The Alberta Teachers’ Association

Can you match the following excerpts to their original publication date?

The years you have to work with are 1922, 1974, 1981 and 2009.

We dug into the archives to find tidbits from previous ATA Magazines that are worth another look, either because of their relevance today, or as a reminder of how far we’ve come. You be the judge.

1. Children have changed

“… children have changed. I taught Grade VII students. My memory of my own classmates at that age is not very blurry. We were different. Ten years ago children of 12 were less affluent and less conscious of politics, social issues, their own physical maturing. They knew they were at school because school led to better jobs and more money. Their parents told them so; they could see for themselves this was right. They had also learned some manners and respect. They had a keen sense of competition and a desire to top the class.”

2. Bottoms up

“It is becoming increasingly evident that the best way to build a strong educational structure is to work from the bottom up rather than from the top down. Very rapidly during the past few years the practice of having school policies and programs worked out co-operatively by the teachers themselves has been replacing the older practice of leaving it to the administrative head so the school’s the sole responsibility for this important task of constructive educational thinking. This movement is so clearly both salutary and inevitable that it would be the height of unwisdom not to have it amply reflected in the professional schools that
prepare teachers.”

3. Accountability

Systems of accountability attempt to demonstrate a relationship between human actions and their outcomes. Yet, all too often, accountability regimes remind us of the limitations of humans and their faith in objective data. The recent global economic meltdown serves as a powerful reminder that our simplistic fascination with scorecards and spreadsheets distracts us from what truly matters in complex human relationships — significance and purposes that give meaning to our lives.

4. The step family

The stepfamily, or blended family, is becoming more and more prevalent in Alberta. In many schools one in three children come from stepfamilies. It would be unfair to look at stepfamilies as “problem” families. However, there is a tendency to approach all children as if they come from so-called two-parent, typical nuclear families, In actuality, stepfamilies have unique characteristics which need to be considered by teachers.

Answers

1. Nov–Dec, 1974, “Sorry — I Quit!” by Anne Macklin.
2. February 1922, “Teaching a Real Profession” by Prof. W.C. Bagley.
3. Spring 2009, “Put Real Learning First: It’s Time to Hold Accountability to Account” by J-C Couture.
4. March 1981, “Yours, Mine, and Ours: The Step Family” by Will Tebay.