TFS - Canada's International School

A CULTURE OF TEACHING COLLABORATIVELY While teaching can be a solitary profession, with educators working behind closed classroom doors, the culture at TFS is intentionally different. Collaboration is embedded in the school's approach, creating an environment where no teacher works in isolation. Whether it's through co- teaching, interdisciplinary projects or regular department training and planning sessions, teachers at TFS are constantly exchanging ideas, supporting one another and learning together. This spirit not only enhances teaching practices, but also fosters a strong sense of camaraderie and shared purpose among colleagues. "Collaboration is very important to us," explains Jennifer Elliott, Director of Teaching and Learning and IB Diploma Coordinator. "We know that all of our teachers have something positive to contribute and are also open to learning from one another. Our unique approach allows each teacher to add to the collective in their own way." Floriane Habran was new to teaching when she arrived in Toronto to join the TFS faculty. She graduated in June 2023 and a few months later found herself at the front of a Grade 5 classroom. She came from France, eager to learn from more experienced colleagues and ready to adopt the TFS pedagogical style. "Because I hadn't yet taught anywhere else, it was easy for me to pick up the TFS way of doing things. I was excited to learn more about the IB curriculum and ready TEACHING WITH A GLOBAL MINDSET "Our internationalism is extraordinary," says teacher Jonathan Mott-Trille. "Our teachers come from everywhere and they bring their own unique culture as well as their perspectives and languages to the classroom. That combination fosters a sense of openness and understanding that benefits our students for the rest of their lives." Grade 5 English teacher Emil Kowalewski had an internationally focused teaching journey prior to joining TFS. After completing teacher's college in Canada, Kowalewski spent five years abroad—two years teaching English at a private school in South Korea, followed by three years at a primary school in the UK. Born in Poland and raised in Southern Ontario, Kowalewski returned to Toronto after his time overseas and was glad to find a position open at TFS. He says he appreciates the dynamic nature of teaching English in a French- language school. While English is allotted to one or two periods a day, the reality is far more cross-curricular. "Language learning is reinforced across subjects and students regularly transfer skills between English and French, sometimes even applying them across a third or fourth language," he says. Collaboration is central to Kowalewski's experience at TFS. He works closely with both French and English colleagues to align units and reinforce concepts across disciplines. Though the departments are distinct, the approach is integrated, with joint planning and a shared understanding of learning goals. to apply what I'd learned in school to my own classroom." Technology integration was something she was passionate about and she captured her students' attention with an interactive smart board that she used to bring lessons to life. "The students love it," she says. "There's so much you can do with technology to enhance learning." Arriving new to teaching and new to TFS' approach might seem intimidating at first, but the onboarding process is thorough and designed to ensure a seamless transition. It runs for a week every August prior to the start of the new school year. "Our new staff come together a week earlier than the other teachers and we focus on different aspects of the TFS experience, including logistics, teaching and learning," says Jean-Bastien Urfels, Deputy Head of School and Principal of the Senior School. "We work on a rotational basis helping staff learn about the three streams of teaching we have here. For example, teachers from France are given a first sense of the IB philosophy along with the requirements of the Ontario curriculum, teachers from Ontario are taught about the French curriculum along with IB, and IB-trained teachers are given training in both the French and Ontario curricula." The training that begins during this period is just the start and continues throughout the first few years of a teacher's tenure at TFS. "As with most of our professional development, this work is done collaboratively in-house and we bring in educators when needed." A Collaborative Professional Development (PD) day session for teachers in June 2025 20 ENTRE NOUS

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