Instructors

When you take an ETFO AQ and PQP course you can be assured that your instructor has passed a rigorous hiring screening process. They have proven expertise in the field of study. They have recent teaching experience – they know what you are going through and what is expected in today’s classrooms in Ontario. These top-of-their-field instructors enjoy more training in effective adult learning facilitation than other AQ and PQP instructors – we believe that it is important to put the most competent and expert instructor in front of our professional course candidates.

Our goal is to have the best AQ and PQP instructors in the province and the feedback from our candidates shows that we have been successful. If you click on the links below you can meet some of the superior ETFO AQ and PQP instructors and see what their course candidates have to say about them.

Leon Barrett

Dr. Leon A. Barrett has been an educator for many years. During his career he has taught elementary and secondary school students, and adults at various levels. In 2009, Leon was the co-writer of the English Creole curriculum which is now part of the international languages program in the Peel District School Board.

During the 2010-2011 school year, Leon was instrumental in helping to establish a Grade 8 boys-only class in the middle school in which he is a teacher. He is presently the homeroom teacher for the Grade 8 boys-only class.

In 2005, Leon was nominated for an Award of Excellence for contributions to public education in Peel. In that same year he received an Award of Distinction for contributions to public education.

Leon enjoys being a teacher of additional qualification courses as they provide an opportunity for teachers to engage in dialogue on important issues in education. There is a great deal of sharing of ideas and information resulting in the increase and building of professional knowledge and skills. Teachers and Leon himself get an opportunity to build and participate in an important learning community. One outcome of all of these activities is the enhancement of teachers’ professional practices with the ultimate result of helping improve students’ learning and achievement.

Leon believes that ETFO AQ courses are great as they are practical and address the professional learning needs of teachers. They provide instructional strategies that are easily implemented. With the emphasis on learning and not grades, candidates feel more relaxed pursuing their studies. The use of practicing teachers as instructors is an added bonus.

Leon teaches the ETFO online Special Education AQ courses.

Here is a sample of some comments provided to ETFO about Leon and the courses he teaches:

Leon was amazing! He responded quickly to questions when asked. It was clear that he worked hard to ensure that the learning environment was a safe one – everyone felt able to participate and take risks. I am really enjoying this course. This is my first online course and I was very apprehensive about taking it. I love the format and structure. I am learning so much through my participation and I am impressed by my peers and their contributions. Everyone has been very generous and helpful with their resources and ideas.

I wanted to reiterate how impressed I am with the format for this course. I have taken several other online courses through university faculties of education and have been disappointed with the resources and the format compared to this course.

I think that ETFO and the instructor for this course are practicing what they preach by differentiating instruction, encouraging participation and offering choice in the assignments that we are expected to complete. I am very pleased that I have had the opportunity to learn throughout this course in an engaging and motivating manner.

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Josée Boutin

Josée moved to Ontario 20 years ago with a Bachelor in Education taken at the Université Laval.  She has taught everything from SK-FI to 8-FI. In addition to her French Immersion assignments she has taught grades 7 and 8 Core French and worked as a resource teacher.

Josée enjoys teaching AQs because she values the sharing of ideas and the learning.  Candidates take a course because they are interested in the subject so she loves it when she can feel their passion through their work.  She has found that AQ candidates are willing to take risks and share and learn from each other.  It is highly motivating for her to be part of that learning process and to challenge her own ideas and beliefs.  Everybody contributes to that rich quilt of learning!

Josée knows that ETFO AQs are great for teachers since they are a way to learn and grow as professionals and human beings.  The courses are an avenue to share their practice and ideas and to learn from each other as professionals. ETFO AQs are also a way to find out about current research and trends in education so that they can start integrating them in their professional practice.

Josée teaches the ETFO online French as a Second Language AQs.

Here is a sample of some comments provided to ETFO about Josée and the courses she teaches:

Josée was so knowledgeable; she gave us an amazing amount of information and personal experience as well which I’ll be able to use when I start my new assignment.

