Author Archives: mrbrentg

When the COVID closure first began I think so many of us really didn’t know what our next steps would look like. The inequity had a million spotlights shone directly on it. Many responses began with we need to do something and slowly tapered off to we need to HOPE things will get better. ThoseContinue reading “Time to Dream”

This was said so many times in March and April as we shifted into distance learning. Teaching is hard, planning is hard, actually let me correct that, Good teaching is hard. I can print off piles of worksheets, fined some youtube videos to make kids watch as “instruction” and call it a day but thatContinue reading “Teachers should be paid millions”

Today was a fantastic day of learning as we had some live sessions for IREL and had a chance to have some great conversations with educators. We have been talking about how race impacts us this week spending time working on the internal racial understandings. Today as part of this work Tricia Ebarvia and Dr.Continue reading “When writing unlocks the doors”

As a white male, growing up I was never aware of my privilege. I grew up in a largely white community and attended predominantly white schools. Aside from a few people all my friends were white and now I live again in a largely all white community and aside from the amazing BIPOC folx IContinue reading “Lessons Learned from Clifford an IREL20 Reflection”

It has been a week since IREL20 week one. The material of the course was great. A lot of writing that I was able to revisit from brilliant scholars, course work and reflection that asked me to examine the systemic racism that thrives in our white centred school systems. As the week went on IContinue reading “Reflections on Summer Learning”

A few years ago I was talking to my students and one comment from a student really hit me, our community is largely white, as we discussed our school culture the soul First Nations student in the class said that they felt invisible. I didn’t know who to address that but followed up. The studentContinue reading “A fork in the road”

Pre-Covid I was reflecting as I finished my second “for fun” book of the summer on how little I read this school year. Or at least how little I reflected on my reading identity. Before the Covid virus I was reading but largely professional books and articles. I would read random titles to share withContinue reading “When we can’t read”

In the spring of last year I interviewed for a position I really wanted. I didn’t get it. My imposter syndrome that I have been struggling with this year started there. I have always been very confident in my ability. I love to learn and look for those opportunities. I planned so many cool thingsContinue reading “Looking back and Looking Forward”

Background I grew up in Northern Alberta, for those who read my blog and are from communities made up of diverse cultures and people, my home town was not one of these places. I had a few first nations friends at school growing up and one black friend through junior high and high school. ThisContinue reading “After the books”

Sitting down and watching a little Homeland after a day of working out, blogging, yard work and a walk I begin to blog again. I wrote about the early days of this separation from my students the interruption to all the big plans that I have had for how this year was going to end,Continue reading “While we are away”