Over time, more college students (now adults) have involved parents, guardians, and even legal counsel when resolving academic concerns with their teachers. Many colleagues and I find these encounters contrary to adult autonomy, but while we uphold self-advocacy and self-direction, some colleagues and I also feel that instead of rejecting third parties, we should do no harm, and not make things worse even in ambiguous situations.
A lifelong learner’s granddaughter tells the colorful story of his love of learning, every day of his life, everywhere he lived.
My name’s Ming Sun Lam from the big city of Toronto. Thanks for the chance to gab about myself, especially at this point when I’m finally a college grad, and more career-minded than ever before.
Witness a developmental journey of new adult educators, Janice Cullen and Mina Wong, as they navigated through a challenging learning process of their own. But shifting from traditional classroom management approaches, they fostered a culture of support and encouragement. Being 'smart, kind, organized' became their daily commitments to building academic success and meaningful connections in the classroom.
From receiving flowers as a gesture of love to navigating plagiarism debates, Mina shares amusing stories and insight from her experiences as a college teacher. Discovering diverse cultures and challenges students bring to the classroom, she offers a unique perspective on education.
My name’s Tiffany from the Georgetown area in Ontario. Thanks for letting me share a few moments from my childhood, family, and recent times that make up my life of almost twenty-one years.
Dive into the heartwarming embrace of December with cozy hot chocolate, festive birthdays, and a global tapestry of holidays. From social justice milestones to the magic of the winter solstice, this article is a celebration of love, joy, and meaningful moments throughout the month.
The true story of a teenager's unhappiness since an unwilling move to a different city.
I feel delightfully inspired by Larry, a friend on sabbatical from banking to run his own restaurant, a goal that’s excited him ever since he was a student in business school.
One Teacher’s Perspective: When COVID-19 shut down our schools and campuses in February 2020, all classes immediately went into virtual classrooms. One teacher's perspective on everything that happened since that time.
My name is Gabriel Henry. I was born in Thunder Bay and lived there until the end of Grade eleven.
When her mother passed away from a stroke last fall, Maggie Galanis suddenly felt surreal without Diana’s presence. But after thirty-six years with melancholic and volatile Diana, Maggie’s life would turn a new page.
Born in 1970 to Macao businessman Man-Yun Chin and his third wife Emma, Paul grew up studying Chinese, English and Portuguese in excellent schools.
My name is Juleen Thapar, an educator from India’s Amritsar region. When I came to Toronto in 2019 with husband, Ranbir, we had already been teachers and school administrators for thirty years.
Earlier this year, Louise Bruff published a new collection of poems through Bookleaf Publishing.
Two years ago, Elon Osman and Bill Poon met at a basketball event and became fast friends. Knowing Elon needed a place to stay, Bill lent him his Toronto apartment while he was teaching in the Yukon.
Several years ago, Waheed (Wayne) Mufti sang for a party where I was a guest. The hosts appreciated his music so much that he stayed for dinner, and entertained us well into the evening. Recently, I found his business card and had a chat with him.
Angie Cheng is a parent, worker, and university student. Earlier this year, she told Learning Curves (Spring Issue 2021) how her family of five had lived through a year of COVID. Last week, I asked her to tell me more about her life since coming to Canada twenty years ago.
Walter Davis definitely took many years to accept the importance of self-sufficiency. In February 2021, he finally stayed with a full-time, graveyard-shift job in data processing. Although he found the work monotonous, he managed to pass his probation earlier this month.
Angie Cheng:
Home together 24 hours a day. My name is Angie. I live in Flemingdon Park with my husband and three children.
Virginia Robos studied bartending soon after coming to Canada from San Antonio, Chile. “Skinny Ginny” (as friends called her) wanted something quick and job-ready to support her family. A short hospitality certificate seemed perfect at the time.
When I first met Helen Denny five years ago, she was working as a seamstress at a dry cleaner on my street. When I asked for help with darning a sweater, she suggested the technique of reinforcing small stitches with invisible thread.
John Murphy has always been proud of his loud voice and intricate ideas with elaborate arguments, but more importantly, he enjoys giving people advice solely based on his own opinions.
Julie Jackson and I first met at a public library concert two summers ago when she sat next to me.
I often chatted with Tim when he worked at a store near Toronto’s Main and Gerrard Streets.
When I first met Susan Shin in November 2017, she was a college student studying international business.
John has been a residential building custodian for many years on my street.
When I first met Mugi last year, she was working at a Chinese supermarket. As we got to know each other, Mugi told me she would soon start evening English classes.
In Colombia, I was a young woman with a close-knit family, good friends, and a thriving career in psychology because I aspired to help my community that was sadly criminalized by trafficking and violence.
When Saigon fell to the Vietcong, I was only in kindergarten. But soon, school became “re-education”. We swept streets and picked up garbage.
For several years, I would see Sonia’s welcoming smile behind a local library’s reference desk.
On my street lives Aaron Siu whom I met four years ago.
In part one, we learned that eighteen-year old Sarah came from Tehran during the Gulf War to marry forty-year-old Yousef.
One summer, I temporarily rented an apartment where two young women next door welcomed me.
Pete was in the classroom when I showed up for the first meeting. He had already read the course outline and purchased the textbook.