Catholic Teacher Magazine - June 2020 Issue

JUNE 2020 ISSUE

MAGAZINE of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association

CONFRONTING ANTI-BLACK RACISM Members share their experiences as Black educators

Anti-Black racism resources for teachers

A REAL PLAN FOR SCHOOL REOPENING The impact of COVID-19 on members

CELEBRATING PRIDE MONTH Would Jesus fly the Pride flag?

PLUS: You own your retweets Becoming miracle minded Home is not just a place

CONTENTS I JUNE2020

22

INBOX 4 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

5

EVENTS

6 CALENDAR TOWARD A REAL PLAN FOR REOPENING

FEATURES

6

8 SURVEY SAYS: Catholic teacher survey reveals important perspectives on

COVID-19 and emergency distance learning

By Mark Tagliaferri

TOGETHER, WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS

by Shelley L. Morse

10

13

CONFRONTING ANTI-BLACK RACISM

14

UNDERSTANDING US

By Sherfieldann John

20

16

WE HAVE WORK TO DO

By Tia Duke

18

FUTURE FIRE FIGHTERS

By Sherwyn Benn

20

SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER

By Karen Ebanks

TEACHERS’ AID 24

ANTI-BLACK RACISM RESOURCES

26 TEACHER ADVISOR You own your retweets

By Joe Pece

29

27

CATHOLIC CONNECTION

Quarantine questions

By Shannon Hogan 29 INSIGHT Becoming miracle minded

By Michelle Despault

VIEWPOINT 30 WOULD JESUS FLY THE PRIDE FLAG? MY JESUS WOULD

By Walt Chaisson

30

32 FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH Home is not just a place

By Gian Marcon

INBOX

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE What a year it has been. Heading into September, we knew it would be a difficult road ahead with Ontario’s publicly funded education system facing cuts of unprecedented magnitude. As Catholic teachers, we did what we do best: we stood up to injustice, rallying together to protect our students and the future of publicly funded education in Ontario. Through our strategic efforts at the provincial bargaining table, our public and government relations tactics, and the tireless activism of our members, it was this Association that led the way in ensuring stability across Ontario’s Catholic schools on behalf of our members and the students that we teach.

They say timing is everything. On the same day that the Association signed its tentative agreement with the Government of Ontario and the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association, the province announced that it would be shutting down schools to help stop the spread of COVID-19. What was a tireless effort on behalf of every member at all levels of our Association quickly turned into new unprecedented challenges when the COVID-19 global pandemic hit home. Soon enough we would realize that emergency distance learning was here to stay until at least the end of this school year.

I know that it has been a challenging year for all of us. Just when we thought we would be able to find stability in education, and a moment of rest after a long haul, we were thrust with a new portfolio of challenges both personally and professionally. Despite it all, I am proud of our Association and the commitment of our members to ensuring students feel supported, especially in difficult times. I know this has not been easy, and that there have been bumps along the way, but our ability to survive and even thrive in challenging times is a reaffirmation of what we can achieve when Catholic teachers come together to advocate for our rights and the students that we teach.

I am also particularly proud of this issue of Catholic Teacher. Like you, I have watched and listened in dismay to the horrific acts of racist violence and the underlying systems of racism that infiltrate society, including our own. As an Association, we have tried to use this time to listen and learn, while utilizing our platform to make space for Black and racialized voices. As part of our ongoing efforts to amplify the diverse voices of our own members, we have dedicated space in this issue to marginalized voices and experiences from within our own Association, and we will continue to commit to this practice going forward.

As you head into the summer months, it is my hope that you can find time to yourself; time to pause, rest and recharge. All the best for a restful summer.

God bless,

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU If you would like to connect with us to share your thoughts, ideas, or concerns, please reach out to us at communications@catholicteachers.ca.

There is no voice more important than a member’s voice.

4 CATHOLIC TEACHER | JUNE 2020

Michelle Despault Editor Adam Lemieux Mark Tagliaferri Associate Editors Cynthia Bifolchi Contributing Writer Fernanda Monteiro Production Anna Anezyris Advertising

EDITORIAL BOARD Liz Stuart President Barb Dobrowolski First Vice-President David Church General Secretary Mary Lachapelle Deputy General Secretary Carley Desjardins Communications Specialist/ Writer Catholic Teacher is published five times during the school year. Opinions and ideas expressed in Catholic Teacher are not necessarily those of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association.

Catholic Teacher 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, Suite 400 Toronto, ON M4T 2Y8 PHONE 416-925-2493 TOLL-FREE 1-800-268-7230 FAX 416-925-7764 catholicteachers.ca Publication Mail Agreement No. 0040062510 Account No. 0001681016

Cover: We have chosen not to run an image on the cover of this issue as a show of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

INBOX

EVENTS VIRTUAL AGM Given the extraordinary circumstances created by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year the Association took the unprecedented step of conducting a virtual AGM. The one-day event was held May 16, with 597 delegates joining from across the province and a total of 635 participants. A number of members also joined via livestream.

Prior to the meeting, delegates approved a series of amendments to the Handbook by-laws, which among other things, allowed all resolutions to the 2020 AGM to be postponed until next year. With resolutions being postponed until next year, delegates listened to and discussed reports from President Liz Stuart, Treasurer Michel Derikx, Ontario Teachers’ Federation Table Officer Chris Cowley, and General Secretary David Church. There were also presentations from the Association’s auditors at Grant Thornton LLP, and reports about the OECTA Benefits Plan and provincial committees.

Delegates also voted to ratify the Association’s Key Priorities/ Challenges for 2020-21.

Despite the effort it took to transition a province-wide meeting online, delegates were pleased with how smoothly the meeting went, with some appreciating the easier commute. Many delegates also took to social media to post photos of how they were participating in this unique experience. In fact, at one point in the meeting, #CatholicTeachers and #OECTAAGM2020 were trending across Canada! That said, we all hope to see everyone again, live and in-person, at AGM 2021.

COVID-19 Despite the uncertainty of the ongoing COVID-19 emergency, the Association remains committed to serving our members and our communities, while protecting everyone’s health and safety.

The Association has taken a number of steps to assist members as you transitioned to working from home and delivering the emergency distance learning program. We have kept in regular contact with you throughout the school closure period by sending a number of COVID-19 Member Updates, to provide you with important information, useful resources, and opportunities to have your say through several member surveys. You can also find a variety of helpful articles in Catholic Teacher magazine. We will continue to provide you with relevant and timely information as it becomes available.

To ensure easy access to information and resources, we have created new section in the Members’ Area of catholicteachers.ca, COVID-19 Resources for Members. There, you will find a repository of all previous member communications, as well as government policy updates and answers to frequently asked questions. You can also access a number of PD resources, including new Distance Learning WebExperience sessions on a variety of topics, as well as a Choice Board Bank, which provides elementary teachers with ready-made, teacherdeveloped resources that span various curriculum areas.

Everyone is facing challenges during this period of uncertainty, and as Catholic teachers we feel an obligation to do what we can to alleviate the suffering of others. To that end, the OECTA Provincial Executive and local units have approved donations of $175,000 to a variety of organizations, such as food banks, women’s shelters, the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses, St. Vincent de Paul, and more.

As we confront these unique and challenging times, the Association remains dedicated to supporting and advocating on behalf of members. Please continue to monitor your personal email for COVID-19 updates.

RIGHT TO STRIKE MONTH

Mind Map of the Virtual AGM 2020 by Maggie Caserta from DufferinPeel Elementary.

OECTA recognizes June as Right to Strike Month. We reflect on the effort and sacrifices that led to teachers in Ontario finally gaining the right to strike in 1975, and the hard fights we have undertaken to defend our rights and working conditions. The occasion has special meaning this year, as the Association is coming off our first-ever province-wide strike actions. We will continue to stand firm in promoting and protecting this fundamental right for ourselves and all workers.

JUNE 2020 | CATHOLIC TEACHER 5

J U LY

CALENDAR 1

Canada Day

2

Summer AQ courses begin

6

Summer Mini-Courses registration opens

31

Summer AQ courses end

OCTO BER

SEP T E M B E R

AU G U ST

JULY 27 TO AUGUST 7 PROVINCIAL OFFICE CLOSURE

3

Civic Holiday

4-28

Summer WebExperiences sessions run

10-21 Summer MIni-Courses

sessions run 12

International Youth Day

7

Labour Day

8

First day of school

8

International Literacy Day

28

Fall AQ courses begin

5

World Teachers’ Day

10

World Mental Health Day

12 Thanksgiving 17

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

Check the For Your Classroom section at catholicteachers.ca for more information on summer PD course offerings and registration.

TOWARD A RE Throughout the school closure period, our Association has been trying to work collaboratively with the Ministry of Education to develop an emergency distance learning program that is fair and effective. We have also been stressing the need to begin thinking immediately about what school might look like in September.

Unfortunately, our advice has not often been heeded. With respect to the plan for reopening, rather than holding real meetings with the provincial representatives for teachers, education workers, and other stakeholders, the government instead launched an open-ended public consultation. While we were disappointed with this approach, OECTA nevertheless put together a comprehensive submission that touched on a wide range of issues.

