understanding, then I argue that it is just as valid.

We should want students to excel in what they most enjoy, and not necessarily focus on what we think will get them a good job. Education is much more than that. Rousseau would argue that all children should learn at their own pace, through their natural abilities, in order to fully prosper. We should celebrate learning, in all its different iterations. Thus, Alternative Education is an important part of society; this type of education fuels the minds of students who are eager to learn and grow and meet their own specific needs. This is what learning is all about. ■

Vittoria Tesoro Year 3 English and Renaissance Studies Major

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HEY, TEACH! FALL 2015

Let’s step out of the box We don’t have to shoot far We don’t have to get lost We don’t have to do the things that make us worried and afraid But let’s step out of the box That’s how we grow That’s how we think about what we know, and learn to know what we know Let’s step out of the box You and I both Teacher and student Let’s do it together and track our growth But let’s step out of the box Alternative education doesn’t have to be wild We don’t have to lose ourselves We just turn focus back to the child Let’s step out of the box Let’s stop limiting ourselves, our students, Our reaches and our steps And maybe we’ll make education freer that way

Samantha King Year 2 Sociology Major, English and Education & Society Minor

THE BOX

Sydney Lang Year 4 Equity Studies and Anthropology Major

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his past summer, I conducted fieldwork in Kerala, India at the Centre for Research and Education for Social Transformation (CREST); it is a program designed primarily to assist youth of lower castes who have recently obtained an undergraduate degree, to overcome discrimination in order to gain opportunities within the private sector workforce. CREST’s curriculum and programs fall somewhere between accommodating caste inequality and challenging it. Uniquely, CREST prepares students for diverse future endeavours. I was able to see the value in teaching technical skills, as it is often essential to student survival. For most of the students at CREST, they are completing the program in order to obtain a job in the private sector to escape their urgent position of marginalization within society. In order for the students to gain entry into these positions, CREST must ensure that students are given the proper tools to be qualified and competitive workers. As the educationalist Lisa Delpit (1995) states: “Students need technical skills to open doors, but they need to be able to think critically and creatively in order to participate in meaningful and potentially liberating work inside those doors.” A balance of skills-based education, along with art-focused spaces, such as a drama workshop embedded in their curriculum, encourages critical thinking and team-building, while growing the students’ ability for social capital, mobility, and agency within this otherwise oppressive system. ■

Delpit, Lisa. (1995). Other people’s children: Cultural conflict in the classroom. New York: The New Press.

HEY, TEACH! FALL 2015

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THREE QUESTIONS THAT CHANGED ME Joanne Lieu Year 5 St. Mike’s CTEP

When you alternate something it’s usually because your

original thinking challenged. Here are three questions that made me take a thousand steps backwards and thousand and one forward.

One: What’s your name again?

question

This question came from a young girl I have tutored on a weekly basis (give or take a few holidays off) for the past four months. It was surprising given that I worked with her one-onone, so you would think that after several weeks of teaching her how to spell, create proper sentences and dotting that she would at least remember my name. So while I took in the initial shock, I stopped myself and began to see the situation in a new light: If schoolteachers never gave out their names, would students care? It is a funny question which made me realize that, while alternative education looks at developing methods where student success is increased, it is equally important to build a strong teacher-student connection.

Take away: students may thrive with alternative learning methods but that does not mean that it should replace teacher-student connection.

Question Two: How is this going to matter later on?

Nearly all teachers come across this question and it challenges them to think of content relevance. All too easily we, myself included sweep this question under the carpet with remarks like, “You’ll need it next year/ the year after/in college/in university” and the list goes on. Perhaps one way of building alternative education is by responding, “How can I make this course about you?” When students feel free to express their opinions, they thrive.

Take away: Alternative education gives the mic to the students.

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HEY, TEACH! FALL 2015

Question Three: Are there snacks today?

While I was working with an afterschool program that targets at-risk neighborhoods, this question was a popular one, followed by the question of “What type of snacks are there today?”

This in low socio-economic school was known to serve cheap, sugary desserts, which meant that having access to healthy food was problematic. The afterschool program purposely supplied healthy snacks in order to mitigate the impact of the unhealthy desserts and their negative effect on learning.

Take away: Alternative education looks beyond the obvious issues of inequality in education and actively takes on issues of accessibility. ■

An Education Countless hours sitting in cramped lecture halls.

Pouring over stacks of textbooks.

Constructing well-crafted papers.

Sleepless nights spent studying.

Reading through pages of theories.

Dreaming about applying them.

Moments of questioning it all, wondering what it’s all for. *** And then it’s put into practice.

Venture out into the real world and apply all that you have been working so diligently towards.

See the concepts come to life.

The theory becomes reality, every notion plays out in real time.

The end goal is no longer just a goal; it’s life. *** Good morning class.

A room filled with innocent young children.

Their minds are pure, ready to absorb all the information put before them.

They view the world with a perspective so fresh and untainted, it is exhilarating.

They look up to you.

They value you.

They have made every tedious experience worth it.

They are the reason you went through it all.

And suddenly, it all makes sense.

Good morning, Class.

Tali Voron Year 2 English Major, Psychology and Education & Society Minor HEY, TEACH! FALL 2015

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Alternative education?

Mainstream education?

What about just education?