My instructor Josée was AMAZING!! She is a keeper for sure. A true asset for this course. I appreciated this course more than I expected largely due to her.

It was a wonderful experience. The instructor was knowledgeable and attentive and the participants were very active and generously shared their knowledge and experience.

I was really impressed with the quick feedback I got from Josée – I don’t know how she did it. Her feedback was so helpful in pushing me to expand my learning and make connections amongst the material.

I had an excellent experience with this course. The instructor was very understanding and great with feedback. I definitely feel I have learned the right things to go into an FSL classroom to teach.

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Charmain Brown

Charmain has been teaching for more than 15 years and loves it more and more each day. There is always so much to learn.  She has taught in all three divisions with a concentration in junior.  She values creating a safe, inclusive learning environment where all learners are valued for who they are and what they bring to the classroom.  Charmain taught a demonstration classroom for many years where teachers, administrators, consultants and others would observe exemplary classroom practices.

Charmain has worked with Pearson Publishing assisting in the development of various teacher resources; the most recent being video segments for their Literacy In Action series.

In addition, she has created teacher resources and co-facilitated workshops for ETFO in the area of Poverty and Learning.

Charmain has shared her exemplary practices with teacher candidates having completed a secondment with OISE where she was a coordinator and instructor for an elementary pre-service teacher education cohort.  She thoroughly enjoyed mentoring new teachers and giving them a confident start to their careers.  She worked hard at empowering them to share who they are as individuals in the classroom in order to create an environment where learners can feel like they can share themselves.

Charmain enjoys teaching ETFO AQs because the online format allows for the sharing of learning with the various participants in the course.  With teachers enrolled from across the province, it brings diversity of experiences and expertise to the course that makes it come alive.  The learning from others’ experiences allows her to grow as a facilitator and educator. Charmain has seen how the participants learn how the concepts of the course resonate with one another and how these concepts impact upon the specific work teachers do with all learners.  The sharing of resources (community partners, texts, instructional strategies, etc.) shows the passion that the participants have for the learners and communities that they work with.

Charmain believes that ETFO AQs are excellent because the  courses are developed in such a way that teachers can implement strategies, ideas and pedagogy immediately in their classrooms and then share with the online community their experiences and get feedback.  The E-Tivities are relevant, meaningful and applicable to the 21st century learner. Candidates receive support and encouragement from the online community but also are pushed in their thinking which is where the learning really becomes impactful to practice.

Charmain teaches the online Inclusive Classroom AQ courses.

Here is a sample of some comments provided to ETFO about Charmain and the courses she teaches:

My instructor was very encouraging.  She understood when teaching work-load or family issues caused lags in completing work.  . . a good mentor for an ‘old’ teacher!

Charmain worked hard to creat a community of learners – we felt safe to contribute and everyone felt valued.

The instructor was awesome! Always gave quick and positive feedback. She really cared about what she was teaching.

I learned so much from interacting with my colleagures on the discussion boards and with Charmain. This has definitely been one of my most significant learning experiences!

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Elizabeth Cartau

Elizabeth has been an FSL teacher with the Ottawa public board since 1997, teaching  various subjects including French, math, science, social studies, art, and drama, mostly at the junior and intermediate grades . She has spent the last four years as an instructional coach, working with French and English teachers from her board on a variety of school initiatives. The areas that most engage her, and for which she does the most reading and thinking, are in critical thinking/literacy, the interconnectedness of reading-writing, social justice, and differentiation.

Over the last few years, Elizabeth has become a passionate advocate for the adult learner, knowing that the learning we do as educators directly impacts the learning of our students. She also strongly believes in the importance of collaborative communities of professional learning, which is one of the many reasons she enjoys facilitating the FSL AQ courses. She appreciates the dedication of the participants and is enthused by their eagerness to share and learn from one another. Elizabeth feels that teaching the FSL AQ is an enriching experience beneficial for both the participants and herself.