The Association believes that many of the discussions and decisions about school operations and teacher working conditions should take place between OECTA and the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association. However, our submission sets out ome clear expectations regarding the government’s role and

INBOX

EAL PLAN FOR REOPENING responsibilities, including the need to respect collective agreement provisions. We believe these positions would be broadly supported by the public, and it is our sincere hope that the government finally takes the opportunity to listen to the perspectives of frontline educators.

The full submission is available in the Where We Stand section at catholicteachers.ca.

OECTA believes the government’s plan for reopening publicly funded schools must: Including meaningful, ongoing consultation with teacher and education worker representatives, heed their advice.

Ensure school facilities are safe, by modifying layouts,

and making necessary upgrades, renovations, or installations to satisfy issues related to physical and environmental safety, prior to schools reopening.

Ensure the health and safety of students, teachers, and staff by providing everyone in the school environment

with access to all necessary medical protections, such as personal protective equipment, testing, and health checks.

Promote student and teacher well-being with significant

investments in services, programs, and mental health supports, such as psychologists, social workers, and child and youth workers, as well as additional professional learning supports through School Mental Health Ontario.

Support student learning by modifying curriculum outcomes, and pausing the introduction of new initiatives.

The government will also need to provide school boards with resources for tiered, differentiated, ongoing supports to fill learning gaps that will have been created or exacerbated by the school closures.

Respect teachers’ professional judgment when it comes to the use of synchronous learning, including by ensuring that the Ontario College of Teachers is reasonable in its approach to oversight, and discourages frivolous and/or vexatious complaints against teachers who may be required to adapt to various curriculum delivery models.

Suspend all EQAO testing, given the extraordinary

pressures that students and teachers will already be under, and that changes to the learning environment as a result of COVID-19 will make it impossible to reliably compare data to previous years. Instead, teachers should be fully empowered to use their professional judgment to conduct assessments and evaluations for, as, and of learning.

Make significant investments in publicly funded education, for physical infrastructure, safety equipment,

professional supports, and more.

While the government’s announcement on reopening schools adopted a cautious approach, the Association was disappointed in the lack of leadership the government showed in failing to provide direction to school boards regarding their responsibilities to protect the safety of all students and staff, and the requirement that they abide by collective agreements.

The Association will continue to advocate for a clear and consistent approach to reopening schools, as well as for the health, well-being, and needs of all students and teachers.

JUNE 2020 | CATHOLIC TEACHER 7

FEATURE

SURVEY SAYS:

Catholic teacher survey reveals important perspectives on COVID-19 and emergency distance learning

By Mark Tagliaferri

On March 12, when the Government of Ontario announced it would be closing schools in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, many hoped it would be a temporary measure. But as the weeks have turned into months, we have all been forced to grapple with the social, emotional, and economic consequences of prolonged physical distancing and isolation. Catholic teachers have done this while also guiding students and their families through the emergency distance learning program.

As we confront these unique and challenging times, the Association remains dedicated to advocating on behalf of members.

To help our efforts, we partnered with Pollara Strategic Insights to conduct an online survey gauging members’ perspectives on the COVID-19 crisis and the emergency distance learning program.

Between May 14 and 22, a randomly selected group of OECTA members were invited to complete the online survey. The invitations were sent randomly to reduce any chance of bias, and the results were “weighted” to ensure the sample was representative of our membership demographics. Overall, participation was incredible. With 6,158 respondents, the

survey exceeded its target by more than 1,000 people, and the 29 per cent response rate is nearly triple industry standards.

Clearly, Catholic teachers had a lot to say! So what did we learn?

Impact of COVID-19

Like many others, Catholic teachers have been impacted greatly by the COVID-19 emergency. While only a small number of respondents rated their pre-COVID-19 anxiety and stress levels as high, that proportion has skyrocketed since the outbreak.

The results also make clear that in the two-week lead-up to the start of the emergency distance learning program, Catholic teachers prepared diligently to best meet students’ needs.

Almost 90 per cent engaged in a range of pre-emergency distance learning activities, from creating new lesson plans, units, and modules, to contacting students and parents by email or telephone, to ensuring that assignments from before March break were graded.

At the same time, more than half of Catholic teachers also participated in professional development activities offered by

Anxiety and Stress Levels, Pre- and Since COVID-19 70% 60% 50%

22%

30%

40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

38% 2% 9% Anxiety pre-COVID-19

34%

13% Anxiety since COVID-19 Somewhat High

8 CATHOLIC TEACHER | JUNE 2020

3%

Stress pre-COVID-19 Extremely High

Stress since COVID-19

Concerns During Emergency Distance Learning CONCERNED

The ability of some of my students to take part in

4% 6% emergency distance learning due to learning challenges.

35%

55%

89%

36%

53%

89%

The ability of some of my students to take part in emergency distance learning due to a lack of support available in the household The well-being of some of my students due to the current situation (school closure).

4% 6%

4% 7%

40%

88%

47%

The ability of some of my students to take part in emergency distance learning due to a lack of technology in the household.

5% 8%

18%

40%

69%

29%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% N/A or prefer not to answer

Not at all concerned

Not very concerned

OECTA or another provider. Overall, despite the strain placed on everyone by the COVID-19 pandemic, Catholic teachers should be proud your hard work and dedication in preparing to deliver the emergency distance learning program.

Dealing with emergency distance learning

With the onset of emergency distance learning, Catholic teachers confronted a new set of challenges. For instance, many respondents reported working more hours delivering the emergency distance learning program than they did when working in schools. While this has levelled off somewhat, as people have settled into new routines, still nearly half (46 per cent) of the respondents reported working more hours than before, and 34 per cent indicated they are working the same number of hours as when they were working in schools.

The survey also revealed that although members are regularly posting assignments or lessons, aspects of emergency distance learning have proven difficult. Beyond the operational challenges of transitioning lesson plans to an online platform or accessing online resources, a strong majority of Catholic teachers are most concerned about their students, for a number of reasons, noted in the above chart.

While students are foremost in Catholic teachers’ minds, the survey also highlighted personal concerns. Roughly threequarters are concerned about their personal well-being during this pandemic – both in balancing personal and work responsibilities (76 per cent), and managing routines and selfcare (74 per cent). And three-fifths (59 per cent) expressed privacy concerns with accessing board servers.

Possible return to the classroom

Not surprisingly, Catholic teachers expressed real and valid concerns about safely returning to classrooms. Ninetythree per cent are either “very concerned” (71 per cent) or “somewhat concerned” (22 per cent) about returning to the classroom, even on the advice of Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. Within this broad group, elementary teachers and those experiencing high anxiety and stress were more likely to report being “very concerned” (74 per cent elementary vs. 65 per cent secondary).

Somewhat concerned

Very concerned

Asked about measures to protect everyone’s health and safety, nine-in-ten Catholic teachers said it will be critical to have protocols in place to ensure physical distancing between students, teachers, and staff. Two-thirds also believe it is essential to have temperature testing, and 80 per cent said it should be mandatory for teachers and staff to wear personal protective equipment (such as masks and gloves). Responding to an open-ended question, a number of members also said they want school boards to implement comprehensive and regular cleaning protocols.

What will we do with the data?

The survey produced a wealth of valuable information that are assisting with OECTA’s ongoing advocacy efforts. For instance, the data informed the Association’s official submission to the government’s public consultation on a plan to reopen schools (read more about that submission in this issue of Catholic Teacher magazine!). At the same time, the majority of issues around operations and working conditions for reopening schools will need to be discussed and developed between OECTA and the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association, and the survey data will aid these discussions.

In a broader sense, as the Association continues to insist that the government engage in meaningful consultation with OECTA and other teacher and education worker unions, the survey results will support the advocacy efforts of our representatives on the Ministry of Education’s Continuous Learning Workgroup.

The key findings will also guide our ongoing communications with members, and will be useful for our Government Relations department staff as they continue to engage with government and opposition party MPPs. The COVID-19 emergency has upended all facets of our lives.

Catholic teachers, like everyone else, are doing your best to adjust to these challenging circumstances. The OECTA members’ survey helps us to better understand and address those challenges – today and in the future. Thank you to those who participated.

Mark Tagliaferri is Communications Specialist in the Communications department at the OECTA Provincial Office.

JUNE 2020 | CATHOLIC TEACHER 9

FEATURE

Together,

WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS

by Shelley L. Morse

W

hen schools abruptly began closing in March, very few knew at the time that days of closures and physical distancing would become weeks, and weeks would turn into months. I distinctly remember the week that the CTF/FCE shuttered its office doors; how discussions quickly changed from planning to action. It all happened so suddenly that only now have many of us had a chance to begin reflecting on this extraordinary period in our lives, especially as we now look toward the fall.

Let’s all be honest: this has not been easy. Everyone is dealing with a plethora of challenges, ranging from health concerns and economic fears, isolation, and being confined with others at all times of the day. Combining work with childcare, seemingly 24 hours a day, has pushed a lot of people to their limits. With women accounting for 75 per cent of the teaching ranks, an unequal and heavy burden tends to fall on their shoulders.

Uncertainty makes it difficult to imagine the moment when we can once again move freely, see friends and family up close in person, and get back to doing what we all do best: teaching in schools with our students. Until then, health and safety must come first. But as we’ve sacrificed to keep the virus at bay, fissures throughout society have become increasingly evident, and the importance of schools has been noticed by all.

