Professional Learning Record due: April 25, 2022

Name: Katherine Parker Professors: Jessica Sokolowski PED3150A Linda Mosley PED3150AA

Part of your development as a professional is to engage in learning beyond your coursework. One of the Standards of Practice is the “Commitment to Ongoing
Professional Learning”. After attending a professional learning community session at the faculty or in your schools and the community, take a moment to
reflect on the learning that took place.

Date Title Location/Presenter Description* Learning: Key points

September Resources for FESA, CSL Community This Professional I learned more about the Community Service
14th 2021 Teaching Engagement Learning Community Learning Opportunity- I did not realize that CSL
([email protected]), (PLC) is an extension of opportunities were included in the syllabus for
OPHEA Module 1: Inquiry into certain courses. I also did not realize that CSL
([email protected]), Practice and will focus volunteer experiences were added to our co-
Indigenous Walks, and on teaching resources curricular record. CSL opportunities require 30
TVO Digital Learning that might prove hours of volunteering, a reflection, and
([email protected]) helpful over the next account for a percent of your final grade in the
two years. given course. This is a great way to apply skills
and theories learned in courses, and improve
your employability and work experience.
I learned that OPHEA is the governing body of
health and physical education in Ontario. They
provide resource support for teachers to
deliver the curriculum, such as lesson plants
and student resources for hybrid, online, and
in person learning. They provide information
on Internet Safety and resources for virtual
field trips. I think this would be an excellent
resource to use if teaching physical education
and health classes, but also to incorporate into
any classroom through body breaks.
I learned all about Indigenous Walks and their
 connection to the Urban Communities cohort.
This is a guided walk and talk through
downtown Ottawa that focuses on
monuments with an Indigenous perspective. It
highlights the importance of Indigenous voices
in their ancestral lands. I think this will be
excellent for any teacher because of the
importance of amplifying Indigenous voices
and history, so this was a great resource to
learn about.
TVO Digital Learning provides free educational
content and programming for children of all
ages. TVO mPower focuses on math and STEM
learning for grades K-6 through online games. I
think this is a very organized, fun, and useful
resource that will help me when I am teaching.
TVO Learn provides resources and courses for
grades 1-8 and 9-12 along with learning goals,
success criteria, and a reflection component.
TVO Mathify offers math tutoring for grades 6-
11 in various strands of math. As one student
mentioned in the chat, this could be a helpful
resource to use when preparing for the math
test for OCT certification as well!
September Federation Day- OTF, OECTA The Ontario Teachers’ This was a good opportunity to learn more
28th, 2021 Partners in Federation (OTF) about my responsibilities and expectations as
Education represents a teacher, as well as the supports and
approximately 160,000 resources in place for teachers. OTF provides
teachers in Ontario’s other work opportunities for teachers, which I
publicly funded did not know before today. OTF is the
schools.  It is the umbrella organization for AEFO, ETFO, OSSTF,
unifying voice and OECTA, and was founded through the
safeguarding their Education Act.
profession, pensions, The objectives of OTF are to promote and
and public education.  advance the cause of education, to raise the
All teachers in publicly status of the teaching profession, to promote
funded schools belong and advance the interests of teachers and to
to OTF and to one of secure conditions that will make possible the
four teacher best professional service, to arouse and
federations, all of increase public interest in educational affairs,
which are OTF to cooperate with other teacher organizations
Affiliates.  As teacher throughout the world, and to represent all
candidates, you are members of the teacher’s Pension Plan in the
associate members of administration and management of pension
the Federation.  Come funds. I actually did not realize that OTF and
and learn what this OCT are different groups, and that OTF speaks
special status means on behalf of teachers while OCT regulates the
to you – what teaching profession and speaks on behalf of
outstanding services public interest, so this was good to know. Like
and resources OTF many students, I have never worked in a
offers you as an unionized environment before, so this was all
associate member and very important information to receive. There
what your legal and were many other resources provided through
ethical responsibilities www.otfeo.on.ca and
are.  www.survivethrive.on.ca.
In the OECTA breakout room, we learned
about specific professional boundaries as
elementary school teachers. Professional
boundaries are the verbal, physical, emotional,
and social distances that an educator must
maintain in order to ensure structure, security,
and predictability for students, parents, and
 staff. Teaching is a profession that is heavily
regulated and teachers have a lot of
responsibilities and expectations. We learned
about the high risk behaviours to avoid and
how to act in public and on social media as
teachers.
