@OECTA - December 2013

december 2013 In this issue...

I New resources for Kindergarten I Mental health and the soul of teaching I Interview with teacher/author Anthony de Sa I OT hiring – the wild west

www.oecta.on.ca

December 2013 | @ OECTA 1

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

We’ve finally seen the legislation establishing provincial bargaining that the Liberals promised in 2012. Education Minister Liz Sandals introduced Bill 122, The School Boards Collective Bargaining Act, 2013 on October 22. The ministry had been keeping OECTA up-to-date on development of the bill so it held few surprises. That does not mean we have no serious concerns, for example, with the limitations on arbitrations.

James Ryan On the positive side, while OECTA remains firmly committed to the primacy of local negotiations, it will be somewhat of a relief to work within a codified provincial bargaining structure instead of the making-it-up-as-we-go-along processes we’ve experienced since 2005.

Too often, the whims of the government or the minister of the day have determined how talks would proceed provincially. This ad hoc approach coupled with the frequent refusal by the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association (OCSTA) to compromise meant that two of our three experiences with provincial level “agreements” (in 2005 and 2012) resulted in prolonged local struggles over implementation. If Bill 122 becomes law, OCSTA will sit on the employer side of the table with the government and all boards will be compelled to abide by any provincial agreement.

The flip side of that coin is the status to be accorded the trustees’ organizations, the financial help they will receive from the province to support their provincial bargaining efforts and the possibility OCSTA and the government will be playing with a stacked deck with inside information about finances. That’s why the Association will insist as a condition of any talks that our negotiators have the same data as the employers, so that they have no unfair advantage.

Throughout consultations OECTA recommended a number of provisions that found their way into Bill 122, for example, maintaining the right to strike at both provincial and local levels. Right wing commentators are already bemoaning the government’s failure to declare teaching an essential service.

In this light OECTA could be forgiven for a certain wariness as we move into a new era in teachers’ collective bargaining. At the moment only one thing is certain. This AsFollow me sociation will continue to do everything in its @OECTAPrez power at all tables to defend the interests of its members.

Read OECTA’s summary on Bill 122 at www.oecta.on.ca in the Members’ Centre under Collective Bargaining Updates.

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HIGHLIGHTS

OECTA at the United Nations Ann Hawkins, OECTA’s first vice-president, has been appointed to the steering committee for the UN Commission on the Status of Women. She will be helping to organize the Canadian labour movement’s lobbying of Canadian and international delegates on the UN’s Status of Women committee. As part of her role, she will be attending the UN conference in March 2014.

Catholic Teachers Light Up Nuit Blanche John Notten, an art teacher at Mary Ward CSS in Scarborough, had another stunning art installation at Nuit Blanche this past October. Entitled Shrine (right), John used garbage bins to create an impressive gothic cathedral, which visitors could walk through, complete with stained glass windows and candlelight. “The insatiable appetite for and the mass consumption of meaningless objects, first treasured and then discarded, forms the basis for a dialogue about our need to worship,” John said about Shrine.

OFL Honours OECTA member Brenda Carrigan has been honoured by the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) with a 2013 Labour Honour Roll Scholarship in her name. A long-time leader and defender of members’ rights, Brenda retired from her position as an executive assistant and head of the Contract Services Department at OECTA Provincial Office in 2006, after more than 30 years spent in teaching, social justice and union advocacy.

The Doors of Hope installation (below) offered a beautiful commentary on the universal power of charity and the meaning of hope within our Catholic communities. The exhibit was organized by OECTA members Maria Tavares and John Notten, on behalf of the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Toronto. Hundreds of Catholic students from 53 schools in Toronto, Durham, Dufferin-Peel and York Region Catholic district school boards, painted 140 doors to celebrate 100 years of Catholic Charities of Toronto.

OECTA hosts international visitors In September, John O’Dowd, the education minister for Northern Ireland (www.deni.gov.uk/index) met with OECTA president James Ryan and members of the Provincial Office staff to discuss the success of Ontario’s educational system. The minister was particularly interested in how Ontario has narrowed the achievement gap between high- and low-income students.

A delegation of 25 principals and one teacher from elementary schools across Russia visited Provincial Office on October 25. OTF president and OECTA table officer Julie Pauletig and Rhonda Kimberley-Young, OTF secretary-treasurer, provided an overview of Ontario’s education system and the OTF structure.

Secretariat members Susan Perry, Claire Laughlin and Lyn Vause gave a presentation on the full-day Early Learning Kindergarten Program, including the teacher/ECE team dynamic, and inquiry based/ playbased learning.

Chris Watt, federal secretary and John Quessy, general secretary, New South Wales from the Independent Education Union of Australia (IEUA) spent time in early November with the Provincial Executive, OECTA staff, and the Council of Presidents. IEUA represents approximately 72,000 members (Catholic and non-Catholic) in Australia’s non-government schools. www.ieu.org.au View the photos taken with our international visitors on OECTA’s Facebook page, in our photo gallery.

Cover artwork – 2013 Christmas Card contest winner!

Congratulations to Joanne Mantha-McConnell from Huron-Superior Unit who had the winning entry in the 2013 OECTA Christmas Card contest, organized by the provincial Communications and Public Relations Committee. Consider entering your original artwork in next year’s contest. See contest details for 2014 on page 4.

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calendar @OECTA

Design the 2014 OECTA Christmas card!

We are looking for great Christmas-themed art from OECTA members to use on our 2014 Christmas card. Submit your original piece of art by April 30, 2014. All entries must be two-dimensional finished art, whether a photograph, sketch, collage, painting, etc. Send your entry to the attention of Michelle Despault, Director of Communications, OECTA, 65 St. Clair Ave. E., Suite 400, Toronto, ON M4T 2Y8. Be sure to include your contact information with your entry.

Beginning Teachers Conference 2014 Bullying: Stepping Up to the Challenge is the theme of the conference February 21–22, 2014, at the Sheraton Parkway Hotel in Richmond Hill. Teachers in their first five years will hear keynote speakers Dr. Alex Russell, a clinical psychologist, co-author of Drop the Worry Ball and Kerri Lyn Courtney, 2013 recipient of the OTIP/OTF Teaching Award for Excellence, Beginning Teacher category. Talk to your unit president about attending. More information and registration details at www.oecta.on.ca just what you’re looking for!

Upgrade your qualifications and salary, or add another area or subject to your portfolio.

OECTA’s AQ courses are online, and face-to-face for FSL Part I and Religious Education. The fee is $600 per course and $500 for Religious Education Part 1. Courses are recognized by the Qualifications Evaluation Council of Ontario and accredited by the Ontario College of Teachers. Spring AQ course registration opens December 4.

Celebrate the creativity of your students!

The 2014 Young Authors Awards showcase the writing talents of students in Kindergarten to Grade 12 and the teaching talents of their teachers. Categories range from poems and short stories, to plays and non-fiction in both French and English.

The deadline to submit entries to your school’s OECTA association representative is February 1, 2014, so get your students writing today! Learn more about the program and read previous winning entries at www.oecta.on.ca in the Awards section.

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december National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women December 6 Unpaid Day December 20 | Teachers and other staff working in Ontario schools will NOT be working on this day and will not be paid. When negotiating the 2012 contract, original government parameters required that in addition to a wage freeze, the teachers’ salary grid be frozen for two years with no future opportunity to buy back the grid movement. This meant grid teachers would have borne a greater share of the salary freeze. Through negotiation, OECTA was able to secure the increment movement for grid teachers. Having all teachers take December 20, 2013 as an unpaid day, allowed for movement on the grid.

