Inquiry Presentation Slides

 Mine and Annabelle's slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1YT2NdzoXTvz89di05C6VNhGdLDYp5HTWdqCpSjICMpQ/edit?usp=sharing

Exit Slip: Nov 20th

 Q: How have you connected to the real world of teaching and learning?

 I've spoken to my school advisors about the topic briefly, and their advice boiled down to: don't work so hard. Some daily tasks to achieving this would be to avoid taking work home by doing grading during work blocks or tests. Actively scheduling more work/study blocks for the students to catch up on outstanding work. Both of my school advisors also have young children so they leave as soon as the bell rings.

 I plan to also talk to some other teachers in my life that I know. 

What is the activity you have planned for the class? 

Annabelle and I have planned some physical activity for our presentation as it aligns with physiological benefits of exercise. We're leaning towards some kind of dance to get the class moving.

Exit Slip: November 13th

Annabelle and I have finalized our annotated bibliography. We then decided on the topics we want to cover in our presentation and linked the sources to the topics. This is what we will be covering:

• What is burnout?

• Source 1, 5, 13

• How to know if you’re experiencing burnout?

• Friedman Burnout Scale?

• Regular Check-ins

• Support self outside work

• How to plan/make a schedule to find/make time for yourself

• Source 9

• Ways to support self (e.g. exercise, hobbies, seeing friends)

• Source 2, 3: exercise

• Source 4: hobbies

• Source 10: general self-care

• Boundaries with work 

• Source 8

• Support self at work

• Tools to balance workload

• Source 6, 7, 11, 12, 14

Some questions I want to ask teachers I know are:

Have you had feelings of burnout before? How did you know? 

If so, what strategies helped you or do you think would help? 

Annotated Bibliography

 This is the annotated bibliography Annabelle and I will be using for our inquiry project about teacher burnout.

Annotated bibliography

1. Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W. B., & Leiter, M. P. (2001). Job Burnout. Annual Review of Psychology, 52(1), 397–422. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.397

1. This article defines burnout and the [job-based] situational factors. It provides a comprehensive review of this field of research and the field of psychology. Although it was published in 2001, the content remains accurate for the purposes of our inquiry on burnout. 

2. Mahindru, A., Patil, P., & Agrawal, V. (2023). Role of Physical Activity on Mental Health and Well-Being: A Review. Cureus, 15(1), e33475. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.33475

1. This article provides a review of the importance of physical activity for improved mental health, including the impacts on sleep. 

3. Fong Yan, A., Nicholson, L. L., Ward, R. E., Hiller, C. E., Dovey, K., Parker, H. M., Low, L. F., Moyle, G., & Chan, C. (2024). The Effectiveness of Dance Interventions on Psychological and Cognitive Health Outcomes Compared with Other Forms of Physical Activity: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 54(5), 1179–1205. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-023-01990-2

1. This article compares dance with other forms of physical activity and studies the impact on overall well-being of the self. Dance is a workout and a fun activity that is just as effective as other forms of exercise in terms of benefits to the mind and body!

4. Pressman, S. D., Matthews, K. A., Cohen, S., Martire, L. M., Scheier, M., Baum, A., & Schulz, R. (2009). Association of enjoyable leisure activities with psychological and physical well-being. Psychosomatic medicine, 71(7), 725–732. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0b013e3181ad7978

1. This article presents the positive association between hobbies (leisure activities) and overall well-being. This will be useful when discussing the importance of hobbies in one's life, looking beyond social media and television.

5. Saloviita, T., & Pakarinen, E. (2021). Teacher burnout explained: Teacher-, student-, and organisation-level variables. Teaching and Teacher Education, 97(97), 103221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2020.103221

1. Investigates teacher burnout among large sample of Finnish primary school teachers, and confirms the reliability of the Friedman Burnout Scale. This scale can allow us to quantitatively measure levels of perceived burnout.

6. Hashem, R., Ali, N., Zein, F. E., Fidalgo, P., & Khurma, O. A. (2024). AI to the rescue: Exploring the Potential of ChatGPT as a Teacher Ally for Workload Relief and Burnout Prevention. Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning, 19(23), 023–023. https://doi.org/10.58459/rptel.2024.19023

1. Explores the potential of ChatGPT as a teacher ally to alleviate excessive workload and prevent burnout among secondary teachers. Findings suggest that AI tools can significantly streamline planning processes.

