Offering Guidance (and Support for Year 29)

 T'was the night before "first day" and all through the house

My mind was all whirling as a cat stalks a mouse

My bags were all stacked by the front door with care

In the hopes that I would not forget them right there

My spouse, with his patience, and my kids, so blasé,

For them, it's tomorrow, just a regular day

Note: the above poem was not written by AI. This was my version. I might ask CoPilot or Gemini to see what it comes up with and post it at the end, since dealing with Generative AI looks like it will be a big part of my academic pursuits this school year.

This week begins my twenty-ninth year of teaching. Even after so many years in this profession, I still get nervous and excited about the new school year. This year will be different because there's something new to my portfolio; in addition to library and Grade 1-5 ESL (which was brand new to me last year), I'm going to be increasing the amount of guidance support I'll provide, from a single period per week in the past to a significant chunk of my time. 

This summer, I enrolled in the Guidance and Career Education Part 1 AQ with York University as a student. I didn't talk as much about this AQ as I did about my ESL Part 2 AQ with Queen's, and my Media Specialist AQ with AML. (Taking three AQs in two years was a lot for someone who is relatively close to retirement. I think I'm going to take a bit of a break from adding to my OCT certifications for a while!) I enjoyed my course. I learned a lot about what I hadn't been doing, what I need to do, and what I will do. For instance, I read the Ontario Ministry of Education document "Create Pathways to Success", as well as the OSCA Ethics Guidelines. I really appreciated the course instructor, Dan. He's been a high school guidance counsellor as well as a York U AQ instructor for years. Not only did I learn about being a guidance teacher-counsellor (a very important distinction from being a social worker, psychologist or therapist), I picked up some tips on how to effectively manage Moodle courses. So, I will be offering some more official, formal, scheduled guidance-related instruction and administration in this school year.

As part of the course, I joined the Ontario School Counsellors Association. Being a part of subject associations can be useful for professional development. In addition to OSCA, I'm a part of ECOO, the Educational Computing Organization of Ontario, the AML (Association for Media Literacy), and OLA / OSLA (Ontario Library Association / Ontario School Library Association). Consider joining a subject association that might benefit you.

This school year looks like it will be a busy one. In addition to my regular teaching load, there are six potential conferences that I might be presenting at - I won't say which ones yet, as I'm still waiting for some confirmations. 

The last week of summer was filled with some work - evaluating the York TL AQs I taught, getting the library ready for students, and attending the AML annual think tank as well as a CSLJ (Canadian School Libraries Journal) editorial team meeting. It wasn't all labor prior to Labour Day. I ended the summer on a high note by taking our family to the CNE for my son's 23rd birthday and visiting the cottage of a family friend in Sturgeon Point. My daughter, son, husband and I tried all sorts of weird, wonderful and unhealthy foods at the Ex. The oddest was probably the deep fried pizza.

Me with an Egg Club treat (egg sandwich on Japanese milk bread) 

James with a cheesy jalapeno corn dog

Mary with a limited edition Tim Hortons cherry-lemon donut

Birthday boy Peter with garlic parm deep fried pizza

To my students and fellow staff members - I offer you my continued support as you teach and learn throughout this school year. I will also rely on your support for me as I begin a new role, try new things, and attempt to improve my pedagogical practice. I wish us all luck! 

P.S. I asked Microsoft CoPilot and Google Gemini the same prompt and this is what they gave me.

The prompt was = Please write me a poem, in the style of Clement C. Moore's "A Visit from St. Nicholas", but about the first day of school.

Microsoft CoPilot's Version:

Absolutely! Here's a playful, nostalgic poem in the style of "A Visit from St. Nicholas"—but instead of stockings and sleigh bells, it's backpacks and sharpened pencils:

---

A Visit to School on the First Morning Back

'Twas the night before school, and all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring—not even my mouse.
The backpacks were hung by the front door with care,
In hopes that the school bus soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of lunch trays danced in their heads.
And Mom in her robe, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a short summer nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the dew-covered grass
Gave a luster of morning to each windowed class.
When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a yellow school bus, drawing ever so near.

With a driver so lively, so jolly and cool,
I knew in a moment it must be for school.
More rapid than eagles, the children they came,
And he whistled and shouted and called them by name:

"Now, Emma! Now, Aiden! Now, Lily and Jack!
On, Sophie! On, Mason! Get into your pack!
To the top of the steps! To your seat in the row!
Now dash away! Dash away! Off we all go!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the schoolhouse the children they flew,
With lunchboxes, notebooks, and new pencils too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard down the hall
The chatter and footsteps and laughter and all.
As I drew in my head and was turning around,
Down came the teacher with a welcoming sound.

She was dressed in bright colors from her head to her shoe,
And her smile was as warm as a morning sun’s hue.
A bundle of books she had flung on her back,
And she looked like a scholar just opening her pack.

Her eyes—how they twinkled! Her dimples, how merry!
Her voice was like music, her tone light and airy.
She spoke not a word but went straight to her task,
And welcomed each student with kindness and class.

She sprang to the board, to her team gave a cheer,
And the classroom lit up with excitement and fear.
But I heard her exclaim, as the bell rang in school:
"Happy first day to all, and to all—learn and rule!"

---

Would you like a version for older students too—maybe high school or college? I can tailor it to any age or vibe!