Maddy DeWelles Year 2 Sociology Major, Equity Studies and Education & Society Minor

When I think about alternative education, a

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lot comes to mind. I think about ‘alternative’ schools – ones that focus on perhaps the needs of high-performing athletes. I think of special education. I even think of parents who homeschool their children. When I think about alternative education, I also think about its opposite – mainstream education. I suppose when one thinks of mainstream education, thoughts of traditional classrooms come to mind: classrooms where students line up in rows and the teachers are standing at the front of the room. However, while thinking about mainstream and alternative education, I began to think a little bit deeper into what exactly constitutes our concept of “alternative” versus “mainstream” education. In other words, I thought, “What constitutes ‘normal’ in the world of teaching and learning?”

As aspiring teachers, we want the best for our students, and this means appreciating that not every student learns in the same way.

Some students may come from disadvantaged backgrounds; some students may be immigrants or refugees; some students may have exceptionalities that make learning certain concepts more difficult to grasp. In essence, I believe that the lives of our students define what ‘alternative’ education means for them. To say this more clearly, I believe that the lives of our students, the experiences they HEY, TEACH! FALL 2015

have had, the realities they face and the challenges they overcome, shape their individual needs as learners. As teachers, it is our job to discover these needs and tailor the delivery of the curriculum to our students in ways that are meaningful for them.

In many cases, this means straying away from the idea of “mainstream education.”

Of course, it is not realistic to expect that every child will have an individual education plan. It is not possible for teachers to spend equal amounts of one-on-one time with every student, every day.

What is possible, however, is to create a classroom that caters to alternative needs. This may mean having a sensory area in a grade three class for a student who needs sensory stimulation to learn best. This may mean giving students in a grade eleven math class the opportunity to choose which way they want to be assessed. This may mean having a ‘participation box’ for students to write down their questions and comments, instead of having to speak out in class. It may mean giving extensions to a student who has to work thirty hours a week to help support her family.

Essentially, alternative education should not be considered a separate entity from mainstream education. I believe that a mentality that distinguishes between mainstream and alternative has the potential to segregate our students, ultimately infringing upon their potential to experience success and self-actualization. Rather than classifying types of education, education itself should necessitate variety. It should encompass numerous ways of learning, teaching, and experiencing success. As teachers, we want what is best for our students. As teachers, it is up to us to create the methods and environments in which all students will thrive and, most importantly, feel appreciated, respected, and loved. ■

Private Schools Are Not the Problem

D epending on how your education turned out, private schools can be a source of pride or an embarrassing thing to admit to your peers. Let’s be honest, when kids mention that they went to private school, all kinds of preconceived

notions begin forming in our heads. Do they fit the private school stereotype, and how much money does their family have in order to give them that kind of education? Regardless of the stereotypes about the kids themselves (the ones I’ve met have been lovely), the discussion about whether or not these schools should exist in the first place is rife with controversy.

Put simply, I do not have a problem with private schools. I think private schools allow for the creation of faith schools without demanding that the funds be taken out of taxpayers’ money, the obvious exception being the TCDSB. In fact, some argue that the TCDSB should be privatized in the same way that other religious schools are not in the privileged position of being publicly funded. While this may seem like an argument for a different debate, I believe that the issues are closely related. If we are to eradicate private education, where does that leave the schools of different religious faiths? Should our tax money go to all of them? Or do we remove faith schools entirely? And this is just with schools specializing in religion. What about the schools that offer alternative pedagogy or specialize in certain skills? In my opinion, the removal of private schools would open up a whole new set of problems and conflicts.

I believe we should leave private schools alone and focus on public schools. When it comes to technology, my high school was awarded an entire lab of iMacs for demonstrating great work in our Communication Technologies class. It seems like the solution lies not in banning private schools, but in inspiring classrooms. Whether we like it or not, the TDSB and the TCDSB are not going to give resources to a school that they do not think is going to put them to good use. As educators, our role in this is crucial. When we empower our students and create an engaging environment, we impact the kinds of resources our schools are going to receive. Private schools are exactly that: private. They have no reason to concern themselves with the public board and vice versa. Regardless of where you teach, make an effort to be the most inspiring teacher you can be, and you will see positive results!

- Nadia Pasta, Year 2, English Major, History and Education & Society Minor

Private Schools ARE the Problem

F or all of middle and high school, I attended a private school in downtown Toronto. I am without a doubt grateful for the education I received and the resources that were at my disposal. However, over the years I have begun to see the

inequality these schools perpetuate. Having the option of paying to give your child a more enriching education than other students is an issue of social justice.

To create a private school, a great deal of resources are required. The first private schools in Ontario were for the children of wealthy Protestant colonists to prepare students for entrance into the ruling elite. These schools, exclusive by design, enabled powerful white Europeans to maintain control over colonies and were crucial in establishing racist infrastructure in Canada like residential schools. The absence of black and indigenous students that I continue to witness in Toronto private schools are living evidence of colonialism.

Although some newer private schools like the Jewish high schools my parents considered sending me to offer specific students greater religious freedom, it is interesting to see which groups can afford to establish fully certified faith schools. If any argument is to be made for faith schools, it is only fair if all faiths are represented, not just those with the means to be. It also becomes difficult to justify having only publicly-funded Catholic schools while other faiths do not receive the same support.

