By Julie Diamond, OCT The COVID pandemic forced many reluctant students and teachers to use online as the only means for learning together. However, with the pandemic came drastic improvements to online platforms, including the platform our tutors use called The LessonSpace, and online tutoring offers numerous benefits that can enhance students' education over traditional in-person tutoring.  Online tutoring allows students to learn from anywhere with Wi-Fi, giving them the flexibility to access lessons and resources at any time. It eliminates the need for lengthy travel times, providin ..read more

By Julie Diamond, OCT Do you ever need a good activity to give your child or student a fun break? I’ve compiled some activities for those few moments to help minimize anxieties and (secretly) maximize learning. My kind of way to use an extra few minutes! 1.The Creativity Bag: I always like to keep a bag handy of various items that you would find in a junk drawer (markers, elastics, shoelaces, bottle opener, batteries, etc). Ask your child/student to pick an item from the bag and brainstorm how this object could be reinvented for another use. They can write or draw out their idea. As an extens ..read more

By Julie Diamond, OCT Gamification is a strategy that enhances learning through integrating elements such as points, badges, and leaderboards. It makes learning more interactive, fun and in many ways, addictive. Like the video games you continuously pry your child away from, these apps marry video game-like features with curriculum-based learning objectives to ignite excitement while providing them (and you) with real-time feedback about their progress. Thankfully the technology of gamification software makes it simple for parents and tutors to offer a game-based learning experience at home ..read more

By Julie Diamond, OCT World Autism Awareness Day is on April 2 this year. Throughout the month of April, Teachers to Go will be shining a spotlight on people on the Spectrum by sharing their stories and accomplishments in the hopes of increasing the understanding and acceptance of people with Autism. What can you do as a parent or teacher to celebrate this month? 1. ‘Light it Up Blue’ or ‘Design Your Flag’: Autism Speaks started a campaign to ‘Light it Up Blue’ encouraging the international community to come together on April 2 to show their support for people with Autism. Join hundreds of t ..read more

By Julie Diamond March 8 is International Women’s Day. Today is an opportunity to reflect on women’s achievements and raise awareness against bias. It’s a day to act for equality in the hopes of a world free of bias and discrimination. Depending on your child(ren)’s age, it may be challenging to know how to teach them about today. Here are some age-appropriate ways to approach this topic that you can choose from: Refrain From Using Gender Stereotypes Tell your son it’s okay to show emotions. Encourage your daughter to make her own choices and give her the opportunity to express opinions. As ..read more

By Julie Diamond, OCT The Honourable Jean Augustine introduced a motion to make February, Black History Month in Canada in 1996. Many Black Canadians, including Augustine, have played a crucial part in shaping our country’s history while facing discrimination and racism. This month, take the time with your child to celebrate Black Canadians’ contributions and the long history of systemic racism in Canada, which is often overshadowed by American history. Not sure where to start? Here are some resources to help you get started (but by no means is this a complete list): 1. Start with a story abo ..read more

By Julie Diamond With the announcements of more COVID closures across many provinces, this new year doesn’t seem like it’ll be very different from the last two. Nevertheless, a new year can bring about excitement, opportunity, and create some much-needed positivity. Setting goals can be a great way to teach your child about persistence, self-discipline, and planning. As adults we know how rewarding it can feel to achieve a goal so it can be a fun thing to do together as a family to motivate one another. Here are some tips to keep in mind when making resolutions together: 1. Lead by Example ..read more

By Julie Diamond, OCT To piggyback on the last blog post on fluency in numeracy, this post is about building fluency in literacy. Reading fluently is when the reader is able to read with accuracy, speed and the proper expression. When readers stumble over words, or rush through the words withouttakingabreathlikethis, they aren’t able to understand the text they are reading. Building better fluency means better comprehension. Here are some things you can do at home with your child to help: 1. Find an Easy Text: Fluency will be impossible if the text is too difficult. Your child needs to be a ..read more

By Julie Diamond, OCT  When a child is fluent with math facts, they can efficiently and accurately recall the answers to basic math equations.  With fluency, students may feel less anxious and more confident when performing more complex questions. Fluency helps students become more flexible thinkers and problem solvers. Here are some ways you can build your child/student’s fluency skills in numeracy: 1. For children in kindergarten & grade 1: While timed tests have generally been the way to test for fluency, I would suggest waiting until the end of grade 2 to use this to assess ..read more

By Julie Diamond  Our Teachers to Go blog was recently voted by a group of panelists as one of the Top 30 Canadian Teacher blogs. Our blog is among some great blogs like Reading Power Gear, Musing Mathematically, and Madly Learning to name a few. Check out #24 on Feedspot here to see us featured. Thank you to all who voted for us.  New blog post to come this week ..read more