Focus Question 1: Teachers, Knowledge, Building Relationships: Invitation and Hospitality
There are a variety of ways a teacher can honour unique methods of knowing and doing at school. I was lucky that many teachers I had adapted their spaces as well as their general teaching practices to support their student’s success.
Small things like having different areas to do schoolwork always helped me because when I could get up and take breaks, I found myself most focused and relaxed. I also loved the classes that had bean bag chairs, regular desks, tables to work in groups, and taller surfaces so I could choose how I was positioned. The flexibility allowed me to happily decide where to study, and also move around if I felt like I needed a change in scenery. When my teachers gave us the space to decide how and where we learned, we began to feel a little sense of control in our life and in turn, were far more motivated to learn.
Another, small but impactful thing my teachers did to be hospitable was recognize that classroom anxiety was growing for many of us. I thrived in the classes where teachers showed their support for whatever I needed. Sometimes that meant providing physical tools to fidget with to calm me down in high-stress moments. Other times it meant not calling on me to talk in front of everyone without a heads up. I felt very safe with teachers that acknowledged that I wasn’t alone, and I built phenomenal relationships with those that would reach out and show genuine curiosity in my wellbeing. A student’s mental state can drastically influence how they feel at school, so it’s crucial for a teacher to break down that stigma that needing help is wrong. Once fear is replaced with mutual trust, a sense of community in the classroom starts to be built.
Teachers have so much flexibility when it comes to building hospitable, genuine relationships with their students. Something as simple as asking “how are you really doing?” can make all the difference in a student’s behaviour and success at school. When a teacher creates a space, both physically and emotionally, that is inclusive, safe, and fun, it builds warmth and a welcoming feeling for their students. It shows students, that their needs are important, and no matter what, they will be accepted for who they are. I think it ultimately comes down to the love for your students and love for helping them be their best versions. If that isn’t there, students will not feel safe to be themselves.
Focus Question 2: Students & Learning Environment: Focus on places, spaces, and boundaries
Throughout my 13 years of school, one classroom in particular stands out to me, as that was the class I felt most powerless in The space was limited as it felt like the boundaries were always closing in on our classroom. My grade 6 room was on the second floor of Christ the King Roman Catholic School.
As you walked inside, lockers covered the entire back wall. Immediately in front of you were individual desks, lined up evenly and labelled with a seating plan. That was because my teacher needed to keep her eye on the troublemakers, who usually sat right next to her desk at the front left side of the class. Directly in the middle of the front wall was our white board, which we would spend hours looking at, copying notes word for word in cursive.
This classroom made me feel isolated. Aside from the teacher’s big ole’ desk at the front, indicating she was in fact superior than every one of us, there was no space to engage with my classmates. Lined up row by row, we spent 8 hours a day looking at the back of one another’s heads, unable to converse without punishment. It was almost like the classroom was empty, because as soon as each student stepped inside, we were like robots who weren’t wired to communicate with each other. Perhaps we just had rowdy students, but I truly feel like my teacher didn’t even try to give us an opportunity to connect.
Something so simple like grouping our desks together would’ve changed everything. Or, forgetting the seating chart and allowing us to go near our friends. After all, if we are surrounded by people we care about, we’re likely to have a far more positive experience in any given environment. I think our teacher and the school as a whole was so caught up in powering through the curriculum and achieving even higher standards each year, that they forgot we were human. They put success on paper, ahead of our wellbeing and it really is still an experience that continues to influence my behaviours to this day. Fortunately, I later discovered what it felt like to be loved at school, and that is what will ultimately determine how I teach in my classroom one day.
Focus Question 3: Indigenization
I have a very unique experience when it comes to Indigenous education. Growing up at a Roman Catholic Church had me completely oblivious of what was real and what was only the perspective of white colonizers. For the first 6 years of school, I was taught that Indigenous people savages- that they were disgusting, dirty beings who had absolutely no place in modern society. It wasn’t until grades 9-12, that I actually learnt the history about them in North America, and how the Canadian Government continues to fail them year after year.
Now as an adult with an active presence in the media, I have learned more information than I would’ve ever imagined in grades 1-6. The recent uproar of human rights media, specifically regarding the discoveries of unmarked graves at residential schools as well as the astronomical number of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, has helped hold myself accountable and ensure that I am doing what I can to share Truth. I will admit, I am disappointed in myself that it took this long to invest myself in real reconciliation and collaboration regarding Aboriginal Peoples, but now I know I am doing my best to share what I’ve learned with as many as I can, to produce real change.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was created through a legal settlement between Residential Schools Survivors, the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit representatives and the parties responsible for creation and operation of the schools: the federal government and the church bodies. It’s most significant doing was releasing the 94 Calls to Action in 2015. This report explains and mandates some actions the government can implement to share Truth about real Canadian history and the abundance of wrongdoings that have occurred. As of right now, less than half of these calls have been deemed successful or completed. The unfortunate piece that seems to resonate with me is the repeated denial of the Pope and the Catholic Church to apologize for creating such a place that was Indian Residential Schools. I wish I had the power to influence The Church and their behavior, so more progress could be made towards genuine reconciliation. For now, I will continue to learn about the past, shed light on Indigenous people whose story wasn’t told the way it should’ve been, and share Truth on my platform, as much as I can, no matter the size of the audience.