Elementary: A podcast from the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario
Episodes
Artificial intelligence and climate justice
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Maria Vamvalis on artificial intelligence, climate justice, and critical thinking.
The important role of Designated Early Childhood Educators in Ontario's classrooms
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A panel discussion about Designated Early Childhood Educators (DECEs) and the work that they do. Panelists are Samia Javed, a DECE and a PhD candidate...
How to Improve Special Education in Ontario
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A panel discusion on the state of special education in Ontario. Ricardo Tranjan is a political economist and senior researcher with the Canadian Centr...
President Karen Brown's opening speech to ETFO's 2025 Annual Meeting
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On August 11, 2025 President Karen Brown opened the ETFO Annual meeting, where delegates receive reports of the officers and committees, elect offic...
Joe Pitawanakwat on teaching and learning about Indigenous plants and their uses
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Pitawanakwat on teaching and learning about Indigenous plants and their uses in Anishnaabek traditional medicine.
Education and AI: An interview with Dr. Phil McRae
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Phil McRae is associate coordinator of government research at the Alberta Teachers' Association. He studies and speaks on the use of AI in Educati...
Special Episode: Press Conference for the release of Promises Unfulfilled: Addressing the Special Education Crisis in Ontario
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
ETFO's release of a report on alarming special education funding gaps in Ontario.
Talking Politics at Work
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
James Wardlaw and Denise Hammond work in ETFO's Communications and Political Action service area. They examine what is ok for educators to talk about...
The value of play-based learning, with Dr. Kimberly Bezaire
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
An interview about the value of play-based learning. Dr. Kimberly Bezaire researches play literacy, family play, team-building in Kindergarten, toddle...
Anishnaabek language reclamation with Dr. Alan Corbiere
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Alan Corbiere has focused his work on the history of Anishinaabe peoples and Anishinaabe language. In this podcast, he discusses Anishnaabek langu...
Dr. Alan Corbiere on the history and meaning of wampum from an Anishnaabek perspective
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Alan Corbiere on the history of wampum from an Anishnaabek perspective. Dr. Corbiere teaches in the History Department at York University where h...
Black in School: An interview with Habiba Diallo
16 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Author and activist Habiba Diallo has a call to action for educators in her book #BlackInSchool.
President Karen Brown's opening speech to the 2024 ETFO Annual Meeting
12 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
President Karen Brown speaks to the delegates at the ETFO 2024 Annual Meeting.
Carolyn King on the Moccasin Identifier Initiative
04 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Carolyn King on the Moccasin Identifier Initiative, a tool that calls attention to the history of Indigenous peoples across Ontario.
Black Boys Like Me: An interview with Matthew R. Morris
19 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Educator and author Matthew R. Morris speaks with Elementary about his book Black Boys Like Me, and how educators can effectively support Black male s...
Countering anti-2SLGBTQ+ hate as an educator
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Two speakers on countering anti-2SLGBTQ+ hate. MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam talks about anti-trans protests. Lawyer Kelly Doctor from Goldblatt Partners LLP, ...
No time to waste: Erika Shaker on defending public education
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Since 1997, Erika Shaker has been monitoring corporate involvement in public education. She is the Director of the National Office of the Canadian Cen...
The power of solidarity: Two perspectives on building labour power
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Labour Congress Larry Rousseau, and Hamilton and District Labour Council President Anthony Marco on solidarit...
An interview with Susan Swackhammer, former first vice-president of ETFO
09 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
An interview with one of the key figures in ETFO's history, former ETFO First Vice-President Susan Swackhammer.
Organizing for solidarity and success: A panel discussion on organizing
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Four local leaders share organizing success stories. Speakers included President of the Kawartha Pine Ridge Occasional Teacher Local President Jen Dec...
ETFO President Karen Brown's opening address to the 2023 ETFO Annual Meeting
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
ETFO President Karen Brown's opening address to ETFO Annual Meeting 2023 Transcript: Transcript: Hello colleagues, and welcome to ETFO's 2023 Annual...
