Cristina & Anaya - Tech Podcast

Today's guest is Ms. Colavares, an English teacher who talks about her school experience as a teenager. She mentions less pressure to excel and a richer social life. However, she also mentions the stigma towards the LGBTQ+ community and mental health challenges. When comparing to the current society, she notes changes in education, technology, and teacher-student dynamics. She discusses the use of phones and technology in classrooms and the shift towards more engagement-based activities. She also mentions differences in grading policies and inclusion in school materials. Ms. Colavares shares her "I did it" moment, teaching a group of students for multiple years and receiving heartfelt letters from them. Lastly, she discusses adapting her teaching style to benefit each student's learning needs and the importance of personalized assessments and assignments. Today our special guest is our English teacher, Ms. Colavares, and we will be talking about teenagers in the school environment. Would you like to introduce yourself? Hi, I'm Ms. Colavares. I am obviously an English teacher and art teacher here at Alexander Mackenzie High School and these two ladies are part of my English class, fan art class. So, let's start off with what was your school experience like when you were a teenager? Oh man, it was quite different. So, I was in high school about 15 years ago, that's when I graduated. So, when I was a teenager, and let me preface this by saying that it may be particular to my experience, you know, obviously there were other people that had very different experiences at the same time, but I feel like there was a lot less pressure to excel in things and sort of far more room to be a kid. So, there were fewer students that had sort of those crazy extracurricular classes and like Saturday exams and like things like that and programs and tutoring and all of that. And I feel like there was a far richer, predominantly like in-person social life. Yeah, that makes sense. Right, so there was like, there were common meet-up spots that functioned as our sort of third space, right? There was more room to sort of shirk our parents when we wanted to attend a house party or bonfire or some other event. Not that I'm like promoting that kind of behavior, but there was a lot less sort of like keeping track of people via the phone and stuff like that, right? Right, so there were even like all-ages clubs that existed that we would go to or like have things we could attend if we wanted. So, I mean, I had fun as a teenager. I didn't dread school in the same way that I feel like a lot of kids do today. That said, like it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows and, you know, there were a lot of things that were a lot more stigmatized at the time. Like being part of the 2SLGBTQIA plus community would be ostracized. If you experienced mental health challenges, like no one wanted to hear about them. If you had an IEP, you were made fun of. These were all things that like a lot of kids my age were ridiculed and bullied for at the time. Yeah, it's very different from how it is today. Yeah, absolutely. There's definitely pros and cons for like now in your experience. Obviously, as like time moved on, we have like, like you said, different expectations and many people have like different views of their lives. So, it's very interesting to see because that's interesting. I didn't expect that. Right, and it was only 15 years ago. Like I know it's older than you, but like considering it's only been like a decade and a half, it's a big change. And like some of it for the better and then some of it not so much, right? Yeah, I am. So, you already pretty much answered our second question, but how do you think this would compare to our current society? I mean, education itself is very different. Like on the surface level, schools look kind of similar, right? The buildings are the same. There were still sort of unsavory things happening in the bathrooms and still stupid rumors about like getting to leave class for teachers 15 minutes late or whatever. Like kids still skip class, things like that. But I think it's that sort of more like a testament to the fundamental similarities between teenagers in general than the education system or school. But like the classroom and even like teacher-student parent dynamics were very different. Honestly, like lessons were very lecture-based still at the time. There's a lot more textbook work, fewer sort of extravagant engaging activities and things like that. We didn't have a lot of access to technology. So, phones, like we had phones at the time, but they were still like phones and that kind of thing. There were no Chromebook carts. We had computer labs, but the computers were 15-year-old desktop computers. And, you know, we never used them. We had to book out the lab if we wanted to use them. There weren't projectors in every room. There was no Google Classroom. We wrote down homework reminders and agendas. Yeah, like it forces you to like... Because technology is kind of like a gateway. Like it's kind of like a false sense of security because you're like, oh, well, all my stuff is just down here. And then you're like not really keeping track. Also, like auto-correct. Yeah. Because I feel like a lot of people these days aren't as good at spelling. To be fair, though, like we had word processors too. And that's why I'm not even very good at spelling and I'm an English major. Right? I had Microsoft Word. It wasn't Google Docs. But, you know, still. Sorry. Kind