What these types of arguments fail to address however, is that students should not have to pay for total freedom of religion or for alternative classrooms to meet their specific needs. If we believe that education is a right, pedagogy that engages students who are uncomfortable or unable to function in a mainstream classroom should not be a luxury.

As teachers, how can we justify providing these resources only students from certain communities and who can afford to pay?

The inequality caused by private schools affects all of us. If the students of private schools are given such a disproportionately high amount of attention in class, they enter post-secondary schools and the workforce with a set of privileges. Often these students also build networks and are able to rely on family or school prestige to become financially successful. When generations remain in this cycle of private education and affluence while students who cannot afford or have been traditionally barred from applying to private schools are excluded, the divide between the most privileged students and the rest of the population grows.

Many of my peers were entirely out of touch with the realities students in public schools across Ontario face.

They were unable to empathise with the struggles of others, and social conservatism was commonplace. When students feel entitled to the privileges they have thanks to their parents or private school education, it can be a scary thing. Many of them go through life believing they have worked hard to earn what they have achieved on their own, and conversely, that those who are struggling simply have not worked hard enough. These schools shelter students and allow prejudice to propagate unchallenged. If we as educators believe that the role of a school is to prepare students to be socially responsible global citizens, I suggest we take a long look at the part private schools play.

- Benjamin Swadron, Year 1, Vic One Ryerson Stream

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strongly believe that children should each have an individualized education plan that is unique to their learning and development. There is a wide variety of educational alternatives of which parents are often unaware. Parents are familiar with the traditional public school and private Montessori schools, but can be oblivious to the vast educational alternatives that exist within and beyond those two sectors.

Shared Experience Exploration and Discovery (SEED) is Canada’s oldest public alternative high school. This school invites students in grades 11 and 12 to explore a small class learning environment where they can voice their opinions in development of course content and evaluation. Since 1968, SEED has established an environment characterized by values of equity, diversity and flexibility, which creates a welcoming and inviting learning space for all students. Promotion of these values is visible in groups like the Young Women’s Empowerment Group and Queer Straight Alliance, and in events such as International Film Nights and the annual Prom, just to name a few. SEED takes a student-centered learning approach and allows students to balance their individuality with their community.

What is unique to this school is their combination of short and long classes. Their school day typically starts at 10am on Mondays to Thursdays, and 10:30 on Fridays. Adolescents are known to have biological clocks that keep them up later at night and sleeping later in the morning.. Late start times acknowledge the importance of sleep and growth in in adolescent development and further facilitates learning by making possible adequate sleep. To further assist, SEED also offers nutritional programs that reinforce the school’s vision of studentcentered learning and cater to the best interests of adolescents.

Similar to a traditional high school but with smaller class sizes, SEED offers a variety of OAC courses ranging from mathematics to visual arts. I strongly believe that students become more aware of their potential and develop a better understanding of themselves when they are placed in smaller classroom environments. There are various alternative schools scattered across Toronto that cater to the varying needs of students. Each alternative school holds passion for education at its core and strives for student success. Moving in the direction of smaller classrooms and student-centered learning is a pathway to success for students. ■

SEED: An Educational Alternative Saranja Neelananthasivam Year 2 History and Equity Major, Education & Society Minor

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HEY, TEACH! FALL 2015

As future educators, when you hear the words ‘Alternative Education’ what crosses your mind? Do you

believe students in alternative schools are receiving a more valuable education in comparison to students who attend public schools? Do both schools offer the same quality of education? These are common questions that constantly cross my mind in regards to alternative education and the standardized public system.

Alternative schools provide a variety of different specialized educational programs, including schools for certain religions, class, gender or schools that practice new and innovative teaching methods. Public schools on the other hand, follow a standardized curriculum.

Based on my past experiences, I personally feel that I benefited more from the public school system in comparison to alternative education. Growing up, I had the opportunity to attend a Catholic elementary school. The foundation of my school was based primarily on religion; therefore, I was raised to believe in the Catholic faith. I am very fortunate to have learned many valuable life lessons from my experience in an alternative school, but entering a public high school allowed me to gain perspective. Public school opened my eyes to new knowledge regarding many different religions, beliefs, scientific theories and diversity that I was not exposed to in elementary school. In my opinion, Catholic school sheltered me from learning material beyond Catholic beliefs.

Although my experiences at an alternative school were not as beneficial as they were in the public school system, many students may feel differently based on their own experiences. Regardless of whether you are a future teacher at an alternative school or a public school, the purpose of teaching remains the same.

After all, education needs to provide students with the gift of knowledge, experience, and a sense of community, which ultimately, creates the whole person. ■

Alternative Education Nicole Pereira Year 5 CTEP

Rose-Marie Spada History Major, Sociology and Education & Society Minor

Reap the Rewards!

Alternative education for our students can be critical in providing diverse and unique supports

for them in order to allow for their growth and success; but what about alternative education opportunities for ourselves as pre-service teachers? Our experience and practice should be just as, if not more, diversified. Our ability to teach all students requires experience working with a range of students, with a range of abilities, in a range of different settings. Limiting our education to only traditional classrooms in communities that we are comfortable in robs us of the experience of feeling foreign, forcing ourselves to adapt, and of the incredible world of diverse learners that we could potentially have the pleasure of educating and learning from.

