Flexible grouping in the classroom is a powerful approach to enhancing overall student learning and engagement. To build a flexibly grouped classroom, it is crucial to create a solid foundation by fostering a culture of …

Flexibly grouped classrooms use a strategic approach to education that focuses on the strengths of each student, building their confidence and allowing for deeper collaboration among peers. In this type of classroom, students are organized …

In an educational setting where students have the freedom to choose their own learning path, it may seem counterintuitive for them to opt for a high-pressure cooking class that pushes them to their limits every …

Intentionality: For Strathmore Grade 5/6 and High School Fine Arts teachers, the opportunity to create a First Nations mural at Ecole Brentwood Elementary School was a process of intentional collaboration with one another, Siksika Elder …

In our academic courses, new vocabulary is coming at us all the time. It can be hard to keep up with all of the new words, and to sort through them in a meaningful way. …

The following information supports educators who are interested in incorporating Métis culture, language & ways of knowing into their classrooms. What is Métis Week? Each year on November 16, people across Canada pay tribute to …

Differentiated instruction is more than a strategy. It is a way of thinking about teaching and learning that utilizes evidence-based practices that meets students where they are at. If you have ever heard yourself saying, …

Read and Write is a literacy software with tools designed for reading, writing, study and research support.  Read and Write for Google Chrome is an extension that works with PC-Microsoft, Mac-Apple (including Ipads), and Chromebooks to …

Watch this video to learn about shifts in practice that occurred in a grade 5 and 6 math classroom. The teachers (Lesley Riep and Jordan Trentham) in this video knew that in order to become more …

Everyone would agree that learning math facts is important. The ability to automatically retrieve math facts helps free up memory resources to give more attention to complex and more advanced mathematics.   Research evidence confirms that rote memorization and timed flash cards are not the best way for …

Also called Sketchnoting or Graphic Visualization You may be looking for ways to help your students remember what they are reading. Here is an excellent strategy that your students will love and allows for creativity. …

Special Thanks to Jenny Bakken and her grade 7 class for sharing this Powerful Story Imagine that your students are so engaged and so excited by a novel that they cannot wait to come to …

“We do not stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing”– George Bernard Show  Play is a naturally occurring phenomenon. Some researchers define play as “an activity that is intrinsically motivated, entails …

June is National Indigenous History Month, and it provides an opportunity to recognize not only the historic contributions of Indigenous peoples to the development of Canada, but also the strength of present-day Indigenous communities and …

June… wondering about how to keep students engaged? Read aloud. Teachers know the importance of students reading as much as possible, every day. Reading opens doors, not only to new ideas but to their future. …

“Find one place in your natural world that you visit all the time and get to know it as your best friend. Let this be a place where you learn to sit still- alone, often, …

How can we create school environments that harness strength based assessment practices and create a culture of valuable assessment? Assessment researchers would argue that there are steps that can be taken to ensure that assessment …

The Pandemic has brought to life the need for educators to create more inclusive, responsive and stimulating learning environments that meet the needs of all learners, no matter their background, culture, or learning needs. Engagement …

The physical environment has the potential to dramatically alter what learning looks like for students. It communicates who and what is valued in learning. It is the physical space that  sets up expectations for a …

Group work… it has its benefits in the classroom and it has its headaches. But the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages, and we know that collaboration is a key competency our students need for the …

A common conversation teachers and parents are currently having is about learner engagement. Students can appear apathetic towards completing assignments, diving into the material and really digging into the work at hand. How can we …

The word that best describes the social-emotional style of children with executive function weaknesses is reactive. Children with executive function weaknesses struggle to regulate the urges that originate in the lower brain center because they …

Although parents understand the value of reading at home, they often wonder how best to help their child learn to read. Parents often ask teachers questions such as: “When should I step in to help? …

Reading opens up a child’s imagination and ultimately opens up their world. Through reading children are introduced to new words, new ideas and new ways of thinking. Research has consistently demonstrated the importance and power of …

Golden Hills School Division wants to support their staff and students in learning about Aboriginal groups across Canada and the impacts that Residential schools had on them. This resource provides teachers and students with voices …

Dr. David Tranter, co-author of The Third Path: A Relationship–Based Approach to Student Well-Being and Achievement offers educators an approach to supporting students as they return to school this fall that is both informative and …

To honor and celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21st) we would like to share our Blackfoot Students First Virtual Powwow Demonstration video. We would like to thank our First Nations Liaisons for all their …

The Power of Parent Communication In any classroom setting (online, hybrid or in-person), fostering relationships with parents is key to an effective learning environment.  Setting up regular communication helps parents to be clear on expectations …

Stress and Learning Teachers interact with students on a daily basis, and as a result, they can see how a student’s learning is impacted by various challenges, stress being one of them.  In order to …

Working Memory: What is it? Working memory is one of the brain’s executive functions that allows us to remember something long enough to be able to use it or apply the information. It is unlike …

What are Concept Circles? Concept circles are a great way to engage students in representing a variety of mathematical concepts.   Teachers and parents can use them to support children both inside and outside of the …