Christmas Day December 25

january New Years Day January 1 Global Human Trafficking Awareness January 11 Family Literacy Day January 27

february Black History Month Family Day February 17 Beginning Teachers Conference February 21-22 Pink Shirt Day February 26 Editorial Board

Michelle Despault Communications Director

James Ryan President

Diana Thomson Associate Editor

Ann Hawkins First Vice-President

Delia Tavares Production and Advertising

Marshall Jarvis General Secretary

Adam Lemieux Writer/Researcher

David Church Deputy General Secretary

Elizabeth Price Website Administrator

Pat McKeown Executive Resource Assistant

@OECTA is published five times during the school year. Opinions and ideas expressed in @OECTA are not necessarily those of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association. @OECTA is a member of the Canadian Educational Press Association, and the Canadian Association of Labour Media. Return undelivered Canadian addresses to: Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association, 65 St. Clair Avenue East, Toronto, ON M4T 2Y8 | PHONE 416-925-2493 TOLL-FREE 1-800-268-7230 | FAX 416-925-7764 | www.oecta.on.ca Publication Mail | Agreement No. 0040062510 | Account No. 0001681016

New resources provide window on successful teacher/ECE partnership Innovative technology puts dynamic multi-media at teachers’ fingertips

By Elizabeth Price

Three new teacher resources developed

by OECTA are the first of their kind to document best practices in the full-day Kindergarten classroom. Under the title Lifting Learning, the resources showcase successful teaching relationships between teachers and early childhood educators (ECEs), and practical examples from their Kindergarten classrooms.

“These resources are different from typical textbooks in that they can be updated on a regular basis,” says Dr. Lyn Vause, a member of the Professional Development department at OECTA’s Provincial Office, and the resource project leader. “We’ve used innovative e-book technology so that the content and videos can be continually updated by teachers and the material kept fresh.”

With funding from the Knowledge Network for Applied Education Research (KNAER), which is an initiative of the Ontario Ministry of Education, the University of Toronto and the University of Western Ontario, Dr. Vause collaborated with Dr. Linda Cameron of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) to conduct interviews and surveys about the

classroom experiences of 55 Kindergarten teachers and ECEs from eight Catholic school boards in Ontario. Dr. Augusto Monk provided the technical knowledge and support for the video and iBooks.

Teachers said they want to learn from experienced teachers their strategies and best practices for working together with an ECE in Kindergarten. Teachers said they also want the leading research findings on play-based/inquiry learning and self-regulation, and the potential and capabilities of four- and five-year-olds when it comes to such topics as critical literacy, emergent curriculum, and mathematics.

Armed with an understanding of the kind of professional development that full-day Kindergarten teachers want and need to enhance their teaching skills, Dr. Vause brought in leading early learning research specialists on identified topics, who presented their findings in an online interactive setting with the teacher/ECE teams.

The results of their collaborative work are the following resources that are now available to OECTA members.

Lifting Learning – a Pedagogical Documentation Resource is a

multimedia iBook with videos and image galleries providing pedagogical documentation practices, tips and advice for assessment. It is available as an e-book through the iTunes store and as a PDF at www.oecta.on.ca in the Members’ Centre, in the Teaching Resources section. .

Lifting Learning – a Kinder Garden video series features Kindergarten

teacher Mary Day-Mauro and ECE Stephanie Pascarella, from St. Marguerite d’Youville School in Barrie. They explain how they work together to improve the growth of learning in their students, their program and their own professional knowledge.

Lifting Learning – Kindergarten Resource GUIDE is a complementary

resource to the Kinder Garden video series, which focuses on play-based learning, inquiry, planning and organizing the classroom, and assessment. It is available as an iBook through the iTunes store and as a PDF at www.oecta.on.ca in the Members’ Centre, in the Teaching Resources section.

The resources are also online in a webbased collaborative workspace hosted

by OISE. Used as an online community for the teacher and ECE teams involved in the project, it has discussion forums, presentations by early learning research specialists, and over 200 practical articles.

Full-day Kindergarten teachers who wish to access the OISE online community can contact Dr. Lyn Vause at l.vause@oecta.on.ca Elizabeth Price is the website administrator in the Communications Department at OECTA Provincial Office.

December 2013 | @ OECTA 5

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OECTA advocates for professional judgement 2007-08 OECTA identified that government initiatives

to increase test scores and hold school boards accountable for improving test scores was leading to a growing bureaucracy demanding more assessments and data.

2009 An OECTA member survey on the use of

assessment tools identifies an extensive and often indiscriminant use of diagnostic assessments.

2009-11 OECTA advocates for a pared down approach

to testing to address issues related to overuse, in pre-budget briefs, “Speak for Children” materials, and in communications with members and the public.

2011 OECTA unit presidents share concerns with

the newly elected Minister of Education, who attended the fall Council of Presidents meeting.

When teachers use their professional judgement.... student learning improves!

OECTA believes that teachers’ professional judgement and their knowledge of the curriculum and students’ learning should be used to identify growth, current progress relative to the curriculum expectations, and inform next steps for instruction. That is why OECTA negotiated into the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) recognition for teachers’ use of professional judgement in the use of diagnostic assessment.

What your collective agreement says

The Ministry will release a Program and Policy Memorandum (PPM) with respect to the effective use of diagnostic assessments.

Boards shall provide a list of pre-approved assessment tools consistent with their board improvement plan for student achievement and the Ministry PPM. Teachers shall use their professional judgment to determine which assessment and/or evaluation tool(s) from the Board list of pre-approved assessment tools is applicable, for which student(s), as well as the frequency and timing of the tool. In order to inform their instruction, teachers must utilize diagnostic assessment during the school year.

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Student learning improving under new policy “Having the flexibility to choose assessments that show my students what they ARE capable of ... not simply what they are NOT capable of, is so valuable. All assessments provide data, but showing a student how far they have progressed is always more motivating than showing them how far they have to go!”

OECTA member

What the experts are saying

“If the data aren’t helping us know our children better, or if we are so busy analyzing data that we have less time to be with the children, then we are getting sidetracked down the wrong path.” (Fullan and Hargreaves, Professional Capital, 2012, p.172) “Assessment is inherently a process of professional judgement. The first principle is that professional judgement is the foundation for assessment and, as such, is needed to properly understand and use all aspects of assessment.” (McMillan, James H. (2000) Fundamental assessment principles for teachers and school administrators. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation 7(8).)

2012 OECTA negotiates into the MoU the provision

to recognize teachers’ use of professional judgement for diagnostic assessments. The government issues Policy and Program Memorandum (PPM) 155 outlining for boards and teachers how diagnostic assessments and tools are to be used.

What does this mean to you?

Under the new policy, teachers determine what assessment is given to which students and when, allowing them to maximize the use of information and enhance student learning. Teachers value the information obtained from assessment when the tools are applied appropriately.

What is diagnostic assessment?

Diagnostic assessment is used to identify a student’s needs and abilities and the student’s readiness to aquire the knowledge and skills outlined in the curriculum expectations. Diagnostic assessment usually takes place at the start of a school year, term, semester, or teaching unit. (Growing Success, 2010) Diagnostic assessment is one of three types of assessment, along with formative and summative assessment, and is used by teachers in planning instruction and setting appropriate learning goals. Teachers regularly use a variety of these assessment tools to help identify student growth and inform next steps for instruction.

Why was this policy needed?

