Kyle McKillop

first two questions of our monthly anonymous check-in survey

last two questions of our monthly anonymous check-in survey

Once a month I give this anonymous Google Form survey to all my classes + then turn around and share the results with them the following week

Adapted from what @jimmayers.bsky.social does in his room, having this monthly "pulse check" has been a game-changer

(Especially the debrief conversations!)

An annotated one pager on how to teach theme

Since @marcusluther.bsky.social has been making his teaching practices explicit, I want to share how I teach theme. It’s not new, but it’s the best AND it’s a sure-fire way to tell if a student has used AI at this point.

poetry in the park July 16th Wednesday 6:30pm Queen's Park Bandshell Pictures of poets on green and purple ombre flyer with leaves on the left.

Join us for Poetry in the Park July 16th with features Cecily Nicholson and Rita Wong, followed by open mic and host @jessicaleemcmillan.com. 6:30pm Queen's Park Bandshell.

rclas.com/recurring/po...

NOW HIRING: POETRY EDITOR The Ex-Puritan is hiring a new poetry editor!

Now Hiring: Poetry Editor! Position begins August 2025. For the full posting, please see our website. Apply before July 22, 2025: ex-puritan.ca/news/now-hir...

24-25 Course Vision - AP Literature 24-25 Course Vision - AP Literature In order to go somewhere, you usually have to have a clear vision of where you want to go. So ahead of a new school year, I want to take the time to lay out the sev...

Something I love about having made a vision document for each of the classes I teach back in at the beginning of the school year?

The ability to look at it when the school year concludes as a lens to understand what went well and how I need to do better:

docs.google.com/document/d/1...

DOCTOR Kessey! She did it!!!😍😍😍

Arc’s Poem of the Year 2025 Readers’ Choice Award is open for voting! Which shortlisted poem is your favourite? Read the standout finalist poems and cast your vote today! buff.ly/3DLvn2D

“…keep going…”

Done!

my book, a body more tolerable, is out in the public early! WHAT A TIME!

INTERPRETATIONS A poet sits in a coffee shop, writing. The old lady thinks he is writing a letter to his mother, the young woman thinks he is writing a letter to his girlfriend, the child thinks he is drawing, the businessman thinks he is considering a deal, the tourist thinks he is writing a postcard, the employee thinks he is calculating his debts. The secret policeman walks, slowly, towards him. —Mourid Barghouti

From 'Midnight & Other Poems' (2009)
—Mourid Barghouti [tr. Radwa Ashour]

#poetry #poem #poems #palestine

As with so many things, the answer seems to be balance: starting with shared texts that build skills and community, and then letting students spiral out into their own explorations and priorities.

This poem by Jónína Kirton!
www.eventmagazine.ca/2025/01/poet...

Here is a Canadian Poets Starter Pack! 🪶💐🩷

If you're a Canadian poet and I've missed you, comment below, and I'll add.

(Also, if I made a mistake in adding you to the list, let me know, and I'll remove you!)

Please share so folks coming to Bluesky can find their people!
go.bsky.app/JbjXoTN

The Medicine of Stories - Outdoor Learning School & Store Scroll Down to Register 4 x 60 Minutes Storytelling Sessions The Medicine of Stories in Educating Hearts, Minds and Spirits Early bird registration open until January 17th! These inspiring and […]

Stories shape the way we learn, lead, and connect. They help us make sense of the world, inspire change, and build stronger communities. Please join us in this special series hosted by our dear friend, Monique Gray Smith. outdoorlearning.com/event/the-me... @noiie.ca

Some Notes on Judging Poetry – Rob Taylor by Rob Taylor In May 2024, I was invited to judge the Fred Cogswell award for the best Canadian poetry book of 2023. I said yes immediately, having long been a fan of the prize’s structure (and, of…

As I read the 100+ poetry books submitted for the Fred Cogswell Award, I took notes on both the books and the tricky act of judging poetry.

I've compiled some of them into an essay for @the-wood-lot.bsky.social. I hope you enjoy it!

the-wood-lot.ca/2025/01/19/s...

Done! Thank you!

If you’re looking to connect with ELA teachers in BC, here’s a starter pack!
go.bsky.app/JJc37o1

Video Essays | Notion Genre Overview

Still a WIP but I’ve been working with @karismjones.bsky.social, @rabani.bsky.social, @carolinebr.bsky.social, @deewellington1.bsky.social, Sarah Jerasa & some other folks on a repository of digital mentor texts/practices. Here’s mine on VE.

reminiscent-attention-b9e.notion.site/Video-Essays...

Bluesky is nice and all, but we still need it to get to a organizations-reply-immediately-to-callout-posts weightiness...

Off-handsome man and beautiful labradoodle

Labdradoodle leaping 3 times her height to catch a frisbee

Happy 3rd birthday to this Christmas girl, who can fly like a reindeer…

Freshly washed and trimmed labradoodle does not want to be photographed

Labradoodle in the mist

Her season

The Real Environmental Impact of AI | Earth.Org In this article, we delve into the environmental impact of AI, exploring associated problems including emissions and e-waste.

And I must protest the statement in the "Integrating AI into the Arts" lesson that "Digital tools are 'green,' making them environmentally friendly from a climate justice and sustainability perspective". They may be inclusive but they are not environmentally friendly. earth.org/the-green-di...

Via @chrishunter.bsky.social, BC's AI & digital literacy teaching supports. There are 2 for ELA; I'm most taken with the ELA9 story one.

www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/...

The BC MoE developed AI-related teaching and learning examples in various grades and areas of learning. Thoughts on the Math 9 one? www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/...

Re-Storying Education Playlist | Carolyn Roberts Playlist to accompany Re-Storying Education: Decolonzing your Practice with a critical Lens.

Looking for Indigenous Brilliance for your classroom? Have a listen to my playlist of amazing Indigenous musicians. www.carolynroberts.net/general-4

Which could run parallel to well-funded, thoughtful mentorship in early career years, combined with placement stability. That would change our work collective work lives.

I agree, in that everyone should be getting a practical grounding in the principles and anti-racism, not just theoretical. Words AND actions matter. It’s pretty hard to manage the process in our own classrooms without practicing it first.

Those lists are deeply linked. How can you effectively plan or manage or assess without an awareness a full sense of equity or Indigenous principles? How can a kid feel safe in your lesson if you know nothing of anti-racism? The two speak to each other & can be built simultaneously.

Everything is on fire, but everyone I love is doing beautiful things and trying to make life worth living, and I know I don't have to believe in everything, but I believe in that. Nikita Gill