October OCT and Teaching OCT (Ontario College of In this practical I learned more about OCT and that it is a
12th, 2021 Supports Teachers), The workshop, we will governing body that regulates teaching as a
Mentoree (OnEd explore well-being as it profession. As discussed in the OTF PLC, OCT
Mentors), Well-being applies to teachers. works in the interest of the public. I learned
Practices (OECTA) We will develop a that there are many stakeholders in the
conceptual framework publicly funded education system in Ontario,
to situate a teacher's such as the Ministry of Education, school
sense of well- boards (of which there are 72 in Ontario!), as
being, identify well as OTF which advocates for teachers. OCT
challenges to the well- works to certify teachers, resolve complaints,
being of new teachers, accredit teacher education programs (uOttawa
and most importantly was accredited in 2020), and set the ethical
connect to a and practical standards of teaching as a
wide range of profession. I also learned that OCT could stand
accessible practices both for Ontario College of Teachers and
and resources that Ontario Certified Teacher, I thought this was
support personal well- really interesting and good to know! The OCT
being. website (www.oct.ca) also has a “Find a
Teacher” feature in which you can find any
teachers certified to teach in Ontario, as well
as their qualifications. In the PLC, we discussed
how this adds to the accountability and trust
that the OCT tries to create surrounding
teachers and the public.
From the Mentoree (www.TheMentoree.com,
@TheMentoree), we learned about
opportunities for teachers and teacher
candidates to engage in connection and
mentorship opportunities. They cultivate a
collaborative mentorship community
grounded in professional learning, well-being,
and efficacy. This PLC mentioned that no
significant learning can occur without a
significant relationship, which I thought was a
great point. There is also the OnEdMentors
Podcast which is live every Thursday from 9 to
10 pm. I found this podcast on the Apple
Podcast app and I will try to check it out
because it sounds very interesting and
informative!
The final presentation today was about well-
being practices for teachers. We discussed
how well-being encapsulates physical,
economic, social, emotional, psychological,
and life satisfaction aspects. I appreciated the
inclusion of the spectrum of mental health,
ranging from normal functioning to clinical
disorders. This spectrum is something that I
learned about in my undergraduate degree,
and it was interesting to see it applied to this
degree as well. I also appreciated that the
implications of technology and information
overload were discussed. Overall, this
presentation made me feel a lot better about
feeling overwhelmed, because I could see that
feeling this way is normal and it is about how
 we deal with these feelings in beneficial ways.
Some resources provided included the power
of self talk, box breathing, nature walks,
nutrition, aromatherapy, exercise,
mindfulness, and mental health resources. It
was also mentioned that students may be able
to access the Calm app through the university,
which I am very interested and excited about
because I used to use the app and I would love
to download it again because I found it to be a
great resource and very fitting with what the
presentation today discussed.
November Relational Shari Orders This presentation I am passionate about creating comfortable,
9th, 2021 Pedagogy ([email protected]) provided an overview safe learning environments so I really enjoyed
Urban Cohort Lead, of relational pedagogy this presentation. I learned that relational
former J/I teacher, and restorative pedagogy involves teamwork, connection,
teaches second year practice, and insight trust, care, and respect. Shari mentioned that
elective PED3139 into the second year no significant learning occurs without a
elective PED3139. significant relationship which I thought was a
valuable and meaningful quote to carry with
me as I gain experience as an educator. We
discussed the social discipline window and the
elements of control and support.
I also learned about restorative practice, which
is an emerging social science that examines
how to strengthen relationships between
individuals. Then, we discussed three elements
of restorative practice, which were listening
skills, developing empathy, and conflict
resolution. One of the aspects of teaching that
I am most nervous about is classroom
 management, because I tend to not be a very
strict person, so I appreciated learning about
conflict resolution in a restorative and
collaborative way.
OCSB: Equity, Prince Ehoro This presentation Since I am completing my practicum
Diversity, and ([email protected]) outlined the OCSB EDI placement in the OCSB, I really appreciated
Inclusion Equity, Diversity, and Framework with a learning about the Ottawa Catholic School
Framework Inclusion Advisor for focus on support for Board’s framework for equity, diversity, and
OCSB Black and Indigenous inclusion. I learned that the board provides
students. bias awareness training and board-wide
events for Black History Month. Additionally,
they have gathered evidence from
professional learning sessions and are very
open to feedback.
Prince mentioned that equity is something
that is everyone’s responsibility, not just the
responsibility of Black or Indigenous
Educators, and I thought that this was a very
important point to raise. As future educators,
it is our responsibility to do the work to ensure
that our classrooms are inclusive for all
students.
We discussed several classroom practices to
promote inclusivity, such as removing systemic
barriers, applying an equity lens to all policies
and practices, using responsive pedagogy,
pronouncing students’ names correctly, using
culturally diverse reading materials and
images, and fostering learning partnerships
with schools, classrooms, and families.
