Voices

Elementary teachers are professionals. They understand how  best  to  organize their  time and   commitments  to  meet  the  educational needs of their students.

As you read this I trust you will be settled into the new school year. For educators September is a month of  change and adjustment, of setting goals, and establishing a classroom routine.

ETFO is an organization made up of  73,000 potential leaders. Most of our members chose education as a career because they wanted to lead and  support others, to help them grow and  achieve.

Early in my teaching career I came to understand the extent to which public education is intricately entwined with politics.

THIS IS THE THIRD  ANNUAL  special edition of Voice. In 2007 our special issue theme was teacher-led professional learning. In  2008  we focused on  education  and poverty.

Teaching is a social activity. Early in our careers teachers learn that the basis for our success is often found in our relationships with others.

The Current Economic Crisis has  been likened to the Great Depression and has created pressures that most Ontarians have not experienced before.

There  is  no  denying  that  work-related stress is  on  the  rise  among  classroom teachers.  Ontario   Teachers’  Insurance Plan statistics show that stress and mental health illnesses make up 39 percent of all claims

As this is being written, only a handful of settlements have been negotiated. All  of  them  are   excellent,  despite the  very  major  challenge  that  this year’s   unusual  bargaining  scenario being presented.