Bringing our world to a screeching halt has shone a huge spotlight on the great inequities that exist throughout our communities. When at their best, our schools, although

10 CATHOLIC TEACHER | JUNE 2020

imperfect, act as the tides that raise all boats. No matter the backgrounds of our students, the classroom is a wonderful equalizer where ideas and experiences are shared across the socioeconomic spectrum.

Schools are also where vast numbers of students receive their meals every day, and where teachers, support personnel, and counsellors keep a close eye on the most vulnerable. Once everything stopped, the support systems that students depend on did as well. It also turns out that the learning experience is difficult to replicate from afar, something that teachers have long since known.

As provinces and territories introduced distance learning, teachers have worked tirelessly to recreate learning through high-tech and low-tech methods. Although distance learning can never replace the experience of the classroom, it too exposed the digital divide and economic disparity throughout communities. Not all families have wifi, and countless others lack the devices to connect if they could. Even when technology is present in the home, the conditions needed to concentrate and participate in group chats are often not.

Food security, high-risk homes, and connectivity issues are challenges that have risen to the surface for all to see. Problems that may have been swept under society’s carpet are now exposed. Now we must work collectively to address these glaring inequities to see that our students receive the support they need to learn, and learn safely, whether schools are open or not.

At this juncture of the COVID-19 crisis many of the questions we had at the beginning remain unanswered today. Although the lights are turning back on in some classrooms in parts of the country, and students are being welcomed back, this situation is far from over. And, we are all too aware, it is likely not a one off.

weathering it is something that teachers and education workers are built for. As teaching and learning continue in various ways, CTF/FCE Member Organizations from coast to coast to coast are working harder than ever to see that the interests of everyone within school communities are front and centre. Beginning with health, efforts and initiatives around the country are underway to make sure that our students, their families, and our colleagues receive the tools, the assistance, and the care needed to not only persevere during these challenging times, but come out stronger once the clouds are lifted.

For scores of students, the interruption of the school year was sudden, and came as they were either preparing to return or pausing classes for spring break. School years are nicely bookended, but for the majority of students, teachers, and education workers there will not be any proper closure this year, no milestones to celebrate together. From Kindergarten to Grade 12, the dramatic stoppage meant little time to say goodbye, to carry out the end of year rituals reserved for the endless possibilities of summer.

The combination of a pandemic, physical distancing, and an abrupt end to the year means that student mental health needs to be a priority when schools reopen. We must all be prepared to help our children and youth deal with everything they and their families have endured. But in order to do that, we need to make sure that all teachers and support personnel receive the mental health support they need in order to be ready for their students.

Even though two months have passed since life as we knew it stopped, we are still in the early stages of this storm. But

As teachers, this crisis has reminded us that the light shines brightest on our profession, not when times are good, but when they get tough. It is during the hardest moments when we stand up to the challenge and make due with what we have at our disposal. From limited resources to those extra hours spent helping our students navigate their way, teachers always seem to traverse the challenges in their way, and this occasion is no different. From everyone at the CTF/FCE, thank you for your commitment. Together, we will get through this.

Shelley L. Morse is the President of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF/FCE) and Chair of the CTF/FCE’s Advisory Committee on Diversity and Human Rights.

Classroom Management Assessment and Evaluation Brightspace (D2L) Supporting Students with Austism Many sessions will continue into the fall.

Registration: July 6 Starts: August 10 Ends: August 21

Visit catholicteachers.ca to register JUNE 2020 | CATHOLIC TEACHER 11

Vous pouvez vous inscrire dès maintenant! catholicteachers.ca

FEATURE

CONFRONTING ANTI-BLACK RACISM The following statement was issued on June 4, 2020:

“Ontario’s Catholic teachers have watched in dismay over the past several weeks as yet more horrific acts of racist violence have been committed, and authorities have reacted with harsh and cruel tactics to the understandable anguish and protest that has erupted as a result.

Our Association has tried to use this time to make space for Black and other racialized voices, and to share resources that will help teachers and others understand and confront the racism that clearly exists in our communities. However, on behalf of our members, our students, and our neighbours, it is also important that we unequivocally condemn not only the overt acts of racism and violence we see, but also the systemic discrimination that causes many Black and other racialized people to live with fear and anxiety, and prevents them from accessing services and fully participating in their communities.

Although recent media attention has focused on the United States, we recognize that these issues persist in Ontario and Canada. We also recognize that it is not enough to call for peace and equality; we must actively work toward justice.

Catholic teachers pray for the families of Regis Korchinski-Paquet, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and all other victims of racism and violence. We also pledge to do our part to eliminate prejudice and discrimination from our schools and our society, for example by countering stereotypes, incorporating Black and other racialized histories and perspectives in our teaching, and continuing to promote equitable opportunities for Black and racialized teachers and other members of the education community and the labour movement.”

Liz Stuart, President of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association

In an effort to help further discussion and understanding about anti-Black racism, particularly as it pertains to Catholic teachers and Catholic schools in Ontario, we have solicited a number of stories from OECTA members about their experiences in the education system and beyond.

If you would like to offer your perspectives on these issues, please email us at communications@catholicteachers.ca.

JUNE 2020 | CATHOLIC TEACHER 13

FEATURE

UNDERSTANDING US

By Sherfieldann John

I

am a Canadian-born educator and product of the Caribbean diaspora, who seeks to address the rooted problems of racialized discrimination and social inequality that exist within the educational system.

By the age of seven, I was equipped to understand the different social barriers that existed between my white classmates and myself, which led me to pursue a career in education. At a young age, I was – and still am – exploring multiple ways to help boys and girls, like myself, who require a bit more love and attention from their superiors (teachers, social workers, administrators, etc.). However, I didn’t realize the challenges I would experience being a young Black teacher.

In September 2018, I began my studies at OISE, in Adult Education and Community Development. I wanted, and needed, to understand more about the two communities I was born into: the Black community, and the low-income community. The biggest lessons I learned were about the importance of having anti-oppressive practices within the school community, and learning how to teach a child holistically. We need to teach the students, and not to the curriculum. I strongly believe that educators have the power and control to inflict positive social change in all of our students’ lives, and while we cannot save them all, we sure can try.

One size does not fit all

The educational system is designed as a one-size-fits-all model for both the staff and students. This does more harm than good for students from the Black and/or low-income communities.

Educators from all cultural backgrounds tend to expect their students to act and/or behave like they did when they were in high school – or like they do now as an adult. As a student I was asked to speak, write, dress, wear my hair, act, and advocate for myself in a particular way that wasn’t normal for me, but was normal for the socially dominant race of our society (which are people of European descent).

I come from a low-income, single-parent household, in an “inner city” neighbourhood. We have our own distinct cultural norms and values, which are near and dear to most

14 CATHOLIC TEACHER | JUNE 2020

people from these neighbourhoods. However, I was verbally asked, from my subordinates and/or co-workers, to forget these practices in order to land an LTO or a permanent job. In essence, for an entire calendar year, I could only be myself for the two months when school was out for the summer. This put an immense level of stress on my mental and physical health.

My journey in education has led me to value the importance of staying true to my talents. I don’t want to change, or be forced to act, speak, dress, walk, or talk like the socially dominant race. To be honest, I’m scared to advance higher in the school board, because I want to stay true to my cultural roots. I do not want to have to further assimilate into a person I don’t recognize because I am trying to be an administrator.

Addressing equity and trauma

There are a lot of equity issues in school boards across Ontario.

I have witnessed teachers label Black students as drug dealers, hoodlums, jailbirds, and/or wastes of space. These educators and their school boards are creating a school-to-prison pipeline without even realizing it, while many “educators of colour” watch it happen and don’t feel their voices will be heard or their opinions will be appreciated in matters that affect our Black students. This, in turn, further traumatizes us, because we know there is no “real” solution to helping our Black students deal with the trauma brought on by systemic racism or systemic violence. Instead, we watch as Black students get kicked out of the mainstream schooling system and are placed in an alternative school, because many of the teachers and administrators are too exhausted or overworked to practice the proper progressive discipline protocol.

Furthermore, the educational system and society as a whole pigeonhole Black people as all the same. Just because one Black person was able to overcome the social barrier that is bestowed upon them at birth, doesn’t mean everyone should have to – or is able to – do it too. I naturally became a prototype, the “model Black” student/teacher, for other Black students/ teachers to mimic. That isn’t fair. Black people are not all the same, nor do we think or act the same. We all carry the trauma of years of slavery, which many of our elders/ancestors haven’t dealt with, or we experience the trauma from the wounds of

the structural barriers we encounter inside and outside of our school community.

Teachers of all races should not focus on changing a Black person’s cultural behaviours. Rather, we should focus on finding ways to get students to deal with their trauma, while recognizing that people deal and cope with their trauma differently – for example through playing basketball, competing in track and field, acting, drawing, or painting.

Moreover, teachers should not use these students’ outlets as punishment for misbehaving – by kicking them off the basketball team, track team, or out of the school play or talent show – as it only traumatizes them further. Black kids, or any kids, who are acting out, are doing so as a cry for help, not seeking punishment. This is where transformative lesson plans and assessment are important to teach the child holistically.

And have a variety of options with your assessments, because, again, a one-size-fits-all model does not work for any child, of any race, who is experiencing trauma.

