How Words Make a Difference
During PD week in August, the Junior School spent a morning with Peter Johnston, a Professor at the State University of New York at Albany. With more than 34 years of teaching experience, Peter has authored several books and research papers around the importance of oral language in the classroom.
His books, Choice Words and Opening Minds are invaluable resources for any educator who believes that purposeful and accountable talk is at the heart of learning.
Peter skillfully demonstrated how a teacher’s supportive, purposeful talk can develop a child’s sense of agency (or sense of control). Of great importance to the health of the classroom community is the confidence and sense of well-being of the individuals inside that community. That lovely sense of comfort and ease which our Head of School, John Liggett, emphasized at our opening meeting this year, is embodied in Peter’s teachings. As an example: “There is something quite special about classrooms with a strong sense of community. Drawing on the support of the community creates agency, and children with agency create stronger communities.”
Beyond this sense of community and agency, classrooms in which there is purposeful and accountable talk in many contexts and content areas develop students with habits of mind that enable intelligent behaviours to be formed.
Peter strongly believes that education should be a purveyor of critical thinking and creativity, both of which enable our students to participate in a democratic system. He refers to this as the “literacy of democracy.” Although this idea is not new, indeed Lev Vygotsky espoused the social development theory of learning where dialogue plays a fundamental role in cognitive development, Peter brought this idea to life for our Junior School teachers. We became excited about the opportunity to begin the year in classrooms that developed our students’ ability to engage in purposeful talk with the goal of creating knowledge in collaboration with others.
Peter strongly believes that education should be a purveyor of critical thinking and creativity, both of which enable our students to participate in a democratic system. He refers to this as the “literacy of democracy.” Although this idea is not new, indeed Lev Vygotsky espoused the social development theory of learning where dialogue plays a fundamental role in cognitive development, Peter brought this idea to life for our Junior School teachers. We became excited about the opportunity to begin the year in classrooms that developed our students’ ability to engage in purposeful talk with the goal of creating knowledge in collaboration with others.
As part of our ongoing work in this area, teachers were each given a copy of Choice Words and will gather at divisional meetings to discuss how our words make a difference.
Mary Fournier
Grade 3 Teacher
Mary Fournier
Grade 3 Teacher
Land Acknowledgment
The Country Day School wishes to recognize and acknowledge the land on which the school operates. Our nearest Indigenous Nations are now the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Chippewas of Georgina Island. The Dish with One Spoon Wampum covenant is often cited as an example of the shared responsibility for caring for these lands among the Huron-Wendat, Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples who would call these their traditional territories. CDS respects the relationship with these lands and recognizes that our connection to this land can be strengthened by our continued relationship with all First Nations, by acknowledging our shared responsibility to respect and care for the land and waters for future generations.
School Information
13415 Dufferin Street King, Ontario L7B 1K5
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