Elizabeth believes that the ETFO AQ courses can be an extremely positive experience because they bring together educators from all corners of the province in order to safely share their perspectives, experiences and ideas, to explore current research and practices, and to create activities and assignments that are relevant and applicable to their classroom.

Elizabeth teaches the ETFO FSL online AQ courses.

Here is a sample of some comments provided to ETFO about Elizabeth and the courses she teaches:

Elizabeth an exemplary instructor! She was very quick to answer/respond to any questions or misunderstandings throughout the course. Her feedback was detailed, constructive, and immediate. She worked very hard – I think she might have never left her own computer!!!

Elizabeth was very positive, helpful and encouraging. She was always asking us to use a critical eye and dig deep for a rich learning experience. Great job!

The instructor was very reliable and replied to my question within a few hours – I’ve taken AQ courses from other providers and this was NOT the case with them.

This was a great experience because of  the instructor’s exemplary facilitation skills and I will recommend an ETFO course to other colleagues!

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Sandra Himann

Sandra has been teaching for more than 20 years.   For most of those years she has been teaching in a junior or intermediate classroom.  A few years ago she transferred to the primary division and became a grade 1/2 teacher.  This opportunity reinforced for her the importance of good teaching in the early grades.  In addition to teaching within a school, she has worked as a facilitator for teacher professional learning in a variety of formats.

Sandra teaches AQs because she believes professional learning is essential to good teaching.  Current educational research and practice is plentiful and valuable.  With ever increasing diversity within their student population, AQs provide teachers with the information and tools they need to be effective classroom teachers.  Sandra feels that she has been given multiple opportunities to gain knowledge and improve her professional practice over the years and she thinks it’s important that others have the opportunity to gain the knowledge they need and desire, and to improve their practice.    

Sandra knows that ETFO AQs are good for teachers because they are practical and research based.  They are written by teachers who are active in the field and know the challenges of teaching first hand.  They are designed to increase knowledge in a very sequential, constructivist manner, which makes the content accessible to all.  ETFO AQs are current, challenging, and affordable!

Sandra teaches ETFO’s Math online AQ courses.

Here is a sample of some comments provided to ETFO about Sandra and the courses she teaches:

Sandra was very professional, knowledgeable, and supportive throughout the course. Through personal feedback, e-mails, and through group-posts, she effectively balanced positive feedback with constructive criticism in a very tactful and diplomatic manner, to help her students to challenge their thinking, and grow within the suggested area.

Sandra supported our learning and was helpful in offering suggestions for further learning!

Sandra was terrific and provided timely feedback and was very supportive to all our questions.

Sandra was always helpful and assisted us with any of our questions or concerns. She shared her knowledge and expertise when she could and offered quick feedback on our work and final assignments for each LE. I would be happy to have her as an instructor for future courses!

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Erin Keith

While facilitating the Kindergarten AQ course, Erin has the absolute pleasure of guiding candidates with a passion for early childhood education through weeks of interesting discussions, resource sharing and reflection on innovative Kindergarten practice.  She is proud of her candidates accomplishments and knows that all their dedicated efforts will pay off in the classroom.  BRAVO!

Erin believes that facilitating professional learning with fellow teaching peers is an honour and a privilege.  Creating an online learning environment that is friendly, supportive and responsive to the individual needs of each AQ candidate is of foremost importance to her.  Being a ‘witness’ to each person’s learning journey is a thrill!

ETFO’s AQs have content that is current in theory and delivery.  E-tivities are practical, immediately applicable to the classroom and serve to motivate candidates to achieve very high standards in their own research.

Erin teaches ETFO’s Kindergarten online AQ course.

Here is a sample of some comments provided to ETFO about Erin and the courses she teaches:

Erin was great! She was very helpful and always available! She created a positive environment and made sure that no one felt frustrated and overwhelmed.

Erin was a great support throughout the course. She was very knowledgeable and had a good handle on the content and the participants. Thanks Erin!

Erin Keith is AMAZING!!! She is friendly, knowledgeable and professional. I would feel very interested in taking another course with Erin as my instructor.

