It’s not Mark Inflation, it’s Grade Reframing: Marking Under Growing Success (Ontario Teachers)

Since September 2010, Ontario teachers have been working under the guidelines laid out by the document Growing Success. That document underlies all of our assessment and evaluation practices, among a number of other different topics. A lot has changed in the past decade, and while some talk about “mark inflation”, that might not actually be the case.  It’s not so much that marks have been inflated, but rather that levels (and as such, grades) have been reframed. But where do grades come from?  And what guides our professional judgement when determining it?

Ontario Teachers: Suggestions for your Time Away from the Classroom

Due to COVID-19, schools across Ontario have closed.  Teachers have been offered limited direction as to how their time should best be spent.  The four suggestions offered here will aid educators in streamlining their time away from the building, with the aim of suiting educator and student needs both in-class and online. Education workers following … Continue reading Ontario Teachers: Suggestions for your Time Away from the Classroom

Understanding and Succeeding on the OSSLT Major Writing Pieces

When writing the OSSLT (Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test) there are a number of unspoken requirements for success. This article will teach you the specific things you need to accomplish to succeed in the OSSLT.Remember, that while there may be a number of multiple-choice and short writing pieces on the OSSLT, Ontario students often find … Continue reading Understanding and Succeeding on the OSSLT Major Writing Pieces

Student Learning Through Digital Essay Editing and Revision Using Google Docs

Revising a rough copy is one of the most important aspects of writing a strong essay.  It's not enough to know how to GO FROM OUTLINE TO ESSAY, one must be ready to revise, revise, and then revise some more.  Often times students find themselves struggling to add a paragraph or two to meet the … Continue reading Student Learning Through Digital Essay Editing and Revision Using Google Docs

SUPER Strategies

S.U.P.E.R. Strategies are quick ideas that both new and experienced teachers can use to increase student success while also simplifying classroom workload. These are the secrets we'd all wished we'd known years ago. It has been said that teachers loves their acronyms. There's definitely some truth to that. The Toronto District School Board has an … Continue reading SUPER Strategies