Tina Patterson

04/29/2026

MY TOC CANCELLED 30 MINUTES BEFORE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO COVER MY CLASS

~ The "Fail to Fill" Crisis: Are Last-Minute TOC Cancellations the New Normal? ~

Last week, I wrote about an affliction many educators face: "Sick Day Guilt." I feel it personally, but it’s just as difficult to watch my colleagues struggle with it. Lately, however, that guilt is being compounded by a frustrating new trend: the rise of the last-minute TOC cancellation.

We all know that life happens. Teachers get sick, face family emergencies, or undergo medical treatments. Because the majority of us care deeply about our students and our professional reputation, "taking a day off" is never as simple as closing a laptop and disconnecting.

One of our biggest anxieties used to be whether a TOC would pick up the job at all. Now, the stress has shifted. Even when a job is "filled," there’s a growing uncertainty about whether they will actually show up.

While there are systemic reasons for these shortages and cancellations—such as TOC shortages, not enough student teachers being trained, or personal emergencies—those explanations don't alleviate the immediate chaos left behind.

The result is a secondary wave of sick day guilt: the impact on our colleagues who must forfeit their precious prep time to cover our classes.

This happened to me last week. I had a TOC confirmed weeks in advance. I stayed at school until 6:00 PM prepping—leaving hard copies and emailing electronic versions to ensure the TOC felt supported. I even prepped my students so they knew exactly what to expect.

Then, 30 minutes before the bell, the TOC cancelled. I didn’t find out until my return the next day that the TOC called last minute leaving my first block without a teacher and my colleagues filling my other blocks.

To my fellow educators: How do you handle it when a job is dropped the morning of? Are you seeing this happen more frequently in your district?

04/26/2026

The "Sick Day" Guilt: What Happens When a Teacher Goes Missing?

Life happens. We get sick, family emergencies strike, or medical treatments pull us away. But for a teacher, "taking a day off" isn't as simple as closing a laptop.

When we’re unwell, our brains should be resting. Instead, they’re firing off a million anxious questions:
* Will a TOC (Teacher on Call) actually show up?
* Will my colleagues lose their precious prep time to cover my class?
* Who will support students L, M, and N while I’m not there?

~The "Working" Sick Day~

There is a hidden side to teacher absences that most people never see: the Lesson Plan Pivot. We strive to create a win-win—a plan that keeps the learning alive even if the sub isn't a specialist in our subject, and one that (ideally) doesn't take us five hours to write while we’re shivering under a duvet.

Then, there’s the "show must go on" reality of Learning Updates (formerly known as report cards). Deadlines don’t move for the flu or medical treatments. I’ve seen teachers bringing marking to specialist appointments and opening laptops in waiting rooms, focusing on their students’ progress when they should be focusing on their own recovery.

~Preparing for the Pivot~

I’ve found that the best way to survive an absence is to involve the students. Before I go, we talk about what’s coming. We prep for the TOC. I’ve found that when students know the plan, they don’t just stay on track—they often "rise to the occasion" to make sure the guest teacher has a great day, too.
To my fellow educators: How do you handle the "absence anxiety"? And to our community: Next time you see a teacher back after a week off, remember—they probably weren't just resting. They were likely working from the sidelines the whole time.

03/30/2026

It’s the last day of spring break and tomorrow it’s back to the classroom. I’m excited though admittedly, I’m not sure that I’m fully rested.

This year was not for fantastic travels for us, rather an opportunity but to get my house in order - figuratively and literally.

Funny how these breaks give us time to do the things that we dont always get to do during the school year (or at least not as well as want to). For me, this was a time to:
-Deep clean my house
-Purge (donations / pass it forward)
-Read a book (or a few)
-Visit family & friends
-Go on dates with my husband (yes, multiple)
-Yoga & daily exercise
-Lesson planning
-Medical appointments
-Quality time with my boys
…and lots of walks and cuddles with my fur-baby.

Reply here with what you did this springbreak and feel free to forward to other’s. I look forward to hearing about your break!

03/18/2026

If the school year calendar dates mean something to you, check out this post.

03/17/2026

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! ☘️ May the luck of the Irish be with you today!

~Photo-Family trip to in 2023

*Like&FollowMe

03/14/2026

💯%

When exclusion occurs there are so many impacts. To me it is obvious that the student who is excluded is impacted, though sadly this isn’t always obvious to others. For example, I can’t tell you how many times I have heard, “there are no supports in place to include so-and-so on the field trip, what can I do, make everyone else go without?” But doesn’t mean that we provide opportunities that include every student that we are responsible for?

As well, what about the family? How horrible for parents to hear that their student cannot participate in a school sanctioned activity, let’s be real: there is not one parent who would feel ok if their child was excluded so why is it ok under the guise of ableism? Or lack of school supports?