Building inclusive spaces for 2SLGBTQ+ students and families
24 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Two ETFO members, Barry Van Dompseler and Dr. Melissa Sky, on how teachers and education workers can work to create supportive, inclusive environments...
Special Episode: Press Conference on the ETFO all-member violence survey
17 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
May 15, 2023, the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario held a press conference to announce the results of its all-member survey on violence. You...
Teacher professional judgement in assessment: Essential for student learning
05 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On today's episode, we are talking with two experts in assessment, Dr. Arlo Kempf and Kenisha Bynoe, about why teacher professional judgement, in part...
Environmentalism from grades 2 to 12
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Three students in grades 6, 8, and 12 talk about they started working to protect the planet, and how Elementary education has given them the tools the...
Representation Matters: The positive effect of having Black educators in schools
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A grade eight student activist, the executive director of the Toronto Youth Cabinet, and the founder of the Simcoe chapter of Parents Against Racism d...
Privatization Creep: How privatization affects public schools in Ontario and Canada
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A new book called Unequal Benefits: Privatization and Public Education looks at some of the ways that privatization is creeping into public education ...
Classroom Resource on Who Are The Inuit: A Conversation with Qauyisaq Etitiq
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Inuit have often been described as resilient, strong, and innovative. In this podcast, a conversation about an ETFO resource that provides context and...
Fighting Back and Winning Under Ford 2.0: A panel discussion
20 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the wake of the labour movement's victory over Bill 28, which would have used the notwithstanding clause to override the right to collective bargai...
Black Excellence: A Panel from the Generation Black - You're Next! Symposium
06 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Four speakers address Black Excellence at the Generation Black: You're Next! Symposium. Tyrone Russell is an occasional teacher, Pierrette Walker-Enni...
Talking About Workplace Violence
25 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What is workplace violence? And what is its impact in schools? Our panelists are Lisa Dunbar, an ETFO member who supports teachers, education workers,...
Bargaining, Step-by-Step
09 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
ETFO General Secretary Sharon O'Halloran and Deputy General Secretary Lisa Mastrobuono take us through the collective bargaining process in the educat...
Jennifer Holness on Blackness, beauty, and her documentary Subjects of Desire
02 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Producer and director Jennifer Holness on her documentary Subjects of Desire, which deconstructs what we understand about race and the power behind be...
How does ETFO select its bargaining goals?
20 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ahead of each round of collective bargaining, ETFO establishes a list of bargaining goals that will act as a compass for the federation during negotia...
A short history of the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act with labour lawyer Howard Goldblatt
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Special feature on collective bargaining: Labour lawyer Howard Goldblatt provides a short history of the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act, whic...
Educating on Climate Change and Environmental Racism
09 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Panel discussion with JoAnne Formanek-Gustafson, Sarah Lowes, and Jaqueline L. Scott on a curriculum resource to build allyship and community involve...
Schools, Austerity, and Privatization in the Pandemic Era
30 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A new report from the Ontario Teachers' Federation follows the path of the decisions made by the Ford government on education during the COVID-19 pand...
ETFO President Karen Brown's Speech to the Political Action Conference
29 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
ETFO President Karen Brown started off the April 28 ETFO Political Action Conference with a call to action. Here is her speech.
Backpack Full of Cash: The privatization of public education
10 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Leading up to the Ontario provincial election, an interview with filmmakers Sarah Mondale and Vera Aronow about their film on the privatization of pub...
Possibilities: Addressing Poverty in Elementary Schools
08 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
An interview about the newly revised ETFO book Possibilities: Addressing Poverty in Elementary Schools, with co-writer Charmain Brown.
Interview with ETFO President Karen Brown
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
ETFO President Karen Brown has been an advocate for strong public education in our province for many years. In this episode, an interview with Preside...