Not me. But I wrote something for those who are: my top six tips for starting the school year. I took into account the new Ministry of Ed. policy on attendance and participation.
Check out my article on the OHASSTA website.
If you don’t know OHASSTA, it’s the Ontario History, Humanities and Social Science Teachers Association. They do great work!
Here’s my amazing last class! We went out to the field for my “goodbye” speech. Thanks Mr. P for the photo!
Updated August 25, 2026
Hello to anyone who uses my blog for world history teaching materials. Some of the links may not work for a while as my TDSB account has been terminated now that I have retired. I hope to have access again at some point and start reorganizing. [I started August 2026 on the first two units of CHW3M].
Thanks for your patience. I promise I won’t stop maintaining my World History blog in order to help teachers and share my reflections on a meaningful career.
Thanks, please also feel free to check out some of my other content such as book reviews.
Risa
If you are interested in taking history at York Mills, you have come to the right place. History is a very valuable subject; it’s not about memorizing factoids and dates. It’s about thinking, interpreting, discussing, and inquiring. The skills you gain in senior history courses will help you with any education path you choose because you will always need to THINK!
Grade 10 history (CHC2D), Canada Since 1914, is a mandatory course. It explores events and themes in our country’s history since World World War One. This course is also offered for French Immersion students (CHC2D5).
In grade 11, you can choose between American History (CHA3U) or World History (CHW3M) to the 16th Century. Speak to Mr. Chang about American History.
You can search on this website (Ms. Gluskin’s blog) under the CHW3M tab to see what the course is like. And, read on.
Here are some materials for you to decide if grade 11 World History (ancient civilizations) is for you:
Grade 12 World History starts in 1450, where the grade 11 course finishes. However, grade 11 history is not a prerequisite for grade 12 history.
You can search this website (Ms. G’s blog) under the CHY4U tab to see what this interesting course is like.
Here’s what two of Ms. Gluskin’s former students have to say about taking World History at YM (by the way, one of these wonderful people is a lawyer in and the other was a business consultant and is now working in education administration).
If you would like to ask questions to Ms. Gluskin about World History at YM, she can usually be found in the guidance office.
See you at Course Fair on Wed. February 11, 2026 in room 137.
Don’t forget about all of YM’s senior (gr 11 + 12) courses in the Canadian and World Studies area.
The best CHY4U class! It was an honour and a pleasure to teach this incredible group of young people! I will miss you all.
Ms. G
Ever since my whole school live Zoom presentation on September 30, the first annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, I have said that I wanted to continue the conversation.
I have not lived up to that as well as I wanted. I’m working on it.
One thing I’d like to share is the “Save the Evidence” campaign from the Woodland Cultural Centre, home to the former Mohawk Institute Indian Residential School.
We know as historians how important primary source evidence is. That’s what the school building represents. People need to see it to appreciate its significance in the history of residential schools that Canadians are learning more about.
When I first drove up that driveway and saw that imposing colonial-style building, I felt uneasy. After learning more about the place known sadly known to students as the “mush hole”, I felt pretty sick. There is nothing child-friendly about it.
When our group visited Woodland Cultural Centre, we had the privilege of hearing survivor Geronimo Henry speak about his 11-year ordeal at the Mohawk Institute. He had a number of items with him – primary sources – including this letter that his mother sent the school to enroll him in 1942. Please note that Geronimo gave permission for me to take this photo.
We must always remember that history is about real people. Geronimo Henry, now in his 80s, speaks passionately about his experiences to educate the public about the impacts of residential schools.
Watch this short clip from Sept. 30 at the Mohawk Institute.
We must all keep learning and speaking out.
It’s not a good idea to go in person right now, but please check out the Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration in Montgomery, Alabama.
Equal Justice Initiative, founded by lawyer Bryan Stevenson, whom you may have heard of from the documentary “True Justice” or the movie “Just Mercy” based on his 2014 memoir, has created this museum dedicated to educating people about how the remnants of slavery can be seen in the violence of lynching, segregation and mass imprisonment.
‘Segregation posters are on display at the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Ala. “The great evil of American slavery wasn’t involuntary servitude,” Stevenson says. “It was this idea, this narrative, that black people aren’t as good as white people.”‘ (Source: https://www.npr.org/2020/01/20/796234496/just-mercy-attorney-asks-u-s-to-reckon-with-its-racist-past-and-present)
There’s also the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, America’s first memorial to the thousands of lynching victims throughout its history.
We had some fun times – the trial was the best memory for me. Never made it to pizza. Best of luck, everyone.
Ms. G
What do we do in grade 12 history? Check out this video. And see you at Course Fair in February.
Hello everyone! Welcome to my CHY4U class, whether you’re a new student, or familiar with me. I’m really looking forward to a good semester; this will be my second time around with my revised version of grade 12 World History. It’s very different from grade 11 – be prepared for a very different style. If you’re new, the course will hopefully make you realize the incredible horizons of history!
First Activity
If you scroll through my blog you’ll notice that I like to write book reviews. I would like you to write either a book review, a movie review, a documentary review, a YouTube review, a website review, or a tv show review. The one catch is that it has to have something to do with HISTORY! Any time period, not necessarily just 1450-present (the time frame for CHY4U).
Also, please reveal something of yourself in your review: what do you like when it comes to history and reading/viewing? What makes it appealing (or not) to you? What did it make you think about? What did you learn from it?
Length: a good paragraph at least – it doesn’t have to be as long as some of my reviews.
Send It To Me
My email is risa@cabal.org or risa.gluskin@tdsb.on.ca. Please send your review by Friday Sept. 8.
Here are some photos from the last few days of school. Thanks for a great semester!