I have personally had the privilege of having a non-traditional teaching experience, spending the first semester of my final year teaching in Beijing, China. Opportunities to teach and study abroad are plenty, and the chance to travel while you learn is one I am surprised more people do not take advantage of throughout their university careers. We can teach on remote islands, spend afternoons by the sea in tropical climates, explore cultures and communities that we know nothing about, and return home with a wealth of knowledge and a heart full of appreciation for the brilliant diversity that our world has to offer. The comfort zone is a terrible place that deprives us of the joys that the world has to offer. Do something different, and I assure you that your future students will thank you for it later. Take a risk, and reap the bountiful rewards. ■ HEY, TEACH! FALL 2015 12

Michelle Brooks Year 4 Biodiversity and Conservation Biology Major, Psychology and Education & Society Minor

Alternative education has often grown out of a

demand to meet a new or pressing need within our society. Over time, society’s goals for its young people change so the education system is pressured to change.

However, before the cumbersome public school system can change, privately-funded alternative schools are much more likely to. Alternative education programs are often created to provide children with social, moral or spiritual values that some believe are lacking in the world at large.

Progressive and new alternative programs for students make it possible for some of these ideas from alternative schools to make their way into traditional schools. Alternative education consistently expands our interpretation of what a good education is. However, teachers can incorporate these ideas into their classrooms even if they have not yet been introduced into the official curriculum.

Over the last few years, there have been

initiatives to add mindfulness into the public school curriculum. Many positive psychology theories such as this one have already been implemented into alternative schools. For example, our society has become more concerned with the lack of awareness for depression and support for young people who are stressed. The new MindUP program implemented by the TDSB encourages teachers and students to practice mindfulness and meditation strategies in the classroom daily to improve their mental health. Not only do the students learn how to meditate and calm down between classes, but they also learn about the psychology behind what they are doing and how it helps.

Last year, I did my placement in a grade one classroom. My host teacher had the students practice mindfulness by doing an interesting activity. Students were each given a piece of paper which they folded in half. Then they were told to draw as well as write how they felt at that very moment onto the front flap. For example, some students wrote that they were tired or bored or upset or calm. Next the students were told to open up the folded paper and to draw a picture of their happiest memory inside on the full sheet of the paper. Some students drew a favourite birthday party, or a special moment with a grandparent while others drew a picture of a vacation they had taken with their families. The students were then asked to share their happy pictures or memories with each other. Lastly,

Implementing Ideas from Alternative Education into the Regular Curriculum

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the students were told to fold their papers back up and draw how they now felt on the back flap. Many of the students’ emotions had changed, and most of them felt happier than before. They realized that when they feel upset, they can use this technique to cheer themselves up. They learned to acknowledge how they feel and to recall a happier memory, which could make them feel better. This technique also helps students to understand why they may feel a certain way and to control their emotions more effectively. The MindUP program gives teachers the opportunity to integrate alternative education approaches focusing on mental health specifically within the mainstream public school system. This evidently has positive consequences for their students.

Many alternative schools, like the Waldorf Alternative School, currently focus on the conservation of the environment and using natural materials to learn.

Currently, we have a real need for sustainable living.

Just because raising environmentally-friendly children is a value of many alternative schools, does not mean that teachers teaching the regular school program cannot incorporate this goal into their lessons as well.

The Ontario curriculum for Science has changed over the last decade to provide teachers with many opportunities to introduce students to conservation and biodiversity exploitation to students studying the regular science program. For example, when I completed my placement in a grade one classroom, I was asked to teach a lesson on habitats. I chose to have my students make dioramas of four different habitats they had learned about. They had to make the animal that would live there, the food it would eat, as well as the surrounding area it lived in. The students made four separate dioramas that were then combined together so that we could draw connections between them. The students did not just learn about habitats separately, but they also learned about how they related to one another and were connected. The activity built on their prior knowledge and reviewed what they had already learned. I encouraged the students to make connections and to tie their understanding of adaption, extinction, predators, prey, food chains and sustainability together in one activity. We were able to emphasize the effects of human interaction on different habitats and the responsibility we have as humans to be aware of what we do to the planet.

One of the four habitats we created was the human habitat. The other three we chose to do were up to the students, some made a bird nest, some made a beaver lodge, others made a fish in water. Once they were done, the four habitat diagrams were connected together by being stapled next to each other in a circle.

I then had the students move their human figure or one of their other animal figures to a neighbouring habitat

and explain how this invasive species would affect the animal already in the habitat. By the end of the lesson, the students were able to draw connections between the habitats by pointing out what is similar between the habitats and what is different. They were able to move the animal figures to a neighbouring habitat and explain what may happen when an animal migrates or is displaced and explain adaption or extinction.

They understood that many humans and other animals often share habitats, and that human activity can greatly influence other animals and their food chains as well as our own. I then asked the class about what could happen in the real world when humans create migration barriers or move invasive species into habitats; and then, I encouraged the students to hypothesize about what they thought would happen.

As the aforementioned example shows, alternative education can help teachers to be more progressive in their lesson planning. Teachers can take ideas that they see in alternative schools and then modify them to teach their own students about pressing issues or challenges we face together in society and in the regular school program. Alternative schools often possess useful ideas that have been experimented on in classrooms already. This means it is easier for teachers to transfer and implement these new ideas into the regular Ontario School Curriculum. â–

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This issue’s feature interviewee is Dr. Jack Miller from Curriculum, Teaching and Learning and the Centre for Teacher Education and Development departments in OISE. As a researcher and educator, his interests lie in holistic education. He shares with us his beliefs about holistic education and alternative education as an umbrella term. He encourages us to welcome holistic education into our classrooms in order to educate our students about themselves and about the world.