Google Gemini's Version

'Twas the night before school, when all through the town,

Not a student was stirring, not a frown could be found.

The backpacks were filled by the front door with care,

In hopes that the morning would finally be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of new crayons danced in their heads.

And Mama in her PJs, and I in my sweats,

Had just settled down to check our old debts.

When out in the street there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the sofa to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the curtains and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the brand new-cut lawn,

Gave the luster of midday to our car, now withdrawn,

When what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a small yellow bus, and eight tiny students, so dear!

With a wise little driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be a trick.

More rapid than eagles his students they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:

"Now, Daisy! now, David! now, Marcus and Trixie!

On, Oliver! on, Paul! on, Sarah and Dixie!

To the top of the classroom! to the top of the hall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;

So up to the house-top the students they flew,

With the bus full of papers, and new teachers, too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof,

The shuffling and rustling of a little new hoof.

As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,

Down the chimney a teacher came with a bound.

She was dressed all in denim, from her head to her foot,

And her clothes were all tarnished with chalk dust and soot;

A bundle of books she had flung on her back,

And she looked like a teacher just opening her pack.

Her eyes—how they twinkled! her dimples, how merry!

Her cheeks were like roses, her nose like a cherry!

Her droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard on her chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pencil she held tight in her teeth,

And the smoke it encircled her head like a wreath;

She had a kind face and a little round belly,

That shook when she laughed, like a bowlful of jelly.

She was chubby and plump, a right jolly old scholar,

And I laughed when I saw her, in spite of my dollar.

A wink of her eye and a twist of her head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

She spoke not a word, but went straight to her work,

And filled all the bookshelves; then turned with a jerk,

And laying a finger aside of her nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney she rose.

She sprang to her bus, to her team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard her exclaim, ere she drove out of sight—

"Happy school day to all, and to all a good night!"

Am I Never Not Working?

LinkedIn is not my preferred social media platform. I have a LinkedIn account and I check it sporadically. One day during one of these random check-ins, I saw a post from the executive director of the Ontario Library Association, Michelle Arbuckle. She asked if anyone might be interested in participating in a book club. The focus book was called "Never Not Working: Why the Always-On Culture is Bad for Business - and How to Fix It" by Malissa Clark. 

 I was intrigued, so I indicated to Michelle that I was interested, and I borrowed a copy from the public library. 

It was probably a bad idea to add "reading a book" to my to-do list for August, which already included taking an AQ course as a student, teaching two AQ courses as a facilitator, and writing / submitting a big grant proposal. However, I needed answers to the question: am I a workaholic?

Spoiler alert, for those who don't want to read until the end of this blog post: I'm not a workaholic, but I might have some workaholic tendencies. 

I took some notes while reading the book, so that I could return the library book on time, so this blog post will highlight some of the things I learned from the book, along with some personal reflections. Most of these ideas, even if not written in quote format, directly come from Malissa Clark's book and credit goes to her.

Introduction: Age of Overwork

Clark, the author, is herself a workaholic. She described how she worked up until the minute she gave birth and only took two weeks off before returning to her regular, hectic schedule. (I couldn't relate to that portion - I actually enjoyed both of my maternity leaves - but I did relate to the slight feeling of dread that you "aren't doing enough" and that the hustle culture is ingrained at a young age.)

Chapter One: Workaholism Myths and Realities

This chapter addressed some misconceptions related to workaholism. She said that most people have 40 hours of free time per week, assuming that people sleep an average of 8 hours a day. Clark explained that work hours (as in long work hours) are not a strong predictor of workaholism. There are other indicators. Workaholism, despite the term, is not a clinical condition; you won't find it in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). However, it is, in her words, "the only socially acceptable addiction". Workaholism isn't the same as work engagement, which is characterized by energy, resilience, enthusiasm, commitment, immersion, and absorption. To tell the difference, Clark suggests looking at where the energy is spent and the motivation. If work permeates all aspects of life, that's workaholism. She taught me a new term: introjected motivation. Introjected motivations is where you act because of internalized extrinsic pressure. Another myth Malissa Clark destroys is that workaholics are productive. They aren't. There are four main components that indicate whether someone is a workaholic:

1) behavioural (the person works beyond their requirements and can't delegate)

2) motivational (the person has a compulsion to work, hates "wasted time", is a perfectionist and is attached to "busyness")

3) cognitive (the person things excessively about work, can't disconnect, and ruminates constantly about work, interrupting other thoughts)

4) emotional (the person has negative feelings when not working, might see people as barriers to work)

Technology enables workaholism; work expands to fill the time available for completion. Things like email were supposed to reduce our work but has added to it. 

Page 39 of the book had a short assessment. Have you ever read something like WebMD and thought, "Oh no, that might be me! I might have X!"? I took the test with a bit of trepidation. It was just simple statements that you had to rank on a scale of 1-5 and tally your score. If you scored 15/20 or higher, you qualify as a workaholic. I scored 12.

Now, this doesn't "let me off the hook" right away. I really do like being busy and I have worked in the evenings and on weekends. I think my workaholic tendencies may have been "nipped in the bud" a number of years ago at a OLA Super Conference. I can't remember which year it was, or the name of the book but I remember listening to the author talk about being too busy to spend quality time with her children. I remember buying the book and sobbing like a madwoman when I got the author to sign my copy. It led me to be more "present" with my family.

