March 1, 2026 – How Cliché

Teaching is all about relationships is a message that is sent during the first term of the teacher education program, but cannot be fully realized until the second term when teacher candidates start working with students. And, I would say, it’s more than the relationship with students, but it’s also about relationships with other teachers, administration, support staff, parents, and community members. Community and connection are both central to my teaching practice and I was pleasantly reminded of this value today at Tim Hortons. I went out for a walk today because it was beautiful and sunny (and not too cold). I needed to get outside and reconnect to the land and be situated in place. I loved listening to my podcast as well. Part of my walk involved getting coffee at Tim Horton’s.

There is a Tim Horton’s near my place and I feel that this could be a place I can learn to connect with. I’ll admit, Tim Horton’s is not a place I would normally go to, but I thought it could be a place where I can be open to because it’s nearby and a good pitstop for me mid-walk to grab a medium dark regular coffee… and it was. In doing so, I bumped into a graduate student I taught last term. This student is also working at an EA at Harwin Elementary, where I was teaching EDUC 421 to teach Assessment and Motivation in-situ. I always appreciate her smile and warm hug. She is always excited to see me, so I was very excited to bump into her at Tim Horton’s. I met her husband and it was good to see her.

I sat down to enjoy my cup of coffee before heading out for the second half of my walk. Mid-coffee, this student got up to give me a couple of chocolates. She did not have to, but dang… they were delicious with my cup of coffee. I was very grateful for her generosity and ongoing gratitude, but I was reminded that relationships matter… and they linger. She showed up to my class late in the term and she needed some support to get on track. I was happy to help, and I also feel that it’s part of my job, and also part of who I am. We are here to pave a way for students to be and feel successful. She did an amazing job overall.

As I reflect, I am also brought to my thinking about how I relate to all of my students, like the ones that went to WestCAST 2026 with me a couple of weeks ago. WE ARE A TEAM. I don’t see myself as the “course instructor” or someone who “knows more”… but rather, I see myself as the lead learner and I am co-constructing knowledge with my students. We are co-learning and co-teaching. Students come to class with an expertise. My job is to coordinate learning experiences so that we can collectively sense-make, discern, and discuss. I am not a big fan of individual competition, ranking and comparing, and learning in isolation. I want us to win together. WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER than apart.