Biography
Michael Reist is a teacher with over 27 years of experience in the classroom. He is currently head of the English Department at Robert F. Hall Catholic Secondary School in Caledon East. He is a frequent speaker to local parent groups and education conferences where his workshops on bullying and how boys and girls learn differently have drawn large crowds and enthusiastic responses. Michael is the author of “The Dysfunctional School: Uncomfortable Truths and Awkward Insights on School, Learning and Teaching.” He has written numerous articles on education, spirituality and parenting for such publications as The Ottawa Citizen, Professionally Speaking, The Catholic Register, Catholic New Times, Companion, Words of Life, Education Today and Catholic Insight. Michael has travelled extensively throughout Ontario under the sponsorship of OECTA (The Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association), presenting a professional development course to teachers entitled “Replacing the Hard Drive: New Ways of Being a Teacher.” He taught a course in the Continuing Education Department of St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto entitled “Re-Thinking School: Radical Theories of Education.” He is a founder of The Beach School, a democratic free school in Toronto. He lives in Caledon East with his wife and four children.