In Chapter 7, Examples from English Literature, Against Common Sense, the following ideas are presented:

• The selection of literature presented to students over the course of their education can have a massive influence on their understanding of the world and society

• The questions we ask; the way we ask those questions; significantly impact our students and the development of their thinking.

• “ ‘Multicultural’ literature is not inherently anti-oppressive: It can reinforce stereotypes if teachers fail to ask questions about how students are reading them”. -Kumashiro, p. 75

How has my upbringing and schooling shaped how I “read the world” What biases and lenses do I bring into the classroom? How might we unlearn/work against these biases?

When were we given “single stories?”

In my French Immersion schooling, I was given the opportunity to learn a different language. Immediately, this provides a widened perspective of the world – allowing for students to use brainpower to think, act and speak in two different languages. My scope of the language world was broadened to show me that languages were structured differently, expressions were different, words were different, grammar was different. At an early age, I believed that language was one of the influences that shape culture, and I found myself fascinated by that. I would observe differences in the Francophone and English groups in my community and be struck by the differences (as well as the beauty) in their unique (and similar still, in other ways) expressions.

What I observed in school was that there was a subgroup of Indigenous children, who attended the same school, but with who we had only occasional interactions. This was the “English stream” of the school: these kids were often poor, many came from difficult backgrounds living affected by intergenerational trauma impacts) and seemed disconnected from the rest of the school. “They seemed disconnected” is what I said – but it was us who were disconnected from history, from the truth. All of the stories of the people, their lands, and their connections. Displacement and change. There were essentially two worlds, two societies, two streams  – within the same school, the same building.

We were given little knowledge of them. We were invited to cultural events sometimes, which we attended. But we did not learn the full history of Indigenous people in the North. I remember feeling disconnected and confused sometimes, not knowing where we were meant to fit in these ceremonies. Most of us coming from a place of privilege did not know about the stories of suffering (and movements towards healing) that must have been whispered in those places.

I wish we could have read Indigenous literature, talked about the heroes, the resilience, the beauty and the strength. The language and the culture. Instead, we were left in the dark – eyes covered – “don’t go there” – while the disconnect caused us all to continue to suffer.

-Dani

Leroy Little Bear gives some illustrative examples of how mathematics is approached through the Inuit lens:

-Language (Inuktitut, English, German) affects the learning of numbers

-Base 20 system is followed

-Counting is less important

-Inuktitut as traditionally an oral language affects students the experience of the written word, includes numbers, and written math equations

-Measurements by fingers, rather than rulers 

-Calendar months by different animal, plant and season shifts. Slightly different every year. -Affected by the environment.

Leroy Little Bear states that colonialism “tries to maintain singular social order by means of force and law, suppressing the diversity of human worldviews.”

“Typically this proposition creates oppression and discrimination….-”

In elementary and high school, I learned math in French. I think this was a privilege – to learn math in another language. And to have the opportunity for formal education is a privilege too. Many of us do not realize how lucky we are just to be learning every day. While many underprivileged groups endure their daily fights against hunger, abuse, oppression, others are fortunate just to have seats in the classroom with bellies full of food, parents with good jobs, peace in their home life, warm, clean clothes to wear, and very little “big stressors” to worry about.

When basic needs are met, life is different: Our brains are primed for a different kind of learning. 

Truthfully, my childhood education experience was coated in layers of seemingly unbeatable stress – the kind that seems impossible to change – and that, to my dismay, even at the time, was in my awareness that the stress was interfering significantly with my learning.

Grade 10, 11, 12 math is incredibly challenging. Our French Immersion math teacher in high school was incredible. She was passionate about mathematics and cared greatly about passing along her knowledge to others. She worked hard to help every student understand complex math concepts. There are, however, the greater barriers to learning, the ones that feel too big for us as children. These are the barriers that exist in the unspeakable spaces: because to give voice to it would be to risk breaking ourselves. Only the traumatized know the fear, the sting, the caution, the risk….of being unheard.

So better to sit through math class. Try our best to focus. But using a brain that has been primed to dissociate wants the opposite of math learning. It wants to be free to run loops, to find creative outs, rather than the structured focus of the math. Or at least, I did.

Painful for me was the reality that I had the capacity to excel at math. I had the smarts, but I couldn’t bring myself to keep my attention on my schoolwork and learning. I would find myself focusing politely for the minimum expected duration. We would then move on to individual work time, and I would distract others, goofing off and avoiding the work. I hated my own pain and suffering more than I loved math.

Truthfully, I felt deeply bothered that I could not be present in class, knowing I was losing out on important learning opportunities, but telling myself “I will figure it out later” Later, I learned, that would be much more difficult than I ever could have thought, and that in fact, it was my traumatized brain that was preventing me from learning.