We have to re-examine how we are dealing with those students who are “inappropriately” asking for guidance, help, and support. The reality is that some educators are not able to control their emotions and their biases toward some students. We ask students to develop their growth mindset and emotional intelligence, but most teachers need to do the same.

Marginalized individuals should not be forced to reconstruct their cultural norms to fit in. Rather they should be taught to be self-actualized, respectful, and open to new teachings that don’t strip them away from their personal identity. As educators, we have the opportunity to empower, inspire, and motivate our students – especially those from the Black and the low-income communities – and we must use this power wisely.

I didn’t realize the challenges I would experience being a young Black teacher.

Marginalized individuals should not be forced to reconstruct their cultural norms to fit in.

Sherfieldann John is a member of the Toronto Secondary Unit.

JUNE 2020 | CATHOLIC TEACHER 15

FEATURE

WE HAVE WORK TO DO

Confronting Anti-Black Racism in Catholic Schools

By Tia Duke

This article is based on my own experience.

Black educators are individuals, and Black people are not a monolith. I hope that sharing my thoughts on being a Black Catholic educator will resonate, enlighten, and challenge all of us. I am hopeful that we can start to collectively learn and unlearn so we can do the work to dismantle anti-Black racism in our Catholic schools.

16 CATHOLIC TEACHER | JUNE 2020

In every Ontario Catholic school I have attended, or taught, I have experienced anti-Black racism.

For some, reading the bolded statement above will feel like a betrayal. At this point, I am unconcerned about white fragility, or the micro-/macro-aggressions that may present themselves in our interactions. I am not attacking Catholic education. I am attacking the antiBlack racism that occurs within schools

in Ontario’s publicly funded Catholic education system.

I can easily recall every racist incident from Kindergarten to year 15 of my teaching career. I can remember the incidents from childhood, adolescence, and adulthood vividly. With the exception of the completion of my degree programs, I have spent the entirety of my life in Catholic schools.

As a newcomer to Canada, my mother, on the advice of a Jamaican-Canadian coworker, chose Catholic education for her children. Now, as a mother of two Black boys, I too choose Catholic education for my children. But as I teach my four-year -old son how to make the sign of the cross, I worry. I know what is coming. I am in the fight of my life to protect my children’s humanity as they navigate school in the Catholic education system, and the world at large.

I take courage from Jesus Christ, Himself a representative of counterculture. His allyship is not performative and reactionary. Jesus Christ is not afraid of how He is viewed by His peers when He advocates for system change that is going to shift the power dynamics, and allow marginalized people to stand in their humanity. Jesus is a master teacher. Why? Because Jesus actively listened to those whose needs in the community were not being met and took action. James, a disciple of Jesus, writes in his epistle, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22). Jesus openly challenged His disciples to step into the discomfort of challenging oppression. He openly and publicly condemned those who abused their power to oppress others.

As many Catholic school boards release statements reacting to the most recent wave of Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the senseless deaths of George Floyd, Regis Korchinski-Paquet, Breonna Taylor, and countless others whose names may not make our social media feeds, timelines, or news headlines, we are called to action. It is not enough to release a letter publicly outlining strategies to address anti-Black racism, of which stakeholders are just now being made aware. It is one step to read books on anti-racism, white supremacy, and privilege; it is a completely different undertaking to transfer that knowledge

to create an anti-racist publicly funded education system that dismantles the mindset of white supremacy that governs all policies and action plans.

Senior management and elected trustees will need to understand, and acknowledge, that for decades it has been Black Catholic educators who have done the heavy lifting of fighting for their racialized students without support or recognition.

They often do so as the only Black staff at their schools. Many have experienced trauma that has changed the course of their careers and lives. The connections we as Black educators in schools make with students are authentic and intangible.

Any change will have to start with school boards, senior management, elected trustees, administrators, and fellow teachers acknowledging the ways in which Black Catholic educators have been silenced historically, and continue to be stifled today. There is a pervasive culture of fear when having to speak up as Black educators, demonstrating that anti-racist conversations are not welcome, often dismissed, and subversively punished.

Tokenism of a few Black Catholic educators under the banner of inclusive and equitable hiring has only presented the guise of diversity. What is needed is actual commitment from school boards to hire significant numbers of Black and other racialized candidates, and a concerted effort to increase the presence of Black and racialized students in the faculties of education.

Those who have never experienced anti-Black racism, those who have benefited from white privilege, and those who weaponize white fragility to maintain current systems of oppression are not best suited to determine a plan of action to create system-wide change.

Crafting disruptive and dynamic policy and pedagogy cannot take place in isolation, or through token, surface

level consultations. We need to draw upon and credit the myriad Black educators and students, with diverse skillsets, who want to lead in this fight for change. Nothing for us should

be conceptualized or actualized without us. It is imperative that

Black Catholic educators, support staff, students, and their families have meaningful involvement.

As educators, we know that a healthy learning environment is one that draws from the collective pool of knowledge.

We must ask ourselves whose knowledge we’ve excluded from that pool and actively seek to include the perspectives we’re missing. A commitment to a life in education is a commitment to continuous unlearning, too. There’s humility — but also a world of possibilities — in accepting that we don’t have all the answers.

I am one person. I am learning and unlearning. I have work to do. Our children are watching – they are and will be the generation of change.

They are discerning believers, they are effective communicators, and they are responsible citizens. Our young people are following in Jesus’ footsteps even as we collectively stumble to chart a new anti-racist path. Our Black students, and their friends of every race, clearly and confidently say, shout, and hashtag Black Lives Matter. Full stop. Period. They get it. Let us humbly follow the example of our Black learners and educators whose wisdom and intelligence is all too often underestimated and undervalued. Let us take action and show that in Catholic education across Ontario, Black Lives Matter.

Tia Duke is a member of the Dufferin-Peel Secondary Unit, and a former finalist for the Toronto Star’s Teacher of the Year award.

JUNE 2020 | CATHOLIC TEACHER 17

FEATURE

FUTURE FIRE FIGHTERS

By Sherwyn Benn

There isn’t a day that goes by during which I do not acknowledge that I am not like everyone else around me. As I walk through the school doors every morning, the reflection is blinding. As I attend workshops and meetings, the reflection remains the same. Where are all the Black male teachers in this school? Where are the Black male teachers in the board?

Every day when I go to school, I make the choice to immerse myself in my work and speak the language of education, so all things will be neutral. There really is no colour barrier, right?

Everything is just fine! Education is working to make the future better.

But as soon as the doors close and the students aren’t around, it is now the informal conversations with colleagues that remind me that my world is not like everyone else’s. Time to shut down and go back into my corner.

No, I do not have a cottage. No, my parents did not grow up the same way your parents did. No, my knowledge of investing is not yet at that level. Hmmm? Let’s try and shift the conversation back to neutral territory and talk about school sports – that usually works, right? Oh wait, somehow, I am now defending another Black athlete who is doing so well in athletics, but for some reason isn’t performing in school. I am again speaking for an entire race and culture.

The trend is the same. The result is another moment to confront that I am just not like everyone else around me. This is tiring! I either stay silent, or I laugh at the jokes to find a neutral place. All to fit in and be part of the crew.

Blazing a path

I was the first in my family to attend a university. It was the proudest moment for myself and all of my extended family when I was accepted. I played on a varsity team for five years.

I even turned around and became the head coach for that university. I did it! I made it! I learned how to master being one of a few lonely Black people in a different world. I learned how to fit in and use my difference to entertain everyone. Maybe that is why I am tired. I never wanted to be an entertainer.

In fact, I never wanted to become a teacher, because I never loved education. Something about school just didn’t make sense. It never felt like it was speaking to me. But education taught my parents that you could be respected, and my parents taught me that it was my duty to be the best I can be. Education taught me that if I had good grades, worked diligently, and climbed the ladder, I’d be respected.

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So, I did as my parents and the education system told me. The means of earning respect with my friends and family seemed straightforward. However, the struggle for respect seemed so much harder in school and among strangers. It always felt like I was fighting to not be considered “that Black guy.” Strangers couldn’t see your education, and in schools you are “the Black guy.” It seems much clearer to me now: the reason education wasn’t speaking to me was because it told me one thing while the outside world told me something else.

Igniting a fire

George Floyd’s death has ignited a fire in all of us who are tired. Tired of the confusion and staying silent. You are that Black guy/person. You will always be different. George Floyd’s tragedy has created a flame that everyone can see. There have been fires before, but a fire in the year of 2020 and during a time when everyone has had enough time to reflect during quarantine makes it extremely apparent that the way it “should be” is not the way it really is. The struggles I encounter are not because I am different, but because there are people who are not okay with different. There aren’t enough Black educators in our schools because there are too many students who still can’t make sense of the messages they receive at home and from school.

I don’t mind listening to someone’s experience at the cottage.

I don’t mind learning about other aspects of peoples’ lives.

There just aren’t enough people willing to listen to our stories.

It is hard to make sense of life when all the micro-aggressions you encounter every day all say, “You are not like me.” My life’s path was different. My life experiences are different. How misguided I’ve been in thinking that I had to be the same.

Afraid to speak because my stories are different. My story becomes relevant when the fire is blazing red. Smoke may generate intrigue, but there’s probably a firefighter out there who will deal with that, right?