November Challenging and ETFO- Pam Dogra All children and I learned about how the ETFO is working to
16th, 2021 Championing families deserve enhance intersectional and anti-oppression
2SLGBTQ+ Issues validation and respect. frameworks with a focus on anti-homophobia
This practical and anti-transphobia. The ETFO works to
workshop will assist promote equity and social justice within the
educators with how to education system. Their priorities are to
answer the tough advocate for social justice in areas of peace,
questions, address anti-poverty, non-violence, and equity, to fight
homophobic bullying, against anti-Black racism, and to advocate for
become familiar with the care and protection of the environment
supportive legislation, and engage in climate action. Pam showed an
and use inclusive image of an iceberg, where individual actions
literature and are visible, systemic discrimination is just
strategies in the below the surface, and ideologies are far
classroom. Links to below underwater. I thought that this was a
curriculum resources really effective way to demonstrate that we all
will be provided. have learned discrimination and there is work
to be done to unlearn it.
I also learned more about the term
intersectionality, which was coined by
Kimberle Crenshaw to address the
marginalization of Black women in spaces
addressing sexism and spaces addressing
racism. Intersectionality refers to a framework
which conceptualizes groups as affected by
several discriminations and disadvantages. I
learned that addressing intersectionality is not
as simple as addressing each discrimination
individually, because they compound and
change as they co-occur.
Finally, we discussed how language is
incredibly important and when talking about
 pronouns it is better to ask “what are your
pronouns?” as opposed to “what are your
preferred pronouns?” as a person’s pronouns
are not preferred, they simply are.
Teacher Student David Smith The relationships that Teacher centered schooling has an academic
Relationships (David.smith@uottawa. teachers and students and curricular focus with goals relating to
ca) form in their work academic results. Learned centered schooling
together are critical has a student focus on growth and
for many reasons. In development. As David mentioned, there has
the first place, they are been tensions in politics and policies relating
vital to the success to teacher student relationships, as evidenced
and development of by standardized testing, school performance
students in their and public ratings, inclusive classroom policies,
academic journey, and and progressive discipline replacing zero
in the second place, tolerance policies.
they are also We watched two videos which outlined very
fundamental to different teacher student relationships. The
teachers’ well-being first video showed a positive relationship, in
and satisfaction in which the teacher listened to the students,
their careers. In this reinforced what they had to say, praised them,
presentation, I will and told them they were strong. In this video,
discuss factors that the students were very engaged and
affect the comfortable in the classroom. In the second
development of video, the teacher was seen yelling while the
Teacher-student students sat silently. The teacher berated a
relationships and how student who had made a mistake and sent
these connect to a them away from the rest of the students.
variety of outcomes These videos were incredibly effective in
for students and outlining the contrasting student teacher
teachers. Finally, I will relationships.
talk about strategies We discussed several psychological theories,
 and skills that teachers such as Attachment Theory, and how positive
need to implement in teacher student relationships can off-set
order to cultivate negative attachments at home. High quality
positive relationships teacher student relationships are associated
with their students. with higher academic performance,
motivation, and engagement, and predict
better psychological outcomes such as
adjustment, lower aggression, and improved
social skills. These effect sizes were incredibly
stable and durable, lasting from kindergarten
to grade eight in one study.
January Workplace Julie Guevremont- This PLC will look at This session was effective in reviewing the
18th, 2022 Violence and Ottawa Catholic strategies, approaches legislation and workplace safety expectations
Safety in the Teachers and resources to for all teachers. It is clear that violence in
Workplace create a safe and schools is a common occurrence, particularly
positive classroom now due to the pandemic, so it is important
environment for for teachers to be aware and understand what
learning. This session is expected of them in terms of resolving and
will review the reporting issues. There are frameworks for
legislation and reporting violence from both the Ministry of
workplace safety Education and the Ministry of Labour. I
expectations for all learned that each school should have a
teachers. Notification of Risk binder, which is important
information as a future educator who may be
in new schools as a supply or occasional
teacher in the future. We also reviewed
strategies to engage in during an incident,
such as staying calm, ensuring the safety of
students, and calling for help. We also
discussed how to deal with violence or abuse
from parents, which I think is a common and
 often undiscussed issue in schools. Overall, the
take-home message from this PLC session was
that teachers are never alone and there is a
wide support system when facing violence.