I believe it is beyond the scope of most math teachers, to support kids whose brains have been overtaken by traumatic hooks, and whose focus is at best, fragile. Our teachers are spread thin, giving every moment of time to each student, helping them to break down concepts, and helping them understand to the best of their ability. They are not meant to be counsellors, or social workers, or family therapists: But what enormous expectations we may place on them. They themselves also cannot fix the fabric of society, a culture that created or contributed to the difficulties students face. They are trying to teach math, but truthfully, they will bump up against so much more. So many other painful truths, maybe invisible at times, but sometimes brought forth by attempts to follow the pathways of instruction for mathematics curriculum learning.

Expanding on our learning, we watched a YouTube video, featuring Eddie Woo (Mathematics is the sense you never knew you had). What I liked is how he showed that there is math in everything. Math is everywhere.

And what underlies this is more common connections. Such as the work of Bishop (1988), who recognizes six different domains of mathematics that seem to be found in all cultures:

-Counting

-Localization

-Measuring

-Design

-Games

-Explanation

In future education work, I am interested in reading studies on how students’ brains are impacted by trauma. Specifically, how are mathematical learning centers affected by trauma?

My brain’s curiosity goes to the six domains described by Bishop. I can’t help but wonder if these common mathematical processes are used in the experiences of children living through ongoing situations of complex post-traumatic stress in their upbringings. For example, in homes of violence, how many times do children “count” the reactions of their stressed-out parents? In what ways are complex mathematical calculations used to predict future trauma? Once this pattern of thinking has been established in the mind, brain and psyche of traumatized children – how might these pathways be inadvertently reactivated by the learning of similar math processes in school? And could the unknowing reactivation of these pathways by educators (without acknowledgement of the hidden history) actually cause a further stress response in children that may affect their learning?

I hypothesize that traumatized children may learn math differently (as well as other subjects), and the lack of understanding of this contributes to a type of systematic oppression that we are only just beginning to learn about. 

Clearly, there is so much to learn and explore – from the depths of particular math approaches – such as Inuit mathematics – understanding commonalities and patterns in mathematical thinking – and exploring layers of hidden oppression. What a journey!

References:

Louise Poirier (2007). Teaching mathematics and the Inuit community, Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 7(1). p. 53-67.

Alan Bishop (1988). Educational Studies in MathematicsVol. 19, No. 2, Mathematics Education and Culture (May, 1988), pp. 179-191

Dwayne Donald

Dwayne Donald, gets to the heart of important reconciliation challenges in his talk “On What Terms Can We Speak?”  

He points to the relational issues between indigenous people and non-indigenous, or what he refers to as “Canadian-Canadians.” He says there is a disconnect: That there are two frames of reference and they do not quite match up. He said this comes from the legacy of colonialism. Colonialism, he says, is ultimately an extended process of denying relationship.

He says that we need to look at the history of relationship, rather than just teaching timelines. His words “because how we think of relationships affects how we take it up in the classroom” struck me.

“How we think about relationship affects how we take it up in the classroom” – These are words for me to sit with, and live some time to let the reflections pour over me.

I felt moved by his presentation and felt compelled to seek out more of his work, which I plan to do. I also felt compelled to watch this talk over and over again.

Claire Kreuger

Claire Kreuger provides a fantastic introduction to educators to inform perspectives from a white-settler perspective, as an Indigenous-supporting educator. Raising two nieces who are Indigenous helps to inform her perspective on issues of racism, social issues, micro- and macro-aggressions in the school system. She sees the need for better listening, more time spent understanding, and more social, and emotional support for Indigenous students, and more care for all. I was pleased with the resources I found here, including her blog, and will continue to access them in the future.

Cynthia Chambers

“We Are All Treaty People” – What a well-written article! Understanding histories and all of the ways that they intersect is a necessary path to moving forward. So much history, and so many connections, have been left out of colonial school systems and curriculum. We are all affected by Treaty. For me the work is doing more to trace my own historical path, to map out the ways my history has intersected with Indigenous history, learn more about the layers and complexities of Indigenous people and their history, and weave this into both story and curriculum development work in the future.

Teaching students about history is somehow both complicated and simple. We are there to teach facts. But we don’t always know all of the facts. The facts can somehow be complicated for all kinds of different reasons.
Ideally, teachers learn to hold space for themselves, as well as students. To be not only compassionate and supportive of one another, but to be informed as well. In the context of Treaty Education, this means ensuring that all students are given connections to Indigenous history and present, because of the reality of its role in bringing Canada into its current shape. The here and now. Where we all are. Where we all strive to be. In the present, informed, connected, compassionate, proactive and respectful. Holding space for all of the stories and history. Making decisions from a place of informed equity.

In my future classroom, I imagine:

-Place-Based Pedagogy

-Incorporating First Nations Culture and Values

-Use of images to showcase our First Nations people, art, public ceremonies, elders and practices

-Inviting people in to share, and teach; create connections

-Nature in the classroom: real nature items and elements

Sense of Place

Supporting our students in asking and answering the following questions:

-Who am I?

-Where did I come from?

-Where are we going?

-Use of maps in the classroom

-Use of and connection to local resources

-Field trips to the community to learn and explore