Racism is raging hot again and it is because the conversation keeps getting muted when those who are comfortable get uncomfortable. The stories of all those who are “tired” need to be heard so that those who are “different” can make sense of their belonging. The conversation needs to start with our educators so that people learn how to smell for smoke, and learn how to prevent it from becoming a raging inferno.

Maybe one day we may be so well versed with differences that we learn how to avoid fires all together, from educators to police officers. Education should be difficult, not because we struggle with trying to learn the way it’s supposed to be, but

Racism is raging hot again and it is because the conversation keeps getting muted when those who are comfortable get uncomfortable.

because we struggle with the discomfort of not knowing how it’s supposed to be. The discomfort of listening to their stories and shared experiences. Of learning how to smell for fires, and prevent them whenever we can.

If it weren’t for the amazing teachers I had at my school, I would never be in this amazing profession. The teachers who immersed themselves in the stories of their students. The educators who reached out to connect with students on a realistic level. The people who wanted to know what you knew,

instead of telling you the way you should be. The ones who were navigating life with you, not for you.

The conversation that needs to carry on is not just for the adults, but for the children. For the students. There will be more male black teachers when education speaks to them.

When education listens to them. Let them speak!

Sherwyn Benn is a member of the Toronto Secondary Unit.

JUNE 2020 | CATHOLIC TEACHER 19

FEATURE

SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER

By Karen Ebanks

The killing of an unarmed black man at the hands of the police is not news; it occurs with alarming frequency, including recently with the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25. Floyd’s death unfolded in front of many eyes: police officers who looked on in silence or turned their backs, and civilians who recorded his death on cell phones. All of them were bystanders.

As teachers, our anti-bullying lessons always testify to the power of the bystander, the person who watches on while injustice unfolds. What kind of power does the bystander hold? The police officer who looks on or turns their back as life drains away is useful in the moment to prevent the killing, but only if they choose to intervene. The civilian who records on the cell phone while life drains away is useless in the moment to prevent the killing, but useful afterward to provide documentation of what unfolded.

Our students experience injustice daily. How many teachers intervene when we witness an injustice that wounds our students? There are times when we do nothing. There are times when we are silent and look on while the injustice drains dignity away. This can be especially true if a fellow education worker is the cause of the injustice. Other times, we take action. We document, write a report, inform the administration, and contact a parent. This sequence tends to unfold if a student is the cause of the injustice.

Take a moment to revisit the quotes in this article, the voices of our Black youth in Hairstory. What do they speak? What do they ask of teachers? Every unanswered act of anti-Black racism erodes the self-esteem of our Black youth, erodes their trust in teachers, and erodes their ability to respond to future injustices in a way that does not lead to suspension, or expulsion, or worse.

Teachers are the frontline responders in schools. Our response as injustice unfolds is being watched. It is being documented.

What do we want our responses to say?

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Hairstory is a ground-breaking project that shares and analyzes the experience of Black youth in Ontario’s care systems. This project began in 2012, through the Ontario Child Advocate, as a discussion on hair- and skin-care for Black youth in care, and found that their caregivers were not meeting many of their needs. This turned into a broader conversation about identity.

What makes Hairstory unique is that it unfolds exclusively through the eyes of our Black youth, 130 of whom participated in the ARTS (A Right to Speak) Forum in 2016. Conversations were synthesized and findings presented in a comprehensive report released in 2019, titled Hairstory: ROOTED - A Firm Foundation for the Future of Black Youth in Ontario’s Systems of Care.

Every teacher in Ontario who has ever taught Black students – whether the young people were in Ontario’s care systems or not – must watch this documentary and read this report.

The lessons are far-reaching. We may find it a tough read, but to move forward as truly inclusive educators, committed to teaching all of our students, this work is necessary. The Hairstory documentary and full report can be found at hairstory.ca. The documentary permits Black and Indigenous youth to speak directly to us, in their own voices. The report amplifies these voices and conversations.

Below is just a snippet of what the young people had to say. I challenge each and every Catholic teacher to focus on at least one aspect, start a conversation with a fellow teacher, analyze what you see happening in your local school or board, and step onto the path toward change. Accountability from various groups, including teacher unions, for promoting the well-being of Black youth, is included among the recommendations.

Karen Ebanks is a secondary teacher at St. Elizabeth Catholic High School. She is a member of the OECTA York Unit and sits on OECTA’s Diversity Advisory Board.

“We are concerned that bias and negative stereotypes about Black children and youth held by teachers and others in the education system limit our chances for success in school. We are often labelled as being troubled children and disproportionately targeted for school discipline.”

RECOMMENDATIONS The following recommendations are from the Education and Employment section of the Hairstory report.

1. Public education programs to eliminate cultural stereotypes about Black youth.

2. More books by Black authors in the school curriculum and to purchase those

books directly from Black authors and Black owned businesses.

“We want our teachers to believe in us and invest time in us. We want educators to express to us the same passion, belief in our abilities, and encouragement they would any other student.”

“We challenge our teachers to see us as individuals not just as ‘another Black kid.’ Do not judge us by our actions or the actions of our peers; rather, try to understand the circumstances of our lives that affect our behavior.”

“We feel over-surveilled by teachers. Displays of justifiable anger or defensive reactions on our part to acts of anti-Black racism can get us suspended or expelled from school.”

“I trusted nobody at school because the teachers were all the same. Always implying my dreams, hopes, and desires were unreachable, suppressing by abilities, motivation, and determination.

Everyone deserves a fair chance. We can’t say what everyone will do with their chance at life, but having an equal opportunity to be successful in life matters.”

3. Black history to be part of the curriculum from elementary to post-secondary

school for all students.

4. Improved curriculum in faculties of education so educators are better

prepared to work with Black students.

5. Curriculum that includes lesson plans about holistic healthcare, cultural

teachings and drumming specific to Black peoples and for this curriculum to be taught by respected Black Elders in the community.

6. More Black educators and administrators in schools.

7. Advocates within schools to work specifically with Black youth.

8. Accountability from schools, school boards, the Ontario Ministry of Education,

teachers unions, and provincial oversight commissions for teachers in the form of policies and practices to address discriminatory or racist actions, promote the well-being of Black students, and improve the safety and success of Black students in school.

9. Safe spaces in school to meet with other Black youth and opportunities for

peer mentorship.

10. A mechanism in schools or the school board to file reports and address the

complaints of Black students.

11. More supports to help Black youth transition from elementary to middle

school, to high school, and post-secondary education.

12. Curriculum that covers the life experiences of Black LGBTQ2S+ young people

for all students.

13. Anti-Black racism curriculum in schools to counter the stereotypes and biased

beliefs that lead to the promotion of hate and bullying of Black youth.

14. School curriculum that explores the intersectionality of Blackness with trauma,

racism, stereotypes, living in poverty and other factors that contribute to the stigmatizing of Black youth, the criminalizing of our behaviour and the formation of a negative identity.

15. Government to educate employers and provide incentives to create “first jobs”

for socially marginalized or racialized youth, including Black youth.

16. Guidance counsellors and teachers to provide individualized support and

strategies to Black students to achieve their goals as opposed to dissuading them based on their personal judgements of what is best for the student.

17. The Ministry of Education, school boards, principals, and teachers to focus

policies and practice on strategies that keep Black youth in school instead of resorting to suspensions and expulsions.

JUNE 2020 | CATHOLIC TEACHER 21

IT IS TIME FOR US TO BE TRANSPARENT Contribution from an ARTS Forum participant Excerpted from Hairstory: Rooted

“It is time for us to be transparent. Take away the ignorance; take away the fear of hurting others because kids are already being hurt. Children are already facing adversity. Racism exists and I am Black. A system that automatically designates my people and those of a darker skin tone as inferior is the system I’m trying to navigate.

To teachers I would say, “Check your privilege”. Take note of the Black kids you are teaching and in charge of. Take note of the Black kids you teach in history class who hear that their history stems from slavery while the rich history of Africa and the Moors who travelled the oceans and crossed seas long before Columbus did is ignored.

I would say bring up the topic of anti-Black oppression and not speak of it as something that happened in “19–whatever” because that implies that it was a problem of the past and minimizes the fact that it is the reality of today.

Words have power and to take that away perpetuates a system built on, and continues to benefit from, the silence of the oppressed, the silence of Black people.

I would say that this is not a “Black peoples” problem. “White” people or other people who benefit from having privilege, need to be taught from a young age–from the institutions in which they’re learning—that the oppression of others is not okay, that ignorance is dangerous, that Black people are not suspicious and that Black people are not to be feared. All children should be taught not to swallow the distorted and biased beliefs that are fed to them and so easily observed everywhere.

Education in Canada has taught me the resilience of Black peoples, which comes from breaking free of the literal shackles of slavery. Yet, education in Canada does not provide a space to speak of the mental illness and physical trauma encoded into our DNA from anti-Black oppression in the past and present.

Let’s remove the stigma and negativity associated with being Black. Let’s recognize that Black boys and girls are not a problem and teach them in a way that equips them for future and present– day success.

School has always been my refuge and learning came easy to me. I understand that education is a key to unlock doors and help bypass obstacles I face. This is what I tell myself and I’m fortunate to have not become a negative statistic.

Even if I had authority figures put limits on me, I would not let that affect my performance or how I react. But for the kids who already struggle it’s not the same. To build on what I said at the listening table, I would say, let’s stop whispering about racism, specifically anti-Black racism and discrimination.

