Blog
4 Teacher Tips for Meaningful Land Acknowledgments
Most schools in Ontario begin every day with a reading of the Land Acknowledgment followed by the playing of the national anthem. Many students will listen to the Land Acknowledgment and some will even recite it. The question is, do they understand the meaning and intentions behind the words?
The Arts as a Tool for Mindfulness
Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical Schools, “Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: in the present moment, on purpose, and non-judgmentally.”
Teaching Indigenous Education? Top 5 Concepts You Should Know
Tân’si! Sam nisihkâson. I’m the Indigenous Lead for Embodied Learnings and a teacher candidate in the Waaban Indigenous Teacher Education Program at York University. Being in this program has truly been a life changing experience . . .
When the “hard” of teaching needs a new narrative: Two tips for flipping the script
I’m surrounded by teachers. Members of my family are teachers. Many of my friends are teachers. Hundreds of my former students are now teachers. Even my next door neighbour is a teacher. That’s a lot of teachers in my life. The words I hear many of them say is “this is by far the hardest year of teaching I’ve ever had.”
You can teach dance! Two “best practices” for success
Dance is a subject that tends to receive very little attention in schools. For one, it’s rarely taught in preservice teacher education programs or part of professional development training for inservice teachers. Consequently, most teachers don’t understand the value of dance education and feel ill-equipped to teach it.
If the Earth Could Speak
If the Earth had a voice what would it say? Imagine the Earth making a public service announcement to its citizens to eradicate environmental pollution, unclog our oceans of plastics, and stop the destruction of old growth forests.
Awakening the Body Through Creative Movement
Awakening from the slumber of winter is also a process of awakening the body. There are many ways to increase our vitality, which tends to include movement.
Easy Ideas to Boost Creativity Across the Curriculum
One of the simplest ways to boost creativity in the classroom is by integrating the arts into every subject. Arts education can serve as a vehicle…
Love in the Hot Seat: A Drama Lesson
To love and be loved is one of the greatest human experiences. Regardless of where you live, how old you are, or your social identities, love is a…
Understanding Sustainability Through Creativity: Telling Stories About Trees and Ourselves
Sustainability is a critical topic in education to help students understand how individual and collective behaviour can impact the environment. A…
Four Ideas to Boost Creativity and Play
A great deal of time and energy is put towards assessment in the context of education. Determining a student’s comprehension of concepts across all…
Understanding The Seven Grandfather Teachings and our Animal Relations Through The Arts
Indigenous peoples have a deep respect for the land and all living beings. In particular, animals are revered for their ability to sustain human li…
Lessons in Perseverance Through Nature and Our Elders
According to the online dictionary, “perseverance” is described as “steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially…
4 Creative Ways to Help Students Find Purpose and Meaning in Their Lives
Living with purpose and meaning can be an abstract concept for elementary aged students to comprehend, although it is very important to delve into…
Effective Ways to Use Music in the Classroom All Day Long
There is an abundance of research suggesting that listening to music, engaging in musical experiences, and taking music lessons are highly benefici…
Storytelling Across the Curriculum: Science, Math, and Social Studies
“Storytelling is our unwritten books and our way of teaching and learning.”
~ Jerry Wood, Cree First Nation Elder, Grant MacEwan University…
Quick Tips for THRIVING in Challenging Times
Imagine how it would feel to thrive in your life. Consistently. Day in. Day out. Year after year. According to the online dictionary, the word th…
Culturally Appropriate Ways to Incorporate Indigenous Knowledge and Perspectives Through the Arts
One of the greatest fears that non-Indigenous teachers have when incorporating Indigenous knowledge and perspectives into the curriculum is that th…
Drama as a Valuable “Tool” for Lifelong Learning
Drama is significantly underrepresented in elementary school education. Unfortunately, there is a misconception that drama education is only for ar…
Using the Whole Body Across the Curriculum: Tips & Strategies Subject by Subject
Whole-body learning can be integrated across the curriculum to engage students in subjects that are traditionally done pencil to paper. This has ma…