The document provides information to help new teachers navigate their journey in Canadian schools. It discusses curriculum planning, classroom management, relations with staff and parents, and assessment. Key points include outlining realistic expectations of Canadian students, different grading systems, the concept of "no zero" for missed assignments, and participating in professional dialogue to ensure assessments are aligned with school policies.

2. BIENVENIDOS A ALBERTA !
 Annie Fung
 English as a Second Language Coordinator and
Gr. 8 Social Studies teacher
 D.S. MacKenzie Junior School, Edmonton Public
Schools
 Origin: Hong Kong
 Purpose of Session:
 To provide you with some tools and information to
help you navigate through your journey at your new
home (your Canadian school).
 Sources: Annie Fung, DSM Staff, ATA

3. Students
Parents School

4.  PLANNING & ASSESSMENT
 Curriculum
 Year/unit/daily plans
 Realistic expectations of Canadian students
 Grading systems & report cards
 CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT/DISCIPLINARY
ISSUES
 RELATIONS WITH STAFF & PARENTS

5. PLANNING & ASSESSMENT
Program of Studies
 When planning…
 Where did the students come from (last
year)?
 Where do you want to take them?
 Where are they going?
 Prioritise outcomes
 Consult with colleagues, Sigrid, and Melisa on
what‟s important (remember that each school will
be different)

6. PLANS, PLANS…WHAT PLANS?
 Year Plan
 Unit Plan
 Lesson Plan
 Substitute Teacher Plan

7. TOP 3 MAGIC WORDS FOR TEACHERS

8. YEAR PLAN
 Comprehensive plan  this is a very common
thing that principals may ask to see
 What to include 
 Major learning outcomes
 Time frame of when things will happen (make sure to
factor in extra time, e.g. holidays, special school-wide
events)
 Types of activities and materials needed
 Check to see if the previous teacher/others have a rough
course outline prepared and use this as reference.
 Blank calendar format/outline format (sample on next
page)

9. SUN MON TUES WED THUR FRI SAT
S
1 2 3 4 5 6
Intro to
Parts of
Speech
Outcomes
1.26-1.31
Worksheet
s/videos
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Nouns
Nouns
Quiz
Start
Verbs
Outcomes
1.32-1.40
Worksheet
s/Games
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
PD Day
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30

10. OCTOBER
UNIT: PARTS OF SPEECH
Week 1 : Introduction (Oct 1-5)
Major outcomes: ……………..
Activities: ……………..
Materials:…….
Assessments: ………..
Week 2 : Nouns & Verbs (Oct 7-11)
Major outcomes: ……………..
Activities: ……………..
Materials:…….
Assessments: ………..

11. UNIT PLAN (P 1)
.
 detailed plans for the unit and what you
want to achieve
Introduction/
assessment
Guided of students‟
practice prior
knowledge
End product/skills
Are students ready for the introduction
or do we need to give them more context
before we start?

13. DAILY PLANS (SEE P 2 - 6)
.
 specific details of what will be done in the short
term within a unit
 Written lesson plans are EXPECTED of teachers BUT
can take many different forms (show samples)
 It should not be something stressful…it should
include :
1. Date/objectives
2. I CAN… statements (optional)
3. Materials needed/Preparation
4. Lesson Procedures (opener/introduction, main
content)
5. Closing/Assessment (how will you know students
have learned?)
6. Evaluation/Extra notes

14.  Your short term roadmap/can also be viewed as
how you are organising a lesson as a professional
to principals who may see it (it will reveal your
style of teaching, etc)

18. SUBSTITUTE/SUPPLY TEACHER PLANS
(P 7 - 12)
.
 When you miss work (e.g. sick, professional
development, dental appointment….), you are
expected to notify your school in advance and
“book” yourself a “sub”.
 You are expected to provide plans for the
supply teacher that is filling in for you.
 This is usually done via a school board website
given to you or via the telephone. Find out the
procedures EARLY in the year in case of
emergency.

19.  Beware of different codes (reasons for leave) because
schools are sensitive to these since they may affect funding for
the school!
 Be sure to leave this package somewhere VISIBLE so the
teacher can find the plans!
 Find out from other colleagues which supply teachers
they have used/trust. Schools often have a preferred list.
However, you will find many good supply teachers “by
random”.
 Make sure your substitute knows where to find the
emergency kit (class lists, evacuation/fire procedures,
flashlight, etc.)
 Book substitute teachers AS SOON AS you know you
will be absent. It is often difficult to book a supply
teacher on Fridays/Mondays.

22. ASSESSMENT (P 13 – 17)
.
In the perfect world…
 Students are focused, serious about
learning, assignments are done on
time.
 If we are all lucky, the students may
enjoy the lesson and remember what
has been learned!

