Assertive Versus Aggressive Behavior

We are constantly challenged by aggressive and intimidating individuals. ETFO Provincial recently released a PRS memo to reminds us that it is important to understand the behaviour of threatening people and learn how to respond.  If you normally respond passively to such individuals because you fear reprisal, or rejection you become the victim and the situation will worsen.  Don't give such people power over you! If you do nothing your stress level can lead to more serious issues for you and your students. Prolonged stress causes poor performance, moodiness, relationship issues, and physical illness.  You may not be able to change the "bully" but you certainly can and need to change the negative impact they are having on you!

Difference Between Assertive and Aggressive Behaviour
The Dictionary defines aggression as:
1) Any unprovoked attack.
2) An act of attitude of hostility, usually arising from feelings of inferiority or frustration.

Aggression makes some individuals feel better by forcing their point of view on others, hurting their feelings, and building resentment.  As teachers, we intervene in student bullying situations. Yet some of us allow ourselves to be emotionally devastated by a colleague treating us the same way.

The Dictionary defines assertion as:
1) A positive statement; declaration.
2) An insisting on one's right, a claim, etc.

To assert one's self means to put oneself forward; make oneself noticed, and insist on one's rights. An assertive person is able to stand up to others and deal with each issue at hand.  Assertiveness skills can be learned and will not only resolve many interpersonal problems but will build confidence, self-respect, and improved relationships with peers.

What not to do:  remain passive
Occasional and probationary teachers often state that they fear an unsatisfactory evaluation from an intimidating principal. Others do not want to be alienated on staff, or assume their peers know how they are feeling! To this, we say "beware of assumptions that have not been checked out". Contact your Federation to discuss the situation. Be careful not to confuse "keeping the peace" with remaining "passive".

What not to do:  fight aggression with aggression 
Think twice. How is this going to end up? Aggression is emotion out of control.
Your intent should be to move forward to a more positive working environment.

You will always encounter people who have to argue about everything and impose their views aggressively on others.  However, there is another kind of person who calmly and confidently asserts themselves without hurting others. Which do you want to be?

Social Media and Advice to Members

ETFO continues to support the responsible use of social media as an excellent teaching tool, provided it adheres to professional standards.  ETFO warns it members that anything they post can be: forwarded, taken out of context, copied, manipulated and becomes impossible to remove from cyberspace.

"Friending students; posting pictures of partying, or sending overly casual messages or texts to students, parents or others may lead to professional difficulties that you may not anticipate. While the use of technology has changed dramatically over time, the standards of professionalism have not changed. Interactions must be respectful, courteous, professional and boundaries must be maintained. Members are expected to be friendly, but not "friends" with their students.

ETFO has seen an increase in cyberbullying by electronic media in the education community. Members of ETFO can be target of this. Sometimes members initiate careless electronic communication which may have unintended, but grave professional consequences.

Some tips:

1. Communication with parents, students and other members of the education community is best done verbally or face to face in a professional and structured manner;
2. Casual, off hand, joking remarks or expressions of support via electronic media are easily misconstrued;
3. Pictures of you, chat discussions you initiate or participate in, and email or text messages between you and others create a permanent record. Reflect on your electronic postings;
4. Advise friends and family not to post pictures of you on social media sites without first asking your consent;
5. Slow down. Don't press "send" until you evaluate whether or not your postings, texts, emails will be considered professional and appropriate in the education community;
6. You are not your students' "friend". You are their teacher and must maintain a professionally appropriate relationship. In doubt, call to find out.

ETFO has previously distributed a variety of publications on the topic of the appropriate professional use of electronic communication - see PRS Matters Volumes 48, 46 and 25 and VOICE articles from December 2008 - Cyberbullying and October 2007 - Think Before you Click. These are available on the ETFO website.
 
Staff in Professional Relations (PRS) can be reached at  416-962-3836 or 1-888-838-3836
See also ETFO's website - Advice for Members

Some Topics that will be of Interest to You....