Feature Interview with

Dr. Jack Miller, Professor with the Department of Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning at OISE

Interview conducted by:

Samantha King Year 2 Sociology Major, English and Education & Society Minor

Rija Saleem Year 2 History Major, Education & Society Minor

Q: How would you define alternative education? schools.

Alternative education is an umbrella term.

It defines forms of education outside of publically funded education. It spans a huge range from homeschooling to private schools with a religious focus, so it consists of many different types of education. In the Toronto board, a public board, there are alternative schools. Parents or teachers can apply to develop an alternative school and there are at least 10 alternative schools in Toronto.

However, the Toronto District School Board is unusual in that I don’t think most boards are as accommodating about developing alternative

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Q: Is holistic education a form of alternative education and how is it different from traditional education?

Holistic education is not necessarily a form of alternative education. I think generally people still do consider it a form of alternative education because it is not part of the mainstream. It is different from traditional education in the sense that traditional education mainly focuses on the intellect or basic skills and does not make an effort to educate the whole child as holistic education does.

If we take Montessori education, for example, it is a form of holistic education and it is an alternative form of education because it exists outside the public system, but that does not necessarily mean holistic education is alternative education. There are teachers within the public system who employ holistic teaching methods.

You can’t say holistic education is necessarily alternative education because it does happen within public education.

Q: What about alternative education interests you specifically?

I’m interested in how the public school system can expand the kinds of education that it offers. It tends to be too much focused around testing and accountability, which limits the kinds of education you can do. I’m interested in alternative education that offers a broader approach to education, a more diverse approach than the current one we have in public schools.

Q: Do you think that public schools should embrace more holistic forms of teaching? Why (or why not)? Do you have any suggestions as to how public schools could go about this?

If we believe that we should educate the whole child then that is what I think public schools should be doing. I think it is problematic to focus on one aspect of the human being, e.g. the intellect, which is what schools are doing right now. In terms of how to go about doing this, I think there are different ways. One is to encourage teachers to use more holistic methods. My book Teaching from the Thinking Heart contains 22 articles by teachers, mostly in public schools, who are using holistic education approaches within the classroom. The other is to have a school specifically set up that has a holistic focus. In Toronto that is the Equinox Holistic Alternative School. It definitely broadens the conception of what schooling should do. It is moving away from just the focus on developing literacy and numeracy to developing the whole human being.

Q: Would downsizing classrooms help allow more holistic forms of education to occur?

I think it is helpful when class sizes are smaller, but I think you can still do holistic education in a variety of settings.

Q: How does holistic education teach children about themselves in relation to the world?

One of the main aspects of holistic education is this concept of interdependence or interconnection, which comes from our understanding of ecology. It is about relationship, all kinds of relationships. It is trying to have the child see that they are in relationship. They are in relationship with the earth and to each other, and to different kinds of knowledge…. seeing themselves not as isolated. With all the focus on tests, the emphasis is on individual achievement, not seeing themselves in relationship. And this is very problematic. It fosters a very competitive self-interest, and this goes on all the way through the system even into university.

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Q: How early should holistic education be There can be a place for paper and pencil implemented and do you have any suggestions tests and different kinds of assessments. The for what parents could do at home with young person who really understands what is happening children? to the child is the teacher. Seeing how the child develops every day provides the best way to see

It should be given in preschool and go all what the child needs. the way through. Generally, kindergarten has been the most holistic, because in kindergarten Holistic education often recommends the it is usually about the development of the child use of portfolios filled with the child’s writing and making sure the children are happy. A lot of and artwork so you can see the whole range of the childhood educators talk about how play is the kind of work the student is doing. I don’t think child’s work - even the current Ontario policy is there should be grades in elementary schools.

Play Based Learning. So I think there is a holistic Portfolios show you how the child is doing and approach in kindergarten, but I think the farther physically demonstrate his or her growth. Grades you go up in education, the less holistic things are meaningless unless you can actually see what become. Standardized testing becomes more the child has done. predominant as you go through and that restricts what you can do holistically.

Q: There is often a need for teachers to teach for standardized tests. Do standardized tests need to

Parents can help by being attentive to their be eliminated? children. You hear so much now about how busy parents are, but the most important thing a parent In holistic education you want to use a can do is to be totally attentive, and, at the same variety of ways to see how the children are doing time, not to be a helicopter parent. Basically, and that may very well include spelling tests. So it children should be left alone to explore the world. is not like we will only use portfolios, but instead, You can’t ignore what children are doing, but there use a variety of ways to see development. is often too much control and not enough letting Testing drives the curriculum, which it the child explore the world. Children should be shouldn’t. The main purpose of testing should out in nature as much as possible, to be outdoors be diagnostic. It should show how instruction and interact with their peers. Let children have a could be improved so the child’s performance can variety of experiences. improve. Standardized testing is a very summative form of testing. It shows how a school is doing Q: How should pre-service teachers be taught compared to another school, but it isn’t helpful to about holistic education and the implementation of its principles in the classroom?

As much as possible, teacher education should be based on holistic education principles.

