Some Lessons Learnt from Mentoring Newcomers

Aug 24, 2024

Through helping internationally trained teachers with employment, Mina’s learned a bit more about newcomers’ challenges with jobs, career plans, and stressors such as culture shock. She thinks new Canadians should be encouraged to share these difficulties with mentors, so that they can build strategies together toward better integration. Furthermore, she believes mentoring programs for immigrant jobseekers should be supported, because these relationships foster trust, respect, collaboration, discovery, success, and prosperity – in every community wherever new Canadians are found.

Finding Serenity in Toronto 

Jul 27, 2024

When COVID restrictions were lifting a year ago, my 2 AM arrival at Toronto’s airport was both confusing and exhilarating: Pearson was an enormous transport base where rules

The Months of Summer

Jul 14, 2024

Most people identify summer as school holidays. While many students and teachers take the warmest months off, here are three teachers’ anecdotes of their breaks before September.

What Troy Van Learned from His Mother’s Legacy

Jun 20, 2024

Troy Van always had questions about his mother’s past, partly because of Delia’s reticence about it. When she passed away two years ago, new details about her emerged from different sources that totally surprised Troy. A history teacher, he’d built his success on honesty and credibility. In the end, if contradictions in Delia’s life taught Troy a lot about himself, he also learned to accept her choices for survival in a turbulent world.

Thinking about Exams

May 17, 2024

Some colleagues and I find exams to be stressful experiences for college students who usually cram for them. Given viable options to traditional midterm and final exams, we want to try other learning components for the same marks. We’ve shared with each other reasons for choosing learning over testing. Over time, we’ve also seen administration’s interest in making exams optional.

“Do no harm” and “Don’t make things worse”

Apr 22, 2024

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.

The story of Ho-lap Sam, lifelong learner

Mar 21, 2024

A lifelong learner’s granddaughter tells the colorful story of his love of learning, every day of his life, everywhere he lived.

Thirty-one and Master of None: A Juncture in Ming Sun Lam’s Life

Feb 27, 2024

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.

Smart, Kind, Organized

Feb 18, 2024

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.

Moments of Humor, Hilarity, and Near Absurdity

Jan 21, 2024

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.

Ordinary moments from my life: Tiffany Manning’s story

Jan 9, 2024

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. 

Thinking about the Month of December

Dec 15, 2023

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.

A grumpy teenager

Nov 21, 2023

The true story of a teenager's unhappiness since an unwilling move to a different city.

Doing what we love and loving what we do

Oct 30, 2023

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.

Some memories of the virtual classroom during COVID-19

Sep 13, 2023

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.

Learning about needs, goals, self-direction, and success

Sep 7, 2023

My name is Gabriel Henry. I was born in Thunder Bay and lived there until the end of Grade eleven.

Maggie and 2023: a new chance for peace and happiness

Jul 1, 2023

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.

How Paul Chin examined tradition and privilege to re-shape identity and family

Mar 16, 2023

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.

To Teach or Not to Teach in Canada 

Oct 5, 2022

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.

An interview with Louise Bruff on her new poetry collection, Every New Day Lies Within a Battle Field

Aug 9, 2022

Earlier this year, Louise Bruff published a new collection of poems through Bookleaf Publishing. 

Learning to accept kindness from others: Elon’s new year resolution

Aug 9, 2022

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.

Practical lessons for a musician

Jan 16, 2022

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.

Building Future Generations

Sep 28, 2021

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’s Long Road to Independence

Jul 15, 2021

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.

A year of living with COVID:

Apr 19, 2021

Angie Cheng:
Home together 24 hours a day. My name is Angie. I live in Flemingdon Park with my husband and three children.

How Virginia Robos Became a High School Teacher

Apr 19, 2021

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.

From tiny stitches to bold textiles: how Helen Denny became a fabric designer

Apr 8, 2020

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.

Learning to Listen: How John Murphy Became a Better Teacher

Dec 16, 2019

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.

Learning Is Beautiful

Sep 20, 2019

Julie Jackson and I first met at a public library concert two summers ago when she sat next to me.

Turning My Life Around

Jun 20, 2019

I often chatted with Tim when he worked at a store near Toronto’s Main and Gerrard Streets.

Susan’s English Test

Apr 17, 2019

When I first met Susan Shin in November 2017, she was a college student studying international business.

It’s All About Learning

Jan 17, 2019

John has been a residential building custodian for many years on my street.

The Importance Of Self-Determination

Sep 10, 2018

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.

Our Journey in Canada: Claudia Taborda and Emiliano Introcaso in conversation with Mina Wong

Nov 7, 2017

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.

Rebuilding the Future

Jun 7, 2017

When Saigon fell to the Vietcong, I was only in kindergarten. But soon, school became “re-education”. We swept streets and picked up garbage.

Sonia’s Apprenticeship

Jun 7, 2015

For several years, I would see Sonia’s welcoming smile behind a local library’s reference desk.

Aaron’s New Year Resolution

Apr 7, 2015

On my street lives Aaron Siu whom I met four years ago.

Sarah’s Honour Part Two

Dec 7, 2014

In part one, we learned that eighteen-year old Sarah came from Tehran during the Gulf War to marry forty-year-old Yousef.

Sarah’s Honour – Part One

Sep 7, 2014

One summer, I temporarily rented an apartment where two young women next door welcomed me.

Pete’s Summer School

Jun 7, 2014

Pete was in the classroom when I showed up for the first meeting. He had already read the course outline and purchased the textbook.