TEACHER MAN, TEACHER MS.

Wow! What an amazing hour and a half . . . with Miss Kenny’s Grade 5 class at Annie L. Gaetz School. Now there’s a master teacher at work with a super talented group of young people.  I played the “Names, Faces and Places” game so I got to know everyone and then shared an […]

    (Too busy presenting to have a picture from my session but I did learn a bit about hoop dancing at the Friday evening entertainment session) I had the pleasure to present a session at the annual Toastmasters conference in early May. Here are the responses I  received: District 99 Toastmasters Conference Saskatoon, Saskatchewan […]

I have recently returned to the world of professional development days and teachers’ conventions. Hmmmm – didn’t realize how much I’ve missed them. If you’re looking for some tried and true ideas, please get in touch.  I always ask for immediate feedback at my sessions. Here’s what I received after my hour and a quarter […]

I’ve been out of the classroom (the school classroom not the classroom of life) for 15 years. About a year and a half ago, I returned to wonderful world of Toastmasters–and was reminded on numerous occasions of the power of “story.” Sooooo, I’m dusting off some of my time-tested exercises from my days teaching Upper […]

ON OCTOBER 13, 2018, I HAD AN INTERVIEW WITH GREG GAZIN FOR HIS TOASTCASTER PODCAST. I TOLD HIM I’D RE-POST MY EXPLANATION OF HOW TO USE MY 3I-RACER PLOT OUTLINE. HERE IT IS: Trying to get students to see things in the mind’s eye has always been one of my goals.  Visualizing allows me to […]

Check out this link https://jockmackenzie.wordpress.com/the-mackenzie-middle-years-alphabet/ This page is under reconstruction but it’s a great concept. The videos still work but my email address (as noted at the end of the overview iMovie is now mackenzie.jock@gmail.com. I’ve also designed a booklet to go along with the alphabet – always looking to make thi […]

Hi Language Arts/English teachers everywhere. It’s been just over 10 years since Pembroke Publishers of Markham, Ontario published my book Essay Writing – Teaching the Basics from the Ground Up. I am currently working with the publisher to regain my copyright to the print and eBook editions. The only hiccup is that I need to purchase […]

Tuesday, November 14 It was a “National Loosen Up, Lighten Up Day” themed session at Sunrise Toastmasters. Jock’s speech was titled “A Road Trip” and was Speech #7 (Research Your Topic). He described a journey down a road less travelled from Red Deer to Lake Louise. Kendra’s speech was titled “Ayurveda: What It Is And How […]

In March, I returned to Toastmasters; I joined the Sunrise Toastmasters Club. They meet every Tuesday at 7:00 a.m. It’s a great group and I am thoroughly enjoying my return after over 30 years away. I will record my progress and my content for those who may care to follow along. My second speech is on […]

One of the easiest ways to get students excited about poetry is to share the best (in this case, a personal favourite: The Cremation of Sam McGee) and then have them write new words. Here’s my attempt:  There Are Strange Things Done On the Golf Course, Son By Jock Mackenzie   There are strange things […]