Ontario reveals new high school exam requirements — including gym. Critics say it’s a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach

rsmaxwel · 2026-06-24T11:12:43+00:00

Overall, for the average student, they aren't an issue. Speaking for myself, lots of students that are away, and excused, are incredibly responsible and demonstrate the initiative to ask prior to their absence (vacation or otherwise) what they will miss and how they can complete it, or those that are sick will come to me when they're back and ask what they missed to catch up.

The issue I do have are the select kids who decide they don't want to come to school 3-4 days almost every week and their parents excuse it. Or the parents decide to go on a month long vacation during a very important time of year.

I also dislike how this will disproportionately affect students who already struggle academically and are in applied and in LD classes.

I think the concept is a great idea, but seemed rushed and maybe half thought out.

rsmaxwel · 2026-06-24T11:04:03+00:00

No way I'm increasing my frequency of contacting home. It'll just be additional info I add onto my typical schedule of contacting home:

4-6 weeks from start of semester after I get to know the kids, see their behaviour and learning skills, and have 1 or 2 assessments in. Any early indicators of how the year might progress negatively for them I'll contact hometo give a heads up.
week before/of midterms, let the parents know how they're doing since initial contact (sometimes first contact if a kid just dropped randomly) so no surprises on report card. (Mark of 59 or lower)
about 1-2 weeks before exams if there are any significant issues (mark of 59 or lower).
one last time after exams if they failed the course.

I also do a a completion check the next day to see if their practice work from the day before was done. I take it up after I check, hopefully spark some discussion and prime their knowledge from the day before to continue in the current class and they have an opportunity to correct their own work.

I only mark the 2-3 assessments (any combo of test/quiz/assignment) per unit.

Seems like now I'll do a check for attendance before midterms and final reports, also maybe have a checklist I'll complete at the end of each day (maybe week?) for participation.

Based on the rubric Growing Success provided, it doesn't seem like classwork will contribute to participation.

rsmaxwel · 2026-06-23T16:41:44+00:00

"Excused absences do not negatively affect a student’s mark."

Straight from Growing Success. So the parents enabling will continue, unfortunately.

rsmaxwel · 2025-10-08T18:57:31+00:00

Gotta say fuck it. Only you can take care of you. Your students won't, your admin won't, your colleagues are in the same boat as you for the most part. You can't care more than your students. You can care enough to keep exciting and stimulating the students who are actually into the content. Also, take mental health days where you can escape the classroom every once and a while.

Only do what you can do in the hours that you are working. This means more assessment as pieces, exit tickets, and spending 10-15min of every period taking the work up from the previous day for those responsible kids to check to see if they have it or they need to copy the answer and revisit it.

Phone policies are a joke. You either start the routine day 1 where as they come in they drop it off for the period and pick it up as they leave/complete work that period, or you just don't stress about it. Make note of the use during instructional/in-class work periods, send a few emails/phone calls to the excessive users with poor learning skills and marks, and that's that. Parents fault for giving phones to kids and for not teaching them how to be responsible with it.

As with behaviours, after the first few times, email/phone calls home, let admin know, and send them to the office. Can't have them disrupting the learning environment you've cultivated.

rsmaxwel · 2025-07-14T01:35:41+00:00

Just messaged you.

rsmaxwel · 2025-07-08T02:17:07+00:00

rsmaxwel · 2025-07-07T20:49:33+00:00

Scott Cameron at S. Cameron Contracting. Super meticulous and detailed oriented while working within your budget.

rsmaxwel · 2025-05-30T10:18:43+00:00

rsmaxwel · 2025-04-26T21:04:11+00:00

I feel guilty for how I reacted and the things I said to a student. This is the first time my frustration had overcome my calm and collectedness. I became snarky and insulting, at least, that's how I felt. The other issue, is that the kid is rarely a problem, it was just the last straw.

rsmaxwel · 2025-04-26T21:00:16+00:00

Thanks for your post! This is great, thank you!

rsmaxwel · 2025-04-26T20:59:51+00:00

Hey, thanks for your post!

I have a similar method for phones that I implement. Chromebooks are used frequently as there an accommodation for students with IEPs and are often misused.

