Outlook
FROM THE PRESIDENT MOT DU PRÉSIDENT
Jason Schilling
Letters
President, ATA Président de l’ATA
W e’d like to hear from you! One of the ways we’d like to engage with teachers is by hearing from you regularly. In several locations throughout this magazine are sections calling for ideas and submissions from teachers. Please watch for these and send us your ideas. Also please send us • general feedback, • your thoughts on items that you particularly liked (or didn’t), • suggestions for future content • letters to the editor for possible publication. We really do want to hear from you. After all, this is your magazine. Email your feedback to Elissa Corsi, editor-in-chief, elissa.corsi@ata.ab.ca or Cory Hare, managing editor, cory.hare@ata.ab.ca. We want your feedback LETTERS TO THE EDITOR — GUIDELINES Word limit: 300 Please include • your first and last name, • basic information about your teaching assignment (i.e. school, grade, subject). All letters are subject to editing for length, clarity, punctuation, spelling and grammar.
Students need our help to grasp climate change
Les élèves ont besoin de notre aide pour comprendre le changement climatique CES DERNIÈRES ANNÉES, nous avons été témoins de l’aggra vation des effets du changement climatique sur notre environnement et sur la population mondiale. L'été dernier, en Alberta, des incen dies de forêt ont contraint des milliers de personnes à quitter leur domicile. Des communautés entières ont même dû être évacuées, tandis que d'autres suffoquaient sous une épaisse fumée. Nos élèves et leur famille ont subi de plein fouet les effets du changement climatique, aussi l’éducation a un rôle à jouer pour les aider à mieux comprendre ce phénomène, que ce soit en exami nant les causes ou en développant des solutions innovantes pour y faire face. En début de carrière, j'ai eu la chance d'enseigner pendant quelque temps les sciences au premier cycle du secondaire. J’ai alors été surpris par l’engouement des élèves à vouloir approfondir leur connaissance du monde qui les entoure en s’aventurant au-delà des limites du curriculum en sciences. J’ai aussi compris au fil de mon enseignement qu’en leur fournissant les bons outils, ils développent leur créativité et osent penser hors des sentiers battus. De plus, lorsqu’ils réfléchissent à un problème, ils ne sont pas toujours limi tés aux mêmes contraintes et restrictions que les adultes. En tant que système éducatif, nous devons donc veiller à ce que nos élèves, quelle que soit leur année de scolarité, disposent des ressources nécessaires pour cultiver leur curiosité scientifique. Il faudrait aussi encourager les élèves à réfléchir au changement climatique en dehors de toute considération politique, car celle-ci peut créer un climat de peur et d’intimidation qui ne répond pas aux besoins de nos élèves ni ne les aide à trouver des réponses à leurs questions sur le monde qui les entoure. Nous devons les aider à y voir plus clair dès maintenant et dans l’avenir. En tant qu’enseignant, j’ai souvent constaté que la créativité et l'esprit de collaboration de mes élèves se manifestaient davantage lorsque je les aidais à comprendre les faits, puis que je m’éclipsais pour leur permettre de régler le problème eux-mêmes. Après tout, ce monde est aussi le leur.
IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS , we have seen an escalation in how climate change has impacted our environment and people around the world. This past summer in Alberta, wildfires displaced thou- sands of people as entire communities had to be evacuated while others struggled under a blanket of smoke. Our students and their families have been directly impacted by climate change; therefore, education has a role to help them make sense of it, from a basic understanding of the causes to new and creative ways to address the problem. Earlier in my career, I was fortunate to teach junior high science for a while. The students were always very curious to venture beyond the basics of the science curriculum and learn about the world around them. In my teaching, I have always found that, given the right tools, students are creative and outside-the-box thinkers. When thinking through a problem, they are not always bound by the same restraints and restrictions as adults. As an education system, we must ensure that our students in all grades have the resources that allow them to foster that scientific curiosity. Students should also be encouraged to explore the issue of climate change free of politics, which can create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation that does not serve our students’ needs or help them answer their questions about the world around them. We need to help them navigate it now and into the future. As a teacher, I often found the most creative, collab orative work my students did was when I helped them with the facts and then got out of their way as they “worked the problem.” After all, it’s their world too.
Alberta Magazine Awards The ATA Magazine took home several awards from the Alberta Magazine Awards on Sept. 25. The magazine earned first place in the Editorial Package category for its feature entitled “We Are Here!” Published in the fall of 2024, We Are Here! featured the lived stories of 2SLGBTQ+ teachers in the public education sphere. In the Illustration category, the magazine earned two awards, first place for its depic- tion of teacher Michael Koehler and second place for its rendition of teacher Tom Spila. The magazine also earned second place in the Service Journalism category and was short-listed for awards in the following categories: Alberta Story, Cover, Essay and Feature Design. “This recognition reinforces that the hard work and dedication shown by our staff and contributors is translating into a top quality magazine for members,” said editor-in-chief Elissa Corsi. Editor of the year Managing editor Cory Hare was named Editor of the Year for 2024-25 at the annual Alberta Magazine Awards. “Our team of designers and editors is second to none in this industry and any success I’ve had comes from being part of this group,” Hare said in accepting the award. The Alberta Magazine Awards are spon- sored by the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association.
Spring issue hits the mark To the editor and team: please accept my congratulations on the fantastic overall look, design and content of the spring 2025 issue of the ATA Magazine . It really brings the relevancy of the publication into focus with today’s youngest and newest teachers. I love it! - Donna Swiniarski, Former ATA Coordinator, Communications
Sign up for the ATA e Magazine.
Read the spring issue.
ATA Magazine Fall 2025
4
5
THE ALBERTA TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION
Made with FlippingBook - PDF hosting