of relating to that, like how it's progressed. A lot of the things, like it's good that we have like technological advancements and like also in our education system. But a lot of it's like kind of iffy because like we could use a lot. Like it would be very useful if we did write more on the paper and other stuff. Like lecture-based, I see it like from where I grew up because my parents always like they gave me extracurriculars, like more math to do, more lecture and like drills. I see like help from that. You know? Like I see more improvement in myself if I have a lot of practice. But like now it's more about like your connections to like the world around you. So now like it's nice to see change, but sometimes not for the better. Yeah. Like you don't always have to reinvent the wheel. Right? There is still value in learning. Yeah. But, you know, people like new and shiny things. Education changes a lot. Yeah. But yeah, there's a lot of things that are different. Like I can probably list another 15, you know? Like even just in terms of like we didn't have teachers' emails. Yeah. We didn't even know their first names. Right? Yeah. You guys know our first names. Yeah. Like late marks and zeros and things like that actually happened. We had a three-day window when I was in school. So if you didn't hand in your assignment the first day, you handed it one day late and it's 5% off, the second day would be 10%, the third day would be 15%, and then it would be zeroed indefinitely. Some of my classes do that, but I know like especially in elementary school, they kind of like they don't really penalize their kids as much because they're like, well, we can't give them zeros now because then they'll just give up on learning. Yeah. But that doesn't push them either because then they don't know. Like teachers always say they're like in high school, well, everything's going to be different. But like in certain cases it is because like some of my classes, if I submit it a day late, it's going to be 5% off. Yeah. And also I feel like in elementary they really baby, like at least they baby us. Yeah. Because like Christina said, they would always tell us like, oh, wait until you get to high school, you're going to get to third, wait until you get to the real world. And it is different. Yeah. It is definitely different. Another thread is wait until you get to post-secondary. Yeah. Wait until you get a real job. Which I mean to a certain extent is true, right? Yeah. Like these things don't fly outside of school systems. Yeah. But again, yeah. I feel like parents say that too, like, oh, wait until you get to high school, you're going to get so much more homework. Like you have to start taking things seriously now. Yeah. You've got to be responsible. Yeah. Because when you're by yourself, you know. You're on your own. Yeah. I mean they're good life lessons. Yeah. Right? It's just the consequences are steadily getting. Like less. Yeah. Which I mean, you know, has its ups and has its downs. Yeah. Right? So, yeah. Even school materials were quite different. Yeah. Right? Like even the books you would read in English class were all very bold white men. Yeah. Focused and, you know. Yeah. There wasn't really much inclusivity and like equity and stuff like that. Yeah. So, yeah. You know. So, through your teaching career, was there any like times where you kind of felt like you hit that I did it moment? Yeah. So, there's a few of them. Like I've been teaching for almost 10 years now. So, there's a lot of really good stuff in there. And honestly, it's hard for me to think of just one yet. But there are, there were a bunch of kids I had taught, especially when I came to Alex and Max. So, my first year here, I taught a grade 9 pre-IB class. And I ended up teaching these kids every year until they graduated. And they were the sweetest, weirdest bunch of kids. But they were weird in a very similar way to how I'm weird. So, we just clicked very well. And I think like seeing them graduate was like a, it was a big moment, I think, for me. Yeah. And for them. And this is actually my first year at the school without them. And it's very strange. But I really like those guys. Like they were my little guys. And something that I really loved that they would do every year is around Christmas time, they would write letters and get gifts like most kids do, right? But because they knew me so well, they would write me these beautiful, beautiful messages, these beautiful notes and letters and whatever. And I keep them until this day. I have them sort of stashed away in a drawer that I open up whenever I'm having a bad day. And I always made sure I never read them at school because I would literally tear up and cry because they were so touching. And yeah, so I have my little stash of feel-good letters from these kids. So sweet. They really, they're awesome. Yeah. I love that. I know. So, how do you adapt your teaching style to benefit each student in a way that they can comprehend and learn in regards to like assessments and lessons and assignments? There's a lot. So this is like I think the biggest part of being a teacher nowadays, right? It's not so much like when I was in school, it was more so like this is what we teach, this is how we teach it, and the kids have to adapt. Whereas now, it's teachers adapt to the learners in front of them, which I think is obviously a better way to teach. There's just a lot of moving parts. It's very fluid. Everything's constantly changing. Yeah. So anyway, gone are the days where we sort