Fall General Meeting Next Week!, ETFO's Workplace Violence Survey, OTF's AgScape

Our Fall General Meeting and Banquet is 1 week away!!
Don't wait until it's too late.
Register to attend this wonderful festive meal in the Crystal Ballroom at the Best Western Lamplighter Inn,
591 Wellington Road South in London from 4:30 - 7:30 pm. 
All registrants in attendance will receive a free insulated water bottle.  Come meet other Occasional Teachers.
We're looking forward to seeing you there.
Register at www.etfotvot.com
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In a partnership with two professors from the University of Ottawa, ETFO Provincial is presenting a New Survey re Violence in Schools.

On December 4th, we will be sharing a link to a new survey that builds on ETFO's Workplace Violence Survey asking educators (teachers, occasional teachers, PSP/ESPs, DECEs) about a broad range of workplace harassment (e.g., slurs, insults, and put downs) as well as threats, attempts and acts of physical aggression. In addition to documenting educators' experiences, the goal of this new research is to unpack how vulnerability, experience, and institutional response are conditioned by intersecting factors (e.g., gender, ethnicity, dis/ability). To the best of our knowledge, this survey will be the first of its kind in North America.

The survey which focuses on the 2017-2018 school year, includes both closed and open-ended questions and will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. Confidentiality and privacy will be taken very seriously. Members will be able to complete the survey without providing identifiable information and will not be asked the name of the school in which they work.

Results will be tabulated and a comprehensive report made available to ETFO early in the new year. The researchers have also indicated that they will be able to provide a "Key Local Findings" report to each ETFO Local describing research results from their area.  All participation by members would be extremely beneficial.

Members will receive a heads up today through the e-newsletter process. The survey will be available next Monday at the following link:  http://www.edviol.net , and will remain open until December 23rd at 11:59 pm.
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From OTF

As the voice of Agriculture in the classrooms of Ontario, AgScape provides factual, balanced, curriculum-linked food literacy programs and resources to Ontario's educators and students.

All AgScape classroom programs and resources are designed to reflect core values in providing factual and non-biased information to ensure a balanced presentation of facts.

Lesson plans and resources in several subject areas for Grades 1-12.

www.agscape.ca/resources

Come Celebrate: OTF's "Making Math Moments That Matter"; The Winners are...

Come Celebrate with Us 

Plans are finalizing for out Fall General Meeting and Banquet taking place at the Lamplighter Inn, 591 Wellington Road South in London, on Wednesday, December 5, 2018 from 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm.
We have a festive meal planned which includes Roast Breast of Young Ontario Turkey with a Traditional Dressing and Cranberry Sauce, and Stuffed Gigantic Pasta Shells along with Ricotta Cheese.

Don't miss out - register at www.etfotvot.com under Member Services!
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Empower your students to become resilient problem solvers in your mathematics classroom. Learn how to use a three-part framework for building easy-to-plan and fun-to-deliver lessons that kids will not only love, but also learn from, regardless of their level of readiness!

In the Making Math Moments That Matter video series, two Ontario teachers, John Orr and Kyle Pearce,  show that we can reach all students in our math classes, regardless of the range of skills in our math classrooms.

The Ontario Teachers' Federation is proud to share this free four-part video series, Making Math Moments That Matter. To watch the first video in the series, go to makemathmoments.com  and register to be notified when each new lesson is released.
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ETFOTVOT Survey Winners
Thank you to the hundreds who participated in our Local Survey.  We are pleased to announce the winners of the $100 Gift Cards:

1. Ha Yoon Kim                                                                  
2. Jessie Vinnons
3. Julie West

Congratulations and the Local will contact these OTs to arrange delivery of their gift cards.

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ETFO Provincial Bargaining Survey
Members have until 11:59 PM on  Sunday, November 25th to complete ETFO Provincial's Central Bargaining Survey.
By Friday, members should receive an email from Strategic Communications (Stratcom) with the link so please check your Inbox (or Spam folder) to ensure you have a chance to participate. If you do not hear from Stratcom and wish to participate, follow the instructions at the link:  http://www.etfocb.ca/contact-us/

One more day for chance at $100; Successful Daily Assignment cont'd; TVOT Fall General Meeting and Banquet

Local Survey Deadline
The deadline to complete the TVOT Collective Bargaining Survey and have your say is tomorrow, November 15th!  Don't miss your chance to provide your opinion AND have a chance to win one of three $100 Gift Cards. Here is the link to the CB Survey -
http://www.surveyshare.com/s/AYAMY7A
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Take a Stand for Your Rights in Ontario
If you have not yet sent a message to your MPP to protect fairer worker's rights, please do so today at http://www.myrights.ca/email_mpp






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More Tips for a Successful Daily Assignment 

What can I do to encourage appropriate behaviour?
First and foremost, be proactive. Preventing discipline problems is easier and more effective than responding to them.  When a well-planned, stimulating learning environment is created, most behaviour problems can be avoided. Student behaviour may appear to be more disorderly when an occasional teacher is in the classroom because some students may take advantage of your lack of familiarity with the rules and routines. In other words, they try to test the established limits.

How can I be proactive?

• Arrive early. (Education Act requires you be there 15 minutes before class)
• Review lesson plans.
• Gather the necessary materials (e.g., photocopy a class set of work sheets).
• Identify potential times for off-task misbehaviour such as transitions or when work is completed. Try to make transitions quickly and smoothly by planning ahead and knowing what comes next. Also, have some prepared activities appropriate for the grade and/or division. These may include puzzles, trivia and word games. When students are busy and on-task, there is a lower rate of misbehaviour. 
• Check the daybook, calendar or memos to see if there will be any alterations to the regular school day (e.g., assemblies, drills).
• Write an outline of the day's activities on the board for students to see.
• Locate a seating plan or be prepared to make one.
• Familiarize yourself with students who have special needs (e.g., behaviour plans, medications safety plan). This information should be in the daybook. If it isn't, check with the school administration or secretary.
• Review classroom rules, routines and expectations.
•  At the start of class inform the students that the regular classroom rules, routines and expectations will be followed.
• Inform students about what you need them to do rather than what they need to stop doing.
• Provide clear instructions before an activity begins, offering students an opportunity to ask questions.
• If unsure about how to approach any of the topics in the plans left for you, seek input and directions from your school administrator and the appropriate board resource consultant.

Occasional teachers who receive a plan for an assignment that includes a sexual health component may wish to seek direction from the administrator about whether the lesson should proceed or whether an alternative lesson should be delivered so that the sexual health component may be delivered by the returning classroom teacher, who may be more known to students.
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Don't put off registering to attend our Fall General Meeting and Banquet.
The setting, delicious food, festive time of year contribute to an enjoyable and informative evening where you can ask questions and learn from your Local Executive.
Registration at:  www.etfotvot.com
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Truth and Reconciliation 
A discussion booklet for the classroom (Grades 5 to 12)
OTF Interaction; Oct. 2018

The Student Voice Series is a resource to support discussions about complex societal issues using the voice of students. In this booklet, you will find student responses to questions and classroom discussions, residential school survivor statements, visuals, and key information from the reports of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

Free online lesson plans and discussion questions on Truth and Reconciliation are available for registered imagineaction (a social justice program of the Canadian Teachers' Federation) teachers.   If you're not yet registered as an Imagineaction teacher, visit: www.imagine-action.ca and follow the instructions. It's simple and free.