Focus Question 1: Teachers, Knowledge, Building Relationships: Invitation and Hospitality
Throughout my high school experience, the most prominent example of a teacher accommodating the needs of students and incorporating unorthodox teaching methods, would be my high school catholic studies teacher, Mrs. Murray. Mrs. Murray is the current Chaplin of Michael A. Riffel Catholic High School. When I was in High school she taught Grade ten and eleven catholic studies and would consistently take her classes on field trips or to presentations to better engage us in the course material being taught. The most vivid memory I have of being in her class was when she arranged a field trip to visit a First Nations sweat lodge. Throughout my student career, Indigenous history and course material has been taught. Unfortunately, I was never truly able to retain the information or fully process the importance of what I was learning. However, my experience of participating in the seat lodge ceremony allowed me to understand the significance of the first nation culture, their relationship towards the land, and their connection to the spirit world. I felt that being able to experience the sweat lodge helped me to apply my knowledge to the real world, which, in turn, allowed me to better understand a culture outside my own. Mrs. Murray also incorporated a lot of students led class discussions. These discussions allowed the students to express their opinions without fear of judgement. Thus, the classroom became a safe environment to express our feelings and thoughts while learning sensitive topics or topics that are considered controversial. I think that teachers can create a more hospitable educational environment through encouraging class discussion and student opinion as they move through class material. Thus, students would feel more inclined to participate and share their individual experiences, which would create a closer relationship with the student and promote a healthy student teacher dynamic. Every student wants to feel heard and encouraging this type of sharing and participation with achieve that goal.
Focus Question 2: Students & Learning Environment: Focus on places, spaces, and boundaries
The classrooms that I was exposed to always had a more traditional set up. The teacher was always at the front of the classroom writing notes or equations on the white board, while the students sat in rows of desks with a pen in hand and notebook laying open on the desk. This dynamic never really changed and stayed consistent throughout both elementary school and high school. The instructor at the front of the classroom was to be respected and sometimes feared. While the students were to be obedient and attentive to the teachers every word. These expectations did not really allow for much student-to-student conversations or engagement. I felt as though it was not my place as a student to engage with my peers as it would distract me from my studies. This space made me feel as though I was walking on glass. I was afraid to exist in the space as I feared the consequences of disobedient behaviors such as talking in class. I also felt that I would sound unintelligent asking a question about one of the assignments in fear of the teacher’s judgment. I think an effective way of creating comfortability in the classroom would be letting the students assign their own seating. This would allow for the student to sit next to people they are more familiar with and could create an environment where there is less judgment when it comes to asking questions. If students are surrounded by people, they can confide in they might be more comfortable asking their peers questions regarding the assignments or course materials. Feeling alone in the classroom can cause one to push their learning aside to accommodate the rest of the class but giving them a choice to change this by allowing them the freedom to take control of their learning might change this.
Focus Question 3: Truth & Reconciliation
I started learning about Canadian Indigenous history in grade four, but the narrative did not change as I my education progressed. The textbooks always went through the treaties, the creation of turtle island, the medicine wheel and Canadian settlers took advantage of the Indigenous people’s kindness. Recently, there has been a lot more attention in the media regarding Indigenous issues. This rise in information has allowed for more opportunities to learn and educate ourselves. For example, the grave of 215 residential school children found in BC, brought a large amount of media attention. This highlighted to atrocities that occurred at the residential school and promoted Indigenous survivors to speak about their experiences being abused and forced to assimilate into western society. I also took an indigenous studies course last semester which delved into current and past issues regarding the treatment of Indigenous peoples by the Canadian government. I feel that when we are exposed to shocking information it inspires us to learn more about the past to prevent it from happening in the future. The booklet outlined the impact of troubling issues such as residential schools, reconciliation, fake apologies issued by the Canadian government and so much more. What resonated with me the most was the “we are sorry, they said” portion of the booklet because it emphasized the fact that we still have so much work to do regarding reconciliation. We cannot just simply sweep things under the rug; we must face the consequences of our action and better ourselves through education. I would like to learn more about murdered and Indigenous women as this topic is often overlooked in the grand scheme of things. My call-to-action would be to participate in Indigenous culture as much as possible to better understand their perspectives and better educate myself.