Chapter 2 : A Portrait of the Modern Workaholic

This chapter describes people who deprioritize their own well-being for work. I find teachers will do that a lot. We will come to school sick, because we "can't let the children down" or "it's too hard to book a supply teacher". Malissa Clark says to watch for these "always behaviours". The thoughts in parentheses are my editorial notes.

• always thinking about work (that's not me)
• always taking on too much and not knowing personal limits (guilty as charged)
• always emotionally distressed if can't fill every moment with work (definitely not)
• always intertwines personal identity with work (admittedly true, I "am" a TL)
• always in an existential crisis if there's no work (I'm learning to enjoy down time more)
• always constantly busy (uh oh, that could describe me)
• always finds unstructured time uncomfortable (no, I can lie on a beach quite happily)
• always in flight or fight mode (no, but I can see how it could creep up on me)
• always working, so there's a lack of effective recovery experiences (nope, I love sleep)

It's not good to be a workaholic, even though busyness is rewarded in modern culture because it looks like productivity. Workaholism takes a toll. There are huge negative health effects. Workers who are workaholics are less creative, less patient, and more error-prone. It also impacts their loved ones at home, and can be frustrating or toxic for colleagues. 

Chapter 3: Kicking the Habit

People will feel guilt or regret when they realize they may be workaholics. In this chapter, there are awareness activities you can conduct. The author mentioned six strategies to use to help break the cycle.

1) Redefine Urgent = frantic multitasking creates a crisis state where everything is urgent. She suggests looking back on past to-do lists and recognize which tasks weren't all that important. She also recommended assigning a fixed number of non-work items to the top of the to-do list. 

Diana's Take on #1 = After the success of my Lean and Clean Challenge, I'm trying to include those non-work items as regular features of my day. I'm still tracking what I eat, and I'm aiming to drink 2L of water a day, take 10 000 steps a day, and workout at the gym (four times a week during the summer, three times a week during the school year). This was easier in July than in August, for some reason. I really had trouble accumulating the steps because I felt "chained to my computer" as I tried to keep on top of all the course readings and correspondences. 

2) Reinvent the To-Do List = A to-do list is an invitation to overwork. People get satisfaction by checking things off, as well as the structure of the list. Clark suggests to make completion not part of the criteria. The goal is to map and prioritize, not accomplish all the items. There's an Eisenhower Matrix with two axis, urgency and importance. Decide what is truly important.

Diana's Take on #2 = I love my to-do lists! This will be very hard to let go. I wonder if it's good enough that I will just remake my to-do lists and eliminate things that are just not going to get done or don't need to get done right away. (For instance, I really wanted to sew those new drapes for the living room, but that is NOT going to happen before school begins. Maybe I can place it on a list I have but don't look at often that's my "if you have nothing to do, this would be nice to eventually get done". I think I called it "long-term projects for the future".)

3) Learn to Say No and Delegate = Clark says to say no more than you'd anticipate. Help family first, students second, colleagues third, and others fourth. Help at designated times that don't interfere with your goals. Help in areas where you can provide a unique contribution. 

Diana's Take on #3 = I remember Alanna being irritated with me when we were SuperConference convenors because I was giving directions to someone who asked. At first, I thought her response was elitist ("Do you think because we wear the red vests, we are above helping like this?") but now I can reposition her response to see she was prioritizing the kind of help she'd offer based on our roles. I think I'm getting much better at delegating. Dealing with the lack of occasional teachers can do that. As the chairperson, I usually am the one who figures out how to cover classes when a teacher is absent and there is no supply teacher. In the past, I'd just take it on myself, but it meant that I wasn't getting my own job done at all, or done well. I "share the wealth" by giving responsibilities to other specialist teachers. Sometimes, I even leave it up to my principal to determine who will cover what class.

4) Fix the Workaholic Clock = Workaholics often underestimate how long it takes to complete tasks. It's called the "planning fallacy". Clark recommends you review projects that have crashed with a non-workaholic colleague to compare times you thought it would take to finish a task with the actual time. 

Diana's Take on #4 = I'm a terrible judge of time. My husband likes me to call when I'm on my way home from work, so he knows when to start dinner so it's hot and ready when I arrive. (I know, I know; I'm spoiled.) If I'm not actually on my way home, I'll try and guess how much longer it'll take me, and usually, I'm there longer than I expect to be. Thankfully, this isn't as bad with major assignments. I'm learning from my Guidance AQ instructor, Dan. In the past, I used to leave all my assignments that required feedback until close to the end of the learning block to evaluate. I worried that if I didn't mark them all at the same time, I might be in a different "head space" and that would alter the way I reacted to the work. This meant, however, that I'd have a large pile of work to complete in a short period of time. Dan seems to mark things as they come in, so that the time it takes is spread out more evenly over the learning block. I've learned other things during my Guidance and Career Education Part 1 AQ, but this was one of the most immediate lessons. Thanks Dan!

5) Control Ruminations = If you notice yourself thinking about work, force your self to stop. Repeat a mantra or ask yourself a question like "Who said I should be working every minute?". If you can't eliminate the rumination, listen and work with it. Read a phrase you have printed like "This work can wait." Practice mindfulness techniques. Schedule ruminating thoughts for later. If your worry is about letting people down, talk to them directly and they will probably dissuade you of this error.

