How Canadian and Chinese teachers' reciprocal learning can benefit students

Working to understand and appreciate differences between western and Chinese approaches to education could contribute to the cross-cultural understanding we need to address global crises. (Shutterstock)

What makes a good elementary teacher, and how can teaching systems support this?

Ontario has a generalist teaching model at the elementary level, meaning elementary teachers have a foundational understanding of most subjects. A 2014 report commissioned by the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario noted there was “increasing pressure on public elementary teachers to be generalist practitioners in all areas of a highly specialized and progressively complex elementary curriculum.”