7. Pyhältö, K., Pietarinen, J., Haverinen, K., Tikkanen, L., & Soini, T. (2020). Teacher burnout profiles and proactive strategies. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 36(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-020-00465-6

1. The article explores teacher burnout profiles and how the use of proactive coping strategies relates to different levels of burnout risk among Finnish comprehensive school teachers. The study ultimately recommends that proactive strategies could be the key to preventing teacher burnout.

8. amstaffpmpersonality. (2021). What work/life boundaries have you created for yourself? [Online forum post and comments]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/Teachers/comments/u75mq9/what_worklife_boundaries_have_you_created_for/?captcha=1

1. This post and comments in the Reddit forum r/teachers presents ideas for creating and maintaining professional boundaries. In discussion forums like this, we can learn practical ways to prevent burnout from people in the profession with experience.

9. Todoist. (2024). Time Blocking — Your Complete Guide to More Focused Work. Todoist. https://www.todoist.com/productivity-methods/time-blocking

1. This article provides an overview of the concept of time blocking and gives practical advice on how to implement it. Time blocking is typically used for productivity but it can also be used for scheduling time for creative outlets and hobbies. 

10. Harris, D. (2021). Self-Compassion Ain’t Always Soft | Kristin Neff [Audio podcast]. 10% Happier with Dan Harris.

1. In this podcast, a leading researcher in self-compassion, Kristin Neff, shares how self-compassion is not a soft approach to selfcare. She gives advice on how to implement this in your life to stand up for yourself, and your boundaries. 

11. Rankin, J. G. (2023). First aid for teacher burnout: How you can find peace and success (2nd ed.). Routledge.

1. Each chapter explores a different common cause for burnout and provides strategies and tips. Chapter coverage includes fighting low morale, diminishing stress, streamlining grading, reducing workload, leveraging collaboration, using technology to your advantage, managing classroom behaviour, and more.

12. TEDx Talks. (2024, Oct. 11). Preventing Teacher Burnout | Geraldine Hogan | TEDxMiramar [video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvldQl_jm6I

1. This video talks about the importance of recognizing the signs of teacher burnout and encourages educators to seek help or pursue a career change.

13. Griffiths, C. (2025). Teacher Burnout from a Complex Systems Perspective. Springer Nature.

1. The chapters of this book investigate various contributors, consequences, context, and coping strategies related to teacher burnout. Key themes include: crucial role of personal coping strategies, and the general finding that teacher burnout is a pervasive global issue.

14. O’Donohue, M. (2023, Jan. 1st) How to Avoid Teacher Burnout - 4 Essential Tips [video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCA8fZNL2fM

1. O’Donohue talks about 4 tips on how new teachers can reduce their workload. Namely: asking for help, not reinventing the wheel, keeping an open mind, and taking care of oneself.

Inquiry Update #1

Annabelle and I will be researching teacher burnout. This will include strategies both in and outside of the classroom on how to improve exhaustion levels. A central goal will be to provide low barrier to entry strategies for our peers to take with them for their extended practicums.

 

 Some keywords I used for my lit review ("teacher" and "burnout" ) and ("prevent" or "strategies" or "understanding") through the UBC library. I also searched on YouTube for "teacher burnout".

 

Here are some sources that I want to look into:

Ted talk on preventing teacher burnout https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvldQl_jm6I&pp=ygUPdGVhY2hlciBidXJub3V0

Teacher Burnout from a Complex Systems Perspective https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/978-3-031-85024-0.pdf

Teacher burnout explained: Teacher-, student-, and organisation-level variables (Research paper) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0742051X20314128

First Aid for Teacher Burnout (book) https://www.taylorfrancis.com/reader/download/20ab2635-8eed-4435-8e1c-cbc0e6888b3e/book/pdf?context=ubx - I suspect this source will be particularly helpful. 

