Every year, as December rolls around, something subtle begins to shift in some classrooms. The lights get a little brighter, the hallways a little louder, and the students… well, some of them start drifting into “holiday mode.” Teachers, too, can feel the pull of the season. The temptation is real: some ease up, relax the routines, let the days play themselves out.
Every year we hear the same story dressed in new language: students are struggling in math, scores are low, and the ministry is “concerned.” Now we learn that only 51% of Grade 6 and 58% of Grade 9 students in Ontario are meeting provincial standards; even after marking practices that bend over backwards to give partial credit.
This space was created for reflection, for slowing down in a world that rushes, and for seeking truth in a time when noise often masquerades as knowledge. Though I have retired from the classroom, the work of teaching, questioning, and discerning continues, just in a different form.
