Focus Question 1: Teachers, Knowledge, Building Relationships: Invitation and Hospitality

The types of knowledge and relationships that exist in the education system form the basis of many student’s willingness to learn. Within the classroom, teachers can choose their own ways of knowing and doing, but some of the more common practices to me include object-based knowing, which dealt with things such as experiments and hands-on learning activities where the teacher would teach and the students would simply listen. I had many teachers that relied on memorization as a way for us to learn, which did not give us the opportunity to share our ideas in order to learn from, and with, each other. In my experiences, teachers have also honoured the relational way of knowing by allowing all students to have a discussion amongst themselves and with the teacher when it came to certain topics. Teachers that I have had in the past built a sense of community through things such as group activities and interactions that were incorporated into our learning. The new students were always welcomed by being introduced to everyone and the teacher would encourage us to work together to reach our goals. There have been multiple situations in my educational experiences where my teachers have found ways of connecting with the students and ensuring that all students feel welcomed. Teachers can create educational environments that are invitational to all students by displaying their priory of wanting to help the students achieve their very best. They should create a very cheerful and stimulating environment. The relationships formed between the teachers and students are important in order for students to feel a sense of belonging. It is important for the teachers to connect with the students by learning about their interests in order to form a closer relationship with them, which shows they care about them. The teachers can also form relationships with the students by always listening to them and their opinions, being that this demonstrates a very trusting environment.

Focus Question 2: Students and Learning Environment: Focus on Places, Spaces, and Boundaries

I have gotten the opportunity to experience many different types of learning environments throughout my years in school, whether they be positive or negative, being that each of my classrooms had a unique layout. The type of classroom I had growing up often reflected the teacher’s personality and the rooms contained a lot of learning resources. There were normally a lot of inspirational posters on the walls that encouraged learning, as well as posters to assist us in learning certain subjects. There were multiple classrooms that were cluttered and chaotic during my elementary years, but as I moved up in grades, they became more organized. The student’s desks were always being changed around, meaning sometimes we were seated in rows and other times we were in groups. The teacher’s desk was normally positioned at the front of the room, which could indicate their power over the students, but I also had many classrooms where the teacher positioned themselves at the back or along the side. As I grew up, I found that there was an equal representation of power among the students and teachers, being that the teachers often let us have a say in things such as assignment details and the ways of learning that would work best for us. The classroom space usually provided us with opportunities to engage with all students, being that the classrooms were fairly small and we were seated in ways that allowed for group discussions with classmates. I often felt comfortable and knowledgeable in the classroom space since many of my teachers made an effort to create a learning environment that encouraged students to be themselves while learning. There were a few times where we were seated with our desks in a circle so that all students were facing each other. I find that this type of seating is a way that teachers could make the classroom more relational and interactive, being that this allows everyone to connect in order to form relationships within their learning.