Category: EDUC 393

Muddling My Ways of Knowing and Being

Sara McManus

School of Education, University of Northern British Columbia
EDUC 393: Foundations of Education
Melanie Baerg, M.Ed. – Lecturer
October 11, 2021

It is funny how inspiration works, isn’t it? I woke up on Monday, October 5, 2021, and thought to myself, I have no idea what to write about for my cross-curricular reflective writing. Yet, by the end of that evening’s class, I felt the jigsaw puzzle finally come together. A classmate’s statement sparked a ripple of thoughts bringing together seemingly unrelated concepts from the past two weeks of instructions. The puzzle that formed is a blurred watercolour of Indigenous trauma and the false histories of Canada, which are muddling my ways of knowing and being. Working through my emotional realizations as I learn and recognizing my strengths will be a powerful tool moving forward in my journey to becoming an Educator.

The spark began with Andrea Sturt’s comment regarding Aboriginal Education history during her presentation on key insights from Ch 3 A Historical Overview of Education in Canada (Robson, 2013), where she noted that some of the Teacher Candidates were still in high school when the last Residential School closed in Canada (Sturt, 2021). The same line of thinking had previously crossed my mind during the EDUC 390 class on September 22, 2021 (Baerg, Observational Practicum, 2021), in the timeline activity on the Indigenous history in Canada: The impact of settler colonialism, when I highlighted the year “1996 The last residential school closes” (BCTF Aboriginal Education Program, n.d.). I was able to connect to how Residential School survivors could be anyone older than thirty because I graduated in 1996. Moving forward, I must remember that students could be direct children of survivors, are likely to be grandchildren of survivors, and at a minimum have a relation that went to Residential School.

Some of my best friends in school were Indigenous. Tragically, one of those friends died while I was in my early twenties. My reflection has caused me great sorrow because I had never considered that his Indigeneity had contributed to his death. Residential schools had existed in Canada for over one hundred years; that is potentially four generations of broken families and lost trust in the education system. Intergenerational trauma is a term used to help describe the impact of Residential Schools on these families, and perhaps how I could label my friend’s addictions and criminal activities leading to his death. However, on Wednesday, October 6, 2021, the significantly stronger word “genocide” was not lightly used during the EDUC 446 class in a heated discussion on classroom similarities when two Teacher Candidates stated they felt triggered as grandchildren of Residential School survivors. (Veldhoen, 2021). With heightened emotions from classes and reflections, a floodgate of twenty years’ grief opened and prompted me to reconnect with an Indigenous friend, who works as a Youth Care Worker in Aboriginal Education, to apologize for my ignorance, and to dive deeply into my role as an Educator moving forward. In hindsight, I am left to ponder to what extent my friend’s life and death may have been subconsciously pulling me to teach in an alternate high school setting.

Another deeply resonating moment that weaves between courses was from the EDUC 390 class on September 22, 2021 (Baerg, Observational Practicum, 2021), when I highlighted “1922 The RCMP seizes over 600 objects in a “potlatch” raid at Alert Bay, on Vancouver Island and divides the spoils between the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, and the National Museum in Ottawa (Monet et al.) Some of the participants are jailed” (BCTF Aboriginal Education Program, n.d.). I was immediately angered because I had visited the Royal Ontario Museum during my honeymoon. I remember seeing the displays of Indigenous peoples of Canada and took in every piece of history displayed in the wholesome light it was presented. Now knowing how those artifacts came to be, creates another stain on the nation that I love. The more I learn, the more lost I feel in continuing to be the Canadian that I have been my entire life. The seventh BC Educator’s Standard involves engaging lifelong professional learning (BC Teachers’ Council, 2019).  Nevertheless, I have a looming sense that I will have much more relearning to do than I had initially thought. Coming into the program, I knew that I would need to learn on the fly throughout my career, i.e., an intermediate lesson on Greek Mythology. However, I did not anticipate the need to reflect on what I have always known and believed to be true, which may now be considered in my mind a false history.

From the age of seven, I have made a promise to do my duty to the Queen. When I explain what this means to children in my scouting group, I say that the Queen is the highest authority in Canada and that they are promising to be law-abiding citizens. It has never bothered me before, but now an internal conflict grows because of our colonialist history, and I want to become a stronger Indigenous ally as an Educator. However, I cannot simply undo my loyalty to the Queen, nor can I promote law-breaking citizens.  How do I find a new equilibrium? I cannot unlearn or be ignorant moving forward.  I am beginning to understand the depth of how the balance will only come through a true immersion of myself in what may be sometimes painful learning and reflection, so I can truly fulfill my duty of BC Educators Standard #9:

“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 (BC Teachers’ Council, 2019).

