My tiny corner of the Internet

Both Toulouse (2008) and Madden (2015) explore how education systems have historically failed Indigenous learners and what needs to change to create more meaningful and respectful learning environments. What stood out to me most in Toulouse’s article was her emphasis on self-esteem as central to student success. She explains that Indigenous student achievement is deeply connected to whether their identity, culture, and worldview are respected and reflected in the classroom. Learning is not treated as purely academic, but as holistic, involving emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and social aspects. I’ve found this to be true in my own classroom. When students feel safe, respected, and understood, their engagement and willingness to learn changes significantly. It reinforced for me that teaching is not just about content, but about creating conditions where students feel valued and capable. Madden builds on this idea by focusing on teacher education and the responsibility educators have...

  As I worked through both Cuban (2001) and Tomkins (1981), I kept thinking about how often teachers say that education swings back and forth, and that many “new” ideas feel strangely familiar. These readings helped me understand why that feeling exists. Both authors show that teaching and learning are shaped by long-standing historical, cultural, and political forces, which makes meaningful change slower and more complicated than reform language often suggests. In Cuban’s article, innovation is not presented as something inherently positive or forward-moving. Instead, I noticed how he describes reform as cyclical, with many initiatives reappearing in different forms over time. This made me reflect on how innovation in education is often more about repackaging ideas than truly rethinking practice. This connects to my definition of innovation as intentional and meaningful change, not change for the sake of appearances. Cuban also made me think about creativity, especially how reform...

  Articles: Falkenberg, T. (2012). Teaching as contemplative professional practice.  Paideusis, 20 (2), 25–35. Christou, T. M., & Bullock, S. M. (2012). The case for philosophical mindedness.  Paideusis, 20 (1), 14–23. Both Falkenberg (2012) and Christou and Bullock (2012) frame teaching as a reflective and ethical practice rather than a purely technical one. Falkenberg’s focus on contemplative practice, including meditation, awareness, and attention, is intended to prevent teachers from operating on “autopilot.” While I understand this concern, I found his framing to feel heavier and more academic than the practice itself. In my experience, the core idea—pausing, noticing what is happening, and responding thoughtfully rather than reacting emotionally—is already embedded in the daily work of teaching. Teaching is a highly reflective profession that requires constant attentiveness to both students’ behaviours and our own emotional responses. Remaining calm, non-reactiv...

"It's just a commercial. It's just a mermaid. It's just a superhero." And yet, every time those roles are reversed—online outrage flares up. Why? By: Shannon A Disorienting Photo Series A captivating photo series published in O, The Oprah Magazine flipped familiar situations with a racial spin: a white child surrounded by Black dolls, a white servant with a Black housewife, and white salon techs serving Asian customers. Scenes meant to question the "norm". They expose how deeply we internalize who belongs where in society. A white girl looks at a row of dolls, all of whom have dark skin tones, challenging toy aisle norms. Image: Chris Buck/O, the Oprah Magazine Art? Or A Deeper Issue But this isn’t just about photography. Projects like this are not new and have always prompted broader reflections, one on a growing trend across media of role reversals in race, gender, and power. From TikTok trends to pop music, these inversions are everywhere, and almos...