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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 VOLUME 92 NUMBER 4 NEWSMAGAZINE OF THE MANITOBA TEACHERS’ SOCIETY JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 VOLUME 92 NUMBER 4 NEWSMAGAZINE OF THE MANITOBA TEACHERS’ SOCIETY President’s Column Meditation in the classroom P. 4 Before class, middle-years teacher Cari Satran of École Leila North Community School leads her students in a brief meditation Inside MTS P. 5 P. 16 P. 18 Smokeless tobacco Young athletes naively believe snuff or dip are less threatening than cigarettes MTS member poll: Stress tops class size concern P. 7 French Immersion: A growing concern with growing pains P. 8 P. 11 Teachers and movies simple ways • Go to www.winnipegharvest.org and click Good teachers on the Events/Operation Donation tab and bad teachers in film to register • Email [email protected] 3YOUR SCHOOL • Call 204-982-3670 INSIDE MTS PRESIDENT’S COLUMN KEN PEARCE, GENERAL SECRETARY PAUL OLSON Three times a year I get to attend the be slowly emerging and gathering steam. money and volunteer time every year to Canadian Teachers’ Federation Directors Coordination and the sharing of long-term projects around the world through CTF. Editor Meetings, one of which is held immediately research into the type and delivery of educa- CTF staff prepares proposals, sends them to George Stephenson, prior to the CTF Annual Meeting. tion services across the country helps form the Society and staff here prepares propos- [email protected] This coming year the Annual Meeting will Society responses to trends in education. als for approval by the Provincial Executive. be hosted by the Society in July. Your staff is For example, rapidly changing technolo- Send contributions to: Research and support currently working on the necessary prepara- gies and teachers’ future role in the system for maternity leaves Editor tions for hosting this event and it includes are a current focus of research by CTF and e work hard to protect and strengthen our students. We work to CTF staff provided the research needed to The Manitoba Teacher many logistical aspects that will involve the its affiliates. Helping coordinate a national build community, address bullying, impart skills and learning, support the MTS brief to the Minister on 191 Harcourt Street use of volunteers from the membership. response to the anti-teacher/anti-union all with the goal of helping kids become strong adults, full citizens, credit of service for maternity and parental Winnipeg, MB R3J 3H2 To assist in this, a sub-committee of mem- agenda is something that CTF is uniquely and people who can avoid some of the mistakes of the past. leaves. There continues to be strong research Phone: (204) 831-3058 bers and staff has been working to provide positioned to do and the joint work of staffs And yet, we face many threats. The most horrifying are acts of supports to affiliates for their work in pro- Fax: (204) 831-0877 a memorable visit for CTF delegates from at affiliates is central to this process. viding information to affiliate presidents extreme violence, but in truth we lose far more kids to quieter killers flowing from across the country. This work involves: CTF’s recent move to provide an upgrad- Published seven times a year (September– and executives to ensure arguments for a so- poverty and bad public policy than we do from TV-worthy drama. • Planning family activities and child care ed electronic Education Research Library, June) by The Manitoba Teachers’ Society. cially just society are founded on informed It’s an essential part of our professional paradigm that we focus on what we can for partners and children who travel with both national and international in scope, Articles and views published herein do not debate on such issues. With such programs control—our time, our effort, our practice—in the service of student welfare and delegates. Some examples include visits and the opportunities for future collabora- necessarily represent the policies nor the as Employment Insurance, Society stances learning. We can and do make important differences every day. Good teaching can to the Assiniboine Park Zoo, Lower Fort tive research through the CTF’s establish- views of the Society. are provided by national research as the be a great equalizer in a kid’s life. Garry and Winnipeg Goldeyes games. ment of the National Teachers’ Research Employment Insurance program is based on I’d argue, however, that if we really want to help our students then we need to The Manitoba Teacher welcomes story ideas • Recruiting volunteers and arranging Network offers significant promise for fu- federal legislation; when there are problems, hold back a reserve of time and energy, and become more political. Inequality is a and submissions from members. Contact transportation for delegates