Small Snips of my responses to how I would implement different ways of knowing, safe inclusive spaces, and reconciliation.

In a classroom space of my own, I want to be aware of how all differences could affect kids including economic status, ethnicity, and gender. I hope my students would always feel comfortable correcting me, to know that I am not above them as a person just because I’m a teacher.

Having a safe positive space for students will hopefully allow for trust and connections to grow, that way it does feel more like a community, rather than just a classroom. I believe another major part of a healthy community is recognizing and celebrating diversity, to make room for different ways of knowing, so that all students feel represented and respected in the classroom. Overall I just want to ensure every single student feels seen, valued, and celebrated in my future classroom space. 

I want to emphasize that I value flexibility in the classroom and making the space adapt for the student’s needs.

I would appreciate opportunities to hear the stories of more people; to form connections with Indigenous peoples. By forming connections I will be able to collaborate with Indigenous people and have them play an active role in the education of future students. Given that Canada is founded on Indigenous lands, we as teachers need to be acknowledging and respecting the Indigenous peoples and their culture. Overall reconciliation to me is about having conversations, forming relationships, opening education to different ways of knowing, and giving Indigenous peoples platforms to share their experiences.