Let’s create a dialogue, let’s create schools where educated students know the consequences of racism and little Black boys and girls are united in brotherhood, where inequality is not tolerated, where people can speak up for justice for oppressed minorities, for Black people, where Black youth and Black people can assume their power and achieve success by their own hands.”

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Primary

Kindergarten Communicating with Parents

The Arts English Language Learning Math

The WebExperiences run August 4 to 28, for registration, dates, and times please visit the For Your Classroom section at catholicteachers.ca All WebExperiences are recorded and available in the Members’ Area at catholicteachers.ca

TEACHERS’ AID

ANTI-BLACK RACISM RESOURCES Although media attention tends to focus on the United States, Catholic teachers recognize that violence and discrimination against Black and other racialized people persists in Ontario and Canada as well. We also recognize that it is not enough to call for peace and equality; we must actively work toward justice.

Many teachers have been asking how we may have been complicit in upholding structural racism in our society, schools, and communities. We want to know how we can do more, and positively contribute to the change we want to see.

The following is a non-exhaustive list of materials from various sources that may provide a starting point for you to explore, learn, and build understanding, so we can all stand up and speak out against the discrimination and violence that Black and other racialized people face every day, and begin charting a new path forward.

Teaching Resources Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) lists a number of elementary and secondary teaching and learning resources on its website, along with free workshops in English and French. https://ccla.org/education/remote-rights-project/ SafeAtSchool.ca offers lesson plans and toolkits to elementary and secondary educators, as well as resources for youth. https://www.safeatschool.ca/resources/resources-on-equityand-inclusion/racism/tool-kits-and-activities Centre for Race and Culture (CFRAC) has created the document Anti-Racism Education in Canada: Best Practices that outlines that provides a summary of best practices as well as examples of initiatives in anti-racism education in select Canadian cities. https://cfrac.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/aares-reportforprint.pdf Community and Race Relations Committee (CRRC) has created an Anti-Racism Resource Centre that offers tools for educators interested in teaching the histories and present-day realities of race and racism in Canada. http://www.anti-racism.ca/resource/educators.html Teaching for Diversity is a web site providing information, frameworks, and curricular resources to teachers to enhance curricular outcomes related to ethnic diversity, and to support

24 CATHOLIC TEACHER | JUNE 2020

teachers in their efforts to teach for and about diversity in schools. http://teach4diversity.ca/resources/ Annotated Bibliography: A Resource for Ontario Educators Learning about Racism co-authored by six Ontario educators, this document provides entry-points for educators in Ontario who are navigating the complex field of anti-racism education. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hqg9nD9uge-NgaPzsBG9_ WDjTz1krCDJ/view Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) policy and guidelines on racism and racial discrimination http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/policy-and-guidelines-racism-andracial-discrimination/part-1-%E2%80%93-setting-contextunderstanding-race-racism-and-racial-discrimination Towards Race and Equality in Education: The Schooling of Black Students in the Greater Toronto Area is a collaborative project/report between Dr. Carl James, Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community & Diaspora at York University; the African Canadian Legal Clinic (ACLC); and the Ontario Alliance of Black School Educators (ONABSE). The community consultations were organized by the ACLC and ONABSE, while the research (data collection, analysis, and reportwriting) was led by Dr. Carl James with Tana Turner. https://edu.yorku.ca/files/2017/04/Towards-Race-Equity-inEducation-April-2017.pdf Canadian Museum for Human Rights offers a number of education resources, lesson, and virtual lessons that explore various aspects of human rights. The resource “Be An Upstander,” offers teachers a series of lessons that guide student learning around human rights and introduces students to the impact that individual change can have on society. https://humanrights.ca/ Elementary Bullying Prevention Resources for TeacherLibrarians and Classroom Teachers is compilation of professional resources, websites, and recommended literature with accompanying activities produced by OECTA. http:// www.catholicteachers.ca/OECTA/media/pdfs/Curriculum%20 Resources/elementary_bullying_prevention.pdf Prayer to end racism - suggested Bible readings and prayers to end the sin of racism and discrimination https://static1. squarespace.com/static/50e5979fe4b0d83d9231662c/t/58c31 81dbf629a85334f8694/1489180701327/justpaxracepray.pdf

READ

WATCH

The Skin We’re In: A Year of Black Resistance and Power

by Desmond Cole

NFB – Black Communities in Canada Channel Explore the National Film Board’s free collection of films by award-winning Black filmmakers, creators, and allies of the Black community, detailing a rich history to better understand the present. https://www.nfb.ca/channels/blackcommunities-canada/

Black Writers Matter edited by Whitney French Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the Present by Robyn Maynard Until We Are Free: Reflections on Black Lives Matter in Canada edited by Rodney Diverlus, Sandy Hudson, and Syrus Marcus Ware BlackLife: Post-BLM and the Struggle for Freedom by Rinaldo Walcott & Idil Abdillahi Queer Returns by Rinaldo Walcott The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism by Bell Hooks Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Y. Davis Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson

13th (Netflix): directed by Ava DuVernay When They See Us (Netflix): directed by Ava DuVernay Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement Documentary (YouTube): directed by Peabody and Laurens Grant Fruitvale Station: written and directed by Ryan Coogler Selma: directed by Ava Duvernay The Hate U Give: directed by George Tillman and based on the novel of the same name by Angie Thomas 16 Shots (Showtime): directed by Rick Rowley Rest In Power: The Trayvon Martin Story (Paramount): sixepisode series directed by Jenner Furst and Julia Willoughby Nason

SUPPORT & FOLLOW Canadian Civil Liberties Association @Cancivlib Black Legal Action Centre @BLAC_Ontario Black Health Alliance @BlackHealthCAN Women’s Health in Women’s Hands @WHIWhHCHC

How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

Black Lives Matter – Canadian Regional Chapters @BLM_TO

Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon

Black Youth Helpline @YouthBlack

Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F. Saad

Black Women in Motion @Bwim416

The Possessive Investment in Whiteness: How White People Profit From Identity Politics by George Lipsitz Killing the Black Body: Race, Reproduction, and the Meaning of Liberty by Dorothy Roberts Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing by Dr. Joy DeGruy

NIA Centre For the Arts @NiaCentre CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals @cee_toronto Black Boys Code @blackboyscode Black Business and Professional Association @theBBPA Federation of Black Canadians @fbcfbn

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

Harriet Tubman Community Organization

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson

Toronto Black Film Festival @TOBlackFilmFest

TEACHERS’ AID

TEACHER ADVISOR

YOU OWN YOUR RETWEETS

By Joe Pece

Social media is meant to be, well, social. The platforms were designed not just for people to post content, but also to generate engagement and dialogue among users. That is why, in addition to commenting, people can “like” and “share” other people’s content, thus enabling that content to be seen by their own friends and followers. This amplifies the original content item and can increase its exposure exponentially. This is exactly what happens when an item goes “viral” – it is shared and re-shared thousands, even millions of times, reaching huge numbers of people who are completely unconnected with the original poster.

Especially on platforms like Twitter, we see many people note in their bios or descriptions that their retweets are “not their own” or “are not endorsements.” But are they really not? If you share something, it is because there is something of value that you see in that content item that you want others to see as well. But does your sharing imply agreement with what you have shared?

The reality is that it really does not matter – you are associated with whatever you post on your social media accounts. For teachers, this can have unintended consequences, as you are held to higher standards of conduct given the nature of your work. The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that even offduty conduct is relevant to your suitability to teach. As a result, even though online activity takes place while you are off duty, it can still have serious repercussions for your professional reputation and employment.

Many teachers have been disciplined by the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT), or disciplined and/or dismissed by their employer, for inappropriate behaviour on the internet. This can range from comments about their employer, to videos of themselves posted on YouTube, to retweets or shares of another person’s content.

The fact that it shows up on your accounts, under your name, means that you are associated with it and accountable for it.

Teachers have been disciplined by the OCT for sharing or retweeting posts from other websites or individuals. The original tweets or websites contained opinions of other individuals that were racist, homophobic, or discriminatory. Even though the ideas did not originate with the teacher, the fact that the teacher shared the posts and distributed them to others was sufficient evidence for the OCT to find professional misconduct.

26 CATHOLIC TEACHER | JUNE 2020

The moment you post personal information on the internet, you have lost control over who will see it and how it will be used.

Pictures can be easily copied, altered, and displayed in a completely different context. The bottom line is that if you would not want the information and your picture published on the front page of a newspaper, do not post it on the internet.

Teachers need to exercise discretion in what you choose to post, what you choose to share or retweet, who you choose to friend or follow, and how you interact. The most important thing to keep in mind is that anything you do on social media is, or could become, public – including chats or direct messages you intend only for select recipients. Teachers are individual citizens who are entitled to personal lives, political views, and diverse interests, but what appears on your social media accounts must be appropriate to your position as a teacher and role model for young people.

Teachers are under constant scrutiny under any circumstances; online activity only increases the level and opportunity for scrutiny. It is imperative that you consider all of your online activity as an extension of your professional conduct, and handle yourself accordingly.