arriving from ture collaboration. defining challenge of our age. the editor. our staff often go to CTF staff for assistance. across the country. International Programs It’s fine and well to feed the hungry, find coats and mitts for the cold, and so on, • Obtaining promotional items from local Employment Insurance Join other Manitoba teachers who CTF staff routinely share reports from but I think it also falls to us to demand answers about why our students are show- teachers’ associations and others. CTF staff also organizes an Employment Project Overseas, which keeps the Society ing up—IF they show up—so battered and bruised in the first place. follow us on Twitter and Facebook. • Obtaining commemorative gifts for all Insurance forum every few years for mem- and CTF affiliates able to respond to ques- Finland, in creating its world-leading education system, did not set out to create delegates and alternates. ber organization staff to meet directly with tions from their members about overseas excellence. They had the wisdom to realize that excellence is not so much a goal as it • Arranging local entertainment for the Service Canada and EI staff to discuss issues. facebook.com/ initiatives. This is especially important is a result, and so they set out to create a highly equitable educational system. And President’s Reception July 11th at the manitobateachers since the federal government cancelled Annual Staff Officer Meetings they did so in a context of strong social supports. Canadian Museum for Human Rights. supports through CTF’s CIDA funded Your Society staff is kept current on issues Here in Canada, federal legislation such as C-377 and party platforms that attack • Organizing a Manitoba Night, taking the initiatives. Staff at affiliates and CTF plan that are affecting teachers across Canada unions are in the pipeline for passage already, and will hinder the ability of MTS format of a mini-Folklorama, hosted at biennial consultation meetings where staff through the facilitation of networking and the Canadian Teachers’ Federation to do their work. The Trade in Services twitter.com/mbteachers the Fairmont Hotel. officers from across Canada meet to discuss among teacher or ganizations at the nation- Agreement (TISA) seems likely to undermine any number of education-related • Preparing participant packages. Project Overseas as well as the other devel- al CTF gathering of staff members. services currently provided by public education systems, and this may well include Of course, working with the CTF staff opment cooperation programs that CTF This description of the kinds of collaboration teachers themselves. involves more than organizing an event funds in partnership with its members. between your Society staff and the Canadian Alberta and Saskatchewan are already looking at contracting out the building of Publications Mail Agreement like this. It is part of an ongoing relation- Consultation meetings providing informa- Teachers’ Federation hopefully illustrates new schools, and leasing them from private companies at a cost greater than what 40063378 ISSN 002-228X ship with CTF. The Federation provides tion to members of the affiliates help them the kind of work that is ongoing and support- it would cost to build the schools themselves. This money will drain away from kids much needed information and soundly-re- Return undeliverable Canadian determine political decisions to be made. ive of the endeavours of the The Manitoba and classrooms and toward corporate coffers. searched data for our day-to-day operations The Manitoba Teachers’ Society provides Teachers’ Society in achieving its goals. Political decisions lead to housing allowances going up—or people continuing addresses to: at the Society. The following is just a sample to choose between housing and food. Ditto school funding, after-school programs, Information Management of that work. childcare programs—or women and children continuing to be disproportion- The Manitoba Teachers’ Society Research ately affected by poverty. Professional autonomy—or canned programming from 191 Harcourt Street VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO HELP WITH THE CANADIAN Pearson. Collective agreements that protect your working conditions—or attacks Winnipeg, MB R3J 3H2 CTF has a pan-Canadian network that TEACHERS’ FEDERATION ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING on the Rand formula and your right to organize. email: [email protected] is central to our policy analysts, allowing My “ask” for 2014 is simple. Manitoba has 57 MLAs, and 14 MPs. Before this for ready consultation with affiliate staff year is out, your MLA and MP should know your name, and what you believe in. to prepare researched data for informed MTS needs the help of Manitoba teachers in playing host to the CTF Your voice is needed at least as much outside your