Diana's Take on #5 = I've been doing some of these techniques for years, which is maybe why I don't get ruminations like this much anymore. My mind tends to race when I'm just about to go to bed. My husband says he can actually feel me thinking in bed. What I do when there are too many thoughts crowding my mind is that I mentally draw a triangle, over and over again, in my head. I pay attention to the size of the triangle, the angles it creates, the thickness of the lines, the colour of the lines. I just focus on drawing that mental triangle repeatedly. I also used to have a question posted on my printer by my desk. It used to say "Have you given your husband the undivided attention he deserves today?" (or something like that). It's because he used to complain that I'd come home from work and go immediately to my computer to work on other tasks. I don't do that anymore. First thing in the morning, after breakfast, I sit in the living room with him and sip tea and chat a bit. We take long walks together and my cell phone is only along for the ride to count my steps. Flipping through social media or listening to music videos on YouTube are also great ways of wiping my mind of work thoughts.

6) Embrace Rest and Recovery = Take rest before you are tired. Schedule in things like exercise, rest, and mastery experiences.

Diana's Take on #6 = Actually, I'm really, REALLY good at embracing rest. I love to take naps! I take them without any feeling of guilt. I even lure my husband to take naps with me during the summer holidays, which is glorious. I love sleeping in. I also love doing my scrapbooking. I'm not a perfectionist with it - many of the photos are placed crookedly, or with uneven spaces - but I love making my albums and then looking at them and remembering the fun (either from the school year, or from holidays or from vacations - I have three types of scrapbook albums). When I'm on vacation elsewhere, I'm immersed in my vacation, even if it's as close by as Huntsville or as far away as Alaska.

Chapter 4: Are You An Enabler?

Workaholism is driven by outside forces as well. Societal forces include the Industrial Revolution (where time is money), the "Protestant work ethic", bonuses for overtime (making work more profitable than leisure), the "work devotion schema" (where there is a "ideal worker culture") and the concept that your job isn't just a job but your career or your calling. Organizational forces driving workaholism are things like an organization's culture (attraction/selection/attrition), rewarding overwork, and cultural signals like physical artifacts, socialization, stories and legends, norms, rituals, rewards, and role models. Beware of jargon that glorifies work. Note that organizations with strong cultures are stubborn to change.

Teaching definitely is inclined to encourage workaholics. I know I've done things that lean a bit too much into workaholic culture, like not taking my preps, running a club or working in my office at lunch instead of eating (and relaxing with peers) in the staffroom. I think I take it as a perverse sense of pride to describe my summer as being filled with "just lots of work". Yes, there were a lot of projects and employment this summer (teaching 4 AQs with paid work on a board AI project for July / teaching 2 AQs, taking an AQ, and launching a grant project in August). However, if I focus on just the work portions, I might inadvertently glorify the "work all the time" mentality. I need to mention the little day trips, like to St. Jacob's, or the week my sister spent with us in Toronto. 

My school is not filled with enablers. On the contrary, people will express dismay, not delight, if they see me (or others - you know who you are!!) working too much or taking on too much. My principal is actually quite good about insisting we go home when we are sick, or taking care of family first. 

I wonder, however, if my husband might be inadvertently enabling my leanings towards excessive work. He is concerned about what I will do when I retire. I'm not ready to retire yet, but he's not sure how I'll handle actual retirement. Both our fathers sort of "collapsed" when they retired, because they had nothing else to preoccupy them. My husband is worried that I'll "get in trouble" when I have lots of free time and no particular goals. He's not wrong exactly - there was that time I volunteered to babysit twins for free because my workshop got cancelled. Still, the unspoken encouragement to accept extra work feeds into that "keep busy" mentality. 

Chapter 5: Fixing Your Culture of Overwork

Many people don't seek change until they get a wake up call. This call could come in the form of burnout, or a health scare, or mass quitting. Things like the four-day work week are good for some work places. Clark offers a three step process to dismantle overwork culture. Other ideas include: 

• rewarding output, not input, 
• interrupting cycles of responsiveness (schedule email sends, arrange lead time for projects, requalify what urgent means)
• lower demands
• lower connectivity
• increase control
• increase support

Our union executive reps are really good at modeling this work-life balance, with email signatures that state clear expectations around the speed of email replies and respecting work hours. I'm good at lowering connectivity - I don't check my phone regularly. I don't have my work email linked to my phone. 

Before I get too self-congratulatory, I need to consider whether my other commitments (such as my work for AML, CSL, York U, Queen's U) count as work-like situations. Do I just substitute my work at TDSB with my work for these AQs or volunteer organizations? I think there's always potential, but I'm trying to fight back on my propensity for taking on too much. For instance, I helped establish a "rule of conduct" within AML that every executive board member would take turns running the monthly meetings. At one point, I was running all of them and when I first suggested having others do it, the response was that I was so good at running the meeting that I should continue. That would be a recipe for burnout, so I thanked people for the compliment, and insisted we share this duty, even when it means spending time teaching others how to organize the meeting. I must delegate. The same thing applies to Canadian School Libraries Journal. There will be officially two co-editors (me and Jennifer Brown) although really it's a team effort between four of us. I will devote time to the editorial duties, but I'm going to remind myself of this mantra:

I look forward to chatting with Michelle and others about the book. (If I'm unable to attend the meeting, use this blog post as my contribution, 'k?) It's the last week of summer holiday before school begins, so I will only go in for two days to school, only have 1 AML social and 1 CSLJ meeting, and celebrate my son's birthday by a family trip to the CNE. All work and no play makes Diana a dull person! 

