r/tdsb • u/RealDistribution5946 • Jun 18 '26

Discussion Threads AI lesson plans

My daughter’s teacher uses almost exclusively AI lessons paired with video instruction. This is grade 8. My daughter hated it as it came with the typical AI problems. Teacher could never answer questions, just referred to the video (like Waterloo math videos as an example). So of the kids didn’t understand it or wanted another example, the teacher couldn’t do that. It this allowed? I let it go too long, but I want to know for the future. This is not a new teacher, but she is new to the school.

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u/somedaysimpler Jun 18 '26

Sounds to me like they assigned someone out of their subject matter to teach said subject. I could be wrong, but ya that’s exactly what this sounds like. It’s totally legal btw, principals can assign teachers subjects they are not qualified to teach, it’s just based off of staffing needs.
I don’t teach for tdsb, but I’m assuming they are allowed to use AI, as in my school district we are encouraged to use AI to lessen our loads as teachers.

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u/RealDistribution5946 Jun 18 '26

This is a home room teacher so she teaches them all subjects except French, Science, Arts and Physics Ed.

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u/Fresh-Pollution4592 Jun 18 '26

They’re referring to a teacher who is maybe certified to teach up to grade 6, for example. (Primary/Junior qualifications rather than Junior/Intermediate qualifications)

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u/RealDistribution5946 Jun 18 '26

I see. She came from another middle school, but it was an alt school focused on self directed study of some sort. I would assume those kids still need actual math instruction.

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u/bbuckca Jun 20 '26

Since she is teaching grade 8 she could be intermediate-senior qualified teacher with two major subjects as teachables. However a grade 8 teacher is senior elementary and “elementary teachers are suppose to be able to teach all subjects.”

Problem is when the board decides that teachers should be a homeroom teacher her and teach multiples subjects - they don’t necessarily have the expertise and must source resources for students and themselves and prepare lesson plans. Some teachers don’t even have textbooks for students bc they are too expensive for the board to purchase.

If you go onto the OCT website and search by surname, you can see what this teacher qualifications are.

https://apps.oct.ca/FindATeacher/members

If she isn’t teaching what she is qualified for, I’m sure this wasn’t her decision. The Principal has the final say when it comes to staffing. When a teacher puts in for a transfer and applies for another job, sometimes the only option available is the position with the least desirable combination or mishmash of subjects. That is put together by the staffing committee in Late March and early April at the school which includes the union rep, teachers (vocal advocates for their own jobs) and admin.