Professional Development Minutes

Happy 2026. Let's hope it's the year of social connection, honesty, lasting relationships, and kindness.  Photo credit: here  

When the chair is too big, make the chair fit you. Pictured above, me @ Kew Beach in Toronto, Ontario 

Did we evolve from fish?  Prosanta Chakrabarty provides a new theory of evolution. 

It's time for the annual, end of year reflection.  Questions: 1) Name one thing you learned this year. 2) Identify what you struggled with.  3) Who impacted your life positively this year? Call or text them and let them know.  Photo credit: here

I know the feeling of a "blue Christmas". I'm experiencing that feeling today. I hope you have a safe and happy holiday!  Photo Credit: Freepik

My research has been referenced in John Drew's (2025) book chapter, " Beyond Literary Anthropocentrism ". Super cool.

Talking about municipal solid waste is probably most controversial during the holidays. This is because  to recognize it would take a bite out of the holidays. It would mean  pulling back the layers of gift wrap and exposing the dirty side of the holiday industry.  In my latest article,  “ Trash Dialogues for the Holidays: 9 Activities that Promote A Sustainable Holiday Season "  I challenge readers to disrupt their holiday traditions.  Included with this article are  fun discussion prompts and holiday games. 

Do you enjoy making homemade gingerbread cookies during the holiday season? Making gingerbread cookies is my annual tradition. Bake along with me! Try these recipes:  Healthy gingerbread cookies  The ultimate healthy gingerbread cookies   Simple and Easy Low Sugar Gingerbread Cookies

My article, " Wasted Planet " was read over a 100 times this past year. My readers were from all over the world, including but not limited to New Zealand, Philippines, Poland, Spain, Pakistan, Ireland, Germany, and Vietnam. Thank you to everyone who supported this work.  Photo credit: Freepik

Why is everyone talking about magnesium?

Have you tried mindfulness meditation? Calm provides a 10-minute guided mindfulness meditation exercise. It may help you relieve tension and stress. 

coming back from seeing william lyon mackenzie king  we stopped by a grocery store to buy a box of triscuits we stood in the aisle  half an hour or more debating which box to buy  eventually I gave in, and you chose  cracked pepper and olive oil  we rushed home and spread tomato sauce   basil and cheddar cheese  on top of the whole wheat wafers  hot from the oven  you looked so happy eating your  bite-sized savory snack  but  i don't eat triscuits anymore partly because they are too salty  and partly because i don't want  to be reminded of anything you liked. 

Santa Claus is commonly portrayed in children's books and films as wearing a beard.  But did you know that beards can hide skin cancer?  Maybe Santa should ditch the facial hair and start shaving!  Photo credit: Freepik

Perhaps one of the most well-known and iconic symbols in this photo is the shopping cart. Invented in the 1930s by an American grocery store owner, the shopping cart was designed to help customers consume -- to carry items from stock shelves to store checkouts. In the photo below, the shopping cart serves as a reminder of how consumption leads to waste. melissa  fockler  (b. 1984) ghost shopper ,   2024 Photograph 

I read a lot of books and academic articles. What about you? How to put your phone down and get back into habit of reading books

How much do you know about lemmings?

Food for thought:  'They respond to vibrations': does talking to plants actually help them grow?

I spent October at the cottage. Every night, I watched the beaver swim.   

How do you introduce yourself to potential employers? 

I live in a place where there are more vehicles than trees:  developmental planning gone wrong. 

This man will listen to you talk about anything, and he won't charge a dime

How can you support prosocial behaviors in your classroom? 

'Vicious compliance': Alberta premier decries Edmonton Public Schools' banned book list

melissa fockler  (b. 1984) If this chair could walk , 2024 Photograph

 Work-life balance - is it a dream or reality?

Professor Brooks suggests that boredom is necessary. 

How might 'ground rules' help support better interactions between teachers and students?

-  New find reveals grim truth of colonial Belgium’s ‘human zoos’ -  The Other: The Harmful Legacy of Human Zoos

A pop singer and football player announced their engagement this past week . The news broke the internet. There are even events around Toronto to celebrate the upcoming nuptials . Does this make sense? Shouldn't we be focusing on what really matters? The world is in pain. There is social disconnection, war, violence, hatred, mass environmental destruction. Yesterday, there was another school shooting .  Love affairs of the rich and famous are not important. We can't let them distract us from the real work.

melissa fockler  (b. 1984)     Tired , 2024 Photograph

30 High Protein Snacks That Are Healthy and Portable

Life is full of ups and downs. Your challenge is to find humor in challenging moments. 

‘Pray for rain’: wildfires in Canada are now burning where they never used to  

Watch the video below to learn more about Guelph's human trafficking awareness campaign. 

Prince Ea argues that the school system is failing students. Do you agree? And what changes would you propose?

' Never settle!’ Breakup lessons straight from the streets of Toronto

I hope you're having a relaxing long weekend! Self-portrait  Photo taken August 4, 2025

"Don't worry about failure, you only have to be right once." - Drew Houston 

Peer-reviewed studies from the American Psychological Association: In brief: Climate change apathy, cooperation on the decline, and more research

Don't throw out your old bicycle! Give it a second life.  Donate it to Markham Cycles  or to a bicycle recycling program in your area.  Photo credit: here

UN's top court says failing to protect planet from climate change could violate international law

The Privilege and Power of Peer Review: Advancing Science With Integrity, Vigilance and Fairness

Tony Robbins offers some helpful advice on how to create change in your life. 

A Wrinkled Heart by   Hoexter explores the meaning of 'care' and caring for others. 