Managing Your Linda Yan (educator We will discuss The starting point of classroom management
Classroom With with the OCDSB) and behaviour in any classroom is you as an educator; it is
CARE Shawna Abbotts management from a important to understand your own strengths,
(experience with CAS) relationship based needs, and next steps. Classroom
approach. management is also part of the curriculum, as
it ties into organization, knowing your
students, and setting up an effective learning
environment. CARE is an acronym which
stands for consistency, attunement,
responsivity, and empathy, and it allows
teachers to respond to student behaviour, set
classroom expectations, and create an
effective learning environment. This acronym
is particularly relevant for students who have
experience trauma and are involved with the
CAS. The take-home message of this PLC
session was that if you keep in mind the
safety, security, and welfare of the students in
your classroom, you will do well by them.
February So You Think You Shyam Patel By the end of the Balanced literacy is a term originated to
1st, 2022 Can’t Write? ([email protected]) workshop, teacher mitigate the reading wars between the whole
Interactive and candidates will feel language and phonics based approach. It
Shared Writing to confident to plan and incorporates instruction through large and
Put the “Groove” instruct a writer’s small groups, and is individual and teacher
Back into the workshop that is directed. Balanced literacy should incorporate
Writer’s informed by word work, reading, writing, and oral
Workshop interactive and/or language. A writer’s workshop starts with a
 shared writing while mini lesson, followed by independent writing,
also reaching every and a sharing / reflection time at the end. The
language learner in the mini lesson should be short and snappy and
classroom. students should spent most of the time on
their own independent writing. In interactive
writing, the teacher and the students share
the pen, while in shared writing, the teacher
and students collaborate while the teacher
scribes. It is important to pick exciting topics
that resonate with students to encourage
independent writing and student engagement.
We watched some videos of examples of
writing workshops which were very helpful!
What's Meike Wernicke & Carl The workshop has Culture is an interpretive framework that we
intercultural Ruest been designed to use to understand the world around us.
about Netflix? -- provide participants Intercultural understanding relates to what is
an experiential with an opportunity to unfamiliar to use, and we often focus on the
approach to focus their exploration differences. As educators, the challenge is to
making on the links between engage students and encourage them to
interculturality culture and language approach intercultural learning. Decentering
relevant in the and the importance of refers to shifting the perspective of others
classroom awareness of their while knowing and maintaining a focus on
own cultural identity. oneself. To do this, you start with yourself and
interrogate your own perspectives on an
authentic text. Then, you decenter your own
perspectives and move towards the
perspectives of others. Next, you come back to
yourself and reassess your perspective and if it
has changed. Then, the cycle continues.
February Mental Health and Dr Richard Bolduc- This presentation will Mental health is a state of wellbeing in which
15th, 2022 Wellbeing at the OCSB Mental Health provide an overview of every individual realizes his or her own
 OCSB and Wellbeing Lead the OCSB Mental abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of
Health and Wellbeing life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is
strategy as well as able to contribute to their community. This
specific strategies for presentation provided information on a whole
teachers relating it to child approach to student mental health and
clinical practice. Socio- wellbeing. Social emotional learning refers to
Emotional Learning managing emotions, achieving goals, showing
strategies will also be empathy, and establishing positive
discussed. The OCSB relationships. All learning is social and
will provide a model of emotional so it is important to integrate these
the way a Board of healthy strategies into teaching. Social
Education has emotional learning competencies include self
implemented awareness, self management, social
the Ministry of awareness, relationship skills, and responsible
Education's policy dire decision making. The OCSB strategies for social
ction. emotional learning are collaboration,
communication, character, citizenship,
creativity, and critical thinking. Social
emotional learning also connects to the Third
Path approach, which involves eight conditions
for achievement and wellbeing. This
presentation stated that social connectedness
predicts wellbeing and is more important than
academic wellbeing; anxiety shuts down the
brain and makes learning much more difficult.
The strongest common denominator of
wellbeing is relationships, and the educator is
the most influential part of these relationships.
Counselling Louise Hall- University This workshop As someone with a background in
Applications in the of Ottawa introduces you to a developmental psychology, I really enjoyed
School Setting: solution-focused this presentation and the approach that it took
 The Solution- counselling model that to education and resolving conflicts involving
Focused Model is useful in the school students. Solution focused strategies in a
setting. Explore school community refer to teachers and
communication skills administrators working collaboratively with
that promote students, and shifting their thinking to be
respectful interactions, more solution-oriented and proactive. The
and effective support idea is that the unconscious mind is creative
for your students. and solution-generating. When students reach
Learn strategies to out and ask for help, they are already changing
resolve school conflicts and doing something right to solve their
quickly with brief, problem. It is the expectancy of a positive
positive interventions. outcome that can lead to change! Educators
can promote self regulation and self efficacy
through praise and more importantly, through
encouragement. We should focus on students’
strengths, resources, or times when the
problem is less frequent or not present at all.