And what about general access to school? When schools are not adequately supporting students, the impact is huge. Parents have to scramble for daycare, pay for extra educational remediation so that their child is in fact educated - that scramble comes with an important cost that often isn’t acknowledged: . Precious family time lost to extra work shifts or therapy or tutoring. Let’s be clear: not recreation or activities a child or parent choose but rather those necessitated simply because the child was excluded from school.

I get it - this is hard work for teachers who are often not adequately trained or supported to enable inclusion. This is not about blaming teachers but rather our system that says one thing (in the school act) but in practice is not available for students or teachers because of…well many reasons that ultimately pass the buck. This disconnect must be addressed because the cost is simply much too high - for students and families now as well as students and society in the future.

Many children and youth with disabilities in Canada have experienced being left out of the classroom. Yet, most students and their families feel very alone, not realizing how common it is.

FSI's first interim report on the National Exclusion Tracker is available to read. You can find the summary version of the report on the website, alongside the full report:
>>https://exclusiontracker.com/net-interim-report-2025-26/

Share this report and the Exclusion Tracker tool with everyone you know!

--

En français:
>> https://exclusiontracker.com/detecteur-national-dexclusion-rapport-interimaire-national-des-constats-2025-26/

03/10/2026

Thank-you Langley District Parent Advisory Council for hosting of tonight. Her workshop is one of the most accessible & positive DEI workshops I have attended to date-all school staff and parents should take this workshop.

~ ~

It is surprising that in 2026, society still requires anti-racism training, as every human being deserves respect and equity. Chantelle grounded the workshop in a hard-hitting reality that children & teens continue to face discriminatiion and racisim at school, balanced by actionable steps we can all take “stand up and out”, and the core message that "everyone deserves to feel safe to be themselves."

Attending tonight was a powerful experience. I wish more parents could have joined us so we could all embrace the 'collective responsibility' needed to keep our school communities safe.

03/08/2026

~ARTS EDUCATION - A NECESSITY IN MODERN DAY SOCIETY~

I’m a rockstar in my car, but a "please-stop-singing" closer at karaoke. 🎤 Thankfully, my husband’s musical genes saved our sons!

On a more serious note: my boys are the fabulous young men they are today much due to the music and drama programs that defined their elementary years. I am profoundly grateful for those dedicated educators who made a collective commitment to ensure every student—not just a select few—had the opportunity to grow through the fine arts. By weaving the arts into the fabric of the school experience, these teachers gave our children a vital space to find their voices and their confidence.

I feel that same pride for my own students. I am constantly inspired by my colleagues who empower our kids to master their instruments of choice—a feat that feels especially heroic right now. We are living through a cycle of cut-backs that continue to chip away at fine arts funding, leaving more students with less exposure during their most formative elementary years. It is a striking irony: we are underfunding the very programs that foster connection and expression at a time when student mental health challenges are at an all-time high.

This week our music program hosted “Jazz & Java” a showcase evening of fantastic jazz music, this year with guest performer, distinguished composer and musician Daniel Hersog. The work that our two amazing music teachers do for our music program, including significant number of volunteer hours they give to provide our students with real world performance experience, is simply priceless and a true gift for these kids.

Hersog, also an educator at both Capilano University and the VSO School of Music, led a workshop with our students the days prior to “Jazz and Java” in addition to performing with our students at the event. Seeing them play together reminded me that the arts aren't a "luxury"—they are a necessity.

With recent attacks on fine arts funding in our province because of cut-backs we are at a crossroads. We need educators, parents, and students alike to raise their voices and come together to ensure that fine & performing arts are adequately funded. Society needs students to be exposed to fine arts because these programs develop the foundational human and cognitive skills required for a healthy, innovative, and resilient communities.

To all music and fine & performing arts teachers who refuse to let these programs fade: thank you for giving our children a stage and a voice. To our parents: please join us in advocating for these vital programs—your voice at school board meetings and your support for local performances ensure that the music doesn't stop here.

Question for the comments: What was your "instrument" in school? (Even if you only played the recorder for two weeks, tell me below! ⬇️)

03/05/2026

Wow 91% ratification from BC Teachers. How are people feeling about this?

02/28/2026

160 BC Teachers Certifications Cancelled because of Not Responding to Spam Email Look-a-Like

This week, the BC Teacher Regulation Branch (TRB) issued a mass notice to every school district in British Columbia instructing them to remove 160 teachers from their classrooms because their certificates were suspended across B.C. for failure to provide proper information related to a more detailed criminal record resolution check.