About Time and Your Collective Agreement  

Negotiated Time

• No duties prior to commencement of first morning if full day assignment or first afternoon of a PM assignment (Art. 18.03) Board encourages us to use this time to prepare; violating this entitlement makes it harder for the next OT  
• Same timetable as the Teacher being replaced includes duties and prep times (Art. 18.02) Just as the permanent Teacher directs how they use prep time, so does the Occasional Teacher; you cannot be assigned duties during this time
• Minimum 40 consecutive minutes of unassigned lunch time (Art. 18.04)
• AM half day assignment ends no later than 20 minutes after instruction (Art. 18.06)
• Ten days notice or pay in lieu of notice if LTO terminated by early return of Teacher (Art. 5.07 b)

Home Instructors
If you are considering being a TVDSB Home Instructor, you should know that your membership in ETFO and the benefits of that membership apply only to work done in the elementary system as an Occasional Teacher.  Should you choose to do home instruction you are not covered under the protection of ETFO.

Accidents and Near Misses on the Job
It is your obligation under the law to fill out an Employee Accident Incident Report for injuries requiring first aid or time off work; hazardous situations or near-misses and incidents of physical/verbal aggressive behaviour. Forms are located at the office and must be completed for WSIB coverage.

Vote Because Education Matters!

Your vote tomorrow will have a powerful impact on all public services and the future of our province. The party that governs us has a profound impact on our public education system, our students’ learning conditions, and our working conditions. Teachers need to exercise their right to vote and to help elect representatives who will continue the progress made in public education over the past eight years.   Ontario deserves a government that will continue to invest in education. We have a responsibility to protect our students and their future.

September and October can be slow months for teaching positions, so we urge you to take this opportunity to build your professional portfolio by attending and participating in as much Professional Development as you can.  There are several venues you can check to see what is available to you.  They are: 

• The Board's Employee Portal - provided there is space available, without pay.
• The Thames Valley Occasional Teachers' Local Professional Development - our first opportunity will be the SMART Board workshops at Wilfrid Jury P.S. in mid-November.  Check our website in a few weeks for further details.  N.B. You are not eligible for PD offered by the Permanent Teachers' Local because their events are funded by their members.
• Take the time to review the Ministry of Education's document: "Growing for Success" and try to incorporate that philosophy into your teaching.  
• You can take advantage of on-line training offered by the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO)as well as the Ontario Teachers' Federation (OTF).  Go to http://www.etfo.ca/ or http://www.otffeo.on.ca/ for further information.     

Lastly, if you are a Newly Graduated Teacher, the Local wants to support you as you begin this challenging career.  If you are in your first 5 years of occasional teaching and wish to have input into forums, workshops and bargaining initiatives specific to your needs, please join us for a meeting on October 11, 2011 at the OT Offices, 5PM.  Space is limited to 15 members and we will provide a light meal.
Register by email tvotpd@gmail.com by October 7th if you are interested in participating.

From the Office

We're well into the 2011 - 2012 school year and have had queries regarding the following at the office that you may have questions about or need information on as well:

1) Thank you to everyone who have advised us of a change to your personal information, be it address, name, telephone number etc.  It is very important that your contact information be current with the following:

• ETFO - TVOT Local by phone or email
• the Board of Education by Employee Portal > Personal Information
• College of Teachers   
• Your Apply to Education Account

2)  The newsletter - The Supply Line, the Collective Bargaining Survey and the pocket calendars have been mailed to everyone this past week.  Please complete the survey and return it to our office - it is very important to your future that we have your input.  Please read over the Supply Line and contact the office with any questions or if you require any further information.

3) There was an error in the pocket calendar regarding the number of days paid for the first pay for LTOs, the correct number is 4 and not 5 and indicated for the Aug 28 - Sept. 10 2011 pay period.  The first day to count from is September 6.

4)  The SMART Board PD training is being planned for November 15th, 2011 at Wilfrid Jury P.S.  Details on session will follow in due course.

5) Get in the habit of checking TVDSB's First Class.  Though the Union does not communicate with members by way of First Class, the Board does. This is how your employer contacts you with important information so we recommend you check your mailbox on a weekly basis, at the least. As well, this is where you will find LTO postings -  in the Occasional Teachers' Conference

5) Check the TVDSB Home page for information on Board Policies and Procedures e.g., Footwear Policy and to keep up to date with what is going on across the valley.


    

Advice for Members

The ETFO Provincial website www.etfo.ca offers many important sections of information and guidance to its members.  One section that is quite beneficial is  Advice for Members.