In recent years, the push by school boards for more data has led to an increase in mandated testing (diagnostic in particular), regardless of students’ needs. This has resulted in an overabundance of tests being administered, often with duplication. Other types of assessment, particularly summative, may better provide boards with the information/data they need to inform program decisions. The point is not to eliminate testing and data collection, but to ensure that the information gathered enhances student learning.

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What the heck does

speak for children... mean?

By Victoria Hunt

Teaching combined grades presents unique challenges

By Adam Lemieux

Combined grade trend likely to continue

Teaching combined grades is not a new phenomenon, however, the were often preferred by teachers, students and parents. Teachers number of combined grades in Ontario schools has been increas- can build relationships and develop more intimate knowledge of ing. According to the Ministry of Education, 45 per cent of classes individual learning styles when they have students for more than in elementary schools were combined grades in 2012-13, up from one year. Learning is reinforced as students are able to preview 36 per cent just four years prior. Declining and review the curriculum of adjacent enrolment and the hard cap on primary grades. There are mentoring opportuniAccording to the Ministry class sizes are significant contributors to ties for the older children, and maturity this situation. As well, with a reluctance to of Education, 45 per cent is encouraged among younger students. hire more staff, combined grades continue However, in order for these possibilito be a popular way for boards to manage of classes in elementary ties to be realized, teachers need the resources, particularly in rural areas and freedom and tools to develop their schools were combined small schools. As such, this trend is not teaching strategies in accordance with likely to be reversed any time soon. the particular needs of their students. grades in 2012-13, up As many members know, combined grades OECTA offers supports that can help from 36 per cent just can present some unique and formidable members to deal with their combined challenges for teachers. The Ontario educlasses and maximize the potential four years prior. cation system is preoccupied with prebenefits for all students. You will find scriptions and accountability, which OECTA’s discussion paper, which exmeans there are an incredible number of grade-specific expecta- amines the issue of teaching combined grades in the current tions to teach, track and report on. This is especially true for grades context, at www.oecta.on.ca in the Advice for Members section that are subject to EQAO testing. In a Kindergarten-Grade 1 split, of the Resource Library. The Career Development section has inthe younger and older students are learning from entirely different formation on how to request the Combined Grades PD Network curricula. On top of this, teachers of combined grades often need to Workshop for a group of teachers in your school or unit. The workspend time reassuring parents who feel that their children’s needs shop will guide you through the unique challenges related to planare being neglected. The demands in terms of planning and focus- ning, management and assessment. In addition, the Ministry has a ing attention can become overwhelming. document entitled Combined Grades: Strategies to Reach a Range of Learners in Kindergarten to Grade 6, which can be found under PubThese are serious complications that illustrate a major tension lications for Teachers at www.edu.gov.on.ca within the education system. However, as stated in OECTA’s discussion paper on combined grades, these classes are not necessar- Adam Lemieux is a writer/researcher in the Communications and ily problematic in themselves. In fact, there was a time when they Government Relations departments at OECTA Provincial Office.

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The slogan Speak for Children was developed by the creative team at Scott Thornley + Company for OECTA’s campaign during the 2003 provincial election. Our campaign objective was to urge the public to consider the needs of children when they voted in the provincial election that year.

We focused on the pressing education issues of the day: large class sizes, the need for more speciality programs, better special education funding and the crumbling state of our schools.

For the 2007 and 2011 provincial elections our campaign evolved to ask, Who speaks for children? The question asked political candidates if children’s needs were central to their party’s platforms, and it asked the public to consider which candidate’s policies best advocated for children.

The Association has continued to use the Speak for Children slogan in all its advocacy work. OECTA surveyed members and the public for their opinions about the slogan and our messages. In response, they said that people need to know that good things happen for everyone when the needs of children are a top priority. From that feedback we updated the slogan to When you speak for children....

Through our OECTAListens online survey panel, members said that the campaign’s messages must reflect their goals as educators, parents and citizens. Therefore, guided by the advice of our members, we developed When you Speak for Children…

student; learning goes beyond the basics; eliminating barriers to learning; supporting lifelong learning and protecting the common good. The booklet can be found at www.oecta.on.ca in the Issues section.

The focus on children is more than a slogan. The themes and issues we express in our campaign are central to OECTA’s lobbying objectives with the government.

Speaking for children embodies what it means to be an educator and helps define OECTA’s advocacy work. And our campaign is having an impact. It has received many accolades, including an award from BOOST, an Ontario-based organization dedicated to the prevention of child abuse.

Prioritizing the needs of students is about more than just better grades or higher graduation rates. When children are central to government decision-making, Ontario will graduate active, informed, engaged and caring citizens. That is how our economy will grow and our society will flourish.

When you speak for children… we all benefit.

Victoria Hunt is the department head of Government Relations at OECTA Provincial Office.

WHEN YOU SPEAK FOR CHILDREN...

a booklet of five research papers that articulate the Association’s position on policies affecting education and support policies that promote the common good.

The research papers cover these topics: building a solid foundation for every

December 2013 | @ OECTA 9

Teachers aid

Legal brief

Mental Health and the soul of the teacher

Teachers and the law

Practicing silence is essential for our well-being

By Charlene Theodore

By Shannon Hogan

When you hear the words ‘covert surveillance,’ what probably comes to mind is the Hollywood image of men in suits and dark glasses sitting in an unmarked van, taking photos and listening in on tapped phone lines. Would it surprise you to know that covert surveillance is being used by insurance companies who administer long-term disability (LTD) claims?

One of the great privileges and responsibilities we have as teachers in Catholic schools is to offer each other and our students a way through the complexities of life. Complexities are unavoidable, and at times, can take a tremendous toll on our physical and mental well-being. Introducing a regular habit of silence into our daily routine is a powerful tool for navigating our interior lives and our school hallways.

Silence is not a panacea, but it is a tried and true way of being, practiced throughout our religious tradition. As teachers in Catholic schools, we share a common history in ritual, prayer and contemplation. The great Catholic mystics and writers of the ages, who have shared their journeys into the depths of the soul, have two conspicuous things in common. They have all suffered greatly from times of darkness or depression, and they have all counselled that silence is essential for mental health and to repair and maintain the soul.

Thomas Merton, one of the modern mystics, wrote the following about silence: “The whole world is secretly on fire.

How can one be still, or listen to all things burning… How can one dare to sit with them, when all their silence is on fire.”

In my many years as a spiritual director, I have found the greatest fear that people have is silence – simply sitting by oneself, no one to impress, no messages to tweet, nothing more to do than just be in your own skin.

It is important to recognize the increasing conspiracy against silence that permeates our world. Consider that most teachers spend their school days immersed in perpetual noise. For me, I awake to an alarm clock and I listen to the morning news as I prepare for the day. I get into the car and listen to the road re10 @ OECTA | December 2013

ports, enter talking into the hallways and staffroom, talk all day as I am teaching, grab a quick meal as I go to coach, mentor, or monitor someone for something, get back in the car with the radio on, get home, throw out the dog, throw on Oprah, throw in a load, throw on dinner, watch Jeopardy, tell someone to go to bed, call my mother, then fall asleep watching Law and Order.

The dominant narrative in our society is that no moment can be spent alone… and silent. Most of us exist in a hectic, noisy external world, which ensures that we avoid exploring the power of silence in our lives. To paraphrase an anti-war slogan from the 1960s, “Noise is not healthy for teachers and other living things.”

As teachers, we know that our students learn more from us than the books, videos, and Internet content they are plugged into. We remember our favourite teachers, not for what they taught, but for how they taught it and because they were authentic.