At first glance, this makes sense. Under the Criminal Records Review Act, B.C. teaching certificate holders must complete a criminal record check every five years. This is a fundamental professional requirement that ensures the safety of our school communities. The Ministry facilitates this process by securely collecting the necessary information and consent from teachers and submitting it to the Criminal Records Review Program (CRRP). This collaborative approach has historically ensured a smooth and reliable experience for all educators however changes an electronic system is proving to have roadblocks.

Although the shift to an electronic process has been successful for the majority of teachers, the system is not without its issues. For educators whose names are flagged for further review—typically due to a name or birthday similarity with a person of interest in the criminal system—the process is notably problematic and requires refinement; this shift to an electronic process and lack of notification is the direct result for the suspension of these 160 BC teachers this week.

The notification process has multiple flaws. First, original notifications to teachers were delivered exclusively by work email, many of which occurred during Spring Break and summer—periods when teachers are not routinely monitoring correspondence from their employer. Second, the follow-up email sent to teachers appeared suspect and included an attached file, a red-flag that employers regularly advise staff not to open. No further outreach was attempted by the Ministry or the CRRP, these qualified professionals were deemed unable to teach, causing significant and unnecessary strain on our students and school community. Furthermore, there was no phone call to the affected teachers, formal correspondence sent to their home addresses, nor communication with school districts prior to the extreme action of suspending these qualified teachers.

It’s important to note that this is not a matter of professional misconduct, but rather a lapse in an administrative process that has unfairly penalized these teachers, their family, and students alike. The situation is the critical failure in the criminal record check notification process.

In an era of critical teacher shortages, this situation is both unreasonable and shortsighted. It is an affront to our colleagues and, ultimately, punitive to their students, who faced a revolving door of TOCs while the situation lingered. Moreover, to expect that colleagues who are not criminals or had a professional misconduct go without pay while this is resolved is an unreasonable burden, especially in current economic times. This issue could impact any teacher or student in the province under the current electronic notification system.

Reporting by Jackie McKay of CBC News highlights a significant discrepancy between Ministry of Education and Child Care policy and its practical application. While the Ministry asserts that the Teacher Regulation Branch (TRB) and the Criminal Records Review Program make multiple attempts to contact certificate holders via email or mail, recent events demonstrate a critical communication gap. The Ministry’s acknowledgment that essential notices are frequently diverted to spam folders—compounded by its stated lack of control over email algorithms—underscores a systemic vulnerability. Given the historical success of utilizing school districts as communication conduits, the decision to bypass this proven infrastructure has resulted in avoidable disruptions for students, educators, and their families. This procedural failure raises serious concerns regarding operational oversight and the efficient use of public resources.

It is imperative that the Honourable Lisa Beare, Minister of Education and Child Care, intervene to ensure that cancellations resulting from these flawed notification processes are not repeated. While the maintenance of high professional standards is essential, it must not come at the expense of our students' stability. We urge the Ministry to implement immediate safeguards to prevent further disruptions to the learning environment.

Finally, we must address the Teacher Regulation Branch's (TRB) accessibility. The absence of a direct communication channel for local unions, the BCTF, and senior district superintendents creates significant administrative bottlenecks and undermines institutional accountability. This lack of transparency is inconsistent with the standards of a professional governing body and necessitates immediate rectification to ensure effective oversight and operational efficiency.

Institute for Public Education BC Langley District Parent Advisory Council BCEdAccess Society BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils - (BCCPAC)

02/21/2026

PINK SHIRT DAY: Yes, it’s still Relevant in 2026

It started with an act of courage. Two older Grade 12 students from Nova Scotia saw a younger peer being bullied for wearing a pink shirt. Instead of staying silent, as many bystanders do, they took action—buying 50 pink shirts for their classmates to wear in a show of solidarity.

Today, that small grassroots demonstration has exploded into Pink Shirt Day, an international movement supported by schools and businesses in over 175 countries. What was once a local stand against harassment is now a global symbol of kindness, inclusion, and the power of standing together against bullying and harassment.

It’s no surprise that this movement resonates so deeply across generations—the data shows that bullying is a reality for an overwhelming number of us, whether we’re in the classroom, on the workcite, or in the boardroom.

~The Hidden Epidemic: Why We All Need to Stand Together~

According to the 2025 Raising Canada report, a staggering 71% of Canadian youth aged 12 to 17 reported being bullied in the past year. This isn’t just a ‘schoolyard phase’; the cycle continues into adulthood. A major survey by Forum Research found that 55% of Canadians have been targets of workplace bullying, and other reports suggest that over 70% of workers have experienced some form of harassment or violence on the job.