of, again, teach from a textbook or choose resources because we as teachers like them. These days, we try to ensure that our teaching reflects the learners in front of us and caters to student interest as much as possible to try and get them engaged in whatever. So that's sort of where the whole like voice and choice concept comes in, right? Students need to be heard and need to participate in creating what they learn. And they need choice in terms of like assessments and things like that, right? Because not everyone shows their learning in the same way. Exactly. So, I mean, especially in the English department and the art department, like we take input in from all stakeholders in learning, parents, students, community, whatever, in consideration when we create materials and assignments and things like that. So even when it comes to things like accommodations, I think most teachers, thankfully these days, understand that what may be necessary for some in terms of like IEP needs and things like that is usually good for all. Yeah. So teachers will apply sort of a knowledge of how students develop and like learn physically, socially, cognitively, that kind of thing to make instructional, environmental, and assessment-based accommodations or modifications, whatever is needed, to meet the needs of students with learning exceptionalities or needs or whatever. It's, again, like it's a profession with a lot of moving parts. So like you could, you know, apply cross-curricular knowledge to aid MLLs. Have like word walls or sentence frames for them, right? Something that we do a lot in English class is sort of a gradual release of responsibility. So the first time we do something, we'll do it together as a class. Yeah. The second time, we'll do it as a group. And then the third time, we do it individually. Yeah. Right? We're going to hang out. We're going to take a class this week. But yeah, so like these are sort of the things that we do to ensure the learning is genuine, is relevant, and is authentic. I think that it's a very massive difference from how it was before to how it was now. Oh, absolutely. And I think that it's definitely helped students that need it. I hope so. Yeah, yeah. Because it's a lot of work. Like my stuff, how it like compares as a current study, this is one of the changes that is good. Because like I said that drills work for me. But a lot of people really, like I resonate with this too. Like having the concept related to something that I can associate with. Like that really, it kind of, it forms like a memory aid in a way. Of course. Like I get it. Because, oh, okay, so this is like this. Okay. And it clicks in your brain. Yeah, yeah. Right. Yeah. Especially like the big lessons and stuff like that that we do in class. Like the big Shakespeare lesson or like the big dramatic things. I feel like they're memorable as well. Yeah. Right? And they form strong connections in your brain. And also I feel like making things fun as a teacher, like I feel like you're really good at that. I do. And making learning fun, I think it makes a really big impact on like how engaged. Yeah. I like to gamify learning because I really value fun in my day-to-day. And like I don't want to come to school and bore a class teacher all day every day, you know? I really like, like it's not even, it is teaching, but in a way it's also like performing because you're enticing the audience. And like you're, because performing could be seen in all the ways of educating audience. Yeah. Yeah. I put on three live performances. Yeah. 75 minutes. And it's also like if you were coming to class super tired, you don't want to sit through a lesson that is boring and where you just want to go home, but I feel like you make it really fun and energetic and really wake everybody up. I try. I try. It means a lot to the kids. Exactly. Like, because once the kid is like, okay, she's putting effort into her assignments. The least I can do is care. Yeah, like my teacher wants to be here. Yeah. So I feel inspired to learn. Right. Like my opinion is that the classroom and like teaching and being with the kids is the best part of this job. Yeah. Right. The marketing is the worst. Yeah. Oh man. Yeah. So what is some advice you would give to incoming high school students and those who are graduating? I think for incoming students, like new students, I would just say like stop putting so much pressure on yourself. Yeah. It's not like you're perfect the first time around or whatever. Like that's not what learning is about. Right. Also like try new things and get involved with school isn't all about academics. It's also about socializing. It's about forming connections with the people around you, trying out new things to see what you like and how you've evolved. Right. So I think that's a really big one is primarily I'd like to see kids focus less on academics and excellence and more so on developing as humans. Yeah. Like this is still childhood. Yeah. You have to have fun while you're in high school. Right. And like I tell you guys in English class, you've got to go out and have experiences in order to relate to some of the things you're doing in class. Right. Yeah. A lot of times it's like it's easier said than done. Yeah. Because I don't like, for me, it's a lot about like the internal pressures and like the external as well. Yeah. Yeah. But I kind of, over time, I kind of came to terms with myself. I'm like, okay, I'm not, this is not. Like healthy. Yeah. I shouldn't. It's not healthy. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.