The practice of silence, even a few minutes a day, can instruct us in how to be authentic, to ourselves and to our students. By practicing silence, the intentionality of our teaching becomes more evident. The invitation of silence, which I know is utterly counter-cultural, is to begin to befriend silence…or at least to know that it is a possibility in our lives.

Taking time to be silent can be a healthy counter-balance to the complexities of life, and lead to maintaining a way of being that supports our individual vision of wellness.

Shannon Hogan is a secretariat member in the Counselling and Member Services Department at OECTA Provincial Office.

Insurers sometimes conduct photographic or video surveillance of teachers on claim, as part of their ongoing LTD claim assessment process. When this surveillance is done without a claimant’s advance knowledge or consent, it is known as covert surveillance. While this may seem illegal or at least a violation of privacy rights, surveillance of insured claimants without their consent is permissible under the law. Rest assured, however, this practice is highly regulated and the courts have shown little tolerance for companies that don’t adhere to privacy guidelines.

Canada’s federal privacy legislation, Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) has regulated the practice since 2004. In 2009, Canada’s Office of the Privacy Commissioner published Guidance on Covert Video Surveillance in the Private Sector, likely in response to the increase in surveillance by private companies.

A long-term disability insurer can and will take video and audio recordings, or still photographs, of an insured teacher in a public setting. This includes activities such as going out to eat, going for a walk in a public park, or going to a medical appointment. Surveillance of your activities inside your home, in any medical facility, or any other private space is not permissible.

Insurers have a legal obligation to administer and interpret policies and claims

in good faith. This does not necessarily conflict with their right to monitor insured teachers without consent. The law recognizes the need for an insurer to verify whether an insured teacher is adhering to his or her obligations under the policy and to verify medical evidence in support of the claim. However, mere suspicion will not suffice. An insurer who undertakes surveillance without a reasonable basis, could be subject to a privacy complaint.

Teachers should be aware that presenting a realistic portrayal of the effects their illness or injury has on the activities of daily living will keep them out of hot water with their insurer. Surveillance evidence can only hurt your claim if it demonstrates the appearance of dishonesty on the part of the insured teacher. For example, a video of a teacher driving would be damaging to his or her case only if the teacher had claimed he or she absolutely could not drive.

If, however, the teacher had truthfully advised the insurer that his or her medical condition permits occasional driving for moderate distances and with rest, the surveillance evidence would be of little to no use to the insurance company.

If you’re applying for, or are currently receiving, LTD benefits, know that all medical information submitted to the insurer in support of the claim will be verified. OECTA’s insurers have a good record of only using surveillance when necessary and operate within the principles of the law. Teachers should continue to focus on their recovery, paint a realistic portrayal of their illness, follow their doctor’s recommendations and stay within their prescribed limitations.

Charlene Theodore is in-house legal counsel at OECTA Provincial Office.

A decision from the Quebec Court of Appeal underscores the serious consequences of improper use of video surveillance by insurers Mr. Veilleux had become disabled and began receiving monthly disability insurance payments from Penncorp Life Insurance in 1998. In April 1999, Penncorp terminated his coverage, prompting Mr. Veilleux to sue in response. During the trial, Penncorp tried to use their video surveillance as evidence against Mr. Veilleux. The Court determined that Penncorp never established a reasonable basis – something more than mere suspicion – to conduct the surveillance and ordered Penncorp to repay the disability payments and put Mr. Veilleux back on the LTD plan.

In 2003, Penncorp hired the same investigation company to conduct another surveillance operation on Mr. Veilleux. The surveillance operation in this instance extended to non-public places. Mr. Veilleux sued Penncorp for invasion of privacy. The court ordered Penncorp to pay Mr. Veilleux $12,500 for moral damages and $25,000 in punitive damages for invading Mr. Veilleux’s right to privacy and knowingly ignoring a ruling of the court. On appeal the damages award was increased to $125,000. * No OECTA members are insured for LTD benefits by Penncorp Life Insurance Company

December 2013 | @ OECTA 11

TEACHERS AID

Professional insight The OHSA defines workplace harassment as engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct against a worker, in a workplace – behaviour that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome.

OECTA advisor Real life situations and solutions

By Joe Pece

B

ullying has been a hot topic in education in Ontario for a number of years. Amendments have been made to the Education Act, regulations introduced and prevention programs implemented – all to address the issue of bullying among students in our schools.

As educators, we are continuously working on better ways to handle, educate and prevent bullying incidents from occurring. What is rarely addressed, however, is the issue of teachers as victims of bullying.

I often hear from teachers who are confident in their ability to educate students on the topic and manage bullying incidents involving students.

However, these same teachers often have difficulty understanding and addressing bullying directed towards them in their workplace. As teachers, we find ourselves in constant contact with students, parents, teacher colleagues, support staff and

administrators. Differences of opinion and conflict are to be expected, but behaviour that is unreasonable, offends or harms any person should not be tolerated.

Bullying typically is seen as verbal comments or actions that could ‘mentally’ hurt or isolate a person, but it can also involve negative physical contact as well. Bullying involves repeated incidents or a pattern of behaviour that is intended to intimidate, offend, degrade or humiliate a particular person or group of people. It has also been described as the assertion of power through aggression and usually involves a power imbalance between the parties.

The bullying of teachers is not addressed in the Education Act. Rather, bullying behaviours fall under the umbrella of workplace harassment and are covered under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).

Examples of bullying or harassing behaviour in the workplace: • spreading malicious rumours, gossip, or innuendo that is not true • intimidating a person • undermining or deliberately impeding a person’s work • removing areas of responsibilities without cause • constantly changing work guidelines • establishing impossible deadlines that will set up the individual to fail • withholding necessary information or purposefully giving the wrong information • assigning unreasonable duties or workload that are unfavourable to one person (in a way that creates unnecessary pressure) • criticizing a person persistently or constantly • belittling a person’s opinions • unwarranted (or undeserved) punishment • blocking applications for training, leave or promotion If you are not sure an action or statement could be considered bullying, you can use the “reasonable person” test - would most people consider the action unacceptable?

Workplace harassment can involve many of the same types of behaviours as bullying and may include: • making remarks, jokes or innuendos that demean, ridicule, intimidate, or offend; • displaying or circulating offensive pictures or materials in print or electronic form; • repeated offensive or intimidating phone calls or emails; or • inappropriate sexual touching, advances, suggestions or requests.

In 2010, the Ontario government enacted Bill 168, the Occupational Health and Safety Amendment Act (Violence and Harassment in the Workplace), which amends the OHSA to impose new obligations on employers with respect to workplace violence and harassment.

Under the new law, employers MUST implement policies and programs on both workplace violence and harassment. The policies must be posted and employers are expected to provide information to employees, including how to report incidents of workplace harassment and how the employer will investigate and address incidents or complaints of workplace harassment. Employers have a general duty to protect employees from risks at work, which can mean both physical harm and mental health.

A workplace violence prevention program must, among other things: • define what is meant by workplace bullying (or harassment or violence) in precise, concrete language; • provide clear examples of unacceptable behaviour and working conditions; • precisely state the consequences of making threats or committing acts; • outline the process by which preventive measures will be developed; • encourage reporting of all incidents of bullying or other forms of workplace violence; • outline the confidential process by which employees can report incidents and to whom; • assure no reprisals will be made against reporting employees; • outline the procedures for investigating and resolving complaints;

• describe how information about potential risks of bullying/violence will be communicated to employees; and • offer a confidential Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to allow employees with personal problems to seek help.

Employers who do not have policies and programs or who choose not to address the issue of bullying as both physical and mental harm are in violation of the Act and can incur additional “costs” to that organization.