Warning signs of teacher burnout and what to do about it (youtube video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG5hc-yVDxw&pp=ygUPdGVhY2hlciBidXJub3V0

How to avoid teacher burnout (youtube video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCA8fZNL2fM&pp=ygUPdGVhY2hlciBidXJub3V0

Teacher burnout profiles and proactive strategies (journal article) https://www.jstor.org/stable/48707377?seq=1

 Do Demographic Characteristics Make a Difference to Burnout among Hong Kong Secondary School Teachers? https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11205-004-8033-z

AI to the rescue: Exploring the potential of ChatGPT as a teacher ally for workload relief and Burnout prevention https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Othman-Abu-Khurma/publication/374024140_AI_to_the_rescue_Exploring_the_potential_of_ChatGPT_as_a_teacher_ally_for_workload_relief_and_burnout_prevention/links/650a94da82f01628f032ebb7/AI-to-the-rescue-Exploring-the-potential-of-ChatGPT-as-a-teacher-ally-for-workload-relief-and-burnout-prevention.pdf

 

Entrance Slip: Inquiry Topic

 Topic: Establishing Boundaries for Sustainable Teaching Practice

Concept A	Concept B	Concept C
Boundary setting	Sustainable work habits	Self-compassion and acceptance

I’ve always been the type of person to throw myself completely into new endeavours, often giving my full energy and attention to doing things well. While this has helped me grow quickly in many areas, it has also led to a recurring pattern of burnout,  typically within a year of starting something new. As I enter the teaching profession, I’m becoming aware that this same tendency could make it difficult to maintain a healthy balance between my personal life and professional responsibilities. Teaching, by nature, demands deep emotional and intellectual investment, but I want to learn how to sustain that investment over time. This is why I’m drawn to exploring how early-career teachers can set boundaries and develop sustainable routines that allow them to “turn off” work at the end of the day while still feeling effective and fulfilled in the classroom. 

Entrance Slip: What's the point of grades?

From my “student bird” perspective, I actually liked percentage grades. I appreciated the precision, it felt objective and measurable. But looking back, I can see how meaningless that precision really was. The difference between a 90 and a 92 doesn’t reflect a meaningful difference in understanding, yet it can cause a lot of stress for students chasing university cutoffs. One of my professors once said that the difference of a few percentage points often just comes down to opinion, and that really stuck with me.

From my “teacher bird” perspective, I find myself agreeing with Sarte and Hughes’ point that grades often serve the system more than the student. In their article, they draw on Ryan and Deci’s idea that grades act as extrinsic motivators, which can actually take away from a student’s intrinsic motivation to learn. I’ve seen how easily students start focusing on “how many marks is this worth?” instead of what they’re actually learning.

That’s why I like BC’s new proficiency scale, Emerging, Developing, Proficient, Extending. It gives students a clearer picture of where they are in their learning journey without reducing everything to a number. It’s hard to attach a precise percentage to understanding. A 75% sounds fine on paper, but it doesn’t tell a student what to work on or how to grow.

Grades can give structure and accountability, but they can also create pressure and competition. The challenge, as Sarte and Hughes suggest, is to shift our focus from grading to learning, to use feedback as a tool for growth rather than a judgment of worth.

Entrance Slip: Scientific Language in the Classroom

Reading Kimmerer’s reflection on the “grammar of animacy” made me think deeply about the role of scientific and mathematical language in the classroom. On one hand, I value the precision that terminology brings. Terms like isosceles triangle or photosynthesis allow us to communicate clearly and unambiguously. But as Kimmerer points out, this precision often comes at the cost of distance, the living world simply becomes objects and processes to be studied, rather than relatives to be in relationship with. In math, for example, it can sometimes feel like students are being taught a sterile set of terms and formulas, instead of being invited to see the beauty, creativity, and interconnectedness behind the language.

What struck me most in Kimmerer’s writing was her description of Potawatomi verbs that express aliveness, like wiikwegamaa, which means “to be a bay.” In English, we reduce the bay to a noun, a thing, something static and objectified. But in Potawatomi, the bay is understood as a living process, always moving, always in relationship with its surroundings. This perspective made me reflect on my own teaching: how often do I present math as a fixed set of definitions and objects, instead of as patterns and relationships that are active, dynamic, and continually unfolding?