Perhaps most importantly, these experiences aren't shared equally. For both youth and adults, bullying disproportionately targets marginalized groups—particularly those in the disability community and sexually and gender-diverse individuals. It’s a clear reminder that solidarity isn't just a gesture; it’s a necessary stand for safety and inclusion for everyone.

~Increased Risk of Cyber Bullying Among Canadian Youth: Connected or Vulnerable?~

For young Canadians, being online isn't just a hobby—it’s the heartbeat of their social lives. Even back in 2019, the Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth (CHSCY) showed that nearly 80% of youth were online weekly, with over half checking social media or messaging apps multiple times a day. In the years since, those digital habits have only intensified - just ask any high school teaching asking students to disconnect and park their devices in a phone pocket!

While these platforms offer connection, they also open the door to a growing shadow: cyberbullying. With the majority of our youth constantly plugged in, the risk of online harassment has moved from a ‘possibility’ to a persistent threat that follows them from the classroom right into their bedrooms. Where previous generations faced bullying in isolated settings, today’s youth face it 24/7—an unsustainable weight on their mental health.

According to Children First Canada, 25% of teens are currently experiencing cyberbullying—and for off-reserve Indigenous youth the prevalence is 34%, even higher for non-binary youth, that number skyrockets to 52%. As kids age and spend more time online, the insults and 'digital ghosting' only intensify. It’s not surprising that there are countries with bans, or pending bans, on social media for youth. Australia has taken the lead implementing the world-first law banning children under 16 from having social media accounts; in Canada, it’s time to talk about what’s actually happening behind the screen and take real action.

~Why “Sticks and Stones” Is the Biggest Lie We Tell Our Kids~

We’ve all heard the old playground rhyme: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” But the data tells a much darker story. In reality, bullying leaves scars that a bandage can't fix, impacting both mental and physical health well into adulthood.

Bullying isn’t just a "tough phase"—it’s a major stressor for youth and adults who experience bullying. Reports show that 72% of youth who were bullied at least once a month reported that their lives were significantly stressful. Compare that to the 44% of their peers who weren’t bullied, the link becomes undeniable.

Moreover, the pain doesn’t just stay in the mind; it manifests in the body. Youth facing frequent bullying are nearly twice as likely to suffer from sleep struggles, chronic pain, frequent headaches, stomach aches and backaches compared to those who aren’t targeted, another impact is higher absenteeism rates at school for those who experience bullying. It’s key to understand that words don't just "hurt"—they change a physical reality. Similarly, these findings are echoed in workplace data with 70% of those who experienced harassment missed work as reported by the Canadian Labour Congress.

~Time to Change The Perception Gaps~

Research reveals a jarring disconnect between how teachers think they’re handling bullying and how students actually experience it. In my conversations with students, the feedback is heartbreakingly consistent: "Nobody does anything, so why bother reporting it?"

Others feel pressured to "toughen up" or "just get over it." Then there’s the very real fear of retaliation; as one student bluntly put it, “snitches get stitches.” They aren't just being quiet—they're protecting themselves from a situation they fear will only get worse if they speak up. These attitudes explain why a staggering 79% of bullied students choose to suffer in silence rather than tell a teacher (OCT).

This "silence gap" extends to the home, too. While most Canadian parents believe their kids would come to them for help, only 25–33% actually do. Whether it’s the fear of having their phone taken away, a sense of shame, or the dread of being told to "just ignore it," our youth are sending a clear message: the current system of reporting isn't working for them.

~What Can We Really Do~

We need to build a culture where mental health isn’t just a buzzword—it’s our foundation. When we are all healthy, our communities are stronger. But that strength depends on one thing: safety.

Students need to know that seeking support isn't a sign of weakness, and reporting bullying won't make their lives harder. It’s time to move past being passive observers. We need a generation of Active Bystanders—people who don't just watch from the sidelines or join the crowd, but who have the tools to interrupt, de-escalate, and get help. Let's make taking action the new norm.

Finally, on Pink Shirt Day—and every day—let’s all do what we can to treat each other with kindness. This year’s Pink Shirt Day theme is ‘Sprinkle Kindness,’ encouraging people to spread compassion and respect through small, intentional acts to create safer, more inclusive environments. For those seeking help or more information, resources are available through the ‘Kids Help Phone’ at 1-800-668-6868 and ‘BullyingCanada’ with 24/7 support. As well, the ‘ERASE Report It Tool’ lets you send a secure, anonymous and confidential message to your school or school district's safe school coordinator.

02/14/2026

Check out this important workshop on “Fostering an Anti-Racist and Anti-Discriminatory School” hosted by the Langley District Parent Advisory Council. Here is an updated link, I just registered and hope to see you there too:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/fostering-an-anti-racist-and-anti-discriminatory-school-community-tickets-1983164607727?aff=oddtdtcreator