My reflections have allowed me to contemplate further my teaching philosophies and the climate of my future classroom. I suspect that although I would not pick Social Reconstructionism as my primary philosophy, it may be partially a natural consequence of today’s evolving curriculum and my aspiration to be an inclusive Educator. The EDUC 393 lecture on September 27, 2021, on worldviews allowed me to recognize some of the Indigenous ways of teaching that I am already utilizing in my classrooms (Baerg, Foundations of Education, 2021). Identifying the practices that I am already doing has lightened a heavy burden of learning and adjustments to my ways of knowing and being. My past two years teaching at McNaughton Centre have been an incredible experience utilizing the Circle of Courage and the Resiliency Code, as Dr. Martin Broken Leg described in his video First Nations Principles of Learning (Brokenleg, 2015).

My final reflection is from the Flight of the Hummingbird; I will need to do this all one drop at a time (Yahgulanaas, 2013). A little by a little, I will face the histories, I will relearn what is uncovered as time proceeds, and I will accept that my ways of knowing and being will continue to be challenged for me to become the best version of myself, the future Educator of new Canadian citizens. I will also take the time to remind myself that it is not all new; some parts come naturally to me, and there are many that I have been learning to do in recent years.  I must be thankful for the tools I already have.

 

References

Baerg, M. (2021, September 27). EDUC 393 – Foundations of Education. Indigenous Philosophies: BC FN and beyond [Lecture]. South-Central Campus, Quesnel, BC, Canada: University of Northern British Columbia, School of Education.

Baerg, M. (2021, October 05). EDUC 393 – Foundations of Education. Historical and Sociological underpinnings of the Canadian education system [Lecture]. South-Central Campus, Quesnel, BC, Canada: University of Northern British Columbia, School of Education.

Baerg, M. (2021, September 22). Observational Practicum. [Lecture]. South-Central Campus, Quesnel, BC, Canada: University of Northern British Columbia, School of Education.

BC Teachers’ Council. (2019, June 19). Professional Standards for BC Educators. [PDF]. Retrieved October 09, 2021, from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assests/gov/educations/kindergarten-to-grade-12/teach/teacher-regulation/standards-for-educatiors/edu_standards.pdf

BCTF Aboriginal Education Program. (n.d.). Gladys We Never Knew: The life of a child in a BC Indian Residential School. Indigenous history in Canada: The impact of settler colonialism, p. 7. Retrieved from https://www.bctf.ca/classroom-resources/details/gladys-we-never-knew

BCTF Aboriginal Education Program. (n.d.). Project of Heart – Illuminating the hidden history of Indian Residential Schools in BC. Timeline History of Aboriginal Peoples in British Columbia, p. 2. Retrieved from https://www.bctf.ca/classroom-resources/details/project-of-heart

Brokenleg, M. (2015, October 26). First Nations Principles of Learning. [Video}. Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PgrfCVCt_A

Robson, K. L. (2013). Sociology of Education in Canada. Toronto, Canada: Pearson Canada Inc. Retrieved from https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/robsonsoced/chapter/__unknown__-3/

Sturt, A. (2021, October 04). EDUC 393 – Foundations of Education. [Class Presentation]. South-Central Campus, Quesnel, BC, Canada: University of Northern British Columbia, School of Education.

Veldhoen, K. (2021, October 06). Aboriginal & Indigenous Education: Epistemologies. [Lecture]. Zoom, BC, Canada: University of Northern British Columbia, School of Education.

Yahgulanaas, M. N. (2013, April 08). Flight of the Hummingbird – Haida Manga. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naj6zZakgEg

 

 

 

 

Two weeks of “Teacher School” after Two Years of Teaching

 

Sara McManus
School of Education, University of Northern British Columbia
EDUC 393: Foundations of Education
Melanie Baerg, M. Ed. – Lecturer
September 24, 2021

My unplanned return to university at the age of fourty-three has already been an eye-opening experience! I have been teaching for the past two years as a non-certified teacher on letters of permission at the alternate high school. Last spring, the students began to pout and ask why I “had to go to teacher school?” I can see in their faces that my return for their first two weeks this year has brought them relief. To those students, I am qualified, just as much as any other teacher they have ever known. They do not understand why I needed to become certified. However, they are still my cheerleaders. For myself, my guilt about leaving them is relieved with every passing moment as a Teacher Candidate. I am already able to recognize that my knowledge base and skills are growing exponentially. During this first two-week period, a few concepts have started to resonate with me on a deeper level. The first stemmed from a discussion in EDUC 393 regarding teachers sharing their social media with students; the second from a simple sentence near the beginning of the Changing Educational Paradigms video by Sir Ken Robinson; and the third from our class lecture and quick write on educational philosophies. In reflection on these three thought-provoking classroom experiences, I have already started to think about how I could have done things differently in the past and what I can do better in the future.

