I believe in truth and reconciliation. I will educate students on the history of Indigenous people, highlighting on the injustices that occurred and how that affects Indigenous families today. I will help my students to understand the impact Residential Schools has had on families in our community today. Students must realize, the past is something we cannot be ashamed of, we must deal with and fix the problems our ancestors created. I will not let truth and reconciliation be the ‘bag of puppies’ that no one wants to deal with.
I believe in centering Indigenous Voices in my classroom. Inviting local elders, storytellers, knowledge keepers, and dancers into my classroom is an important part of my pedagogical philosophy. I will encourage students to speak to Indigenous leaders and lead by example. I will look for recommendations on literature to display in our school. I will make sure my classroom to make it inclusive and educational for all my students.
I believe in relationships. I will develop relationships with my Indigenous students. I will develop relationships with Indigenous parents. I will seek out prominent Indigenous members in our community. When appropriate, I will lean on these families to gain additional knowledge on Indigenous ceremonies, gatherings, music, dance, etc..
I believe in empathy not sympathy. I will empathize with my students both Indigenous and Non-Indigenous. I will lower my standard for any child. I will empathize, I will try to develop a relationship and I will try to understand what students are going through but I will continue to believe they can strive for excellence. I will keep my standards as high and encourage these students to overcome any barriers they may face and excel.
I believe in education. I will continue to attend Professional Development days such as Treaty Ed Camp, SMYA, etc. I will also continue to educate myself personally and spend time with the many Indigenous leaders I have met in my community this year. Understanding the diverse Indigenous community will impact how I include Indigenous perspectives in my classroom.