Focus Question 1: Teachers, Knowledge, Building Relationships: Invitation and Hospitality
Using your own educational experiences to date, how did you see teachers honoring different ways of knowing and doing in the classroom? In what ways did teachers build a sense of community in the classroom? In what ways can teachers build hospitable and invitational educational environments and relationships with all students?
Teachers build a strong sense of community through providing structure in and outside of the classroom. It is especially important for young kids to feel safe and have a fun learning environment. Daily activities are something my teachers would do every morning and it builds the trust and sense of community in a classroom. Upon entering the classroom, the teacher would stand at the door and ask every student as they walked in how they were doing today. This was one of the things that personally made me feel better, because if I were to say I was having a bad day, they would always reinsure me that it will get better. They build so many strong relationships just through those little morning check ins. They would also write a message up on the board and have us read it together every morning. The message would give the student the plan for the day and little things to look forward to. One of the things that built a strong sense of community was establishing rules or doing a classroom contract. This way children got to partake and share what they think are good classroom rules and what a safe and welcoming classroom would look like to them. Teachers also build a strong sense of community by involving everyone and by knowing everyone is different and diverse. I remember as a kid we would do a little Christmas celebration, but we would also talk and learn about the different holidays and have a little celebration. Elementary school kids tend to be more open and wear their emotions on their sleeve, so doing check ins with them and letting them share events from their life is very important. You have to let them share events from their day, because the little things excite them. When it comes to kids in high school, they are more reserved and keep things to themselves. I feel like teachers have to form a bond with older kids so they know someone is there for them and they can trust them. Teachers have to communicate with each other so they know how to accommodate each students needs. Every student learns different, and by teachers communicating they can better understand how that student will succeed in their class. Teachers also have to be creative in the process, not everything will come to them simply, so they have to find new and different ways.
Focus Question 2: Students & Learning Environment: Focus on places, spaces, and boundaries
Using your own educational experiences, what did the learning environment look like? Describe and draw a sketch of what your classrooms looked like as you went through the grades. How did your classroom space indicate power relationships in your classrooms? Did the space in your classrooms provide you with opportunities to engage with all students in your classrooms? How did this space make you feel? What could teachers do to make classroom spaces more relational?
In my experience the teacher would typically have their desk at the back of the classroom. Although the teacher’s desk was at the back, they would typically spend most of their time at the front of the classroom sitting on a stool while teaching. This way, they were still mainly in front of the students until they had to go mark something at their desk, but the kids knew that the teacher was providing them with time to work and not time to act around. The teacher would always make it known that they can change the classroom seating assignment at any minute if someone is not behaving. Students knew they can be trusted by the teacher if the teacher were to seat them by their friends. The teacher would also indicate power when they walked up and down the isle of desks while the kids were working. The space in the classroom provided some opportunity, but was very restricted. You could really only talk to those that were seated around you, you couldn’t get up and walk over to someone’s desk to talk. Group projects were the only time when students got to engage with one another and go wherever in the classroom. It made me feel restricted and that some classrooms were strictly just for leaning no fun was involved. I think allowing students to make their own seating plan is a big part of making the classroom more relational. As long as the teacher tells the students that it is a privilege and they must act good in order to stay where they decided to sit, the classroom usually runs smoothly because no kid wants to be moved away from their friends. Also allowing students ideas into the classroom makes it more relational and more of a safe space.
Focus Question 3: Truth & Reconciliation Core Questions
Describe what you learned in your K-12 education about Indigenous history in Canada. What have you learned as an adult through media, family, friends and other learning experiences? As you read through the TRC booklet-Truth & Reconciliation: What is it about? What messages resonate with you? What do you need and want to learn more about?
In elementary school, we never talked about anything more than briefly discussing residential schools. We would watch the same orange shirt day video for all 8 years of elementary school, but I was always wanting to learn more. In grade 9 we finally started to dive deeper and I really got an understanding for everything the Indigenous people have endured over the years. We continued learning more throughout high school, but grade 12 is when all the information hit me the hardest. We had 2 elders and many other Indigenous people come into the classroom and share their personal experiences with their family members being sent off to residential school, and the lasting impacts it left with their family. Many of them shared that it is not something they like to discuss, and if they do, it just passes down the trauma. Recently over the past year, I have gained a lot of information from the news especially since the discovery of all the unmarked graves and all the bodies found. I feel like it really opened everyone’s eyes, and lead to a lot of discussions within my family and friend groups. As I read through the TRC booklet I can across a quote on page 5 that said “Canadians had to face the truth to stop denying what happened”. That quote really stood out to me because us as Canadians can not ignore what happened in the past, we must come forward and face the truth and own our mistakes. Another thing that really stood out to me from the TRC booklet was a message from the CTF president to all teachers, it says “I need to learn, listen, and talk to dispel stereotypes and myths”. That is such a true statement and we as future teachers and all current teachers need to follow that. I want to learn everything I can so when I become a teacher, I will be able to educate my students from a young age.