Ants in the Sink, Lions in the Box

This blog post was originally going to be called "James vs The Ants" or "James and the Ant War", but at the last minute, I decided to combine another topic that was closer related to my actions this past week.

James vs The Ants

My husband has been fighting an epic battle against pharaoh ants this summer. Pharaoh ants are really tiny. When I went to search up more information on this particular species of ants, Google Gemini provided me with the search term "pharaoh ants keep coming back" and this, link-rich summary:

ETA - I noticed when I published this originally that the AI cut-and-paste just appeared as a single column of one-character text, so I took screen shots instead.

My husband has been using all of these strategies and more to combat the infestation. It's been quite the battle because they are so tiny, and the cracks they enter are so miniscule, and the crumbs or traces of grease I leave behind are not noticeable to me. He keeps the vacuum nearby so he suck up the trail of ants when he finds them and he's constantly monitoring the kitchen.

It actually reminds me a bit about how teachers deal with class problems - anything from stealing to cheating to helping a student understand a concept! The Gemini list said effective strategies include 

1) a professional = teachers are trained in child development as well as instructional and class management strategies

2) baiting = I might liken this to some external motivation or reward programs (not usually for setting a "trap" to "catch them in the act", although sometimes that inadvertently happens!)

3) sealing entry points / 4) sanitation / 5) eliminating moisture = this is where the analogy falls apart a bit, but I think it's about reducing temptations or controlling the environment so that the opportunities for misconduct are reduced. It also involves a lot of observation, checking, and rechecking. That's like assessment FOR learning and assessment AS learning - it's diagnostic and formative assessments that lead us to alter our plans of approach.

6) avoid spraying = the equivalent would be resisting the urge to rely on destructive or harmful tactics for dealing with the problem (so don't do those whole-class detentions!)

It feels like I'm doing this "dealing with pharaoh ants" approach a bit with unauthorized generative AI use in the summer AQ courses I've been facilitating. I am not on a "witch hunt" or a "Luddite crusade", but I am trying to maintain the integrity of the course work and follow the university policies related to AI use. I would never accuse someone of using AI unless I have pretty concrete proof - and I have had concrete proof at least four times this summer. It makes me a bit disappointed, to be honest. I don't want to be the adversary or the "AI police", but the guidelines are quite clear and instructional leaders are obligated to report any suspicious assignments. Like these tiny ants, it gets harder and harder to detect, but if left unaddressed, there will be an infestation. We need to be very upfront and transparent when using generative AI - like when I quoted the results I got from Google Gemini on the pharaoh ants.

The Pros and Cons of an AI Storyteller

I have been creating lesson plans and resources related to Generative AI for my school board. I am tying lessons into curriculum expectations. The Grade 1 Social Studies curriculum deals with roles, rules, and responsibilities. One of the expectations I chose to focus on was this one:

A1.1. describe how and why a person's roles, relationships, and responsibilities, in relation to others and to the environment, may change in different places or situations and at different times

I wanted to have a lesson that explained why AI tools have age restrictions - they can't be used independently by children under age 13. I searched for a children's book that would explain this in an age-appropriate (and non-technological) way, but I had no luck finding any such publication. 

I don't like outsourcing creative writing endeavors to AI. Both my husband and my daughter are writers and I respect the effort and human creativity involved with the writing process. (It also reminds me of a post Tim King made on Facebook; if I find it, I'll include it here.) However, I really wanted some short story to help explain the concept, and I myself wasn't coming up with any ideas about how I could approach this and write this myself. So, I inputted a prompt into Google Gemini and requested that it generate a story that explained the concept of age limits to Grade 1 students in the form of a story. The text below is the result: 

Title: The Story of Leo the Lion Cub

Leo the lion cub loved to play! His best friends were Lily the lamb, Barnaby the bear, and Finley the fox. They all lived in a sunny forest called Whisker Woods.

One day, Leo saw a big, colorful box on a high shelf. "What's that?" he asked his mommy, Mama Lion.

"That's a special box, Leo," she said. "It's a big-kid box for lions who are a little older and bigger. It has tools inside that are perfect for them, but they can be tricky for little cubs like you."

Leo felt a little sad. He wanted to use the special box! He saw the older lion cubs using the tools inside to build amazing things, like super-tall towers and speedy race cars.

Later, while Mama Lion was busy, Leo tried to reach the box. He stretched and stretched, but it was too high. He huffed and puffed, and a little tear came to his eye.

Just then, his friend Finley the fox came by. "What's wrong, Leo?" he asked.

"I want to use the big-kid box, but I'm not big enough yet," Leo sniffled.

Finley put his paw on Leo's shoulder. "My mommy told me something like that, too. She said that some things are a little too big or too loud for our little ears and our little brains right now. It's not that we're bad cubs; it's just that we need to wait until our brains and our bodies are a little bigger and stronger. Then we can understand everything and use the tools safely."

Leo thought about what Finley said. He remembered a time he tried to lift a big log, and it was so heavy he almost tumbled over! Maybe it was the same with the tools in the box.

Just then, Mama Lion came back with a new box, a small, cub-sized box just for Leo! "Here you go, my sweet cub," she said. "This box is full of blocks and puzzles and books that are just right for you right now."

