PDK International - University of Alberta Chapter

I thought I would share this to understand how many decisions a teacher makes in a day and how teaching involves improvising.

https://larrycuban.wordpress.com/2026/03/25/teachers-as-improvisers-2/

Teachers as Improvisers Every job has its share of surprises. A key piece of equipment breaks down. A traffic accident forces a change in delivery routes. A client calls to say you’ve won the contract–but they…

This is a longish read, but well worth it. When roughly 1/2 of teachers turn over in the first 5-7 years, if not the first year, it causes great instability, which unsettles students and their learning. This does not include those teachers who finish their degrees and choose to do something other than teach.

This what we get with a market driven system.

I received this flyer from the co-editors of a book, Nonviolence as Educational Praxis, which is due to come out on May 18, 2026. There are details about pre-ordering, with a 30% discount, for those who are interested.

I Ivon Prefontaine have a chapter in the book entitled RE-IMAGINING TEACHER EDUCATION: ANDRAGOGY OF HOPE AND NONVIOLENCE. Drawing on range of scholarship and thinkers, I conclude we need to integrate nonviolence education into teacher education when teachers first begin their educational journey in Kindergarten.

I am beginning to work on the next step in this project e.g. syllabi and looking for partners at the post-secondary and K-12 levels

I came across a thought provoking blog post today at https://blogs.und.edu/und-today/2026/02/i-asked-students-whether-theyd-want-to-be-teachers/. It raises concerns and questions about the future of teaching as a profession.

It is American, so take care in extrapolating points made. However, some points take on meaning in different contexts a e.g. respect for teachers, complex needs, discipline issues, increasing external mandates, etc.

The concerns would revolve around the future of the profession. Without teachers, do we have effective public education? Without public education, do we have a well-educated and well-informed citizenry?

PDK and its chapters, including the University of Alberta Chapter, take on greater importance in these times. Please support us by joining us and sharing your concerns.

I asked students whether they’d want to be teachers - UND Today Long hours, below average pay among factors driving teacher shortages, writes UND’s Lee Ann Rawlins Williams in The Conversation

I neglected my posts on this site. I hope to do better as we move deeper into 2026.
This article is provocative. It describes how AI is brought into teaching and learning with an uncritical view, suggesting we need to be more skepitical about the promises made.

Today, in one of my feeds, a theoretical and philosophical article arrived. Drawing partly on Bernard Stiegler, a critic of tech, it posits we live in a reality textualized by tools we use. Humans no longer control the tools. Rather, they are part of the environment we live and learn in and act on us without our being aware of it.

Teach like a Luddite - Kappan Online Embracing new technologies that don’t advance teaching and learning is a mistake. Educators must ask questions — and resist when necessary.

As Meta refuses to allow me to show the link, use this title, 1 in 3 Edmonton public-school students chronically absent from class, data shows, to search about chronic absenteeism trends in Edmonton Public and Catholic Schools. It is researched by credible researchers plus towards the end of article an American researcher comments this is a global issue. in
We need governments that turn to these issues, engage classroom teachers in meaningful conversations about their experiences, and move to correct what is happening. We need this as opposed to governments with a neo-liberal agenda that slowly strangle public schooling and then claim it is not their fault. We need to transform our schools and schools of education to address the needs of teachers and students. This means more schools, more teachers, smaller class sizes, and proper supports. This is not a PR campaign.

Please share as much as you can.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-rural-teachers-voice-concerns-9.6942699

I am not speaking for others in the University of Alberta Chapter of PDK. I think it is important to share this article and link. I do stand with Alberta's teachers in their current work stoppage.

I taught in rural Alberta most of my career. I split the last 13 years between a school north of Stony Plain before being moved into the town of Stony Plain. I go further than the article , but it is a great start as it details teachers' stories, moving past the news bite back and forth of government and ATA.

I would expand on this by saying that my experience in Entwistle and Muir Lake were different. The night before our Christmas concert I knew I was going to sick the next day. I prepared differently than I normally did with photocopied packages on each student's desk. I tried getting a sub that evening, but it was winter, Christmas, and we were at least 1/2 hour away from most of the subs. My lot was I was going to be in the classroom that day.

