"Educators respect and value the history of First Nations, Inuit and Métis in Canada and the impact of the past on the present and the future. Educators contribute towards truth, reconciliation and healing. Educators foster a deeper understanding of ways of knowing and being, histories, and cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Métis."
Evidence 1
As an educator it is so important to understand that the history of First Nations, Inuit and Métis in Canada has had an immense impact on the past, present, and future. Over the course of the past five year in this program, I have deepened my understanding and awareness of the history and how it has caused intergenerational trauma for Indigenous people in Canada. I am still on a journey of understanding truth and reconciliation as well as examining my own biases, and I will be for my entire life because there is always new knowledge and perspective to gain. To refine my understanding of the First People's Principles of Learning, I conducted an inquiry project in which I dove into each of the seven principles and connected them to the curriculum, then pulled out the perspectives and worldview to understand meaning, and then came up with strategies that could be used to incorporate the principles into a classroom. Through this inquiry I was able to foster a deep and rich understanding of Indigenous ways of knowing, being, histories and cultures, as well as ways to bring them into the classroom.
Evidence 2
One of the Indigenous ways of knowing that calls to me the most is the idea of connectedness. When I think of teaching I always come back to the same idea, which is the idea that creating a safe and positive learning environment is my biggest priority. I find that the most effective way to create such an environment is by fostering connections between my students and themselves, their peers, their families, myself and nature. I was lucky enough to be welcomed into a french immersion, kindergarten, outdoor education class for my practicum last spring. Every morning after we took the attendance, the students would put on their outdoor gear, grab their outdoor kits, and walk out to the forest at the edge of the school field. All the students would put their bags around the same tree everyday, then we would sit in a circle and do our daily check-in where students would get a chance to say how they were feeling. After we all checked-in I would read the class a story that had some sort of connection to nature and we would learn new French vocabulary from the book. Once we finished the book we would have a short debrief, and then students would play in the forest until it was snack. Having this routine every morning really made students feel a sense of safety and wellness because they were connected to themselves, their peers, myself, and nature. After participating in this for five weeks, I gained a deep understanding of the power of connectedness which I plan on applying to my teaching practice.