23. IN THE “REAL” WORLD,
IT‟S MORE LIKE THIS…

24. THE REALITY IN CANADA
 What are realistic expectations from
school, parents, and students?
 You have probably already noticed the
more „relaxed‟ environment in Canadian
schools.
 Most schools are promoting holistic
learning  essential for students to be
well-rounded (participating in academics,
sports, arts, and other outside interests)

25. TODAY’S CANADIAN STUDENT
 Elementary
 more focused on social aspect (fitting in, feeling positive about
learning environment)
 not as academically focused as other countries (though a strong
foundation in the four core subjects are emphasized, especially
math and language arts)
 Junior High/Senior High
 more academically focused, HOWEVER  social aspect still
considered very important by parents and of course,
ESSENTIAL to teens at this age
 teenagers are usually given more freedom as they mature…they
also take on leadership roles in the schools, to participate in
teams/clubs, outside commitments.

26.  Teens also are allowed or sometimes encouraged to
take up part-time jobs to earn pocket money, explore
career interests for the future.
 Attitude towards school academics  can vary
but expectations are generally lower than in
European schools.
 First & Second Language Learning
 Higher emphasis on making language learning about
communication and enjoyment. There is a less focus on the
“perfect grammar”.

27. CASE STUDY: CONCEPT OF “NO ZERO”
 Recently, some school boards have introduced the
concept of no zero. Based on various educational
studies, it was found that it is often
„‟counterproductive” to give a grade of 0 to students
who fail to complete assignments.
 This may not be the case for every board; hence,
teachers need to find this out from their
staff/administration.
 Philosophy behind this  Students can‟t receive a
zero for work they have not done because it is not a
TRUE assessment of their abilities!
 Increased teacher accountability but also the students‟

28. TYPICAL STEPS OF RESOLVING MISSED WORK:
1. Student does not hand in assignment.
2. Teacher speaks with student regarding this concern and expectation for
its completion (e.g. provide extra help for student to „‟catch up‟‟ ,
detentions, etc).
3. Student does not hand in assignment.
4. Teacher will be expected to talk to the student and the parent/guardian at
home
5. If you run in trouble again, you will need to talk to your department
head/administrator for some advice. If you have shown clear steps
that you have given the students MANY CHANCES for making
up for these assignments, the staff will be very supportive of
your position.

29. WHAT IF IT IS NOW MARCH AND STUDENTS HAVE
NOT HANDED IN ASSIGNMENTS EVEN FROM
OCTOBER?
 Again, this is usually RARE but teachers are not
expected to “chase” students for every missed
assignment.
 It is up to the individual school to decide how to handle
each case.
 ASSESS WHAT YOU HAVE - The course weight
of the assignments may change.

30. GRADING SYSTEMS
 Choice of school board/individual school -
schools may run on a percentage (%) or letter-grade
(ABCD) system.

31.  Find out your assessment policies early!
 Participate in professional dialogue with the administration
as well as department heads to ensure your assessments
are aligned with the rest of the school‟s.
School Board “Lingo” and “Catch Phrases”
 Each school board sometimes has the same ideas but may
call it different things. It is important to find out the
common words that the board uses for assessment so it
becomes easier for you to converse with your Canadian
colleagues.

32. “FOR/OF” LEARNING ASSESSMENTS
(EPSB)
“FOR” learning “OF” learning
•assignments that are given • accumulative
to students to give them
practice. •assignments/tests that are
given to students to
Expected feedback: NO determine how much/well
GRADE! Comments on how they have learned (e.g.
students are doing quizzes, final unit projects,
tests, final exams)
(e.g. “satisfactory,” “need
more detailed explanations Expected feedback:
in your answers!”) GRADE (letter or %) &
comments

33. REPORT CARDS (INTERIM REPORTS/
END-OF-TERM ASSESSMENT) (P 15)
.
 *Keep paper copy of grades.
 *Be familiar with how to enter grades/change grades in the
computer system. Print out an updated list of grades from the
computer regularly for reference.
INTERIM REPORTS END-OF-TERM REPORTS
a compilation of grades of accumulate record of what has
work done by a student been done for the entire term
(or end of the year
usually given out in the cumulatively).
middle of the term to let
students/parents know how
things are going in the class.
Also, outstanding
assignments are listed on the
page.

34.  *All schools have different expectations in terms of what is
to be reported on the report card. Generally, the following
things are included…
a) Curricular comment (types of activities done)
b) how students were graded (e.g. 70% class work, 15% tests, 15%
projects)
c) how students are doing academically/behaviourally/quality of
work
d) Recommendations for improvement
Additional  list any major outstanding assignments that are
incomplete, request for parent meeting, etc.

35. SAMPLE COMMENT (P 15)
.
 In most school boards, students are assessed on work they
have done. Also, check out district workshops for
assessment.
 Marks in participation, effort, behaviour whether
positive/negative cannot be included in the term/final
grade. You may include a comment as feedback.
 „‟Jacobo‟s difficulty in focusing in class may have
negatively impacted his grades. With better efforts, his
understanding of the curriculum will improve.‟‟
 Check with your school board for guidance.