To help you understand your rights when it comes to workplace violence and harassment, OECTA has created A teacher’s guide to the Occupational Health and Safety Act, which can be found at www.oecta. on.ca in the Contracts & Rights section under Health & Safety.

What can you do if you think you are being bullied or harassed?

If you feel that you are being harassed or bullied in your workplace, whether it is by a student, parent, colleague or administrator, there are steps that you can take to address the issue.: • If you feel comfortable approaching the person, you should firmly say that his or her behaviour is not acceptable and ask that it stop.

• It is also recommended that you keep a factual journal or diary of events including dates and times of incidents and possible witnesses.

• Print and retain any copies of letters, memos, emails, etc., that are received from the person or are material to any incidents.

• Report the harassment to the administration – they have a duty to follow-up. If you are reporting on the conduct of a teacher colleague, remember your obligations from section 18 (1)(b) – the regulation under the Teaching Profession Act “on making an adverse report on another member, furnish them with a written statement of the report at the earliest possible time and not later than three days after making the report.”

Dealing with those everyday issues

By Doug McCarthy

Lighten the load with humour Have you noticed that when you enter a school or workplace, you can easily tell whether or not that community has been graced with good humour? There is just ‘something in the air.’

When I was a young teacher, I was admonished by a very sternmannered school inspector for laughing at something that happened during a lesson. “Educating children is a serious matter,” he told me. “There is nothing to laugh about.” I believe he was half right.

Education is a serious business – and so is humour. Garrison Keillor, storyteller, humourist, and radio personality, says that humour is not a trick, or a prank, or even a joke. Humour is a presence in the world – like grace – and it shines on everyone.

Laughter increases honesty and the capacity for telling others good things. As Victor Borge says, “Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.”

Ken Blanchard, who has written many books on organizational culture, says it is possible to be a serious professional without being a solemn professional. One of his postings is entitled: Lack of Humour in the Workplace is No Laughing Matter. In it he says, “A sense of humor serves as a pressure valve that can keep you enjoying your work even when times are stressful.” Mother Teresa insisted her workers have a time set aside for laughter at the end of each day, in spite of the broken humanity they encountered regularly. She understood that when we laugh at what we endure, then our troubles assume manageable proportions.

The fact that laughter is good medicine is nothing new. But it is worth repeating and Kathryn Rose, a freelance writer, says it well: “Mirth, especially when directed at ourselves, imparts a sense of control, puts distance between ourselves and our pain, gives us perspective, relieves tension, and allows us to take a break.”

If issues persist, contact your local OECTA representative or unit office. If you are struggling to deal with the effects of bullying or harassing behaviour, contact your local unit office regarding your board’s Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) provider.

In his book Between Heaven and Mirth, Rev. James Martin, SJ, says, “Humour is an essential requirement of spirituality.

Most of the saints had a terrific sense of humour and could easily laugh at themselves.” And to paraphrase actress Shirley MacLaine, if we learn to laugh at ourselves, we will never cease to be amused.

Joe Pece is the department head for the Counselling and Member Services Department at OECTA Provincial Office.

So let’s get serious and open our spirits to allow good humour to grace our lives.

Doug McCarthy is a retired OECTA member and principal, and currently a member of OECTA’s Speakers’ Bureau.

12 @ OECTA | December 2013

December 2013 | @ OECTA 13

teachers aid

BEGINNING TEACHERS CONFERENCE February 21-22, 2014

Beginning teachers Surviving and thriving in the first five years

Finding humour in the way we teach

Sheraton Parkway Hotel, Richmond Hill Keynotes

Dr. Alex Russell Clinical Psychologist, co-author of Drop the Worry Ball

By Diana Thomson

Kerri Lyn Courtney 2013 recipient of the OTIP/OTF Teaching Award for Excellence, Beginning Teacher category

ELIMINATE CHANGE

By Claire Laughlin

Looking back on my teaching career, I have many fond memories of the road I travelled in my first five years. I had never lived away from home before, but soon after graduating from Brock University, I accepted, with lots of trepidation, my first teaching job in Elliot Lake, which is more than 600 kilometres northwest of my hometown of St. Catharines. Elliot Lake is a small uranium mining town filled with wonderful people, many of whom I still treasure as friends today. Here are a few of the life lessons I learned while living there as a beginning teacher: 1. Ice fishing is fun, especially when you have a fire pit right on the ice, can roast hotdogs, and your friends have all of the toys.

Sunday night roast beef dinners with friends helped you forget you were an eight-hour car ride from your own family.

dvice: Try something new and step out of your comfort A zone. There is always a path, even if it’s not the one you anticipated.

2. Your first job can actually be your dream job. I really, really, really wanted to be a Kindergarten teacher. I became a Kindergarten teacher!

Advice: Any job can become your dream job especially when you are starting out. Go for it!

3. At the beginning of your teaching career, your colleagues are an amazing help. Many of them will make it their mission to assist you in any way they can. Even spending hours with you after school getting you set up.

Advice: Collaborate with your colleagues whenever you can. Working together with colleagues is great professional development. If you are part of NTIP, your mentor is another great opportunity to collaborate. Remember you also have ideas worth sharing, even in the early years.

4. Planning is key. We had templates for detailed long-range plans, unit plans and very detailed day plans. Our principal was a stickler about planning. I am recognized now for my ability to plan things well.

Advice: Teaching is really about planning, in addition to instructing, assessing, evaluation and reporting.

5. Not only do I love sports, arts and crafts, but I love to sing. My travelling companion, Marie, and I sang songs during regular drives from Elliot Lake to St. Catharines and back. That led me to volunteer to help Marie with the school choir, which went on to win at the Kiwanis Music Festival.

RESPOND UNDERSTAND IDENTIFY

BULLYING:

Stepping up to the challenge Contact your OECTA unit for registration information

www.oecta.on.ca

Advice: There are lots of activities and ways to contribute that suit your interests. Being involved helps you make connections and network with colleagues beyond school.

6. When all of our younger teacher colleagues were being laid off, even when there were lots of jobs, I became involved with OECTA, working for fair treatment for all teachers in our small northern Ontario school board. In my fourth year of teaching I was elected to the local unit executive, and I’ve been involved ever since.

Advice: Get involved with your Association at the school, local or provincial level. Your voice matters!

7. Like my Chevrolet Citation, I could only survive so many eighthour trips, snowstorms and soccer tournaments. So, after four years in Elliot Lake I headed south to join the York Catholic District School Board in Richmond Hill. As a special education teacher, in a school that was piloting mainstreaming, I learned so much from students with special needs. They changed my life forever. I made a career of working with students with special needs, their teachers and parents, community organizations, SEAC and more.

Advice: The road or pathway you travel may not be what you anticipated. Follow the road you are on; as it unfolds it will take you somewhere exciting and fulfilling!

Claire Laughlin is a secretariat member in Professional Development at OECTA Provincial Office and liaison to the Beginning Teachers Committee.

The spitballer, the class clown and the non-stop talker – every teacher has been exasperated by a student who fits into at least one of these categories. Frank Wittman and John Curtis are two OECTA members whose workshop Laugh Lines: Finding Humour in the Classroom shows teachers how to use humour effectively in a variety of ways, from dealing with student antics to building rapport.

“Teachers work alone and don’t see how they look ‘on the job,’” says Frank, “so when they see us role-playing and parodying situations they’ve experienced, they relate immediately, and say, ‘Ah, THIS happens to other people, too’ or ‘I’ve had a student like THAT, too!’

