Author Archives: mrbrentg

This week I had the amazing opportunity to fly across the country and learn from some of the best in the field of literacy. I never take these amazing opportunities for granted. I recognize the privilege that is extended to me to learn how to better serve my students and build a literacy community thatContinue reading “As We Learn”

I have wrestled with this post for a week, probably much longer if I am being really honest. Every year students around the province are asked to complete a survey that intends to inform us about how students, parents, teachers and the community feel about the progress of the school. There are questions that addressContinue reading “School Culture and the unseen”

Today I was working at the school helping in the concession for a tournament. At one point a went to go check out the game that was on and as I walked into the foyer a scene that was unfolding caught my eye. A coach and a player deep in conversation, the player was upsetContinue reading “Have we lost the plot?”

Last year in March I thought about a project where my students could study what they were interested interested in. We called it #projectspeak. We looked at Prince Ea’s What is School for? We discussed their interests but my students in that moment struggled to identify something that they really felt passionate about. There wasContinue reading “Important Conversations”

I was at work incredibly early this morning and sitting at my computer in the silence. On my desk there was a little pile of books, to my left another behind me some more. The shelves of the classroom library in their typical Friday disarray. I love my classroom library. I love to be ableContinue reading “We can't Read what we Can't Access”

“One upon a time, there was a boy who was invincible,” he whispered, breathing in deeply and filling his lungs with knight superpowers. The Boy, the Boat, and the Beast-Samantha M. Clark I read this line this morning. The “Once upon a time” section appears throughout the story as the main character talks about himself.Continue reading “Once Upon a time”

A few years ago I attended a conference where I was introduced to a speaker named Dr.Jody Carrington. The sessions discussed emotional regulation and another talked about the concept of compassion fatigue and those in fields of work like teaching needing to practice some self care. I was immediately struck by her passion (and theContinue reading “The most important work”

This time of year the Gilsons, when not teaching, are at basketball. If not working in the concession, I am sitting on the bench or in the stands cheering the kids on. We love to support the kids, we love visiting with the parents but it is a time commitment and I think often otherContinue reading “What a team looks like”

Yesterday I was talking with a teacher in a very small school who has had 3 or 4 students this year attempt suicide or report suicidal ideations to the point of having to enter a monitored treatment program. We are talking 10 year olds. Some friends, some not but all dealing with mental health strugglesContinue reading “What do we do when the world is on fire?”

Tomorrow we head back to school. The break has been pretty relaxing. I did less work than I should have, I watched a lot of movies and listened to some awesome podcasts. I should have read more but reading slumps happen and I have a lot of books waiting for me when I am ready.Continue reading “Hello Tomorrow”