Erin Keith was unbelievable. The quick feedback, and extra support that she provided made me feel comfortable in the course and in the discussions. I would definitely take another AQ if I knew that all instructors were as efficient as Erin.

I am happy that I took this course, and ecstatic that we had such a wonderful course instructor. The material was very useful and will be applied for the following school year.

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Rob Kerr

Rob is a teacher currently working in Special Education. He enjoys writing, and quite likes to golf. He has noticed though that when he tees up the ball the cows in the nearby pasture begin to move back – a smart thing, too!

He enjoys teaching AQ courses and strives to ensure that his courses are lively, smart, and fun.

Rob believes that teachers should take ETFO AQ courses because they are  expertly designed – and continually evolving.  AQ candidates are encouraged, from the outset, to engage more deeply in topics and threads that are especially meaningful to their interests. Candidates are actively encouraged to share their experiences, ideas, and opinions within the group of participants.

Rob teaches the ETFO Special Education online AQ courses.

Here is a sample of some comments provided to ETFO about Rob and the courses he teaches:

My instructor was great!! I enjoyed the course and built a wonderful toolkit consisting of great resources that will help me in my job!

Rob was extremely accessible and clearly put a lot of effort and thought into the community aspect of the course.

Rob was a fantastic instructor, making us all feel connected, even though we were scattered throughout the province.

Our instructor was friendly, prompt in his feedback and constructive in his criticism.

Rob was an excellent instructor. I would be very excited to have him as my course instructor in the future! He made the course!

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Patricia Pace

Patty is a Special Education teacher and a strong advocate for children of all abilities deserving an education. She has been teaching in Special Education for 7 years and working in the area for 5 years on the community level.

Patty is passionate about her career choice and believes that by facilitating the learning of other teachers in this area it will have a significant impact on the students of all abilities. One of the joys of facilitating AQ courses is that you are able to learn with and from other teachers.

Patty feels that teaching the Special Education AQs is a wonderful experience. She appreciates that the candidates are eager to learn about Special Education and all the components necessary to educate their students. The courses introduce various forms of technology and how to incorporate technology effectively into the classroom. In addition, the Special Education AQ courses provide critical information about the important levels of assistance for  students. This knowledge includes such areas as: communicating with parents, identifying and understanding various exceptionalities, strategies in the classroom to assist students who have special needs, writing the IEP as well as understanding the IPRC process.

Patricia teaches the ETFO Special Education online AQ courses.

Here is a sample of some comments provided to ETFO about Patty and the courses she teaches:

Patty was very knowledgeable and was always there for help; especially when I was experiencing technical problems. She also was very detailed in providing feedback and insight on my tasks I completed.

Patty was fair and cared about our questions and needs. She responded soon after we posted questions. The answers were clear and informative.

Patty was awesome, very understanding to our individual needs and supportive to our learning. She really thrived on us learning from each other which was great to collaborate with everyone, as you need to. She provided us with great resources and helpful comments. Thanks so much!!!!

I liked the way Patty facilitated this course. It was easier to work through the course than other online courses I have taken.

Our instructor was great! She was involved in answering our questions and keeping us up-to-date of any changes with the activities. She also contacted students who may not have submitted a project properly if they misunderstood the task to explain what needed to be done. She was very involved!

I really liked the feedback that the instructor provided. My instructor, Patty, was timely, descriptive and constructive. It was clear that she reviewed my assignments carefully.

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Deanna Pecaski McLennan

Deanna is an elementary teacher in Southern Ontario. Her educational background includes an undergraduate degree in ‘Drama in Education’ and a Ph.D. in Educational Studies that focused on exploring early years issues in depth. Although she has held many primary and junior assignments, her passion is for the early years and she is happiest when teaching our youngest learners.

