Invitation and Hospitality

For as long as I can remember, the atmosphere is each one of my classrooms has been amazing, each teacher had their own unique way of making each and every student feel valued, loved, and accepted. One specific example I can remember is from my grade 12 year. At the beginning of the year, my English teacher had us make posters about who we were as a person, but on a deeper level. It was such a great assignment because it allowed for my classmates to get to know each other on a more intimate level. This was a special way of not only getting to know my classmates on a closer level but also to understand more cultures and the way these cultures live their lives. In my elementary years the teachers made a fun learning community by always incorporating fun activities that could involve everyone. Another example is in my elementary years when most teachers would have a special way of welcoming their students into the classroom each morning, for example instead of saying “hello”, they would say “Hola” or “bonjour” as a way of celebrating different cultures. These are also special ways to recognize, accept and celebrate many different cultures and backgrounds which therefore makes the classroom inviting and hospitable, especially for students who have immigrated to Canada. Teachers can also create a sense of community by involving and accepting every child for the way they are and what they bring to the classroom and honouring those aspects while applying it to their teaching. For example, in my future classes I would like to teach for numbers 1-10 in Cree to honour the Indigenous culture. There are many ways that educators can honour and celebrate different cultures, this is important as it will lead to a more open and accepting upcoming generations.