There are many goals that I have plan to set for my future teaching career. We talked about some of these plans briefly in previous classes, and now that I have gained this new knowledge throughout this class, I feel I have taken the necessary first steps to implementing these plans. The overall goal I want to be able to accomplish is to make my classroom as safe as possible for all students. I stated this in my critical teaching manifesto, but I wanted to reiterate how crucial this is for me as a teacher. The specific goals I plan to set are as follows:
- Promote education for decolonization; truth and reconciliation
I feel that this can achieved through simply implementing Treaty Education in everyone of my classrooms. I could also do this by normalizing Treaty acknowledgments every class. I would also think that it is very beneficial to successful utilize the knowledge of elders. Either by receiving information from them about this topic, or simply getting them to come into my class as a guest speaker. Lastly, we need to be able to normalize exploring different cultures in the classroom.
- Exercising a gender friendly classroom
Very similar to my above paragraph, we need to be educated on this topic. We need to bring this information to every classroom in order to bring awareness to the topic at hand. I also feel as though, if we do these things, it will make students feel comfortable enough to talk about this topic.
- Be able to recognize neurodiversity and differing abilities
This is a huge issue that I have seen in classrooms throughout my entire life. We have to make the students aware that everyone is unique in their own personal way. Some kids are better at some things, and not others. We need to make sure that they know there is nothing wrong with this. This needs to be reinforced in classrooms in order to make sure that students can learn at the most effective rate possible. As teachers, we also need to have the ability to adapt lessons in order to make sure everyone has an equal playing field.