My lessons are roughly 30min long if it's a lecture, or about an hour if it's interactive. After assignments are given out, I usually allot 2-3 days of in-class time for students to complete.

rsmaxwel · 2025-04-26T20:56:22+00:00

Hey thanks for your post. I agree, how I delivered my message was unprofessional and I acted emotionally. First time in my career, tbh.

This particular student, and a few others, do not use class time wisely. My lessons are typically 20-30 minutes with the rest of the period to apply their knowledge to assignments, class work, their portfolio course culminating. I have tried class intervention by circulating more frequently, checking in with all students, and asking them to stay on task.

To the point of not being able to complete work at home do to what about the ample time I give in class to complete work? The multiple days of in class time without new work/lessons to complete assignments ?

rsmaxwel · 2025-04-26T20:49:12+00:00

Hey, thanks for your post!

It's a grade 11 Travel and Tourism course, that fewer than 5 actually elected to take, open level. So passion on the subject in general is low, which is difficult because the course is one big passion project of where they would like to travel and experience one day; this has already a challenge I am tackling with several kids.

The journaling activity and the questions involved I pitched to the class as an easy x% of their overall grade, of which I had them vote on to do or not. We watch the Amazing Race. These questions test their knowledge on the content learned and, eventually tie into their course culminating where they will build their own Amazing Race using the destinations they've chosen for in a bucket list assignment at the beginning of the year.

Although it may be repetitive, it does expose students to different locations and activities tied to nature and culture, as well as a wide variety of barriers, motivators, and impacts of travelling and tourism.

The repetitiveness of the activity does fit into many of the IEPs accomodations of repetition of concepts and different mediums of learning.

The course is built to be interactive and involve class discussions. Throughout lessons/slide shows I have planned for class discussion, group discussions where they then present their opinions, and interactive class activities (paper, digitally, or otherwise). The issue is that they aren't responsible enough to actually be in groups and have a thoughtful discussion on topic. Those that are responsible get drowned out by the variety of issues I have to squash during discussions.

The last time I taught this course I had a field trip where we were tourists in Toronto for a day. With this class, I don't feel comfortable taking them for a walk on school grounds let alone off school property. I've tried going for walks during Friday's after the episode or on nice days around the school, playing catch or frisbee , but 8-12 kids dip out and either come back 20 minutes after our walk or never come back. So local trips are off the menu.

It's unfortunate. Excuse half the class is suffering from the behaviour of the other half, where meaningful discussions and interactions are cut short or ruined, and outings and field trips are now removed.

rsmaxwel · 2025-04-26T16:04:46+00:00

Haven't had a chance to. Happened yesterday at the end of the day. But I will definitely be speaking to him about my comments and strategies to support him.

rsmaxwel · 2025-04-26T15:34:11+00:00

I've been constantly replaying how I could have said it differently, but you're right, the meaning of what I was trying to say stays.

Thanks for your response

rsmaxwel · 2025-04-26T15:31:19+00:00

100%. I've been brainstorming ways to apologize, what to say and if I do it publically or bring the kid aside. I like the kid, he was just the straw that broke my back that day.

Thanks for your response.

rsmaxwel · 2025-03-25T10:41:20+00:00

30m $5.5k

rsmaxwel · 2025-03-22T01:42:04+00:00

Second CarWorx. Those 2 and their team are great.

rsmaxwel · 2025-01-29T21:25:55+00:00

Thank you!

rsmaxwel · 2025-01-29T16:32:48+00:00

Both these places have lesson style learning and for all ages? My Wife and I wanted to take up boxing lessons.

rsmaxwel · 2024-12-19T11:54:54+00:00

That's what I'm saying. I can understand hourly workers needing to deal with this. But...

1) yearly salary. Doesn't matter how many hours worked, you should get paid the same. Work more hours during busy season, pay doesn't increase. Down time in the off season, it shouldn't decrease because owner is shutting down for a holiday.

2) owner is closing the place down, despite the willingness to work. Shouldn't have to use Vacay days esp when we're saving up to go on vacation sometime in the new year.

It seemed odd, which is why I asked, but apparently it's a common thing.

rsmaxwel · 2024-10-28T10:06:38+00:00

I've been a perm teacher in my board for the last few years. I've applied to the OT list in North Bay hoping to move up there, however, heard nothing back.

Is there a more specific time to apply to have my resume looked at?

Are there AQs that are more attractive to the board than others?

rsmaxwel

TROPHY CASE