She is currently teaching (and loving) a full day early learning class. She is very excited about the opportunity to teach in the first cohort of classrooms to offer full day, every day programming for our kindergarten children. She believes strongly in a play-based, exploratory, democratic learning environment and has spent much time reading, researching, and writing about these various issues. She is especially interested in whether sociodrama (a specialized form of drama meant for exploration, not necessarily performance) can be used with young children in order to encourage exploration of collective issues of importance in their lives. As a teacher Deanna tries to differentiate the experiences children have in her classroom by incorporating the arts into learning opportunities as much as possible and by promoting inquiry-based, child-centered practices.

Teaching Additional Qualifications courses is one of the best forms of professional development for Deanna. As an instructor she is continuing to expand her knowledge and understanding of early years issues so that she can enhance and refine her classroom practice. Deanna finds it incredibly rewarding to work with educators interested in doing the same! It is interesting to work with so many talented and engaged educators from around our province; each having unique interests and talents that shine through in his or her AQ work. Because she is also a kindergarten teacher, she can take the knowledge explored in our courses and directly apply it into her classroom practice, which also benefits her students as well. Deanna learns something new each time she teaches an AQ!

Deanna knows that ETFO AQs are great for today’s Ontario teachers! The courses are developed and instructed with research-based materials and best practices at their heart. The Kindergarten AQ course is incredibly engaging and ignites a passion for the Early Years in course participants. Course materials appeal to adult learners through a variety of mediums (e.g., photos, videos, readings) and a safe and supportive virtual classroom environment helps candidates to reflect on their past practices and envision future teaching experiences through an active discussion board. It is an exciting time to be a kindergarten teacher in Ontario! The new Early Learning Program encourages teachers to offer children inquiry-based, exploratory learning experiences through an emergent curriculum that still adheres to Ministry expectations. The ETFO Kindergarten AQ helps candidates learn exactly how to do just that!

Deanna teaches the ETFO online Kindergarten AQs.

Here is a sample of some comments provided to ETFO about Deanna and the courses she teaches:

Deanna really impressed me as an AQ instructor – she was supportive and responded to all inquiries quickly.

Deanna was so encouraging. She fostered a sense of community throughout the course which encouraged the candidates to participate.

I was amazed at how Deanna was able to ensure everyone enrolled in the course felt welcome – this hasn’t happened in other AQ courses that I have taken.

Deanna surpassed my expectations for an online instructor; she displayed a high level of commitment and professionalism.

I appreciated how Deanna went above and beyond by providing additional resources if candidates requested them. She worked hard to make the course even more practical than it already was. She challenged our educational philosophies/pedagogies throughout the course . . . I know that I am a better teacher as a result of her efforts.

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Jeff Pfohl

Jeff has been teaching for the Waterloo Region District School Board for 10 years. Prior to that, he worked for the Outdoor Education department for the Toronto District School Board. He has taught both primary and junior students and in September begins a new position as a Learning Support Teaching where he will provide leadership and professional development to JK-8 classroom teachers.

Jeff has his 3-part math and 3-part reading specialist additional qualifications. He has been a part of ETFO’s professional learning for a number of years, instructing AQs and presenting for the ETFO 3-part series: Classroom Assessment That Works!

In addition to his efforts as a facilitator of teacher professional learning  Jeff  has also been a Federation Representative (Steward) in Waterloo for 7 years.

As an AQ instructor Jeff truly enjoys collaborating with teachers with different experiences. Whether it is someone fresh out of a faculty of education, an occasional teacher, someone in a behavioural class, or anyone else, he finds the diverse perspectives enrich the course discussions. He relates it to the idea of biodiversity – the more diverse, the greater the experience.

He also enjoys reading the innovative resources and technological ideas that are shared by the  candidates, as well as the initiatives that are happening in different school boards. He has always viewed professional learning as reciprocal, meaning that everyone is invested in the learning community and has the good fortune of gaining new, practical ideas regardless of their position.

