Classroom supports

Classroom supports

In this section you’ll find information that will assist you in your role as an Occasional Teacher. It isn’t subject specific but is related to Ontario’s Schools. This is where you’ll find information about classroom management, character education, and safe schools to name but three topics.

The First Nations, Métis & Inuit Education Association of Ontario

The First Nations, Métis & Inuit Education Association of Ontario is a subject association for First Nations, Métis and Inuit education in Ontario, Canada. They support and help all educators understand issues related to First Nation, Métis and Inuit Peoples in Canada as well as offer strategies for teaching this content to all learners. Paid membership with links to a few free resources.

The First Nations, Métis & Inuit Education Association of Ontario

Free Special Needs Teaching Resources

SEN Teacher is amongst the oldest teaching resource sites and has over 300,000 regular users. Their learning materials are free to share and use in schools or at home. The Print tools on SEN Teacher allow you to create, adapt and share teaching resources for a wide-range of abilities. No login or registration is required to use SEN Teacher.

Free Special Needs Teaching Resources

Embrace Race Raising a Brave Generation

This is a website that is dedicated to helping educators think, talk and ensure they are keeping race in mind as they plan their lessons and learning spaces. It is a website that helps educators ensure their classrooms are not colour blind but rather culturally relevant and responsive.

Embrace Race Raising a Brave Generation

Education World’s Activities for the First Day of School

Are you looking for the perfect way to get to know your students and help them get to know one another? This collection of teacher-tested icebreakers will do just that. And for OTs, one of these can be the perfect intro to an assignment in a new group at any time of year!

Education World’s Activities for the First Day of School

The Calm Schools Initiative

The Calm Schools Initiative is offering every teacher in the world free access to Calm, the mindfulness app that hundreds of thousands of people all over the world use every day. The organization’s stated aim is to empower teachers with mindfulness tools and resources they can use to help kids learn this new skill.

The Calm Schools Initiative

Classroom Organization

Despite a teacher’s best intentions, a cluttered classroom environment could be distracting students from learning. Drawing on the growing body of research, the author discusses how visual, layout, and wall colour may have a negative impact on students’ moods.

Classroom Organization

Teach Mental Health

Through a partnership with Faculties of Education from St. Francis Xavier University, Western University and University of British Columbia, TeenMentalHealth.Org has built a comprehensive mental health literacy learner resource for pre-service and practicing teachers. Available to faculties of education, teachers and other educators who are currently in schools are also welcome to take the course.

Teach Mental Health

Share My Lesson

A U.S. based resource, funded by the American Federation of Teachers, this website provides a huge repository of free lesson plans and teacher PD resources. Lessons are organized by divisions, grade, and subject area so you can easily find something for your classroom. A robust section of professional development webinars provided opportunities for self-directed PD. Sign up using LinkedIn, Facebook, or Google+ credentials.

Share My Lesson

Boundaries Are More Effective Than Rules

The subtlety of the differences between boundaries and rules makes it easy to discount the impact each can have on the emotional climate in a classroom and the quality of the relationship between teachers and students. However, teachers who endeavour to shift from the win-lose familiarity of rules to the win-win prospects of boundaries report a significant decrease in conflicts and power struggles in their classes, and far greater success in reaching kids previously deemed difficult, unmotivated or, in some instances, even dangerous, than with any strategy previously attempted.

Boundaries Are More Effective Than Rules

Orange Shirt Day

Orange Shirt Day is a legacy of the St. Joseph Mission (SJM) Indian Residential School, designed to commemorate the residential school experience, to witness and honour the healing journey of the survivors and their families, and to commit to the ongoing process of reconciliation. As a spokesperson for the Reunion group leading up to the events, former student Phyllis (Jack) Webstad told the story of her first day at residential school when her shiny new orange shirt, bought by her grandmother, was taken from her as a six-year-old girl. September 30th is now recognized across Canada as a day to commemorate the loss and suffering experienced by children who attended Residential Schools.

Orange Shirt Day