Week four of my field placement challenged me to focus on the inclusive practices that were honoured in the Kindergarten class and through the entire school community at Saint Michael Community School.
In the Kindergarten classroom, diversity can be seen through a variety of race among the students. Moreover, the class include kids from four to six year old and they are all at different stages of learning. Some students can rapidly recognize the numbers, the letters, and clearly write their names without looking at some stones they have with their names print, while other students are still struggling and need extra help in certain activities. Some students seem to learn faster throughout visual or auditory practices, while others are kinesthetic learners and this can be clearly reflect in Phys. Ed class. Just as there is diversity in this classroom, there is also diversity in the other grades at school. However, I noticed there is not much diversity among the staff members as they all seem to be white Canadians. Also, there is not much gender diversity among staff members, I have only seen female teachers around the school.
Mrs. Chappel incorporates dolls that reflect all different skin colors in the play area and I think this honours inclusiveness since it creates an atmosphere accepting of difference, ensuring everybody feel represented and included. At Kindergarten level, it is crucial that the teacher starts honouring inclusive practices and design a classroom atmosphere that is accommodating to everybody. Moreover, Mrs Chappel students have been focusing in reconciliation this year, they have been learning about the 7 teachings, in which an Elder comes in once a month and discusses one teaching. Also, each classroom at the school is in charge of doing prayers for that teaching at assemblies for the month in the mornings. This is another way of honouring inclusiveness since the class has a wide variety of aboriginal students. Mrs Chappel values teamwork and during group activities she tries to place students according to their level of learning and pair students in a way that everybody gets the chance to work with everybody.