Jeff feels that ETFO AQ courses are practical, relevant, and flexible. In the courses teachers have opportunities to view webcasts and read ministry documents and online articles that address today’s challenges in today’s classroom. At the end of each of the 4 learning experiences, teachers have at least 2 options for assignments allowing the candidates to differentiate their instruction. These assignments include brochures for parents and presentations for curriculum nights. The options end up being portfolio items that will be used rather than essays that will never be read again. Jeff wishes that he would have experienced this when he was taking his  AQ courses! For this reason, he intends to choose ETFO AQ for his professional learning in special education in the near future.

Jeff teaches the ETFO online reading AQ courses.

Here is a sample of some comments provided to ETFO about Jeff and the courses he teaches:

Jeff is a fantastic teacher in every sense. He is dedicated to the learning of all of the candidates and helping them enhance their professional practice.

I appreciated how he created a safe community of learners by acknowledging others’ contributions and positively respecting everyones contributions as equals.

I was amazed at the depth of feedback that Jeff provided. It was personal and encouraged me to push myself in my learning.

Jeff ensured that the course material was current and meaningful – I feel prepared to run a better reading program as a result of his efforts.

Jeff is a transformational leader who inspires others to learn beyond their comfort zone. He validates the candidates by creating a safe community where they can voice their ideas without ear of judgement. I have learned a great deal about professionalism from Jeff and am a more effective teacher because of the role that he has played in my professional leanring.

Jeff did an excellent job providing positive and constructive feedback during each etivity – far more than with any other AQ course I’ve taken.

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Matthew Pitter

For the last few years Matthew has been teaching grade 8 mathematics and science for the Peel District School board. Recently he was a part of a writing team that drafted the board’s English Creole Curriculum Document; a document now being used in Peel’s International Languages program. This year in addition to his regular classroom duties, he will be taking part in a pilot project to teach a classroom comprised solely of boys. The project’s aim is to bolster male academic performance in the classroom.

Why does Matthew teach AQs? He sees teaching additional qualification courses as a means of keeping current with the changing trends & policies in the teaching profession. He likes being able to help teachers (both seasoned and new to the profession) learn old and new ways to teach and enhance their professional practice.

Matthew believes that ETFO’s AQ courses are a great way for teachers to dialogue with fellow colleagues and expand their expertise because these courses are courses being taught by teachers and for teachers. He believes that the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario has brought together a group of qualified professionals who want to go the extra mile towards making our collective craft the best in the land.

Matthew teaches the ETFO Special Education online AQ courses.

Here is a sample of some comments provided to ETFO about Matthew and the courses he teaches:

Matthew did a good job at setting up the learning community that was safe and supportive for all – this is critical with an online course.

Matthew was very accommodating and genuinely interested in my success. I would take another course with him as the instructor.

The instructor was supportive and his feedback was appreciated.

I really enjoyed this on-line course facilitated by Matthew and will certainly take another ETFO AQ on-line. It is wonderful that you offer it for a reasonable cost as well. Thank you.

I enjoyed all the different learning techniques Matthew used in this course. The videos and links were great to experience.

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Amy Popowich

“Sweet 16” is how Amy describes her years so far as a teacher, always full of excitement and new challenges. Amy has enjoyed teaching both in the elementary and secondary panels and as working as a principal’s assistant and board level consultant in Simcoe County. Amy has been involved with various Ministry projects and initiatives to support teachers and is the author of the OTF’s Teachers’ Gateway to Special Education website resource for teachers. Amy processes a Masters of Education and considers it a priority and pleasure to be a lifelong learner herself!

Amy enjoys learning with her teacher candidates in ETFO’s AQ courses, while “kindly questioning” and guiding. She finds it exciting to collaborate and share new ideas and resources. Amy is proud to be an ETFO AQ Instructor and to play a role in this era of continual improvement to better serve students and our future generations.

Amy loves the practical nature of the ETFO AQ courses that focus on immediate strategies and information that teachers can use in their daily practice to facilitate student learning.  She especially likes that teachers taking ETFO AQs get to experience many best practices in the courses that promote teachers to implement them with their students. As part of the ETFO AQ course development team,  Amy is pleased with the fresh and innovative components of ETFO AQ courses, like various multi-media, web based resources and introduction to new technologies. Amy honours the commitment that teachers take when participating in an AQ course and likes the flexibility that ETFO on-line AQ courses provide for teachers who are a credit to our profession.