Leo's eyes lit up! He played with his new toys all afternoon. He built a small, perfect tower and read a funny story. He realized that waiting for the big-kid box wasn't so bad. There were so many fun things he could do right now, and he knew that when he was big enough, the special box would be waiting for him. And he would be ready for it!

At first glance, it's not a bad little story. Permit me to critique it (not for the AI, so that I contribute to its training, but for the human readers of this blog, to understand how generative AI reflects society's biases and has limitations).

• The title, "The Story of Leo The Lion Cub", really isn't engaging. It doesn't give any indication as to what the story is actually about. I'd be inclined to change it to something like "Tempted by the Box" or "Out of Reach for Now"

• The characters are all anthropomorphic animals. Research has shown that people from racialized identities are less likely to be protagonists in children's literature than animals. This (famous in teacher-librarian circles) illustration, based on statistics from the Cooperative Children's Book Center, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison (thank you illustrator David Huyck) shows what representation is like

• some of the characters mentioned in the first paragraph never get mentioned again in the story, so why include them? Lily Lamb and Barnaby Bear aren't important

• I know this is supposed to be a fictional tale, but why are lions living with foxes in a forest called Whisker Woods? It feels very superficial and "cutesy"

• I think the box is big and colourful to demonstrate how tempting it is. I think it's high up to show that it's supposed to be out of reach, but the problem with AI tools is that they are very much within reach of students

• I liked Mommy Lion's explanation of the box and why Leo was not supposed to get into it

• The details of Leo's family life are a bit vague and I suspect presume or mirror traditional family structures. He has a mommy, Mama Lion, and he's seen "older lion cubs using the tools inside" (which would negate why he needs to ask about what's in the box, since he already knows)

• It makes sense that Leo would still try to reach for the box. It doesn't make sense that Leo's friend, Finley the Fox, just waltzes into Leo's house to see what he's doing

• I thought the explanation that Finley gives Leo was decent, but I wonder if Grade 1 students would find it too condescending, with its repetition of the word "little" (the text was She said that some things are a little too big or too loud for our little ears and our little brains right now. It's not that we're bad cubs; it's just that we need to wait until our brains and our bodies are a little bigger and stronger. Then we can understand everything and use the tools safely.") I remember Robert Munsch saying in a talk that children love to read stories where it looks like they are smarter than adults; is there a way to get this same feeling in this kind of story, or is it impossible?

• The "lifting a log" example that Leo himself comes up with is another good example of conceptualizing the idea in a concrete way. I liked it.

• Mama Lion arriving with the "age-appropriate" box was useful. The last paragraph was actually quite nicely written. My question is, will it be enough to tell students to "just wait until you are older", or is there another option, about showing that supervised use with an adult is possible?

I was going to create AI-generated images to go with this story text, but a) I wanted to wait to see if the story was approved for use in the lesson I designed, b) just like feeling "icky" about relying on AI to make a story, I don't feel good about turning to AI for all my illustration needs. Did I mention my son is a college grad with a diploma in animation? It's already practically impossible for him to find work when competing against other people without including AI in the mix. Here's my attempt using Microsoft Copilot (which I must admit I like using more than Google Gemini).

This was my prompt: Can you create for me two anime-style illustrations? The first picture should be of an anthropomorphic lion cub reaching for a large, colourful box that is slightly out of reach. The second picture should be of the same anthropomorphic lion cub talking with an anthropomorphic fox cub.

This was the result as well as the "feedback"

The first illustration is ready now—your lion cub is reaching for that vibrant box with all the determination of a tiny hero on a mission 🦁🎁

Just a heads-up: I can only create one image at a time. If you'd like the second illustration of the lion cub chatting with the fox cub, go ahead and ask for it now and I’ll get started!

Then I wrote: Thank you. Please create for me an anime-style illustration of an anthropomorphic lion cub, exactly resembling the previous image you just generated, talking with an anthropomorphic fox cub.

My final interaction was: Thank you. Can you please create a citation, so that I can give credit to CoPilot for the creation of these pictures? You can use either APA or MLA citation methods.

You're very welcome! Here's how you can cite the illustrations in either APA or MLA format:

📚 APA Citation

Microsoft Copilot. (2024). Anime-style illustrations of anthropomorphic lion and fox cubs [AI-generated images]. Microsoft.

📖 MLA Citation

Microsoft Copilot. Anime-style illustrations of anthropomorphic lion and fox cubs. 2024. AI-generated images. Microsoft.

You can adjust the year if needed based on when you plan to publish or share the work. Let me know if you need help formatting it for a specific platform or publication

Again, permit me to do some critical thinking based on this example.

• the box was created as a gift or present, as opposed to a big, colourful box. I could have asked CoPilot to fix this, but it does show how it presumes that a big colourful box would be a present

• the distance between the ground and the shelf doesn't look that high; Leo should be able to reach that box without any problem

• the paw is twisted in a way that doesn't make physical sense; his "palm" is facing towards the viewer

• the first image definitely has an "anime" vibe and the lion is definitely human-like

• I asked CoPilot to make the exact same lion from before, but if you look at the hands, in the second image, Leo has human hands instead of paws like in the first image and Leo's fangs are gone from the second picture

• the picture of Finley the fox looks what you'd think an anime-fox-child would look like

• the APA and MLA citations are incorrect - I asked for these images on August 17, 2025 but it lists 2024 as the date of creation

You might want to read this article in Canadian School Library Journal by Jessica Ho about AI-made picture books flooding the market https://journal.canadianschoollibraries.ca/there-are-imposters-among-us-investigating-ai-generated-picture-books-in-the-library/ 

The Sister Visit and Balancing Activity Levels

My sister Mary came for a visit from out west to Toronto for a week. She stayed with me. It's always a pleasure to have her come. We saw a lot of each other last year because we were vacation buddies in Portugal and Alaska. Planning considerations are different when she comes back to Ontario. 

