Derek StoppelsApr 52 minTeaching Doesn't Equal LearningTeachers need to stop talking about teaching. We need to start talking about learning. Students don't need more direct instruction. ...
Derek StoppelsDec 2, 20214 minRespect - Connect - Reflect - DirectThe title of this blog post seems simple enough, and yet, after reading Sand Talk by Tyson Yunkaporta, he pointed it out, we get it all...
Derek StoppelsApr 26, 20217 minTraditional Model = Learned HelplessnessWhen we invite students into our classroom, tell them to sit down, open their books and get out something to write with so that they can...
Derek StoppelsMar 12, 20217 min"The Process"The Process This is the process I want to use to promote lifelong learning for my students. What’s the question? I use Sugata Mitra’s...
Derek StoppelsMar 1, 202112 minA Call To ActionThis letter is a call to action to all my fellow teachers in Ontario. Stephen Lecce and Doug Ford love to brag about how Ontario has the...
Derek StoppelsDec 31, 202014 min2020: Best Year of My Career.2020 has by far been the best year of my career. Hands down. The global pandemic has seriously put a damper on a lot of things, and I...
Derek StoppelsNov 27, 202020 minThe Punk/Ska Scene Made Me A Better Teacher“Punk rock changed our lives,” is the opening line to Sublime’s 40oz. To Freedom Album and I couldn’t agree more. The Punk Rock...
Derek StoppelsNov 9, 202015 minHow I Learned What Learning Looks LikeI found out that I would be teaching SBI3U for the first time in the first quadmester about a week before it started. I taught the...
Derek StoppelsOct 8, 20203 minThis is NOT for marksI did a fetal pig dissection with my grade 11 biology class today and it was awesome! And the best part was it was not for marks. The...
Derek StoppelsOct 6, 20203 minWe Need More Type B Personalities in EducationI was driving into school this morning with a half-assed plan about what I wanted to do with my classes today. I was listening to the...
Derek StoppelsSep 13, 20206 minTeachers Need To Be Flight InstructorsI love flying. But I'm not a pilot. However, one of my best friends is! I remember getting the opportunity to get into the back seat of...
Derek StoppelsMay 15, 20205 minNot An ApologyLife is crazy, man. Especially these days! This week has been an especially tough one as far as finding motivation goes. Imagine how...
Derek StoppelsMay 11, 202011 minOpen Letter to Stephen LecceAn open letter to the Minister of Education, Stephen Lecce, I am writing to you to share my concerns about your statement about...
Derek StoppelsMay 5, 202017 minA little bit of "How and Why" ver.2It's Friday night and I’m lying in bed with my three year old daughter, cuddling her until she falls asleep. One of the hardest parts of...
Derek StoppelsMay 5, 20205 minIncentives/Consequences Vs. Purpose/LearningSo our school board and the Ministry of Education (Ontario) has told us, and students, that marks can not go down from the mark that...
Derek StoppelsApr 17, 20206 minI'm so stressed out!What a time to be alive! We're on day 33 or 34 (I don't even know anymore) of this social distancing/quarantine/self isolation era and...
Derek StoppelsJan 25, 20201 minLeading Them To WaterAs a teacher, it's my goal to lead my students to water. I can't make them drink, but I can bring them there. And on our journey to the...
Derek StoppelsDec 12, 20194 minSNC1D Electricity PBL UnitThe Grade Nine Physics (Electricity) Unit is going to be based on a book/movie called The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. It is a true story...
Derek StoppelsDec 5, 20198 minThe Education System does NOTHING for Mental HealthOn November 20th, I posted a video on my Instagram account (@TheStoppelsShow) that was a brief introduction to this blog post. I've been...