ETFO members face a daily work environment characterized by ever-increasing levels of complexity and challenge.  ETFO issues Advisories to Members on various issues of concern, giving direction on government and agency initiatives.  For the past few years, ETFO has kept members informed on a variety of important legal and professional issues impacting on education workers through its bulletin PRS MATTERS. Archived topics include: "Student Parent Custody Issues", "Defamatory Websites and Social Networking Pages" and "Maintaining Professional Relationships Among All Educators".

This section contains advice for members from PRS Matters and other sources, and aims to prevent situations that could threaten an individual member's career or the status of our profession.
Members are advised to consult Professional Relations staff in Protective Services at 416-962-3836 or 1888-838-3836 for more information on any of the issues covered in this website section. 

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) represents more than 76,000 Elementary Teachers, Occasional Teachers, Designated Early Childhood Educators, and educational  and professional support personnel in elementary schools across Ontario.  ETFO is known as one of the foremost providers of teacher professional learning in Canada and is gaining a reputation for its work internationally.

As an Occasional Teacher, you have many resources to tap into - always know your Local will be here to help you as well!

ETFO Members Can Have a Significant Impact on Election Outcome

Much is at stake in the October 6 provincial election.  The party that wins will determine the viability of the new full-day kindergarten program, the future of smaller elementary class size, and the overall quality of education in our schools.  Depending on which party is elected, as part of the public sector, ETFO members' salary and benefits could also become a target of government retrenchment.

Making Education a Priority

Your Federation is working hard to make  the provincial parties, candidates, and the voting public aware of our key issues.  Last fall, ETFO released Building Better Schools, an election platform that outlines five key building blocks for improving elementary education.  The was broadly distributed and has formed the basis of discussions at Queen's Park and at meeting's of ETFO local presidents with their MPPs.  Locals are using a brochure based on the platform to promote our issues at all-candidates' meetings.  If you haven't had a chance to read it, please check the platform on the ETFO website.

Having an Impact

Recent polls indicate that the election is developing into a three-way race among the Liberals, Progressive Conservatives, and New Democrats.  The final outcome could be determined by slim margins in a handful of ridings.  Because of the tight races, our more than 76,000 members can have a real impact on the outcome.  You can have  an impact by voting; you can have an even greater impact by volunteering some of your time to an election campaign - whether it's just for a few hours or longer.  Making an important decision such as this requires learning as much as we can about the various parties' platforms and track records.

As you consider which candidate to endorse, here is a brief synopsis of the track records for the NDP, PC and Liberal Parties:

NDP - 1990 - 1995  Premier:  Bob Rae

• Extended pregnancy and parental leave
• Introduced teacher pension reform
• Introduced major labour reforms
• Appointed Royal Commission on Learning
• Mandated provision of junior kindergarten
• Expanded pay equity
• Mandated employment equity
• Invoked 3-year salary cut through unpaid days: Social Contract

PC - 1995 - 2003  Premier: Mike Harris/Ernie Eves

• Introduced EQAO testing
• Introduced the College of Teachers
• Introduced mandatory teacher recertification
• Introduced a Teacher qualifying test
• School board amalgamation
• Cut education funding significantly
• Cancelled mandatory JK
• Gave private school tuition tax credits
• New curriculum without in-service, resources
• Standardized report card
• Passed Bill 160 which   

                           *removed Principals/VPs from the federations
                           *removed right to negotiate class size
                           *cancelled five PA days
                           *removed the ability of school boards to raise taxes

• Introduced zero tolerance policy for student discipline
• Mandated extra-curricular activities for secondary teachers
• Prescribed teachers' duties to undermine work-to rule activities

Liberals 2003 - 2011

• Cancelled teacher recertification
• Cancelled teacher qualifying test
• Reformed College of Teachers
• Introduced New Teacher Induction Program
• Cancelled private school tuition tax credit
• Increased education funding
• Introduced primary class size cap
• Introduced Early Learning Program / Full Day Kindergarten
• Restored two of the five PA days cut by Tories
• Fully funded elementary preparation time
• Failed to reach successful provincial framework for ETFO negotiations in fall 2008
• Launched School Information Finder
• Shelved gender identity and sexual health sections of revised curriculum document
• Weakened policy related to Early Learning extended day programs

We urge everyone to vote - Because Education Matters!