The teaching should be from a holistic perspective and as much as possible it should model holistic learning. You hear stories of students in teacher education programs who still have classes with professors just showing PowerPoints for three hours. This is not holistic teaching.

Q: Alternative education poses problems to standardized testing. In what ways can a student’s growth be evaluated in alternative education without the use of standardized tests?

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the teacher working with the children; however, teachers have not yet fully embraced holistic I do think it is unrealistic to expect standardized education or alternative forms of education in tests will completely disappear. the classroom?

Q: What about students who learn best with traditional teaching methods? Would it be beneficial to find a balance between traditional and alternative education methods, and if so, how? You also talk about different types of teaching in your work – transmission, transaction, and transformation. Can you elaborate on these concepts, and describe what you believe is the place for each?

Well, transmission, which is lecture, is very direct); transaction is more interactive and based around problem-solving; and transformational teaching acknowledges the inner life of the child and is more holistic. But a holistic teacher will use all three. All three have a place and why would a teacher limit herself? Teachers need to be comfortable with all these methods of teaching.

There is an enormous spectrum of freedom and control for children: you have alternative schools where students are free to come and go as they wish, and Waldorf education which is more structured. Children can flourish in either environment; it depends on who the child is. I think what’s very important to remember is that there isn’t a one-model-fits-all. It’s trying to find the right match of education for the right child.

Q: Why do you think schools, school boards and

Well, most people want education to be the way that they were taught. They see alternative forms and they don’t want their kid to be the “guinea pig” or to learn in a way they don’t understand. In addition, people from other cultures have often been taught in a very structured way, so they want their own children to learn similarly.

It also falls back to the “race to the top” mentality that is so pervasive in how our society defines education. Our culture needs to change the way we see and define education. It’s often portrayed as a Darwinian struggle of the fittest, and that’s very embedded in our culture. Holistic education does not rule out competition but the emphasis is on cooperation and developing empathy.

Q: This also relates to the fragmentation you describe in your work, especially socially – it encourages people to think selfishly and become very disconnected from those around them and the environment. It’s a hard change to bring about, because as you say, the crab mentality is still prevalent.

Definitely, yes. It’s so predominant, right?

Especially if you read any of the major newspapers, when you start reading about education, it’s that form of thinking. Comparative. Competitive.

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Q: If you could change or add something to holistic education, how would you go about doing this? You outline the three overarching aspects of holistic education, being balance, inclusion, and connection. Do you have anything to add to those ideas?

Yeah, hopefully those concepts are helpful to people. Holistic education is a very organic thing that starts with the idea that things are interconnected. As that understanding becomes deeper, holistic education naturally unfolds. The ideal is that it unfolds in that way rather than trying to impose certain concepts on people.

There is a lot of talk about how the world is interdependent, and it is taking those ideas and seeing them in an educational context. When you teach subjects in isolation, then students grow with no understanding of their relationship to the way the world is and how it relates to them. We need to get away from that approach.

Q: Can you describe a school or classroom where you have seen holistic education successfully implemented?

Yeah, there is this Equinox School in the TDSB. It is a school within a school as it is housed in Rhoden School. It is a K-8 school with 200

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students and it is now in its 7th year. They’ve made an explicit commitment to educating the whole child and highlighting connectedness in the curriculum. There is a strong emphasis on nature in that school: they start the day by going outside and getting in a circle and doing some meditation or yoga before they come inside. The kindergarten is mostly outdoors unless the weather isn’t cooperating. They have lots of projects in nature and go to surrounding places where they can explore the world.

They also have a huge focus on integrated learning where teachers integrate the subjects.

One of the teachers did a unit on salmon, and they had a salmon hatchery in the classroom with projects and maps and artwork surrounding that.

In the spring, they released the salmon into the stream. They have a ravine near the school, and they observe plant and animal life there. The arts are also important. They put on a play every year.

Every teacher in that school uses meditation, and when you go there, everyone talks about how people care for each other. There is an enormous emphasis on caring about each other, building a strong community that involves students, teachers, and parents. It boils down to humans having different tendencies, and as educators, what do we choose to nourish? If you sit down, you wonder, why do we have so much violence? Education means nurturing the entire child, making sure children grow up well and being whole. I think it goes back to believing that the child is good. As educators, we need to believe in our students, in the children. It’s about creating that community and atmosphere for students to grow in every way. ■

Ashley Harripersad Year 4 Equity Studies and Political Sciences Major

My education and learning should be about me.

So don’t squeeze me into your system and tell me how it should be.

If learning math communally is what I do best, Then maybe it is time that my needs were addressed.

Here, I have a community that understands my struggles, They appreciate the intersectionality of everything that I juggle.

I have been through the conveyor belt system, And I have seen what happens when you try to resist them.

Alternative does not begin to describe the spirit, We are here because we believed in our merit.

Some only need four years and some need a bit longer, But it is not about the destination, it is the journey that’ll make us stronger.

And if our difference is strength, Then why do we think that education for all has to be the same length?

Let me learn appropriately, effectively, and fittingly.

Can we not just show each other some respect and think about the accessibility?

My education and learning should be about me.

So please, don’t squeeze me into your system and tell me how it should be.

