The Dreaded Ontario EQAO is Stressing Our Kids (and Teachers) OUT
I have yet to meet a teacher who thinks it’s an effective tool at illustrating the success of the curriculum and the way it’s being taught. Most hate it.
October is Autism Awareness month in Canada. This yearly campaign puts a spotlight on autism which is a cause that is near and dear to my heart as a parent to a child on the autism spectrum. One of my favourite authors Lisa Genova, has created a new work of fiction that tackles yet another mystery of the human brain.
Just as Rain Man used to be the only movie out there about autism, for the longest time The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time was the only novel. Don’t get me wrong, Mark Haddon does a brilliant job with prime-number loving truth-crusading, 15-year-old Christopher Boone. And The Curious Incident is a great story, but it’s not the only story.
There are lots of stories floating around out there. You may have read about autism being touted as "the new ADHD"—over-diagnosed and curable. But as your mama probably told you, be careful what you read.
Report cards are coming home any day now. Teachers are busy putting the final touches on them, and in most schools, final printing will occur this week. Students will be carrying home these treasured or dreaded bits of paper next week. When your little scholar presents you this record of their achievement, will you know how to crack the teacher’s subtext to really understand how your student is doing?