During our Foundations of Education lecture on September 13, 2021, Instructor Melanie Baerg noted that her policy was not to add students to her social media accounts until after their graduation. I immediately thought to myself: I wonder if I would ever be convinced to do the same? I had not hesitated to accept the first student who added me to their Snap Chat. At that time, I was still earning trust in the school, and my student was asking for a connection. By the time Covid hit, I was the only teacher who could track down missing students, as they would not respond to phone calls. Still, I could reach them through their social media accounts within a matter of minutes. Coincidentally, this movement of a new generation who responds better to text messages due to increased anxiety was discussed in our September 20, 2021, EDUC 393 lecture on the Professional Standards for BC Educators. During this class, the second standard regarding how Educators need to “act ethically and maintain the integrity, credibility, and reputation of the profession” prompted me to reflect even more on my social media content and connection with students. I honestly do feel comfortable sharing my life with my students. It is one of my vehicles of connection, and I am confident that I will continue to do so for several reasons. However, thinking about my future as an Elementary Educator, I could easily develop a personal policy for younger students, not because they may see something inappropriate on my social media accounts, but because of why they would be asking. I think that if a primary or intermediate student is trying to make a connection with me outside of school there might be a reason; and therefore, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep a closer eye and build a stronger connection in school.

Before entering the world of education as a Teacher Teaching on Call, I had various positions in many industries. One of my largest challenges in the past two years has been getting used to the word “no.”  I have never encountered so many people that move at a snail’s pace, don’t reply to emails, and say, “that’s not my job.” I have needed to remind myself to bite my tongue and that I am a newcomer to this world almost daily. When our EDUC 393 class watched Sir Ken Robinson’s Changing Educational Paradigms, and he said, “…the problem is they’re trying to meet the future by doing what they did in the past,” I thought – that’s it! They can’t say yes because they are stuck in the past. The past is easier. They have already learned from yesterday’s mistakes. Changing something that is functioning, albeit not always efficiently, is better than reinventing the wheel. I feel very critical and harsh writing about these feelings because I love the team, I have worked with over the past two years, but it is genuinely how I feel. I hope that I will be able to work with forward, open-minded peers who are willing to listen to new ideas in the future. In the meantime, I also hope to learn more about why things are the way they are to understand better the ridged positions I have encountered.

The reading, lecture, and activity on Educational Philosophies on September 20, 2021, allowed me to reflect on my philosophies and styles briefly. Regarding the Ontological Frameworks of Philosophy, I found myself stuck between what I consider old and new, perhaps a blend of Realism with Existentialism. In the online text of Foundations of Education Chapter 5.2, I was drawn to the closing Realism sentence, “Students demonstrate content mastery of these skills through critical observation and applied experiments,” and the Existentialist statement, “Existentialists have difficulty positioning students as objects to be measured, tracked, or standardized” (SUNY Oneonta Education Department., n.d.). I believe that people need to practice to master, but I also think that testing places students in unrealistic situations to measure their learning accurately.

From Chapter 5.3, I discovered that I could see a blend of my teaching style in Essentialism, Perennialism, and Progressivism. I have most certainly led many teacher-centered lessons and classes in a lecture style. I believe that they are effective in some situations, with some learners. However, I am aware that there is likely a student or two⁺ in my class who does not appreciate lectures. I try to connect with them wherever possible. (This happens regularly in my scout group!)  I wholeheartedly agree that students need to be well-rounded in their subject areas and should experience a wide variety of different education throughout their lifetime. I also agree that student-centered activities are necessary; even more so, I practice youth-led leadership through democracy and often have classes choose the direction of units or lessons. I believe that their interest in what they are learning is crucial.

All-in-all it has been a hectic yet amazing two weeks for me. I have learned so much already. I chose the word “eager” in our first introduction, and I would say I am still eager for the adventure ahead. If I could change only one thing, it would be that we have at least a bit of the weekend to work on these reflective writing assignments. Friday night deadlines are extremely tough, with my scout’s meeting on that night. The weekends are going to be the time where I can focus on my learning. I found the process of trying to squeeze in my reflection in the short hour and a half between work and class and then staying up late writing a heavy task. It was not unmanageable, just significant. I’m confident I will figure out a new balance soon. We are constantly adjusting to something new; some things are just bigger than others.

 

References

 

Baerg, M. (2021, 09 13). EDUC 393 – Foundations of Education. Syllabus Overview (Lecture). South-Central Campus, Quesnel, BC, Canada: University of Northern British Columbia, School of Education.

Baerg, M. (2021, 09 20). EDUC 393 – Foundations of Education. Educational Philosophy (Lecture). South-Central Campus, Quesnel, BC, Canada: University of Northern British Columbia, School of Education.

Robinson, S. K. (2010, 10). Changing Education Paradigms. (Video). TED. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_changing_education_paradigms

SUNY Oneonta Education Department. (n.d.). Foundations of Educations Chapter 5.2 Ontological Framewords of Philosophy. Retrieved 09 18, 2021, from Lumen Learning: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-oneonta-education106/chapter/5-2-ontological-framewords-of-philosophy/

SUNY Oneonta Education Department. (n.d.). Foundations of Educations Chapter 5.3 Philosophical Perspective of Education. Retrieved 09 18, 2021, from Lumen Learning: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-oneonta-education106/chapter/5-3-philosophical-perspectives-of-education/