Frank and John teach at St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School in Cambridge (Waterloo Unit). They first performed some of their Laugh Lines skits, which are based on their own personal experiences, during an OECTA PD day at their school.

They were later contacted by staff in OECTA’s Professional Development department to present at the Common Good conference in July 2013.

Tips from Frank and John for finding humour in your classroom: • Students learn more when they are having fun.

• Your students are all God’s children. Accept them at their stage of faith development.

• You don’t have to be funny to have fun.

• Know how to work technology. (or find a student who will help you.)

• Keep your sense of humour.

• Smile.

snickers and teases the teacher about such old fashioned technology. The message, say Frank and John, is that you can go into your class with a plan, but you have to be prepared to be flexible and have a sense of humour when things don’t go as you might hope.

Humour allows for an exchange of positive energy between you and your students.

“Students will bring enthusiasm and a greater willingness to engage in the material if they feel they can relate to you,” John explains.

In order for a little fun to have a place in their classroom, teachers need to know their students. Some groups will allow you to relax rules and be animated, but not all kids are receptive to jokes and kidding around from their teacher. Some groups will become chaotic and get out of control quickly. The best thing is to try something to find out.

“You don’t have to be funny to have fun,” Frank advises. “Maybe start with a riddle or a humorous story about yourself, or your pet. Most importantly, be yourself and do what works for you and your students.”

If you would like to have Frank and John present to a group of teachers, contact them at curtiswords@rogers.com Diana Thomson is the associate editor in the Communications Department at OECTA Provincial Office.

“Laughing during our workshop is encouraged,” says Frank.

“Laughing is a release for teachers, so we really think it should be mandatory,” John adds with a smile. “Teachers need a chance to reflect and relive some of the anguish they’ve experienced in front of the classroom, in a humorous and accepting environment with colleagues.”

In one of their skits, a teacher is unable to access a YouTube video on the computer and, in frustration, resorts to hauling out an old overhead projector. The student

Teachers John Curtis (left) and Frank Wittman role-play a moment of frustration between teacher and student in their workshop Laugh Lines: Finding Humour in the Classroom. photo credit: diana thomson

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December 2013 | @ OECTA 15

People worth watching

OECTA’s newest Provincial Executive members Marcie Tombari third vice-president Marcie brings a long, diverse list of experiences to her new role as OECTA’s third vice-president. She previously served as grievance officer, chief negotiator and unit president for Huron-Superior; chaired numerous local committees; and contributed to various provincial and national committees and conferences.

Now retired after 36 years of teaching at the junior and intermediate levels, she is looking forward to devoting her time in the service of all OECTA’s members and their students. Marcie feels that her commitment to service and in-depth knowledge of local issues will enable her to connect with people from across the province. “I have been given many opportunities in my life,” says Marcie. “Running for a position on the Provincial Executive was about doing whatever I can do to give back.” Marcie has a strong interest in social justice issues, particularly those related to poverty.

She believes that the high rates of unemployment and underemployment she sees in Northern Ontario are ample reason for her to advocate for higher minimum wages, quality breakfast programs, and other initiatives that will ensure students come to school properly clothed, well fed, and ready to learn.

Elaine McMahon COUNCILLOR Elaine’s reputation as a leader and relationship-builder has been developed over 20 years of service with the unit executive in Ottawa in her roles as secondary president, unit president, and chief negotiator. She has also been active on many committees, including the Amalgamations Task Force, Teacher Education Network, and the Communications and Public Relations Committee. A strong believer in improving the lives of women and children in developing countries, Elaine considers some of her proudest achievements to have been the work she has been involved in around the world. For example, the OECTA Ottawa unit was instrumental in building the Seotlong Community Centre in the African nation of Lesotho, one of the poorest countries in the world.

In her first term on the Provincial Executive, Elaine hopes to highlight the values of openness and transparency. Having taught at the primary/junior, intermediate and senior levels, she is able to promote unity between the bargaining units. She also brings firsthand experience with the frustrations that can result when there is a lack of information. “We are all working toward a common goal,” she says. “We just need to ensure that people have input and an understanding of what is happening.”

By Bianka Hudec

In his first book, Barnacle Love, Anthony de Sa reached back to his heritage to explore various themes drawn from the Portuguese community “back home” and Toronto’s Little Portugal. The collection of short stories was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize in 2008 and the City of Toronto book award.

In his recently published novel, Kicking the Sky, Anthony, who is a teacher librarian at Michael Power/St. Joseph Catholic High School in Etobicoke, brings back some of the characters and themes from Barnacle Love, including the book’s main character Antonio Rebelo. The story is set in Toronto in 1977, in the wake of the disappearance and subsequent brutal murder of Emanuel Jaques, the 12-year-old Portuguese “shoe shine boy.”

I recently had an opportunity to talk with my former colleague about his new book and its success.

Bianka: When I started reading your

book, it was hard to put down. I also read the great reviews in the Globe and Mail and Toronto Star. Clearly, Kicking the Sky is a great book! How does it feel to be a celebrity?

OTIP Teaching Awards for Excellence– Beginning Teacher

Anthony: I’m not a ‘celebrity,’ but I’m certainly getting a lot of attention because of my book, which is wonderful. I have been very busy lately, giving interviews, doing book promotion and other related activities. I also participated in the International Festival of Authors at Toronto’s Harbourfront. But it is all good and it brings me a lot of satisfaction. As a teacher, you learn how to work hard and in my case, it also gave me the discipline for my writing.

Kerri Lyn Courtney, a Grade 7 teacher at St. Columban Catholic School in Dublin (Huron-Perth Elementary) is the 2013 recipient of the OTIP Teaching Award for Excellence, in the Beginning Teacher category.

Kerri Lyn believes that for learning to happen, teachers need to acknowledge and help students address the issues they bring to school everyday. Kerri Lyn developed the “invisible backpack,” in which students carry around their fears, family issues and concerns that can erode their confidence and get in the way of being just 12-year-old kids. Kerri Lyn helps her students unload their backpacks to get to the root of their feelings and lighten the load.

The Ontario Teachers’ Federation and the Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan Teaching Awards recognize and celebrate teaching excellence. Nominations for the 2014 awards open January 6, 2014. http://en.teachingawards.ca

OECTA member’s novel captures 1977 Toronto through the eyes of a 12-year-old

Bianka: What has been the reaction at

your school to your book?

Kerri Lyn Courtney (left) and OTF president and OECTA table officer Julie Pauletig.

Anthony: It has been fantastic! I’m so thrilled. Everyone has been so supportive; colleagues, students, administration.

Michael Power is a great school and I love working there. Even the new director of the Board, Angela Gauthier came to my book launch and has been so supportive!

I believe that it is so important in our profession to celebrate the achievements of teachers, and how talented they are in so many different areas.

Bianka: In Kicking the Sky, you focus on the immigrant Portuguese community in Toronto. Would you consider having your book published in Portugal?

Anthony: My editor in Portugal is looking into the possibility of translating it.

However, my novel is not an “immigrant story.” It is a book about the community, its struggles, challenges, togetherness and the relationships within it. And it is also about family and friendship.

Bianka: When Emanuel Jaques was murdered in 1977, you were 11 years old, living with your immigrant parents in Little Portugal. How did this event affect you and is your story in any way autobiographical given the fact that your main character, Antonio, is a 12-year-old boy?

Anthony: The story is completely fictional. I had to distance myself as an author from the characters and the events to be able to write it. The story has a universal

theme about growing up and about family.