In thinking about Indigenizing my classroom, Kimmerer’s work challenges me to reconsider the language I use and the ways I frame learning. I want to bring in more opportunities for students to engage with mathematics and science as processes of connection, through story, metaphor, and relational contexts, rather than only through technical terminology. For example, when teaching geometry, I could invite students to see shapes as “figures”, relationships between points, lines, and spaces.

Kimmerer reminds us that language shapes how we see the world, and therefore how we treat it. If my classroom can hold space for both the clarity of scientific/mathematical terminology and the respect inherent in the grammar of animacy, perhaps students will come away knowing the terms and also carrying a deeper sense of responsibility toward the world those terms describe.

 

Exit Slip: Ropes, Colour and Capturing Moments in Time?

After attempting the seven-strand braid, I initially felt discouraged from fiber work. However, I became fascinated with making rope out of grass. This process left me with some lingering questions: does twisting each strand to its maximum have a tipping point where it weakens the rope rather than strengthening it? And while twisting the strands, they naturally wanted to coil together, was the angle they tended toward ideal for overall strength?

Another activity we tried involved color-matching paint chips to objects in nature. I found this surprisingly difficult. Whenever I held a paint chip up to an object, I couldn’t always tell whether the colors didn’t match or if the difference was merely one of saturation. Perhaps the exercise was meant to spark critique of how artificial our modern world has become, or maybe I just lack an eye for distinguishing subtle color differences. I’m leaning toward the latter, since I’ve been told that before.

During a group discussion on how external factors shape our perception of reality, I brought up Huawei’s Moon Mode controversy. Some critics claimed the phone “photoshops” the moon into user photos. While I couldn’t verify the accuracy of this claim, a paper on the controversy raised interesting points: debates about Huawei’s Moon Mode aren’t just about image integrity, but about how societies negotiate new norms for what counts as a “photo” in the age of AI. Photography, traditionally seen as evidentiary, is increasingly a site where politics, technology, and meaning-making intersect. Regardless of the claims’ validity, Samsung has also been accused of reconstructing moon images with AI.

 

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/01634437211064964 

 https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/13/23637401/samsung-fake-moon-photos-ai-galaxy-s21-s23-ultra

https://medium.com/adventures-in-consumer-technology/samsungs-moon-photos-are-kinda-fake-but-should-anyone-care-6fbad684ff41

 

Entrance Slip: Braiding is Hard

While reading the excerpt from Kallis’ book, I found myself stopping to marvel at the sheer difficulty of knitting an entire shirt by hand. It made me appreciate the patience, skill, and persistence required. I’ve always wanted to learn how to work with threads, whether crochet, knitting, or weaving, and I carry a huge amount of respect for those who can do these crafts so beautifully.

Alongside the reading, I watched the tutorial on the seven-strand double braid and even tried it myself. I’ve attached a photo below. The process was surprisingly difficult. I kept dropping the strands mid-crossing and lost track of my progress more than once. Still, the challenge gave me a deeper appreciation for the labor and artistry that goes into handwork. What seems simple or decorative on the surface often requires immense focus and practice.

For me, both the reading and the braid practice highlighted an important point:
making with our hands is a form of knowledge. Even small attempts at these skills show how much respect is owed to those who dedicate themselves to traditional crafts and ecological art practices.

I don't think I got very far

Exit Slip: Sept 18 Soundscaping in the Garden

During our lecture in the garden, we revisited our sit spots, this time not to draw what we saw, but to listen. I chose to represent myself at the center of the page, almost like a radar, with icons drawn in the directions I heard sounds. Their sizes reflected the volume: larger for louder noises, smaller for softer ones.

Because my spot was near the road, the sound of cars dominated. At times I could barely distinguish between the whoosh of traffic and the wind moving through the trees. I also caught faint bursts of birdsong, though they felt almost hidden beneath the louder hum of the background.

What struck me most about this exercise was how easy it was to lose the very thing I was trying to focus on. I became so concentrated on how to notate the sounds, what symbol to use, how big to draw it, where to place it, that I realized I had started tuning out the world around me. In trying to capture the soundscape on paper, I unconsciously disengaged from the listening itself. The exercise reminded me that representation and perception can sometimes compete for attention, and that true listening requires letting go of the need to “get it right” on the page.