36. A Note about Achievement Tests (see P.16)
 Standardised tests created by Alberta Education to measure
student achievement in the province.
 Students write these tests in Grades 3, 6, and 9 in the spring
 Grade 3 (math/language arts)
 Grades 6/9 (math/language arts/science/social)
 Consult with your department leader/administration if you
teach these grades

37. CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT (“DISCIPLINE”) &
RESOLVING PROBLEMS
 All teachers are bound by the Alberta Teachers‟
Association‟s Professional Code of Conduct (see
P.17)
 Staff and students are bound by the Alberta School
Act (see web link)
 It is very important that new teachers be familiar with
these codes. You just have to understand how they
work. If you are unsure, consult an administrator,
your ATA representative at your school, or contact
the ATA directly.

38. HELPFUL WEBSITES…
Site Link
Alberta Teachers‟ Association www.teachers.ab.ca
(ATA)
FOIP (Freedom of Information & http://foip.alberta.ca
Protection of Privacy Act)
Alberta Education http://education.alberta.ca/teachers.a
spx
Alberta School Act http://education.alberta.ca/departme
nt/policy/legislation/regulations.aspx
ATA Professional Code of (see handout, also on ATA website)
Conduct

39. WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN’T…(P 20 - 24)
.
Key ideas
  being PROACTIVE (anticipate/participate)
  PREVENTION instead of intervention
COMMON STEPS TO DISCIPLINING…
1. Being prepared for lesson…if the lesson is
designed to be relevant to students‟ needs and
interests, they will likely be more focused.
2. Low-key intervention strategies.
3. Direct intervention – talking to students after
school

40. COMMON STEPS TO DISCIPLINING…
4. Speaking with parents/guardians (P.30)
5. Referral to administration
 Teachers need to find out what policies are in
place at school and what common practice for
disciplining amongst the staff is.

41.  DISCIPLINE CONVERSATION MODEL…
1. State the problem.
2. State reasons why this is a problem. Help
student connect his/her behaviour as being an
interruption to his/her learning and your teaching.
Allow students to express their view when possible.

42.  DISCIPLINE CONVERSATION MODEL #2…
3. State the solution to the problem. Ensure that
next time you catch the student doing
something good, give him/her positive
reinforcement.
“I know you have talked a little bit too much in class
before but I have noticed a lot of improvement in the
last two weeks, I just want to say good job.”
 Email teachers to let them know student is doing well! Celebrate
their success!
 Call the parents (and document that you have).

43. TIPS…
CHECK CUM FILES/ DIALOGUE - If you are noticing
a pattern of poor behaviour from a student, do some
research of your own.
 BE CULTURALLY AWARE – Because of the
multicultural nature of schools in Canada, you may
encounter students from different countries. Learn to
explore common values and communicative styles of
other cultures as you go along. Notes on using humour
in the classroom (p. 25)
 HAVE BUDDY/”GOOD NEIGHBOURS” SYSTEM
 REFER TO ALBERTA SCHOOL ACT to be clear
on what rights teachers AND students have.

44.  **RECORD WHAT YOU HAVE DONE IN THE
COMPUTER DATABASE FOR STUDENTS**
 For later reference and your protection. This
information also aids the administration if further troubles
arise with this student (e.g. parental complaints).
1. Describe WHEN this happened.
2. WHAT you did to resolve the problem
3. STUDENT REACTIONS (e.g. “responsive”, “angry
and not listening, etc”)
 Remember you can also record GOOD things about
students or if improvements are observed. 
 Also, if you have contacted parents repeat the
above steps and make a written record in the
computer database.

45. LOW-KEY INTERVENTIONS (SEE HANDOUT)
Use low-key interventions when behaviours are not
majorly disruptive to the learning environment.
•Proximity
•Pause
•Gesture
•Eye contact
•Asking for a response
•Active participation
•Rewards and reinforcement
•Name dropping

46. INTERNAL & EXTERNAL RELATIONS
 BE VISIBLE!
Get to know your staff, including secretaries and custodians.
Participate in social outings/school functions
 Find some teaching “buddies” for support and for celebrating
your successes .
 Get to know your administration! Be aware that the school
boards have given principals more responsibilities in
schools than in Spain.
 Don‟t be surprised…
 If a principal comes to visit your classroom…
 If a principal asks to see your lesson plans…
 Types of visits: informal („‟drop-in”) vs. formal (written)

47. PARENTS (P. 28 – 31)
Students
 Integral part of the “dream team”
 Most parents are very supportive
of the schools but some parents
may lack knowledge in how to get Parents School
involved in their kids‟ homework,
study routines, etc.
 Encourage open communication
Can parents visit classrooms during instruction?
Parents or other visitors are not to be in the
classroom during instruction unless it is a designed
part of the lesson and/or approved by the
administration.
If parents have such a request, politely ask them to speak
with the principal, explain that this is school policy.

48. MUCHAS GRACIAS! BUENA SUERTE!
 CONTACT INFORMATION:
 Annie Fung
 annie.fung@epsb.ca