(This is a goofy photo of us at the Toronto Premium Outlets in Georgetown. She needed some time to shop! I, obviously, have no idea how to make a duck-lip face like my friend Jennifer Brown!)

I'm often second-guessing myself when we try to organize her schedule. 

On one hand, there are so many friends and family members that want to see Mary. It's challenging to try and fit everyone in. If we timetable too many meet-ups, then Mary practically needs a vacation from her vacation. She's exhausted!

On the other hand, being super-chill and just hanging out together is relaxing but feels like I'm denying other people of the opportunity to spend time with someone who can't be around a lot. 

I really hope that we achieved the right balance between over-programming and under-programming, between booking too many events/visits and not enough events/visits. 

Here are some photos of our adventures with others as well as some R&R.

(Visiting with my parents at my house last Tuesday)

(Taking our dad to the Scarborough Farmers' Market)

(Visiting with longtime family friend, Paula)

(Enjoying a large buffet lunch at Mandarin)

(Playing Mario Kart with the Maliszewski boys)

(The two Marys [aunt and niece] enjoying Korean Fried Chicken at Ban Ban)

(Laughing with my friend Kim as they try on shoes at the Fluevog store)

(Posing with the girls in the Distillery District just prior to a patio lunch)

(Checking shoe fits with Wendy - shout out to Phil and Chy, our patient Fluevogists)

These photos do not even include my sister's separate visits with a favourite cousin of hers, as well as her longtime friends from her university days. 

If you are a relative or friend and are disappointed that you missed seeing Mary, don't despair - she plans on coming again in December. Book now with her to make it happen!

I have to thank my sister for choosing to fly to Toronto for a visit. As she has accurately pointed out, for the cost of the flight, she could have gone somewhere tropical or exotic. It's a shame how flying domestically in Canada is so cost-prohibitive. 

To tie this in with education, trying to find the right balance so that students or children aren't bored with nothing to do AND aren't over-scheduled so they have neither rest nor free time is a genuine struggle. Giving the person being scheduled (students or sisters) the agency to declare when it's too little or too much is important. There's never enough time to do everything we want to do and see everyone we want or need to see, so we try our best and plan accordingly, while still being flexible.

August as a Single Sunday

 How is it August already? How? Where has the time gone?

Have you heard of the phrase "a month of Sundays"? It's a quaint way to indicate that something will be a long time. I saw online this very teacher-focused reverse take: "for teachers, the month of August is just one long Sunday night". 

Here's another version of the sentiment, from the humour site Bored Teachers:

Yes, yes, I know ... my privilege is showing! There are few professions that have such an extensive break (unless you are part of the government, maybe - Ontario's provincial politicians began their "summer recess" on April 14 and don't go back until October 20!)

I haven't had much of a vacation this year. I've spent most days working. This is a big difference from last year, when I had not one but two big trips, to Portugal and to Alaska. Despite being at home, there are so many things that I haven't done yet that I swore I would accomplish this summer. I had originally planned on listing them here, as an attempt to make myself accountable for completing them, but I don't think that's the best strategy. Does everyone really need to know I have to sew new curtains for my front windows?

Plus, any list of household upkeep items doesn't include all the preparation I want to (or need to) do to get ready for September. In addition to being the teacher-librarian and one of the ESL teachers, I'm going to take on the guidance portfolio more thoroughly. I'll be taking my Guidance and Career Education Part 1 AQ with York during the month of August, so that will hopefully get me ready for the new school year.

This sounds like a bit of a grumpy post. Let me clarify. Although I mourn how quickly the summer has flown by so far, I appreciate all that it's provided so far. I can sleep in a bit more! I can work outside on my back deck in the sun! (Here's a photo of my city oasis.)

I've also been able to indulge in my latest musical obsessions. I have no idea why these songs have become stuck in my brain right now, but they are there.

1) Chappell Roan's "Pink Pony Club" - this song was released in 2020 but for some reason, I'm entranced. Could it be because Barenaked Ladies played a snippet of it during their Toronto concert recently? Could it be because Chappell Roan enjoys Fluevogs like I do? No idea.

2) "APT." by Bruno Mars & Rose - my husband has said that my musical tastes resemble that of a 15 year old girl, and this song doesn't exactly prove him wrong. I'd heard it played in school before but I didn't even know what was being said. Once I read that this song was inspired partly by the song "Mickey" by Toni Basil, then it makes a bit more sense why it's an ear worm for me. I've put the Toni Basil song after the Bruno Mars & Rose song so you can compare.

So, instead of lamenting how the time is disappearing faster than I'd like it to go, I should savour each moment. My sister will be coming to Toronto this coming week, so that will be a bit of a break from the "summer grind". Even if Sunday has a melancholy flavour, it's still time off!

