L'ÉQUIPE-CHOC ENGLISH COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
May 2023
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Dear Readers,
As nature is awakening and sunnier days are upon us, many of us are starting to feel weary. Even though spring break provided a little relief, demands come from every direction, and more than ever, focus may be starting to fail us and our students. Although this is very likely due to just being tired, the emotional and psychological roller coaster that comes with being an educator is also at play. Just like busy bees, we are deep into our craft and we have lots to manage.
Not only is our brain always on, it constantly has to choose what to pay attention to and what to leave out. Neuroscientists refer to this as “selective attention” and it comes in two forms: voluntary focus, which is goal oriented, and stimulus-driven focus, which relates to what takes our attention away from what we are doing. Since we don’t control which one our brain is using, focus is able to overturn our brain’s filters. Ever worse, studies have shown that willpower and concentration are limited resources, so the more distracted we are, the harder it is to get back on track.
There are numerous techniques to improve focus and concentration, but ironically, one of the best is stress, but only for a very short period of time. As stress releases chemicals into the brain, focus is better and adrenaline rushes into the bloodstream to heighten our senses, which helps the body adjust and focus on tasks at hand.
So, stress, in a minimal amount, can be a good thing. Short-term stress is useful when we need to hammer out last-minute assignments, grade a pile of essays or troubleshoot some computer glitch that is interfering with your work. Our students feel it too when deadlines are just around the corner. These short-term effects, however, do not last. As time passes, the more stress we undergo, the more we need to concentrate in order to relieve the causes of the stress. A vicious circle indeed…
So from now on, if you are faced with a momentary lapse of focus, simply walk away from your task for a few moments, calm down and collect your thoughts. This should help you feel much more relaxed and able to concentrate and focus again.
And remember that this too shall pass.
Julie & Micheline
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Services éducatifs complémentaires et SARCA
Causeries virtuelles
Favoriser la santé mentale des élèves en FGA-FP : La démarche hors-piste
Les Après-cours FGA - May 25th, 2023 from 9:00 to 11:00
L’Équipe-choc Pedagogical
Math & Science Après-cours
Friday, May 19, 16:00-15:00
The APC was canceled; it will reconvene in September with the MEQ’s responsable des programmes' visit.
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Équipe-choc Pedagogical
Biology Local Exam Validation
This is a call for volunteers who would like to validate local Biology exams for both modules, BIO-5070-2 (Applied Genetics) and 5071-2 (Reproduction and Development). If you are interested please email me at Micheline.Ammar@cssmi.qc.ca.
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Carrefour FGA
Dossier spécial : Enseignement individuel
Avril 2023
Plusieurs questions ont guidé l’équipe du Carrefour FGA et ses collaborateurs lors de la préparation de ce dossier spécial. Au fil des pages, vous pourrez explorer diverses facettes de l’enseignement individualisé. Bonne lecture!
SOFAD
New Material for General Sciences (SCG-4060)
More information available on the SOFAD website.
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INSPIRATIONAL READING/VIEWING
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Coding Tech
Top 10 Ways To Train Your Brain To Stay Focused and Productive
by Coding Tech
Attention is the most precious resource that we can leverage to actually get things done, increase productivity and achieve highest performance in whatever we do. Focus is not something we have — it’s a skill we gain by training our brain.
Our brain is finely attuned to distraction, so today's digital environment makes it especially hard to focus. Thanks to a variety of sources of entertainment, news, socialization and more work, it is easy to get distracted. Not only do distractions slow us down, they can cause serious errors. To prevent this, we should develop better mental focus. But how can we train our brain to stay focused?
Scientific American
How Does Meditation Change the Brain?
by Scientific American
Meditation can sharpen attention, strengthen memory and improve other mental abilities. Scientific American editor Ferris Jabr examines the changes in brain structure behind some of these benefits.
RescueTime Blog
How to Focus: The 5 Key Elements for Attention Management, Focus, and Flow
By Jory MacKay
Focus is something pretty much everyone wishes they had more of, but that most of us struggle with on a daily basis. Whether we’re trying to concentrate on a task at work, block out the distractions of the modern world, or even just sit and stay committed to our long-term goals, attention has become a wild, seemingly untameable beast.
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PARTNERS, WHAT DO YOU
RECOMMEND TO OUR READERS?
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Services complémentaires
Focus Management
by Karine Martin
Students who are able to sustain their attention, sort information and retain it in memory are generally those who succeed the most easily. However, the students in our classes are often identified as having attention problems.
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REFERENCE & RESOURCES AVAILABLE
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Ministère de l’Éducation
Services and Programs of Study (2021-2022)
Administrative Guide (2015 Edition)
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Teachers’ Competencies
Reference Framework for Professional Competencies for Teachers.
Thank you, Karine Jacques and Tanya Marcil for this great poster, which was adapted from the Référentiel des compétences professionnelles - Profession enseignante.
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Info/Sanction
A list of all the Info/Sanction published since 2019 regarding the Adult General Education and Semi-Skilled Careers has been compiled for you as a reference. Consult your center Sanction Representative for more details.
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BIM
A list of all the active BIM exam versions is available for your consultation.
DBE Mathematics - BIM List
For more details on Math exams, contact Clementina Santoianni
514 252-3700 (5078)
santoiannic@grics.ca
www.grics.qc.ca or bimenligne.qc.ca/en
DBE Science and Technology - BIM List
For more details on Science exams, contact Barbara Choquette
514-251-3700 (3888)
choquetteb@grics.ca
www.grics.qc.ca or bimenligne.qc.ca/en
DBE English Language Arts & CCBE English Language of Instruction - BIM - ELI/ELA
For more details on ELI/ELA exams, contact Steven Jansma
jansmas@grics.ca
www.grics.qc.ca or bimenligne.qc.ca/en
FBD - Français Langue Seconde & FBC - Francisation - BIM - FLS/LAN
For more details on French exams, contact Maria Carrera
carreram@grics.ca
www.grics.qc.ca or bimenligne.qc.ca/en
DBE - Social Sciences - SOCIAL SCIENCES
For more details on Social Science exams, visit
www.grics.qc.ca or bimenligne.qc.ca/en
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SOFAD - Resources
SOFAD develops learning resources designed in accordance with the Quebec curriculum and adapted to the needs of learners. There are also teaching practices for both in-class and distance learning in Adult General Education.
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A final thought to leave you with...
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