At one point during the morning, I sat at my desk, unusual for me. I was always on my feet. As I sat , my eyes closed and began to drift off in a pre-sleep mode. The students were quiet and I heard voices saying to each other, "Mr. P. is sick." I sat about 10 minutes never going to sleep. Students' stories need to be heard as well. Those Grade 6 students knew what was going on and they cared about us as teachers. They still do.

There is no one size fits all model. The challenges I experienced in each school were unique to those schools and communities. The same holds true today. We need more teachers. We also need adequate space. Many schools, rural and urban, are at capacity and beyond. The challenges have has arisen over decades largely under the watch of so-called conservative governments. We need better for our children, teachers, and communities. We are not numbers to be manipulated. We are humans with stories to be told and heard.

Big classes, split grades, no subs: How school challenges are felt differently by rural teachers | CBC News About 51,000 teachers walked out on Oct. 6 in a dispute that centres on pay, class sizes and classroom complexity. But in rural Alberta, some educators say those pressures are magnified by distance, shorter staffing and high costs of living.

This post just arrived in my mailbox, so it is a bit late. The school year has started for many. How do we begin each school year? This is an important question. It is a time to familiarize yourself with new students and reacquaint yourself with returning ones? What changed over the summer in their world?

I did a similar activity called Who Am I to the one referred to in the article to help form community and learn about students. For about 15-years, there was always a core group of returning students. They still jumped. We read and discussed a poem written by a student in junior high of the same title as the activity. I asked students to write two poems--an acrostic and free verse--describing themselves at this point in life. They wrote a short autobiography. They drew pictures to reflect interests in their lives and/or found some on the Internet. Using the artifacts, they finished with a poster or collage to display in the classroom. These remained up.

What surprised me was parents' reactions. They stopped to look at the displays commenting on how they had not known something about their child or others in the group.

This was my day to be with students. Typically, I had a parent in the classroom to teach one of the three grades. I insisted this was an important day for the students and me to get know each other. I feel it set the table for the unfolding year.

Classroom teacher asks, “How can I ensure a successful start to the school year?” - Kappan Online Career Confidential columnist Starr Sackstein advises a teacher who wants to create a welcoming classroom for students.

In Stony Creek School, I had a relatively large library with a range of books to grab the attention of different students based on interests and their pacing needs. I also spent time reading alongside students. It is easy to say read. It is more important to model it.

This paid off. Over time, supposed non-readers began to read at their pace. One student began reading Underground to Canada by Barbara Smucker. In September of the following school year, I noticed they were still reading, but were much earlier in the book than I recalled. I asked why and they responded because the book was so interesting they needed to restart to make sure they could recall events and characters. As I walked away, I did one of those mental fist pumps teachers do when something has gone well.

Sometimes, fictional characters are the best sort of companionship.

Although written from an American perspective, this article offers insight into Gen Z who are moving into the profession as an increasing number of teachers. Keeping them in the profession is critical, as is diversifying who enters the profession to better reflect pluralistic communities and their schools.

https://kappanonline.org/helping-next-gen-educators-cross-the-teaching-tightrope/

Helping next-gen educators cross the teaching tightrope - Kappan Online A school district in Iowa transformed its teacher induction program to give Gen Z teachers the opportunities and support they crave.

Still having issues sharing through the share button. The link is below. This is an article about more play in Kindergarten. When I interviewed teachers for my dissertation, the Kindergarten teacher said play should be part of K-12. It is where children and youth learn how to interact, demonstrate empathy and sharing, and use their imaginations to explore the world.

I guess the links reveal the site once I post.

https://www.edweek.org/leadership/is-more-playtime-the-antidote-to-kindergarteners-behavior-problems/2025/08

Is More Playtime the Antidote to Kindergarteners’ Behavior Problems? Kindergarteners are struggling with self-control—a key indicator of kindergarten readiness. Is more unstructured play a solution?