Social Media Tips: • Do not post, re-post, or share content that may be considered offensive to others • Ensure you have the proper consent and rights for any images or content that you post • Only share content that you would be comfortable posting yourself • If you would not say it in your classroom, do not say it on social media • Consider how your post reflects on you as a teacher • Consider what impact it might have on your students if they saw the post • What is the implication if the post cannot be removed, or can be accessed in the future?

For more guidance, review OECTA’s Social Media: A “how to”guide for OECTA members and Appropriate and Professional Use of Electronic Communication, which is available at catholicteachers.ca Joe Pece is Department Head in the Counselling and Member Services department at the OECTA Provincial Office.

CATHOLIC CONNECTION

TEACHERS’ AID

QUARANTINE QUESTIONS

By Shannon Hogan

“We thought we had such problems.

How were we to know we were happy?”

Margaret Atwood, A Handmaid’s Tale In the midst of the global pandemic and the seismic shift in how we go about our daily lives, I have found myself returning to memories of life as it was when I was growing up.

I am not sure why my mind is timetravelling in that direction, but whenever my inner self guides me to places that I have not chosen, I assume it is for a reason.

In this case, I have found one.

In the beginning of the physical distancing, when people were fighting over toilet paper and bottled water, I was waiting to enter a store, and I began to think about what we had, and did not have.

Noticing the emptiness of the flour shelves and the Kraft Dinner aisle, scenes from my childhood emerged – long forgotten, but still accessible.

I was remembering my grandparents.

They came from the small Irish towns of Lucan and Clandeboye. They married and moved to Windsor. They never left the city for the rest of their lives. They never owned a car. They lived and died in the house where they raised five boys, and there was one bathroom.

The house I lived in was what we needed.

As my grandmother surmised, it was a

nice house close to the church. Of course, close to the church also meant that there was a Catholic school next door. Two birds, one stone. If we were needy, we did not know it. In my current understanding of cuisine, I realize how my mother could take the simplest of ingredients and turn them into something “special,” and it was always enough.

As kids, we lived at the Detroit River. It was our ocean. We swam, played, fished, and sat gazing at that seemingly endless deep blue for hours.

In the winter we played hockey on the rinks that dads made by freezing their backyards. Eaton’s catalogues served as knee pads, and everybody played. The only criteria used for being “allowed” on the ice was that you showed up. Regardless of capacity, ability, or size, we all played.

We were all the next Gordie Howe – honest!

I am not saying this in order to paint some ridiculous idyllic picture of growing up next door to the major struggles of the union movement, the riots in Detroit, and the sheer invisibility of being a girl child.

What I am saying is this little recollection that I have been led to is shining a huge light on my current life, forcing me to ask some probing questions.

When did I begin to want more than I need? When did I require three bathrooms? I grew up with only one. When did hockey become this huge financial

sacrifice that meant only a few can play?

When did I decide that I need to go away to a beach in winter? I live in the Beaches area of Toronto. From May to October I walk the beach every day – waves crashing in – it is my current ocean.

I believe the little girl playing on the Detroit River, her ocean, is the one leading me on my recent time travels.

While the images are fresh in my mind, she has led me to my soul.

In this journey of remembrance, I have been reminded of who I am. I have been reminded that I have enough – more than enough. I have been reminded that fried eggs with red peppers and a crisp Chardonnay is actually quite special. (Ok, I have found a few creature comforts that I was not acquainted with as a child – no wine-shaming, please!)

And I have remembered the sweet illusion – and perhaps a current belief – that we all carry within us the capacity for heroism, in the smallest acts of kindness, and the greatest of courageous actions.

Gordie Howe would be proud.

Shannon Hogan is a member of the Counselling and Member Services department at the OECTA Provincial Office.

JUNE 2020 | CATHOLIC TEACHER 27

TEACHERS AID

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR LONG-TERM DISABILITY COVERAGE Long-term disability (LTD) insurance, which protects your earning ability if you are unable to work because of injury or illness, is one of the most valuable group benefits you have.

Your OECTA group benefits plan is customized to provide the disability coverage you need, as cost-effectively as possible.

As a member, you are automatically enrolled in the OECTA provincial LTD plan.

Like most insurance, your LTD coverage is likely not something you think about until it is needed. However, there are a few things you need to be aware of: You have the option to discontinue your coverage while on a leave of absence

While on leave of absence, you have two options: • Maintain your LTD coverage by continuing to pay your premiums.

• Discontinue your LTD coverage by ceasing your premium payments. When you return to work your coverage will be reinstalled and you will be subject to a pre-existing condition clause.

If you find yourself in scenario (i) or (ii), there is no reason to continue to pay into the LTD plan, as you are no longer eligible to receive LTD benefits. The onus is on YOU to communicate the termination of your payments to OTIP through your local unit office. If you did not realize your payments have continued after your eligibility has ceased, contact your local unit office immediately.

MAINTAINING YOUR COVERAGE

If you choose to maintain your LTD coverage and you become disabled while on leave, you are eligible to apply for LTD benefits. There will be no break in your coverage and you will not be subject to a pre-existing condition clause upon your return to work.

DISCONTINUING YOUR COVERAGE

If you become disabled while on leave, you will not be eligible for LTD benefits. Upon your return to work, your coverage will be reinstated and you will be subject to a pre-existing condition clause if you become disabled within 12 months from the date of reinstatement. What is a pre-existing condition? This is a disability arising from illness or injury for which you obtained medical care during the 90-day period before you become re-insured.

When your LTD coverage terminates

There are three scenarios in which your LTD coverage can or should be terminated.

i. If you are eligible for a 60 per cent unreduced service pension – or will be within the later of either: the next 110 working days, or the expiration of your sick leave credits – you are NO LONGER eligible for LTD coverage and you should terminate your premium payments. Note: to qualify for a 60 per cent unreduced pension, you must meet the above criteria with 30 years of credited service and have your “85 factor” (age + qualifying service = 85). ii. If you have reached the end of the month in which you turned 65, or you will reach the end of the month in which you will turn 65 within the latter of either: the next 110 working days, or the expiration of your sick leave credits, you are NO LONGER eligible for LTD coverage and should terminate your premium payments.

iii. If your retirement date is within the next 110 working days, and you have notified both the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and your school board, you MAY terminate your LTD coverage at this time (and cancel your premium payments). You can also choose to continue your LTD coverage until the date of your retirement, in which case you will be eligible to make a claim if you become disabled prior to this date.

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Highlights of your LTD Plan Coverage/ Changes effective March 1, 2018

• Participation is mandatory for all members hired after September 1, 2013 • The waiting period to receive LTD benefits is the later of 110 working days or expiration of sick leave • Your benefit level is 50 per cent of gross monthly earnings • Your benefit is not taxable • Your benefit will receive a cost of living increase based on the Consumer Price Index to a maximum of 2 per cent starting in January after two years on LTD • Your LTD includes access to OTIP’s CAREpath and Feeling Better Now programs • If your date of disability is prior to March 1, 2018 these changes do not apply to you For more information on your LTD benefits and forms, visit the Benefits and Leave Provisions section in the Members’ Area at catholicteachers.ca

INSIGHT

TEACHERS’ AID

BECOMING MIRACLE MINDED

By Michelle Despault

If you ask my son what is the most important thing, he will tell you it is love.

We have been very intentional as parents to be planting these seeds in his youth, so he does not grow up with the sense that his possessions, wealth, or how much others approve of him are the metrics of the value of life. We offer love as an alternative measure, and tell him that if he follows his heart and his actions flow from love, good things will inevitably result.

There are two major forces at work in our lives: love and fear. Each day, in every thought we have, action we take, and choice we make, we are driven by either love or fear.

When we feel joy, happiness, gratitude, compassion, appreciation, or any of the higher emotions, we are being driven by love. Love is everything that lights us up.

When we feel hatred, anger, disappointment, jealousy, doubt, resentment, or any other of the lower emotions, we are being driven by fear. Fear is anything that weakens our spirit.

We may think that hate is the opposite of love, but in the absence of love it is actually fear that is the dominant force.

Fear is what, if left unchecked, festers into jealousy, anger, and hatred. Fear of difference, of “otherness,” of change, of the unknown, of not being good enough, of not being accepted. Fear of not being loved or lovable.

Love is the essence of who we are. Giving and receiving love are essential to our existence; in fact, I believe that our purpose here is to be love and to spread love. How we choose to express that

purpose is up to each of us. For many of you, the choice of the teaching profession is your expression of that love. In A Return to Love, Marianne Williamson writes: “Love is what we were born with.

Fear is what we have learned here. The spiritual journey is the relinquishment – or unlearning – of fear and the acceptance of love back into our hearts.

Love is the essential existential fact. It is our ultimate reality and our purpose on earth. To be consciously aware of it, to experience love in ourselves and others, is the meaning of life.”

Yet despite love being our essence, a loving response is often not our default.

Think of the last time you were cut off in traffic. A typical response, depending on the severity of the infraction, would range from outright anger to mild name -calling. Rarely would we respond with compassion for the other driver, sympathizing with whatever unknown issues they were dealing with that day.

We feel wronged and justified in our anger. So much so that we complain to other people about it and get their validation of how wronged we were.

When we respond to negative energy with more negative energy, we sink deeper away from love. We can physically feel how we are cut off and separate from love. And too often, we take that negative energy and emotion with us into our next interaction.

