At the end of a very difficult year I went into this conversation with TCDSB Director of Education Brendan Browne looking for something: I was looking for the heart in what he would say. I knew there would be limits to how much I could ask my boss (on…
In this week's conversation, my wife Amy and I sit down to discuss what was an extraordinary year. We hope that our story might help other parents and teachers process theirs.We reflect on the joys of the year– our neighbourhood coming back to…
If you're a teacher who is a parent or a spouse, this is a wonderful conversation for you!Today's guests are Dan and Rachel Vigliatore, a wholehearted husband and wife who both teach in the Toronto Catholic District School Board. Dan is an…
In this week’s conversation I’m talking to one of the most wholehearted educators I’ve ever met: Skye Bowen. Skye is an activist, a community builder, a champion, and is working actively to dismantle systems that oppress racialized students. This…
How often do we let our students (and our own children) just tell their story? That is the question I’m discussing today with Jael Richardson, author and Executive Director for The Festival of Literary Diversity. So often as teachers and parents we…
When I first reached out to Kimberly Dixon, Superintendent in the Toronto Catholic DSB, I was hoping we would talk about intersectionality for much of the conversation. I assumed that because Kimberly is only the second black, female superintendent in…
Today’s episode is the story of one teacher’s journey to allyship.We speak with Anthony Perrotta, a Vice Principal and a documentary filmmaker. Like many first or second generation European immigrants, Anthony grew up up in a white, suburban…
Today’s episode is all about how hard it is to build anti-racist classroom. It’s not just hard for our racialized students, but it’s also hard for white teachers (myself included) doing the hard work of examining whatever biases we hold.But we have to…
“This is a love story” are the first words of Penny Kittle’s book, Book Love. They are words that may change how you see the students you teach. No one has been more influential on my classroom than Penny and I was so honoured that she was willing to…
In this episode, my students from this quadmester will share their own, occasional poems with you. This has been a wonderful group of teenagers and I have loved learning and growing with them. I want to especially thank them for their bravery and…
