Reforming Our Vision of English Language Arts:  Classroom Stories from Elementary and Middle School Meet the Teachers

Dorothy Shaw has been an elementary school teacher for 34 years, almost half of that time teaching six year-olds.  She has seen many changes in pedagogy and more than one “Reform.” What remains constant for her is the  importance of the child, who must be at the centre of all that we do as educators.
Read Dorothy's story - Math Talk: Using Language to Develop Numeracy in Cycle 1

Elizabeth Ford Makarow has taught, as a general subjects teacher and as an art specialist, in grades one through seven during her seven years of teaching elementary school. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a Specialization in Art Education from Concordia University and a General Elementary Teaching diploma from McGill University.  Elizabeth brings her love of learning and of art into her classroom.  She believes that art is an important way of understanding and expressing what we know.  She also sees a strong link between visual text and print text.  Reading/viewing and writing/producing require a message to be communicated and the structures to communicate effectively. 
Read Elizabeth's story - Dear Vincent...Linking Art and Writing in Cycle Two

Jennifer Goodall is a Middle School English Teacher at Centennial Regional High School in Greenfield Park.  For the past two years she has worked with a wonderful class called “The Globetrotters”.  She loves working with Middle School students and she has a great passion for helping them develop portfolios.  During her spare time she loves to read, write and spend time with her husband.
Read Jennifer's story - I’m a Possibility: Creating an Inclusive Middle-School Classroom

Joan Crossley is an upper elementary teacher.  Much of her experience has been in open area and team teaching situations.  She specializes in Social Studies whenever given the opportunity.  She participates in various sports throughout the year to keep her sanity.  She also has a keen interest in history, nature and travel.
Read Joan's story - Middle Ages Mania:  Igniting Reluctant Writers in Cycle 3

Josie Salvatore is an enthusiastic cycle one teacher. Her teaching experience totals up to five years, and this time has been a growing experience for her. She hopes to have enough spare time one day to be able to read a novel for pleasure, this being her favorite past time.
Read Josie's story - Snap!  Crackle!  Pop!  Deconstructing and Reconstructing Cereal Boxes in Cycle One

Karen Rye, who holds a Bachelor of Education degree in Elementary Education, has five years of teaching experience with grades 3-6.  She actively integrates technology into the curriculum as it motivates and helps meet the needs of all students.  In her spare time Karen likes to read and work in the garden.
Read Karen's story - Bringing Shakespeare to Life: Creating Video Clips in the Classroom

Myrna Hynes has been a teacher for over twenty-five years.  She has worked in both elementary and secondary schools and believes that the gap between the two levels is much narrower than commonly perceived when the pedagogical focus is on the development of literacy processes, rather than the acquisition of discrete skills.  Recently, Myrna has worked as a special-education consultant, on the English Language Arts writing-team at the Québec Ministry of Education, and as teacher-in-residence at the Faculty of Education, McGill University.
Read Myrna's story - Reading Readers:  Developing a Response Process in Elementary and Middle School

Stephanie Vucko used portfolios in her classroom for several years. "A portfolio begins the moment a student sets foot in the classroom, it is a process of learning, adjusting, and making links with the various elements of a learner’s life."  Recently, this author has completed a thesis case study titled: Going Beyond I Like it in a Portfolio Context: Scaffolding the Development of Six Grade Two Learners’ Reflections.
Stephanie is currently working as a resource person for LEARN Quebec providing support to students, educators and parents in the areas of portfolio process and special education. For information and resources related to portfolios go to: The Portfolio Process website
Read Stephanie's story - Teaching Students to Teach Themselves: Building a Learning Community that Fosters Reflection

Tanya Paradis has been an Elementary School Teacher for five years, specializing in Kindergarten, and cycle One.  She completed her undergraduate degree at McGill University, and is currently finishing up a certificate in Inclusive Education. Tanya has a passion for teaching.  She especially enjoys language arts, and early literacy, and is continuously striving to immerse the children she teaches in a print-rich environment, fostering a love of language and literature.
Read Tanya's story - The Sooner The Better:  Developing Literacy in Kindergarten

Trudy Williams was an English teacher in a French Immersion school. Most of her experience was teaching English at the grade 2 and the grade 5 levels. Teaching beginning readers and writers, and then teaching the same students later as more proficient readers and writers gave her a lens with which to view the reading and writing process.
Trudy is currently viewing literacy through an even different lens, that of an elementary school administrator. She is thrilled to work with teachers, parents, and students in all areas of literacy across the curriculum.
Read Trudy's story - Looking Beyond the Classroom: Going Cross-curricular Through English Language Arts