Avoiding Misunderstandings

I was surprised to find a common theme among some of the things I wanted to mention in this blog post. All of these moments involve potential misunderstandings and resolving them peacefully.

A) Neighbours

I live in Toronto. Because of the insane housing market in this city, people can't afford to buy a house for themselves. On my street, there are a lot of properties with rented basements. Often, the tenants aren't there long enough to get to know them well. 

For the past few months, my husband noticed that often he'd find spill marks all over our side of the shared driveway. This was becoming an annoying pattern, so much so that we began to take photos of these "deliberate dumps". Why would someone empty their water bottle or coffee cups on our property when they have their own space? We prepared to write a note to our neighbours to point out the action and ask them to stop.

It just so happened that the renters were hanging out by their doorway when I was about to run an errand. Even though I can actually be shy around strangers, I approached them and banally asked about the poured liquid on the driveway.

Well, it turns out that this wasn't meant to disrespect our property at all. They explained that, in their culture, they offer water to the sun and, because of the way our houses face, there is no sun on their side of the driveway, so they need to pour it where the sun hits, which is our driveway.

I had never heard of this cultural tradition before, so I looked it up. This Medium article explains how this is meant to honour the Hindu sun god. 

I am really glad that I did not enter the conversation "guns blazing". Having a conversation face to face instead of writing a note allowed me to broach the topic with more sensitivity than I was going to do.

B) AI Project

I am getting close to the end of my TDSB writing project. It's been a relatively solitary endeavor, even though we have working groups. I wasn't sure if I was on the right track with some of the lessons and guides I was developing. I didn't see many other samples in our shared folders.  

Three things helped. First, I had the chance to chat with the hard working Salma Nakhuda about a separate topic. She is working on another project for the board and had a question that permitted me to "test out" with her some of the lessons I had drafted. Some of the interactions we had inspired me to take some of the lessons in new directions. Secondly, we had a group meeting scheduled for July 25. Meetings aren't always my favourite way to spend time, but reviewing expectations and clarifying goals was useful. Third, I had the chance to chat with Tracy Jansen-Sequeira, the elementary project lead. I peppered her with questions and she has been active in looking at my documents and providing feedback on what needs altering. Communicating directly with an expert helped to feel as if I'm moving in the right direction.

C) BNL Concert

On Friday, July 25, I attended the Barenaked Ladies concert at Budweiser Stadium downtown. It has been a long time since I've gone to a concert, especially one of this size. My last concert was at Casino Rama for Boy George and Culture Club, which was a much smaller venue. This event was 12 000 attendees. The hometown event was #32 of their 38-leg tour. 

The group has been around for a long time (as you can see by their biography) and the last time I was at a BNL show live was their "Mr. Rockin's All You Can Eat Salad Bar" tour. (I still have the concert program.) The crowd was a huge mix of ages. There were kids. There were teenagers. There were young adults. There were older adults, like me. 

I am unfamiliar with appropriate concert conduct. My daughter, who has attended more concerts in her 25 years than I have in my 53 years, says that there's a disagreement about whether it's okay or not to sing along at concerts. Thankfully, this wasn't an issue, as the acoustics were loud enough so that I didn't really hear anyone else singing. The challenge was around standing during the show. I bought a single seat in the last row, close to, but not on, the aisle. It turns out that I had a couple of empty seats on either side of me. I believe in sitting in my designated seat, so I did. Thing is, when Barenaked Ladies began to play, five people sitting right in front of me stood up to enjoy the show. This wouldn't have been a problem, except that then, I wasn't able to even see the big screens. I don't know the proper protocol about sitting vs standing. To prevent conflict, I just slid over into the empty seat right on the aisle. That way, I had an unobstructed view of the screens. 

By finding my own solution, instead of forcing the other concert goers to abide by my standards, everyone was able to enjoy the show in their own way. There's no need to fight. This message was reinforced for me when Ed Robertson stopped his intro to "Hello City" to tell some people in the front to stop fighting.

The concert was quite enjoyable. I took a couple of photos and a few videos. I am continually amazed by the talent that Ed Robertson, Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, and Tyler Stewart possess. They are proficient musicians on several instruments. Their accordion version of Van Halen's "Jump" was a delightful surprise, as was the medley they played at the end. (Despite being an enjoyer of primarily 1980s and 1990s pop, I have a fondness for Chappell Roan's song, "Pink Pony Club" and they sang a bit of it at the show.) The opening acts (Fastball and Sugar Ray) were also entertaining. 

I enjoyed the concert so much that I may try to purchase some more CDs to supplement the ones I own from earlier in BNL's discography. (Yes, I still own a CD player. I'm that old.)

D) Fixing My Tooth

The day before the concert, I saw my dentist because there was a small problem with a back tooth of mine. I thought that there was something caught in the tooth. It didn't feel right. My wonderful dentist, Dr. Michael Tom, kept looking and asking questions. I found it hard to find the right words to accurately describe what I was feeling and to pinpoint the exact location. Dr. Tom didn't give up and he eventually found a miniscule chip in an odd spot on the tooth. He also noticed some "gum trauma" and surmised that I might have had something stuck there before but that it fell out after doing some damage. I really appreciate my dentist and how he persevered, even when it was not obvious that there was a problem. He believed me when I said something didn't feel right and didn't dismiss my concerns. I am thankful to have such an amazing, attentive dentist.