Learning With, Not From, the Garden

 After reading Susan's chapter on campus teaching and learning gardens, I found myself strongly agreeing with the idea that it is essential to teach students about respecting ecosystems. As the article points out, when we treat the living world as a co-teacher rather than just a resource, it opens the door to new ways of learning and relating. With enough respect, ecosystems can “reward” us, not only with food or materials, but with knowledge, beauty, and deeper understanding.

I connected this idea to my own experience learning in the Orchard Gardens. I still remember how wonderful the fruit tasted and how refreshing it felt to be outside working in the sun. It wasn’t just about the harvest, it was about building a relationship with place. I even learned about the empress tree, something I likely never would have encountered otherwise. That sense of discovery and connection is something I carry with me.

The garden is a space where all of these can come together. My time at the Orchard Gardens showed me that learning doesn’t need to be confined to a single mode. We can be serious while also being playful, we can engage our minds while also engaging our senses and emotions, and we can value both scientific and artistic ways of knowing.

For me, the biggest takeaway is that students need a wide breadth of experiences to see themselves in relation to the living world. Gardens, like classrooms, are not just about producing outcomes, they are about cultivating respect, curiosity, and imagination. That is the kind of teaching I hope to carry forward.

 

Exit Slip: Learning in the Garden

 Finding my sit spot was a little bit easy. Since I had been acquainted with the garden beforehand, I was immediately drawn towards the empress tree. It was just so different compared to the other trees around it and in a bit of a secluded grove. It was also the first time I had ever used charcoal to draw so it was quite fun to explore using a new tool. 

After digesting our group discussion, I resonated with the sentiment that to be open-minded we need to be able to teach all kids, not just the ones that we like. We choose who to teach and with that comes the responsibility of not picking and choosing just because it may make our lives easier. As much as we may want to just forget about the day, we have a duty to all students such that they at least get a fair shake.

Being a Reflective Teacher

Despite being written in a different time and place, many of the ideas expressed in the article ring quite true. I did resonate with the notion that the amount of reflection one could make is so vast that it can be paralyzing. But realistically teachers do not have the luxury of paralysis and teaching must go on. 

The article mentioned unquestionable obedience to administrative directives, I do not believe that newer teachers accept these directives with their head down. I believe that teachers need to lead by example, and if we want our students to critically examine what they are being told, teachers must do the same and sometimes that requires speaking up to power.

For me, inquiry means reflecting privately, and also actively seeking evidence, experimenting with new approaches, and engaging with colleagues to refine my teaching. Critical thinking, then, is, in part, disagreeing with directives but about carefully weighing why I teach what I teach, how I teach it, and how my choices affect students. This framing helps me see reflection as a practical tool for growth rather than an abstract exercise.

Frank McCourt Exit Slip

 After watching a couple interviews about Frank McCourt, it really struck me how nonchalant his attitude was towards his life. It was really interesting to me how not having experienced secondary education shaped his outlook towards learning about the different perspectives of his students.

It inspires me to try to show a bit more humanity towards students and try to genuinely understand how they think. Often times I have made the mistake of being a little obstinate about getting students to complete practice questions just because it's required of them. I appreciate McCourt's often unconventional approach to try to understand his students and I am worried I will be too risk averse or lack the flexibility to properly adapt my future lessons to best meet the students needs. Frank's advice reminds me of the themes discussed in "How I Wish I'd Taught Maths: Lessons Learned from Research, Conversations with Experts, and 12 Years of Mistakes" by Craig Barton. In the book, Barton talks about previously teaching based on what he assumed works for children instead of a more pedagogical approach influenced by research. When I was a student, I never really paid attention to how different ways of learning were more or less suited to each individual. As a high school student, I was always aware of different "learning styles" but I did not really reflect on which of them worked for me as I usually could understand concepts without too much trouble and as such never appreciated when teachers changed their approaches.

 

Barton has a Medium article where he posted an excerpt from the book.

https://medium.com/eedi/how-i-wish-id-taught-maths-8ec9b0578228 

Hello World

 Initial Commit.

This is my cat. His name is Winston.