The murder serves as a backdrop for the story. I remember it very well from my childhood, when it happened, however it did not affect me directly. It did however affect my family, friends and definitely my community.

When we were young, Yonge Street was a very different place than it is today.

We would drive up and down the street because it was electric, magical, exciting and dangerous, so we were drawn to it.

We were latchkey kids, free to roam the city, to go wherever we wanted. After that terrible murder, it changed. It changed the way we saw the city, it changed the way my family interacted with us children.

It was a pivotal moment in my personal life and I always felt that the story had to be told. I have been writing this story in my head since it happened. One of the serious issues I dealt with in the novel is that our parents had to work so hard to support the family and so they were often absent in our lives. As a result they felt this incredible amount of guilt.

Visit Anthony’s website at www.anthonydesa.com and follow him on Twitter @antiole Bianka Hudec is the third vice-president of the OECTA Toronto Secondary Unit.

December 2013 | @ OECTA 17

VIEWPOINT

Unpaid internships erode the value of labour

OT hiring – the wild west of Ontario’s education system An OECTA member reflects on his seven-year journey to permanent employment

By Robert Smol

Having spent several stressful years as an occasional teacher in the 1990s, I can certainly sympathize with today’s occasional teachers, as they diligently put up with the struggles and uncertainty that come with that job. It is also because of my experiences as an OT that I am happy to have Regulation 274 and the fair hiring provisions it mandates.

Today’s occasional teachers can at least be assured that their experience and qualifications will play a foundational role in the hiring process. Gone, or seriously diminished, are the arbitrary, prejudicial and subjective hiring practices that all too many principals once practiced with gusto and impunity, and which kept me from permanent work for many years.

When I began as an occasional teacher with Metro Separate (now Toronto Catholic District School Board) in 1992, there were few permanent jobs available for teachers. Much like today.

While I accepted the fact that the road to permanent employment was going to be difficult, I naively believed that hard work, experience, as well as my qualifications and credentials would serve me well when it came to being hired.

Boy, was I in for a rude awakening!

It took only a couple of months of occasional teaching, lobbying principals, and the odd interview before I realized that the hiring process for OTs was unregulated

18 @ OECTA | December 2013

and unaccountable. Decisions were made arbitrarily based on subjective criteria, which were irrelevant to what was best for the student in the classroom.

In one instance the principal somehow got prior knowledge of my divorce and brought this fact into the interview in a way that reflected negatively on my ability to teach. Later, when applying for an ESL position, my ethnic background seemed a more important factor to the principal than my qualifications and language skills.

My extensive military experience, prior to teaching, seemed to quash my chances with a peace activist principal who, in the interview, negatively obsessed over what I did in the army in the years before I became a teacher.

When it came to applying to secondary schools, it seemed that my coaching experience and potential to win were the only things that mattered.

Literally every high school interview I encountered, up to the time I was hired, was for the school’s newest football, basketball or hockey coach with classroom teaching being treated as a secondary duty! Later, as I came to terms with this unfortunate reality, I dropped all plans to acquire further academic AQs and instead concentrated on trying to teach myself to play football, hockey and basketball, even though I personally had absolutely no interest in these sports. Thankfully, when I finally was hired to a permanent position in 1999, it was the result of an interview,

which focused on my teaching ability and experience.

If I could sum up my job search experiences at the time it would be that, in schools with no real process or acceptable hiring standards, it was all about positioning myself within the principal’s ‘inner circle’.

Added to this was the blatant nepotism that permeated the hiring process. So many times I heard, “You don’t stand a chance for that job” or “the principal’s nephew/sisterin-law/half-brother’s stepson is applying and will get that job.” More often than not, these sarcastic comments turned out to be true.

Listening to stories from teachers who are currently working as OTs, struggling just to hear about job openings and get interviews, it seems as though not much has changed since my days as an OT. Thankfully, this unregulated, arbitrary and unstructured ‘wild west’ of permanent and LTO teacher hiring is coming to an end. Today’s occasional teacher can rely on a system that formally recognizes their experience and skills and gives them a fair, fighting chance at getting hired.

By Gian Marcon

In the last decade we have seen a gross expansion in the use of unpaid interns by companies and in educational programs. The effect of this trend has been to create an expectation that young people will begin their prospective careers as unpaid labourers.

Every worker, unionist and individual concerned with fairness and the overall welfare of society should be alarmed by this “new normal.”

Internships were originally conceived as an opportunity for young workers and students to acquire valuable skills and knowledge, and work experience. Increasingly, the objectives of internships have deviated from this original intent and have become a cost savings tool for corporations and a source of free labour.

The following examples clearly show how some corporations are incorporating savings derived from using unpaid interns into their bottom line: • An intern worked 16 hours a week without pay at Donna Karan with assurances the internship would be an educational experience. Instead, all the intern did was get coffee and organize fashion closets. He is suing for retroactive pay for work performed.

• In June, a former unpaid intern filed a class-action lawsuit against Atlantic Records, claiming that his work experience included no academic or vocational training and that the company classified him as an intern to avoid hiring a paid employee.

It is generally understood that internships must be “for the benefit of the intern” and be “similar to training which would be given in an educational environment,” however, this no longer seems to be true in many cases. Internship opportunities are transforming from beneficial opportunities for the intern into unpaid pools of labour that benefit the bottom lines of employers.

While internships may not have been originally intended to benefit employers, the effect is that they are becoming a prerequisite to permanent hiring. Moreover, since there is no quid pro quo associated with internships, there is a growing tendency to turn over and replace interns regularly. By replacing diligent and dedicated interns, employers can continue accessing valuable, free labour in perpetuity. One need only visit social media sites such as “Why My Internship Sucks” to find testimonials from exploited interns who discuse little of value from their internship.

Those of us with a sense of the dignity and value of work must speak out against the proliferation of unpaid internships that disproportionately impact the financially disadvantaged who can ill-afford to work for free for protracted periods of time.

Work for pay should be the norm – internships should not be an exception.

Gian Marcon is a secretariat member in the Bargaining and Contract Services Department at OECTA Provincial Office.

Only those who stand to benefit from self-serving and unaccountable hiring practices are crying foul.

Robert Smol is a teacher with the Dufferin-Peel Secondary Unit, who also works as a freelance journalist and columnist.

@ OECTA 19

.

VIEWPOINT

classifieds

TAKE NOTE

Play it again, Tim Progressive Conservatives talk about performance pay oCEA 2014 spring conference The Ontario Cooperative Education Association (OCEA) invites teachers to register for its spring conference, “Explore, Navigate, Experience,” April 27-29, 2014, at the Delta Meadowvale Conference and Hotel in Mississauga. OCEA is a not-for-profit professional organization of Ontario co-operative education and experiential learning professionals.

By Adam Lemieux

Education analyst Diane Ravitch calls performance pay for teachers the policy idea that will not die. No matter the theoretical or empirical arguments against it, conservative ideologues cannot seem to resist putting it back on the table. It is not surprising that Tim Hudak – no stranger to reintroducing discredited ideas from previous centuries – is talking about making such a policy a central plank in his election platform. We should be wary of the potential consequences of this approach for teachers as well as their students.

Although short on specifics, the Progressive Conservative proposals appear to fuse a couple of different alternatives to the existing salary grid. For example, in their white paper on the public sector, they “envision a civil service where hard work and excellence are recognized and rewarded ... [with] pay not based solely on seniority.” This would seem to align with the idea of merit pay; promotions and salary increases are somehow tied to student achievement, usually measured using standardized tests or progress reports. However, in their paper on K-12 education, the PCs suggest that extra pay be given to teachers who coach or supervise clubs, sports and artistic activities “that occur after the bell and are a vital part of education.”