Amy teaches the online Special Education AQ courses.

Here is a sample of some comments provided to ETFO about Amy and the courses she teaches:

Amy was fantastic!  I have taken AQ courses before, but this was the course where I felt as though no assignments were “filler” assisgnments.  I really appreciated the practical nature and the positive support from my instructor.

Amy was professional, knowledgable, considerate.  Her feedback related to my professional goals.  She was able to answer questions in a very timely manner and gave direction to improve while allowing you to use your own professional judgement to find the answer.  She participated and collaborated in the course discussions without dominating or suggesting her way was the best.  A great instructor!

Amy answered all my questions in a timely manner and in a way that I understood – this hasn’t been my experience with AQ courses that I have taken with other providers.

Amy provided frequent and constructive feedback.  She was supportive with her advice and promoted critical thinking which is so critical in an AQ course.

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Shelly Vohra

Shelly has been teaching for more than 10 years. She has taught extensively at the elementary level, both in the primary and junior division teaching various subjects including language, math, French, science, social studies, art, and drama. She is currently teaching at the middle school level and has for a few years.

She has her Masters Degree in Education and her specialties are math, science, and literacy across the curriculum. She has developed and delivered workshops at both the school and board level. She is involved in the mentoring program within her school board, mentoring teachers in their first five years of teaching. Her passion and interests are in critical thinking/literacy, social justice, and brain compatible learning.

Shelly teaches  AQs for her own professional growth & development as well as to share her knowledge and experiences in the classroom over her many years of teaching. This is also an opportunity for Shelly to extend her mentoring practices for new teachers taking AQ courses.

Shelly believes that teachers should take ETFO AQ courses for several reasons:

  • courses are developed by teachers for teachers;
  • activities and assignments are applicable to classroom settings, hence they can be used directly with your students, making these assignments authentic;
  • takes into consideration non-classroom teachers, occasional teachers, and long term occasional teachers and provides alternate assignments and activities based on their needs;
  • based on current research and practices pertaining to 21st century skills;
  • opportunities to collaborate and share with colleagues in a variety of ways;
  • a wide range of learning styles and instructional strategies are used; and
  • good use of a variety of technologies pertaining to 21st century.

Shelly teaches the ETFO reading and e-learning AQ courses.

Here is a sample of some comments provided to ETFO about Shelly and the courses she teaches:

Shelly was helpful, available and provided good feedback to help with the next module.

My instructor was interactive and involved in all the discussions.

I thoroughly enjoyed the professional dialogue with my course candidates……and gained lots of valuable resources that I can use in the classroom immediately. Shelly had so much to offer as did the other participants.

I was surprised at how much I learned in this course. The information and resources were current and relevant. I found the instructor’s expectation to respond to other posts helpful as it made me read the posts and learn from the other participants. Shelly really made the course through her facilitation skills.

Well done. I was very pleased to have Shelly as our instructor. I thoroughly enjoyed the professional dialogue with my course candidates……and gained lots of valuable resources that I can use in the classroom immediately.

I LOVED this course and will take more…. SO pratical. You can tell teachers made this course for teachers!

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Greg Weiler

Greg has taught at the junior, intermediate and senior levels in both the public and separate systems as well as teaching ESL/EFL in South Korea. For the past thirteen years Greg has worked for the Waterloo Region District School Board. During this time he has run workshops and presented at conferences on the integration of technology and curriculum locally and provincially, and served as president of the Educational Computing Organization of Ontario. Greg completed his M.Ed through OISE with a focus on computer mediated communications.

Greg values his experiences as an AQ instructor because it provides an opportunity to share and learn from colleagues. Each candidate brings their unique perspective to the course, enriching the learning of all. As an instructor, he is able to take the experiences and feedback of each group and use it to inform the discussions and work that candidates engage in, meaning the course is constantly adapted to reflect the needs of the candidates and the most up to date research and information available.