An Alternative Route

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ALTERNATIVE ELEMENTS in Mainstream Education

Natalie Sanchez Year 3 CTEP English Major, Sociology and Education & Society Minor

The incorporation of elements from alternative

schooling into traditional education has led to a much more diversified way of teaching and learning in the classroom. Before this shift, mainstream classrooms tended to rely on traditional models of teaching and learning, such as “teacher-as-leader,” with little class discussion. Although these traditional techniques are important in education, they do have their limitations. For example, exclusive and strict use of a “teacher-as-leader” model does not give students much agency in their learning; here, the teacher acts as a transmitter of knowledge, rather than the students actively participating in their education. Incorporating non-traditional methods of teaching and learning into traditional education helps fill in the gaps that traditional education creates. As well, alternative methods provide great aids for the consideration of students with differing educational needs and learning styles. A good example of alternative mixed with

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traditional education would be the use of the Harkness table method. Developed by Edward Harkness in 1930, this method aims to encourage students to engage in focused discussion with their peers through seating at a large oval table, rather than using the traditional arrangement of separate desks. The teacher acts as facilitator, only stepping in occasionally to clear up concepts and inaccuracies, and to help students move from topic to topic (Mullgardt 2008). This method teaches accountability, encouraging students to come prepared to class and ready to participate in the day’s lesson.

The Harkness method has been used in some of my previous classrooms, both in university and throughout elementary and secondary school, as well as within my elementary classroom placements. I have found this method extremely helpful when participating in class discussions: the organic flow of ideas that occurred each time provided fantastic insight into the topic and encouraged contribution by all individuals, including shy students. Although most of my experience with the Harkness method comes from university, I believe it is a valuable technique for use in elementary school as well. Some may consider the Harkness method impractical for full-time use because it requires a special physical set-up that many classrooms do not have room for, and it may not be as effective in teaching some subjects such as mathematics. However, the

Harkness method can definitely be incorporated into student learning, even if some adjustments in its practice become necessary. In my current placement, for example, the host teacher, student teacher, and I incorporated the Harkness method in a class reading and discussion about a children’s book that gives a fictional account of a young First Nation boy’s first contact with Europeans. The main character had a nightmare about first contact before the Europeans arrived on the land, and was ignored when he tried to warn his community because he was only a young child. In this discussion, we asked the students to tell us what they thought about the story, why this topic is important, and if they had ever felt like the boy in the story, to whom nobody listened because of his age. The students were engaged in the discussion, drawing on previous things they had learned and their personal experiences and feelings. With encouragement, the students made connections with the ideas of mindfulness and human rights, which are important ongoing themes in that classroom.

The incorporation of alternative methods of teaching into traditional education can help enrich the quality of student learning and the education students receive. The Harkness table method is just one of many ways this can be achieved.

Using more play-based learning, for example, or even rearranging the furniture to create a more open space can help educators achieve a balance of traditional and alternative teaching techniques and have a tremendous impact on student

learning. Although full implementation may not be possible for most classrooms, a teacher can still try using some elements of alternative methods in the classroom and see if they are compatible with his/her teaching style. For example, the setup of the previously mentioned classroom is consistent with a traditional model, with rows of desks facing the teacher, so we improvised a large table by pushing the desks together and seating students around the formation, allowing them to face each other as they engaged in discussion. Incorporating alternative elements into traditional education can greatly appeal to and enhance student learning. ■ References

“Harkness History.” Phillips Exeter Academy. Retrieved from http://www.exeter.edu/ admissions/109_1220_11688.aspx

Mullgardt, B. (2008). “Introducing and Using the Discussion (AKA, Harkness) Table.”

National Association of Independent Schools.

Retrieved from http://www.nais.org/MagazinesNewsletters/ITMagazine/Pages/Introducing-andUsing-the-Discussion-%28AKA-Harkness%29Table.aspx

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In the previous issue of Hey, Teach!, “Teaching and

Technology” (Volume 6, Issue 2), I suggested that technology in the classroom benefits introverted students as it does not pressure them to conform to the standards of others. This is true; however, there needs to be a balance. In the traditional school system, students are bombarded with technology.

At this rate, technology will no longer empower introverted students and instead will lead to a disconnect. By limiting the influence of technology on everyday schooling, Waldorf schools maintain a level of connection that I believe is necessary for empathy.

One of the primary purposes of schooling has been socialization. Rather than perpetuating a narcissistic culture, Waldorf schools provide an alternative philosophy of education centered on empathy and connection. At the surface level, this is not immediately apparent to news anchors I have watched, who instead marvel at the idea of a school day free of technology and focus on play.

While a focus on play is a significant component of education in Waldorf schools, its aim is not to promote play over technology, but rather to foster social connection and empathy.

Why is Empathy so ‘Alternative’?

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Conversely, in accordance with Pajak (2011), the education policies of traditional schooling are becoming increasingly narcissistic: … A Nation at Risk and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001…promote the notion that high standardized test scores for all children are the only legitimate indicator of success in school. Ideal images of perfection are embodied in neatly defined academic standards… Forcing students and teachers to demonstrate higher achievement without consideration of the challenges that students and teachers face serves mainly to prop up fantasies of omnipotence and omniscience among reform-minded scholars, policy makers, and politicians… The delusional quality of narcissistic expectations for perfection is most concretely evident in No Child Left Behind’s unreasonable requirement that every student, teacher, and school meet the same levels of performance. This delusion is also reflected in the insidiously impossible 2014 deadline for all students to be [at the same level of] proficien[cy] in reading and mathematics despite any differences among them in socioeconomic level, disability, or English proficiency (pp. 2026).