Sometimes, a space to think things through
with a caring adult is all that students need.
We also discussed the miracle question (You
go to sleep tonight and a miracle happens.
How would you feel when you woke up? What
would be different?). This question represents
a paradigm shift for students, although it is not
always applicable as students get older and
their problems become dilemmas which
cannot always go away. The scaling question
refers to asking students how they feel on a
scale of 1-10 or 1-8. Then, you ask students
where they would like to be, and how they
could get there. We also discussed examples
 of positive phrasing (ex: saying “We can all
work better when the classroom is quiet”
instead of “stop being so noisy”). This
connects to the idea of vicarious learning- that
students learn from models and these models
can be other students.
February When The Lines Martha Mackenzie- part This workshop will ESL stands for English as a Second Language,
22nd, 2022 Blur: Supporting time professor at explore the world of and it is a program for students learning
English Language uOttawa, elementary English Language English. ELL stands for English Language
Learners Who school teacher for 33 Learners with a focus Learner, and it is a student whose first
Have Complex years and instructional on their myriad of language is a language other than English. ELD
Learning Profiles coach working with ELL challenges including stands for English Literacy Development.
student refugees the resettlement Refugees are people who have fled their
journey, their countries because of a well-founded fear of
adjustment to school persecution; refugees are not able to return
life, and they ways in home and their formal education may have
which we can identify been interrupted. These students are facing
and best support their culture shock, discrimination, identity issues,
needs. and chronic trauma. These students and their
families face several challenges, such as
displacement caused by conflict, emotional
trauma, changes to the family unit, negative
emotions / significant stress, and a loss of
identity and self-esteem. The four stages of
adjustment are the honeymoon stage, the
hostility stage, the humor stage, and the home
stage.
To support students, schools can embrace and
represent cultural diversity, facilitate a
predictable and safe environment, and ensure
that parents feel included. Educators should
 also be aware of potential stressors, such as
closed doors, dark hallways, harsh language,
school bells and alarms, fire drills, airplanes
flying overhead, students horsing around or
staring at them, and when students seem out
of control.
It is important to note that students with
significant gaps in their formal schooling may
need 10 years or more to acquire and become
proficient in academic language.
The Right to Read Alicia Smith- IDAO In 2019 the Ontario Learning to read is a human right. Specifically,
Inquiry: What is it (International Dyslexia Human Rights children’s right to an education includes being
and what does it Association Ontario) Commission (OHRC) taught to read at school. There is a common
mean for president launched a public idea that children learn to read naturally, and
teachers? inquiry to determine if that motivation is key. These ideas are
Ontario schools are reflected in the Ontario Curriculum for
using scientific- Language Arts. Kindergarten does not include
evidence based any direct teaching of letter sounds, spelling
instruction to meet patterns, or printing. Grades 1-8 focus on
their legal obligation types of writing and writing activities, and the
to teach students to expectation is that students will enter grade 1
read. The OHRC has already knowing how to read, write, and hold
created a set of a pencil. The curriculum is at the center of
benchmarks which instruction, resources, assessment,
they are using to intervention, and teacher training.
assess whether school 1/3 of students in Ontario are consistently not
boards are providing successful in independent reading. The
equitable and effective amount of IEPs has increased by 70% since
reading instruction, 2005, which leads to a huge amount of work
assessment and for teachers to accommodate so many IEPs.
intervention to all Reading is an issue across the board and less
students.  This than 10% of students with IEPs pass the EQAO
presentation will test unassisted. Locally developed programs
explore how the stream students away from post-secondary
inquiry got started, opportunities, and this begins as early as grade
where the benchmarks 2.
came from, and what Our current approach to reading is not
you can do to ensure equitable! Higher income families are
you are prepared to associated with higher grade 3 EQAO reading
meet every students scores. The impacts of low literacy include
right to read. limited educational and life opportunities,
higher likelihood of poverty and homelessness,
higher risk of mental health issues and suicide,
reduced democratic participation, and higher
rates of involvement in crime and
incarceration.
There are many factors that impact student
success. Positive home dynamics, parental
support, and household income have a
significant effect and create a privilege gap.
However, explicit phonics instruction and
explicit vocabulary instruction are also
significantly effective and can help to shrink
this gap of privilege. The whole language /
balanced literacy approach to teaching does
not have a significant effect on student success
and is ultimately not effective. The simplest
way to make sure that we raise literate
children is to teach them to read with
evidence informed instruction so that they can
lift words from the page without guessing.
Then, they can find books that they enjoy, and
 read them.

*The description may be copied from the outline in the posting for this event.