These moments are opportunities for us to consider our responses. Think of the traffic infraction – why exactly are we so upset? What has been triggered in us? Is it that we could have been hurt? Is it the lack of concern shown by the other

person? Peel back the layers to look deeper, and what you will find is some level of fear.

Physiologically there is a real pull toward a fear-based response – it is often automatic, or our default. Author Gabrielle Bernstein calls it a “miracle” to choose love-based responses over fearbased responses because of how difficult it can be. It is not easy to transcend our own feelings, but we need to be mindful of our responses, and actively choose love-based responses instead. Bernstein calls this a “miracle mindset.” It is “a belief system free of limitation, doubt, judgment, separation and attack. It’s unlikely that we’ll ever fully live with this mindset all the time, but our goal is to strengthen it.” So while compassion for the a-hole driver may be out of reach, we can choose irritation over anger, or maybe we can even bring ourselves to simply let it go. In doing so we move closer to love.

Our emotions are a continuum, and moving up that continuum is the key. The first step is to actually notice the emotional and physical response you have when you are triggered. Then, instead of automatically responding in a way that is consistent with that emotion, catch yourself and choose a more loving response instead – even if it is only one step higher on the continuum.

Most of the time we must actively choose love. It is not easy. And people and circumstances certainly do not conspire to help us. But the more we choose it, the easier it becomes to live it.

Michelle Despault is Director of Communications at the OECTA Provincial Office.

JUNE 2020 | CATHOLIC TEACHER 29

VIEWPOINT

WOULD JESUS FLY THE PRIDE FLAG? MY JESUS WOULD

By Walt Chaisson

H

ow many more times can support for LGBTQ2SIA be given and yanked away simply because some people are uncomfortable?

see physical examples of love, support, and acceptance from anywhere, but most especially from their Catholic school boards.

I am referring, of course, to the decision by the Waterloo Catholic District School Board to raise a “modified version” of the Pride flag to honour Pride month, rather than the historical, relevant one that was created through blood, sweat, and, tears. And then, after a trustee openly said that pride is the “deadliest of deadly sins,” their decision to not fly any flag at all!

I am particularly disappointed by the (typical) actions of the Waterloo Catholic school board in light of the fact that there are teachers, staff, and organizations like OECTA that do actually support LGBTQ2SIA students and staff, and who would be proud to fly that flag in the Pride parade.

Whew! Quite a dance, and not the good kind.

How do I feel, as a gay Catholic teacher in a Catholic system, knowing that the flag will not be flown? I would love to say I am surprised, but I am not. It is more of the typical backpeddling and double-speak from Catholic boards, who are known for saying or implying things like, “We support you, just not your lifestyle,” or, “We support you, but not too openly,” or, “You can have a Pride flag, but it cannot be that actual Pride symbol, because that’s too political.”

Am I upset? Yes! Gutted? You bet. For the students and the community at large, who need to

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Why did this back-peddling occur? Because apparently there was “feedback” from a variety of sources? Well then. Let’s just do what is easy, shall we? Let’s just not do anything and allow perverse, hateful thoughts about LGBTQ2SIA people continue to win.

Is that what Jesus would do? Not my Jesus. And I am hopeful that your Jesus would not, either. My Jesus would turn hatred and vile words against those who dared speak them.

It is not gay pride that is misplaced. It is the pride of believing you are above others. That you are better than others. That you are able to look at a section of our students and our population and tell them they are not as important, equal, or loved as others.

Is that not exactly what the gay community has been fighting against? Is that not what Catholic school boards across the province are trying to diminish and replace with a sense of inclusion and diversity?

The simple act of raising the internationally recognized Pride flag, created out of the experiences of the past, would have demonstrated the exact kind of love, acceptance, and equality that Catholics have been taught to practice.

The gay community needed to see it. The community as a whole needed to see it – even if it made some people “uncomfortable.”

It is not pride that is the deadliest of sins, it is the failing to support all our beautiful youth, our students, to whom we say each day that God loves and supports. If we mean it, we must show it – raise the flag!

In my possibly naive vision, I believe that Jesus would raise the Pride flag. And why not? We are taught that he embraced necessary change, that he demonstrated acts of equality, inclusion, and love, even if it made people “uncomfortable.”

People will always be uncomfortable – it is how change occurs and how we grow as a society. Growth and change can only happen outside of our comfort zone.

Jesus would be the first one hoisting the flag and using it as a teachable moment, the lesson being that we need to support our gay students and wider community. That we need to stop doing what is comfortable and do what is right and just.

Because that is what Jesus would do.

The situation in Waterloo was about more than raising a flag.

It was about signalling to all who witnessed it that the school board’s support is more than lip service, that it is meaningful, measurable, and real. It could have made a difference. It could have been the visible support needed to show our gay population that they are important, needed, and loved.

I think it is time that we, as teachers in Catholic schools, move beyond understanding why our gay population is treated differently. It is time to show visible examples of support, love, and acceptance to our gay students and neighbours, who we have been so blessed by God to have in our schools and in our communities. Maybe it is time someone else take up the call that Waterloo did not. Raise the flag! Show the support. Act against the wrongdoing.

Jesus acted against wrongdoing. He taught people lessons of love and acceptance through action.

Would Jesus raise a Pride flag? Mine would, and I am hoping yours would too.

HAPPY Pride month everyone.

Walt Chaisson is a teacher at Ascension of Our Lord in Malton, and a proud member of OECTA’s Diversity Advisory Board.

Catholic school boards consistently say that we are the difference, we are the way to the light, peace, and justice. But actions speak louder than words. I call on Catholic school boards across Ontario to raise awareness and stand up for what Jesus preached. Welcome all children, not just the straight children. Show the gay students and the gay community at large that they are creations of God, that they matter, that they are supported and loved.

JUNE 2020 | CATHOLIC TEACHER 31

VIEWPOINT

FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH

HOME IS NOT JUST A PLACE

By Gian Marcon

A little reflection shows that all human culture is artificial, cooking no less than music, furniture no less than painting.

Why prepare time-consuming sauces when a raw fruit would suffice? Why bother with musical instruments when the voice is pleasant enough? Why paint pictures when looking at nature is satisfying? Why sit up when you can squat? The answer is that it makes life richer, more interesting, and more pleasurable.

Christopher Alexander Home is where the heart is, home is so remote. Lena Lovitch As we enter the third full month in self-isolation, the debate about the rate at which society should be re-opened has inundated the airwaves. Daily briefings from political leaders provide little news, and depending on the source, actually muddy the waters with misinformation that ranges from the relatively innocuous to the outrageous. In our search for a place of calm away from the proverbial storm, taking a step back can provide some perspective as well as a natural opportunity to take stock.

Over the past few weeks, I have become increasingly aware that within my circle of friends and family, a number of pursuits have been revised and revisited in an attempt to fill the social and personal voids that have developed. In this regard, I am no exception. After I reached the end of the internet and had my fill of reliving past Blue Jay and Raptor glories, I too looked to other activities. Given some of my previous columns, it should come as little surprise that walking, reading, film, and music were the pursuits that I first revisited and reimagined.

In past writings, I have taken time to examine both the restorative properties of reflective walks and music appreciation. I have not written nearly as extensively – in fact, quite sparsely – of my lifelong passion for reading, both fiction and non-fiction.

While I could commence by exploring reading in a general sense by delving into its ability to envelop, distract, rejuvenate, and inspire, I thought that I would specifically focus on what and how I have been reading of late.

A while ago, a colleague of mine shared a clever aphorism: time should be viewed as a resource, not as a constraint. Never has this been truer than in these times of self-isolation. My evenings, which used to be consumed by long, frustrating drives home,

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watching live sports events, and work-related communication, are now different. The time that has been freed up by circumstance has presented me with ample opportunities to devote myself to reading, running the gamut from the purely distracting, to the thought-provoking, to the profound. I have been managing a book a week and usually have both a work of non-fiction and a novel on the go simultaneously.

The list I have been working through includes current works of fiction and older novels from the stack of 10 or so that I had meant to read but never got around to due to life’s obligations.

I have been delighted to revel in the luxury of this fortuitous chance to whittle down a backlist that would otherwise have continued to lay neglected.

In addition, I have been able to use the quieter evenings to revisit previous gems that I have wanted to reread. One such book is Witold Rybczynski’s Home: A Short History of an Idea.

I have been a huge fan of Rybcznski ever since a good friend recommended The Most Beautiful House in the World, which I also highly recommend, but Home is particularly a propos and poignant given our current reality.

Ribczynski is an award-winning Canadian architect, and Home has been described as, “A book that will change the way you look at your house or apartment – for the better.” As the author leads us on an odyssey of how the idea of what constitutes a home evolved alongside the evolution of physical dwellings and their design, we get a sense of why we invest so heavily, both emotionally and physically, in our homes. Whether it is an analysis of the renowned engraving of “St. Jerome in his Study,” the connection between medieval tapestries and wall-to-wall carpeting, or the concept of comfort versus aesthetic in home design, Ribczynski weaves a coherent body of information that allows the reader to see their home environment with renewed appreciation and understanding.

While we have been required to engage our homes in different ways during this pandemic – home offices, islands of selfisolation, oases - books in general, and Home in particular, can provide a modicum of comfort and reflection in our lives.

Gian Marcon is a member of the Bargaining and Contract Services department at the OECTA Provincial Office.