Greg believes that ETFO AQs are great for teachers because they are structured and facilitated in a manner that allows each candidate to contribute meaningfully and apply the learning directly to their own practice. The depth and breadth of discussion allows candidates to share their diverse practical ideas, knowledge, and experiences which is an important factor in their individual learning and growth as well as that of the group. ETFO AQs  provide for immediate feedback, as candidates respond to each other and build upon the knowledge that is shared. It is a flexible, professional, and welcoming community learning environment.

Greg teaches the Media online AQ courses.

Here is a sample of some comments provided to ETFO about Greg and the courses he teaches:

Our instructor did an excellent job communicating with us. Whenever I had a question, whether it was with the instructions or my understanding of what we were to do, he responded immediately and in a timely fashion. I never had to wait to get a response.

Greg was amazing. His knowledge far surpassed my expectations. He was available to help with issues that arose during the course.

Greg was always supportive. I appreciate how he gave me the flexibility to be creative. Greg worked hard to create a safe environment for all to participate.

His knowledge of Best Practices and current Media Websites + Issues is phenomenal I wish I was working with him in a school! Excellent instructor!

Our instructor was personable, approachable, patient and highly knowledgeable. He upheld ALL of the ETFO principles and the Standards of the OCT. He instilled a friendly, professional tone in the forums. This was clearly a teacher-friendly course, taught by teachers and for teachers. I have heard the ETFO courses were good but I had no idea they were this good. Challenging as well.

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Tara Zwolinski

Tara has been teaching for many fun filled years!  She is currently a Special Education teacher with the Toronto District School Board, but has taught in the primary, junior and intermediate divisions in several areas of the province.

Tara completed her Master of Education in 2004, which focused on program planning, assessment and evaluation.  She continues to reflect on what forms of assessment best inform her students’ learning.

One of Tara’s professional highlights was in 2005, when she participated in Project Overseas and traveled to West Africa to provide professional learning in mathematics and science to Ghanaian teachers.  This experience inspired a continued interest in social justice.

At home, Tara enjoys spending time with her wonderful husband and her two lovely children.  Together they enjoy family bike rides around the city, baking, camping and gardening.  Tara is also an avid environmentalist, working hard to reduce her household’s ecological footprint.

Tara feels that teaching Additional Qualification courses is a wonderful opportunity to meet and collaborate with teachers across the province.  Every session, Tara feels more enriched as a teacher and as a person from reading the insightful discussions posted by candidates.  She strives to create engaging and meaningful professional learning communities in her AQ courses.

Tara likes ETFO AQs because they reflect the importance of differentiated instruction.  ETFO AQs makes learning accessible by presenting content through different media as well as by providing choice in assignments.

Tara teaches the ETFO Combined Grades online AQ courses.

Here is a sample of some comments provided to ETFO about Tara and the courses she teaches:

Tara exhibits obvious care for all of the candidates. Her attention to detail is unbelievable. From detailed summaries and personal e-mails to effective and timely feedback her support and encouragement was fantastic!

From the very beginning of the course, when Tara encouraged us to get to know one another, her dedication and professionalism was unwavering.

Tara is, in my opinion, the best AQ course instructor that I have ever experienced and this is my 8th AQ!

Tara was amazing! I have taken other AQ courses and my instructors were nothing like Tara… Tara took time to explain everything, she was easy to relate to (you knew that she had a life too, which was very nice), she was personable and it shown through the computer. I loved this course, the material and how it was taught — I looked forward to logging on to see what positive feedback Tara had given or what interesting sites she had recommended! Thank you to her for such a wonderful four weeks!

Tara is such a wonderful instructor. She was there to support her students to be successful in their course of studies and have offered ways on how she could help out in any way.

My instructor Tara was amazing and very very helpful. I totally loved the paging and email system that are used in the online learning platform. I loved the fact that this AQ is cheaper and so much more practical than the previous courses I have taken!

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