The traditional idea of merit pay has been roundly criticized for being based on faulty analogies to the private sector. Learning is subjective, and student achievement can be based on a large number of variables. By discounting the complex nature of pedagogy and concentrating on a small set of observable skills, merit pay programs might discourage teachers from employing innovative techniques necessary for success. The notion of giving bonus payments for participation in extracurriculars is perhaps even more insidious.

As a ministerial advisory panel noted several years ago, such contracts might provide predictability, but they also distort values, create inequities, and reduce feelings of good will among teachers and students alike. Rather than encouraging committed involvement, introducing monetary rewards serves to undermine morale and dampen the intrinsic motivation that makes teacher participation in extracurricular activities so valuable in the first place.

Advocates say that the idea of paying teachers for performance regularly reappears because there is always an interest in tying it to student achievement. However, recently confirmed in large scale experiments in Nashville and New York, these programs have no statistically significant impact on student progress. In the few instances where students have shown progress after the introduction of performance pay, researchers say it is likely that other reforms

20 @ OECTA | December 2013

and factors caused or contributed to the improvements. Even those organizations that we would expect to be fully in favour of such an approach, such as the Fraser Institute, are cautious in their support.

So why do the PCs insist on going down this road? They are guided by right-wing ideologies and old-fashioned stereotypes regarding teachers, unions, and especially teachers’ unions. Contrast this view with the careful observations of the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD), which has specifically highlighted Ontario’s “professionally-driven” education system – notable for its respect for teachers and their unions, as well as the absence of features such as competition and performance pay – as a successful challenge to the market-oriented theories that are so popular in the United States.

There also appears to be quite a bit of residual hostility resulting from the work-to-rule tactics employed by OSSTF and ETFO during the dispute over Bill 115. Claiming that union leaders prevent teachers from volunteering their own time helping students – as if withdrawing these services was some sort of everyday occurrence – the PCs promise to redefine teachers’ job descriptions and prohibit them from taking work-to-rule action. Such promises might be politically expedient for attracting the votes of some frustrated parents, but it doesn’t help to foster a healthy democracy or a wellfunctioning education system.

Instead of merit pay, evidence continually points to a much simpler, more civil approach. If the PCs want to create the necessary conditions for student achievement, they should heed the words of Alfie Kohn, American author and lecturer on human behaviour and education: “So, how should we reward teachers? We shouldn’t. They’re not pets. Rather, teachers should be paid well, freed from misguided mandates, treated with respect, and provided with the support they need to help their students become increasingly proficient and enthusiastic learners.”

The conference will feature over 80 workshops related to all forms of experiential learning including co-op, apprenticeship, SHSM and dual credits. The format will provide opportunities to network with educators from across Ontario. Exhibitors will provide a variety of teacher resources. For more details and to register, visit www.ocea.on.ca

We welcome ads for teacher resources, travel, and teaching overseas. Personal ads are not accepted. Rate: $50 for the first 25 words and $3 per word thereafter.

Acceptance of advertisements in @OECTA neither endorses or warranties any products or services.

Teach in China for 2 or 4 weeks in July 2014 Interested? Check us out at www.china-connection.ca TEACH ONTARIO CURRICULUM IN CHINA! Principals & Grade 10-12 All subjects teachers needed.

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Raise funds and environmental awareness. We provide step-by-step instructions and assistance. www.RainBarrel.ca Leah@ RainBarrel.ca or 905-545-5577 Living History Field Trips and Classroom Visits in Role – Roman, Medieval, Heroes of New France, Pioneers, 1812, WW I, WW II. 50-acre site in Tillsonburg.

Flexible rates. Robin Barker-James 519-688-0066

Adam Lemieux is a writer/researcher in the Communications and Government Relations departments at OECTA Provincial Office.

December 2013 | @ OECTA 21

VIEWPOINT

Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School A model for 21st century learning?

By Diana Thomson

The Ministry of Education is engaged in preparing what it describes as a strategy for 21st century teaching and learning in Ontario. The ministry is inquiring about changing classroom, school and board policies to better meet student needs and prepare this generation of students for what will be required in a knowledge-intensive and increasingly connected society.

Toronto’s Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School, as a self-directed learning centre for approximately 1115 students in Grades 9 through 12, could be a model for 21st century learning. It is a member of the Canadian Coalition of Self-Directed Learning, and is one of only eight self-directed school in Canada. It is currently the only one of its kind in the Toronto District School Board.

The school operates on a “mastery based” model of learning. One of the core practices is that students learn how to master a subject at their own pace, guided by a teacher-advisor. Each teacher advisor manages 16 to 18 students in a variety of grades and ages. All students stay with their teacher advisor from the time they enter Mary Ward until the day that they graduate. The beauty of the teacher advisor program is the strength of the relationships that are developed over the course of those four years.

Students have greater flexibility at Mary Ward, especially in decision-making. They work at their own pace and decide when to write tests, and when to move on to new material.

“Teacher advisors review student plans through bi-weekly teacher advisor interviews,” explains Lynda Dever, the head of the guidance department. “These interviews are essential to examine student progress, areas requiring support, and to create future goal-setting.

This model of education allows students to develop strong self-discipline and self-regulation skills.”

The self-directed program began at Mary Ward in 1992, when a new building was erected, designed to accommodate individualized learning. Several classrooms are built without walls, while others have adjoining seminar rooms. There is a central test centre where all student tests are written, and several help centres, where students of all grades work at their own pace with help from the subject teacher if needed.

Field trips aren’t A VACATION, but they sure make me want one.

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Different from most high schools, Mary Ward has an instructional assistant for almost every subject area to handle unit materials for all grades, date stamp students’ assignments and completed units, and help manage the department.

Marion Poole, Science department head.

“Teachers, together with administrators, developed the program at Mary Ward, which was modelled after Bishop Carrol’s self-directed learning school in Calgary, Alberta,” says Andrea Magee, the school’s principal. “The fact that our program has developed at the grassroots level has ensured its continuity over the years. Teachers help administrators understand the school’s unique teaching and learning culture.”

Unique to Mary Ward is the “quest” unit. If a student finds a natural connection to a topic, such as geometry as it relates to the history of the construction of cathedrals in France, the student can pursue a quest unit, linking curriculum expectations to both subject areas – in this case, history and geometry.

“Mary Ward students are given responsibility and learn to advocate for themselves,” says Andrea Magee, the school principal. “They have also learned to be critical thinkers and problem solvers – both valuable 21st century skills. By the time they graduate, our students have achieved a level of independence, maturity and initiative, and are prepared for the opportunities that await them.”

Diana Thomson is the associate editor in the Communications Department at OECTA Provincial Office.

One focus, many solutions.

22 @ OECTA | December 2013 educatorsfinancialgroup.ca

There’s never been a better time to take

AQ COURSES REGISTRATION SPRING 2014 Opens December 4, 2013 Closes March 6, 2014 SUMMER 2014 Opens April 8, 2014 Closes June 6, 2014 FALL 2014 Opens June 17, 2014 Closes September 9, 2014 Closing dates will be extended if spaces are still available.

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Assistive Technology

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Media Writing Math

Information Technology

English as a Second Language

Primary Education Librarianship

Special Education

Kindergarten

Specialist Designations Religious Education Reading

French as a Second Language

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Mentoring

With our online, any time, accredited Additional Qualification (AQ) courses, make this the year for professional development.

24 @ OECTA | December 2013

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