WRDSB: TEACHING IN SECONDARY
WRDSB: TEACHING IN SECONDARY
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This site is a home to find resources for secondary de-/single-streamed or open courses being offered and supported in the Waterloo Region District School Board, specifically those courses with new curriculum released by the Ontario Ministry of Education since 2020.
As educators, we are learning about how best to meet the needs of all learners in our classrooms. The resources on this site are intended to be accessible and helpful as we support all our students in feeling valued and in experiencing success in our classrooms.
The resources contained in this website reflect collaborative work by many teams, and they are constantly under construction and changing to reflect our growing understanding.
WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS EQUITABLE TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT PRACTICES
WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS EQUITABLE TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT PRACTICES
AS EDUCATORS, WE BELIEVE ...
AS EDUCATORS, WE BELIEVE ...
... each and every student is competent, capable, and curious.
... each and every student is competent, capable, and curious.
Research shows that the ways teachers construct their students as learners has a significant impact on the types of programs and services they are offered. By recognizing that all students who enter the classroom have the potential to be engaged and grow as learners, teachers are more likely to design learning opportunities that build on their strengths and experiences. Effective instruction requires that teachers believe all students can learn and apply concepts in their subject.
... all students deserve access to high-level, equitable, and inclusive instructional practices
... all students deserve access to high-level, equitable, and inclusive instructional practices
Prior educational experiences should not determine the quality or nature of a student's current ones. All students deserve to have a teacher who has high academic expectations of them and provides them with opportunities to be challenged and to succeed. What this looks like in the classroom may differ for different students. That is why it is essential that teachers employ the principles of universal design for learning and differentiation to provide equitable and inclusive educational opportunities for all students.
... every student has the right to pursue whatever post-secondary pathway they aspire to.
... every student has the right to pursue whatever post-secondary pathway they aspire to.
Just as every student is unique, so is their learning journey. Our role as educators is to support students in uncovering and pursuing their interests and then helping them to navigate their journey along the pathway of their choice. There are many routes to a destination, and while some may be unconventional, educators have to be careful not to allow unconscious biases regarding post-secondary pathways to impose roadblocks for students.
... students drive the conditions for learning based on their diverse learning needs and lived experiences.
... students drive the conditions for learning based on their diverse learning needs and lived experiences.
Effective instruction should always begin with the strengths, interests, and needs of the individual learner. It is essential that educators consider who their present learners are and design learning opportunities that reflect the lived experiences (i.e. language, background knowledge, home and community experiences, family structure, cultural, social and gender identities) of those students. Because students are unique, each time a course is delivered it should also be unique as it responds to the diversity of the learners within it.
... the educator is foundational in creating an inclusive and anti-oppressive environment in which all students will thrive.
... the educator is foundational in creating an inclusive and anti-oppressive environment in which all students will thrive.
Educators have a significant impact on the learning environment: from the way they construct their learners, to the learning and assessment opportunities they design, and the type of learning community they foster. Knowledgeable, responsive, and reflective educators create the conditions in which all students can find success by focusing on student assets, using assessment for and as learning to be responsive to student learning needs, providing students with multiple opportunities to show their growth over time, and providing feedback that helps students understand where they are and where they need to go next.
By acknowledging and actively working to eliminate the systemic barriers that Indigenous, Black, racialized and marginalized students [including, but not limited to students experiencing homelessness, students living in poverty, students with LGBTQ+ identities, and students with special education needs and disabilities] face, educators create the conditions for authentic experiences that empower student voices and enhance their sense of belonging, so that each student can develop a healthy identity as a mathematics learner and can succeed in mathematics and in all other subjects.
Adapted from Ontario Ministry of Education Curriculum - Mathematics: Grade 9
Effective science instruction in the Grade 9 de-streamed science course begins with knowing the complex identities and profiles of the students, having high academic expectations for and of all students, providing supports when needed, and believing that all students can learn and do science. Teachers incorporate culturally responsive and relevant pedagogy (CRRP) and provide authentic learning experiences to meet individual students’ learning strengths and needs. Effective science instruction focuses on the development of conceptual understanding and takes place in a safe and inclusive learning environment, where all students are valued, empowered, engaged, and able to take risks.
From Ontario Ministry of Education Curriculum - Science: Grade 9
The Grade 9 English course is founded on the principle that every student can become an effective communicator. It recognizes that students come from diverse families, communities, and cultural and linguistic backgrounds, bringing unique identities, abilities, and resources to their language and literacy learning. It also emphasizes the principles and guidelines associated with the Universal Design for Learning framework and differentiated instruction to foster an environment that is inclusive and accessible, with high academic expectations for all students.
From Ontario Ministry of Education Curriculum - English: Grade 9
The vision for this course is for students to develop the knowledge and skills related to digital technology and computer programming that will support them in contributing to and leading the global economic, scientific, and societal innovations of tomorrow. Students learn best when they are engaged in learning in a variety of ways and in contexts that resonate with students and that connect to their lives, their interests, their future goals, and the digital technologies they use. By varying instructional approaches in ways that address individual needs and interests, teachers can encourage all students to see themselves as capable learners.
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