Mehak Jamil Year 3 English Major, Psychology and Education & Society Minors

In order to elaborate on this, I will employ a section from my own Philosophy of Teaching:

status, do not have. Empathy is not a priority for (physical) survival. (Jamil, M., 2015)

This is why, if it is easy enough for me to learn basic words and phrases, I greet my ESL students and ask them how they are, not in English, but in their mother tongues. I try to communicate this open, non-judgemental attitude to my students in such a way that shows them that they too have something of value to teach me. This is an affirmation of their identities, and it also communicates that the nature of knowledge is partial.

Employing empathy in this way allows us not only to connect with our students but to learn something new ourselves. Davis et al (2015, pp. 16) introduce the idea of two types of knowledge: connaitre et savoir. Empathy is the entity which brings forth the necessity for these two types of ‘knowledge’. Empathy calls forth an ebb and flow of intimate connectedness and familiarity with a student (connaissance) as we teach mechanical skills and the ‘know-how’ (savoir-faire) of a subject. This, however, is only a start to a greater, more cultural problem in traditional schooling (Jamil, M., 2015).

If this is what our culture needs, then why are Waldorf schools so ‘alternative’? Why isn’t empathy at the forefront of educational reform?

References

Davis, B., Summara, D., Luce-Kapler, R. (2015). Engaging Minds: Cultures of Education and Practices of Teaching. New York: Routledge.

Jamil, M. (2015). Empathy: A Critical Component to Good Teaching. Unpublished Philosophy of Teaching Statement.

Pajak, E. (2011). Cultural Narcissism and Education Reform. Teachers College Record, 113(9), 2018 – 2046.

Palmer, P. (1998). Teaching From Within.

The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

These teaching approaches may be momentarily comforting to students, but they do not do much in terms of educational reform.

Teaching practices that employ empathy must be supported by education policies that do not lean toward narcissism.

Our cultural deficit of empathy informs our language. Davis et al (2015, pp. 16) note that English is one of few Western languages that does not distinguish the difference between connaître et savoir, and Palmer (1998) realizes that this is because, “in our culture…reality and power reside in the external world of objects and events and in the sciences that study that world, while the inner realm of the heart is a romantic fantasy…” (pp. 20).

According to Palmer, knowledge, in our culture, has become a ‘thing’, a means to an end. Canada, as a multicultural nation, has a fragmented culture based on immigration and immigrants’ need to focus on the material world of finances and financial security.

Focusing on issues of the heart, such as empathy, is a privilege that many immigrant families, and families of low socioeconomic HEY, TEACH! FALL 2015

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If I were one of Santa’s reindeer, I would naturally be Rudolph because when I have a cold in the winter my nose gets really red.

Melody Barclay My favourite teaching supply is the red pen; it makes everything you mark look important and official.

Michelle Brooks Education is like a really strange movie, the ones you only start to like when you get it.

Taylor Cenac

If I were an animal, I would be a panda because pandas make the world a better place.

Jessica Concepcion My favourite teaching supply is a chalk-holder, it really changes the game of writing on the board.

Ashley Harripersad If I were an animal, I would be a cat - dry and sassy, but I still love you.

Mehak Jamil

FINAL THOUGHTS

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If I were a piece of cheese, I would be Havarti.

Samantha King

My favourite place is the top of any mountain.

Elizabeth Parker

My favourite teaching supply is #tbt overhead projector (the clear sheets you can write on).

Sydney Lang

Education is like flour, it helps you rise!

Nikta Sadati

My favourite day of the week is Friday!

Marissa Mark

Education is like the ocean. The deeper you go, the more history and knowledge you uncover.

Natalie Sanchez

If I had a superpower, it would be to communicate with animals.

Tal Oren

One day, I will be an inspiring teacher who makes a difference.

Rosie Spada

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Education is like sculpting: the more you chisel away at the mind, the more detailed we become as beings; the little nuances we hadn’t understood before are exposed and combined in the mind to produce something new, exciting, and possibly, groundbreaking.

Chelsea Spagnolo The best thing I ever bought was a colour coordinated agenda.

Amanda Squillace

Education is like a key that opens a portal to the world.

Vittoria Tesoro If I were a piece of cheese, I would be goat cheese.

Agatha Ulewicz One thing I could never live without is amazingly terribad 80s synthpop. It is my everything.

“Doop boop doop... You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar...”

Brittany Yuen

FROM THE TEAM Hey, Teach! Magazine is a student-run publication operating out of Victoria College in the University of Toronto.

We’re a semi-annual magazine, publishing issues in the fall and spring of the school year. We focus on current issues pertaining to education.

If you’re interested in finding out more or getting involved with the magazine, you can find us online at www.heyteachvictoriacollege.wordpress.com.

Our past and current issues can also be read online in .pdf format.

To contact us, please visit the website listed above or send us an email at heyteach@utoronto.ca! We’re always open to article submissions and feedback; we’d love to hear what you have to say!

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The staff of Hey, Teach! magazine extend their deepest gratitude to Victoria College Faculty Advisor Professor Sheila Cook, Victoria College Program Liaison Officer Pavi Chandrasegaram, and VUSAC. Thank you for your ongoing help and support.