There are a number of core prevention and interventions strategies that help students with weak executive function to thrive in your classroom. These strategies include the changes that can be made to the learning environment …

Executive skills are skills required for the self-regulation and self-direction of our day to day and life functioning. Whenever people manage their thinking or behavior to achieve some desired outcome they are engaging the skills …

The importance of teachers building productive and positive relationships with both parents and students has been widely recognized. Relationships form the foundation for trust, enabling students to feel a sense of belonging. Classrooms become a …

Student engagement has become a pivotal issue for educators over the past year, with many students learning in a mix of online, hybrid, and in-person classes. While most students have had success, there are students …

Specific Strategies to Differentiate Mathematics Instruction: Design Open Questions  Turning around a Question: Instead of giving the question- a teacher provides the answer and asks for the question.  Asking for Similarities and Differences: Teacher chooses …

Assistive technology is any device, software, or equipment that helps people work around their learning challenges. When we think of assistive technology for students with learning difficulties, we often think of high-tech devices such as …

How to Approach Differentiating Instruction in Mathematics:  Focus Instruction on Key Concepts One of the most effective ways to differentiate in mathematics is to focus on the key concepts (*big ideas) rather than a narrow, …

What is Differentiation? It is an organized yet flexible way of proactively adjusting teaching and learning to meet kids where they are and help them to achieve maximum growth as learners. (Tomlinson, 1999) Differentiation in …

Online platforms allow for increased individualized instruction for students and differentiated assessment. Students are able to demonstrate their understanding in a number of ways. Reference: https://www.thetechedvocate.org/USING-GOOGLE-CLASSROOM-TO-DIFFERENTIATE-INSTRUCTION/

Now more than ever, we are using technology to support our understanding of the world around us.  Assistive technology is a great tool to help ALL students learn and show what they know! Reference: https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/getting-started/what-you-need-to-know/common-myths-about-learning-and-thinking-differences?_ul=11chdbd9domain_userid*YW1wLWI3ZDdsRlpiNWFsdnV0am9vbm1LNHc

As parents, we want to support our children academically both inside and outside of the classroom. Understanding your child’s learning difficulties can help them to gain confidence with their school work and show their understanding.  …

Understanding the difference between accommodation and modification can help teachers choose the best approach to support students in their classroom. Choosing the correct level of support can increase student confidence and help them to reach …

As teachers, we have all witnessed students who sit idle in class, refuse to work, or do not complete assignments.  Time and time again we have heard,  “I know what I want to say, I …

Teenagers want to read – if we let them (Kittle, 2013). Encouraging students to become lifelong readers is a goal of any Language Arts teacher.  Developing independent, engaged readers requires providing students with a variety …

As teachers we are used to soothing, comforting, explaining and fixing. It is on our job description. ​ We need to remember that emotions won’t break us or your student, and in fact, avoiding some emotions like anxiety can make them grow. ​TIPS: If your student’s …

There are a number of ideas and strategies you can implement in order to help your student become independent. First, begin by discussing what independence looks like and then develop routines and strategies that can …

Being able to think, learn and make good choices independently remains one of the most important skills that your students can acquire.​ While “spoon feeding” students can sometimes offer the most direct route to observable progress, it is possible to …

Issue: Questions in the classroom too often fails to engage powerful thinking. Questioning is an integral part of everyday life in the classroom. It is what teachers do all day long. Traditionally, questions are asked, …

Do you want every voice in your classroom to be heard? Do you want each voice to be valued? Do you want maximum participation for all? Try one of these strategies in your classroom to …

Hear a piece of information and three days later you will remember only 10% of it. Add a picture and you will remember 85% of the information. The more Visual the input becomes, the more likely …

“A student’s sense of belonging at school is based on the degree to which they feel connected to school, the strength of the relationships they have with educators, and the closeness of relationships they have …

During the 2020-2021 school year, Golden Hills School Division has provided families with the option for students to attend school virtually with the flexibility of being able to return to their home school at any …

“… teachers need to view students not as objects to be questioned but as agents who can think together about the content under study.” (Walsh & Sattes, pg 17, 2017, second edition) Questioning has moved …

In this video, Warren identifies six key actions to help teachers continue to facilitate powerful learning during the pandemic and beyond. Learn more about the importance of:  Building routines Designing learning that matters Communicating success …

Learning online requires self direction, motivation and engagement on the part of your students. Learning is enhanced when the physical space is organized, and when routines are established to foster learning. Even when the environment …

Penny Kittle, a veteran English Language Arts teacher, argues that our students are readers and writers, and we need to teach them as such. We need to help students see themselves as writers. She says …

As a high school language arts teacher, my goal is to design learning experiences that enable students to develop a deep understanding of themselves and the world around them. In striving to do so, I …

a.k.a Sketchnoting, Graphic Visualization or Edu-Sketching “Bits and pieces of knowledge quickly go away.  Edu-Sketching helps meld those pieces together for a more coherent-thus, memorable-whole.”  Wendy Pillars As teachers, you may be looking for ways to …

Research shows that student choice within education increases engagement and ownership. It is also a factor in increasing student motivation. One effective way for students to have a choice in how they demonstrate their understanding …