Climate and environment updates: Warmest Junes on record all occurred within the past 3 years

Want to maintain your bicycle, so it is road safe? Check out the following video for some helpful advice.

"At some point in life the world's beauty becomes enough."   - Toni Morrison

I’m happy to announce the publication of my latest, peer-reviewed article: “ Wasted Planet: How Educators Can Introduce the Epic Trash Crisis ”. This article is published by the Journal of Sustainability Education.  Waste education tends to be about recycling, reducing, and reusing. In this article, I expand on waste education. I introduce what I am calling, ‘Trash Dialogues’. These dialogues encourage broader conversations of waste, to think about how our everyday garbage is an economic, geopolitical, ethical, environmental, and socio-cultural issue, tied to environmental racism and waste colonialism. This article is intended for K-12 and post-secondary educators. Want to read more of my published work? Visit the link below:  https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Melissa_Fockler/research

melissa fockler  (b. 1984)       Illegal dumping in a sustainable place , 2024 Photograph  

In this podcast, Dr. David Orr discusses sustainability education. Guiding question: Can universities become hubs to respond to social and environmental crises? 

I planted these wildflowers two years ago. Finally, they have bloomed!  Did you know that wildflowers take 2 to 3 years to bloom? The lesson here: patience brings good things.  Want to know more about wild gardens? Check out the article, " Why planting wildflowers makes a difference " by  Nunez (2021).  Pictured above - My wild garden 

1 ripe banana  1/4 cup all natural peanut butter  1 tbsp maple syrup  1 cup oats  1/3 cup chocolate chips (or dark chocolate in small pieces) 1/3 cup unsalted peanuts  Spread cookie dough into a greased cake pan (8 x 8) and later cut into squares.  Cook time: Roughly 15 minutes @ 375 degrees 

Visit the produce section of your local grocery store. Pick a fruit or vegetable that you are unfamiliar with and learn about it. Some guiding questions:  Where does this fruit or vegetable come from? How does it grow?  What nutrients does it contain?  How do you eat it?  Make a meal or snack using this fruit or vegetable. Share what you discovered. Post a comment below!  Bonus challenge:  Name  this delicious fruit. Photo credit: here

I had such a peaceful afternoon. Spending time in nature is like spending time with an old friend - you feel comforted, loved, and there is no judgement.  A photo from my travels June 7, 2025

'I've never seen anything like it': Sask. premier says thousands more may need to evacuate in coming days

I feel like it's the end of time: no dinosaurs  but between the volcanoes earthquakes  wild fires tsunamis   and asteroids humanity destroys  what's left. 

"One's got to change the system, or one changes nothing."  - George Orwell 

Historical restoration is popular.  But is it sustainable?  

The cities stripping out concrete for earth and plants

"Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you." - Mary Lou Retton 

I feel like I'm stepping into poison ivy I'm uncomfortable but there is no turning back now: somethings are better said. 

30 must-read books to learn about the Indigenous experience in North America

"You don't have to be positive all the time. It's perfectly okay to feel sad, angry, annoyed, frustrated, scared, or anxious. Having feelings doesn't make you a 'negative person'. It makes you human." - Lori Deschene 

Don't romanticize love  or education: Both will break your heart. 

This article outlines the dangers of  dating apps and trusting too easily.  ‘I don’t date at all now’: one woman’s journey into the darkest corners of the manosphere

Let's get philosophical. This week, I'm posting a video about Plato's classic cave allegory. Guiding question: How do we break free from the cave?  Plato's Allegory of the Cave  

 ‘Don’t ask what AI can do for us, ask what it is doing to us’: are ChatGPT and co harming human intelligence?

Celebrate Earth day by pledging to reduce your consumption and waste!  Photo credit: here

Dr. Brown explains that vulnerability is connected to authenticity, care, kindness, creativity, joy, happiness. 

The R.M.S. Titanic is the most famous ship of all time. Check out the new podcast, Titanic: Ship of Dreams . Photo credit: here

Dr. Wendy Suzuki talks about the science of exercise.   

Hello, I'm a realist.

Does anyone else find this troubling?  Bill Gates: Within 10 years, AI will replace many doctors and teachers—humans won’t be needed ‘for most things’

This week, I'm sharing Dr. David Suzuki's lecture, "On Being Part of Nature". As Suzuki explains, we all need to be environmentalists. 

Essential reading:  Binge Drinking Isn’t Lucky: Sobering St. Patrick’s Day Statistics 2024 Photo credit: here

Question: When good things happen in your life, who do you run to? Who do you want to celebrate with? 

"When you finally accept that it's OK not to have answers and it's OK not to be perfect, you realize that feeling confused is a normal part of what it is to be a human being." - Winona Ryder 

I've been "missing in action" lately. My friends are worried. They have been calling. It's nice to know that someone cares about me.  Photo credit: here

Tonight, I'm listening to a podcast on empathy. The argument is that empathy is declining. Neoliberalism has a big role in its demise. Listen along with me, here : 

" If you think you are too small to make a difference, you haven't spent a night with a mosquito. " —African Proverb.

The best thing about Super Bowl Sunday is Puppy Bowl . 

Photo credit: here

Last year, Bergan et al. published  Higher Education Leadership for Democracy, Sustainability and Social Justice . I recently listened to the webinar - where authors involved with this project came together to talk about their contributions. You can listen here:

Question: How is your week going?   What did you learn? How are you feeling?  Photo credit: here

"As a body everyone is single, as a soul never." - Hermann Hesse 

Trying to remain  optimistic  optimistic  optimistic:  if I say it three times fast maybe it will come true.  

Let's talk New Year's Resolutions. What's yours? Share below.   Photo credit: here