Teacher Candidate ePortfolio

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

 

 

 

 

Observational Report

Mrs. Sara McManus

School of Education, University of Northern British Columbia
EDUC 390: Observational Practicum
Melanie Baerg, M.Ed. – Lecturer
October 16, 2021

 

The first two schools visited during my Observational Practicum were at a local elementary school on October 5, 2021, and junior school on October 12, 2021. I observed at these schools with two fellow Teacher Candidates. The elementary school is a kindergarten through grade 7 school in a low-to-middle income catchment area within walking distance to all services. On the other hand, the junior school is in a residential area outside of the downtown core. As the only junior school in the district, all grade 8 and 9 students attend here. Both schools have a perceived community climate of being rough schools.

Built in 1974, the elementary school is a single level with one main hallway and nearly symmetrical rooms on both sides. There is a large gymnasium and office near the main entrance, one portable classroom, a well-equipped outdoor playground, and a newly updated parking lot. The junior school is also an older building, set for demolition. In 2018, it moved from its previous location into a former middle school that had closed fifteen years prior. The junior school is moving into a new building in March 2022. I observed that junior school staff seemed excited about this move as they discussed crowded hallways and mold issues in the school. There is one central hallway that runs across the school, with four branch avenues parallel to each other. The junior school also has four portable classrooms, as well as “cart” teachers without classrooms. These teachers travel with wheeled carts to classrooms to teach during prep blocks.

Our group traveled between a variety of styles of classrooms during our first two observations and witnessed diverse types of teachers, from non-certified to master teachers. I observed in grade 3, 5, 6, 7, and 8 classrooms. I was fortunate to attend different subjects of explicit curriculum taught in four grades by assorted teachers:  Math (gr. 3, 5/6 & 8), Science (gr. 6/7 & 8), English (gr. 5-6 & 8), Physical Education (gr 3 & 8). I gained insight into teaching styles and methods, as well as takeaways of what I may or may not want to do in the future.

I witnessed excellent rapport and relationships between students and their teachers and a few instances of questionable staff towards students. Most classrooms were excellent examples where it was clear that routines and procedures were beneficial to both the students and the teachers, thus promoting positive classroom cultures and community. However, there was one classroom where this was not evident. During my brief time with this class, I witnessed bullying, including physical assault on a minority student, inappropriate classroom language and conversations, and excessive disregard for Covid safety rules.

During my observations at both schools, I reflected on the readings and lectures from EDUC 390 and formulated a sense of what I would define could help build an overarching positive school culture, climate, and community. To me, an ideal school aesthetic environment should immediately:

• • create a warm, cozy feeling when you walk in the door. There should be immediate access to school administration/secretarial staff with no barriers to entry. Plexi-glass for Covid-safety aside, schools are not welcoming when there is no one to say hello and nowhere to sit and wait. Neither of these schools had an overly welcoming entrance to their school. The elementary school office was a busy place of business, behind a single door that felt uncomfortable to intrude upon. Alternately, the junior school office welcomes students and visitors with its open concept, but its central location in the school is far from the main entrance. Unaccompanied guests need to make their way to the office. With or without Covid, this does not lend itself to safety in the school environment.
  • reflect their culture through art and décor that comes from the learners. I love schools with painted ceiling tiles, graffiti walls, painted lockers, and bulletin boards filled with evidence of student learning! The elementary school had painted tiles and some fantastic pink anti-bullying graffiti boards in the school gymnasium.
  • use creative signs to remind students and staff of routines and policies; as well as reinforce culture and community within the school. One of the junior school teachers had a lovely sign on the wall that said, “Finished Early? – Catch up on missing work. – Organize your binder. – Read a book. – Play cards/board game” a sign like this clarified classroom expectations for behaviour after a student finished their work. Schools that display large signs with their value acronyms like C.A.R.E.S. and R.E.S.P.E.C.T. are helpful to new teachers and are an excellent reference for classroom discussions.

In the future, it would be interesting to see the school’s growth plans compared to what I observed against their vision statement.

All the classrooms had their distinct way of creating community. The grade 3 and 5/6 teachers used classroom routines like a visual shape-of-the-day list, class jobs, and timed activities/lessons, whereas the grade 6/7 and 8 teachers were more about building relationships with the individual students. In reflection, none of the teachers observed had an excellent blend between routine and relationship; however, it is early in the year. I would estimate that three out of five of the classrooms would be likely to achieve a better blend as the months go on, and two will not. Unfortunately, as I recently experienced as a T.T.O.C., when students lack routine and relationship is the only key factor holding the classroom together, it is tough for an outsider to step in. It is an Educator’s responsibility to help establish good habits and routines by giving students choices and options for consequences, as they don’t always have that ability for foresight in a new situation (especially in the prepubescent brain).

When I think about where I am in the learning process regarding climate, culture, and community, I have a significant knowledge base due to my Bachelor of Commerce degree and studying organizational behaviour. Simultaneously, I feel like I am in the absorption phase of learning regarding education in general. Detailed accounts fill my observation records with everything that occurred in each classroom I visited, along with notes on the décor, signage, and teacher tools, complete with simple sketches to jog my memory. If I had more time, I would come home and write a blog post every day to have a permanent record of all the cool teacher tricks and resources I learned.

Thinking about what I need to know about students to understand and plan for their learning needs in terms of climate, culture, and community leads me to relationships. It is only through knowing a student that you begin to find out what motivates them. One of the teachers used Class Dojo as a tracking and reward system for their students and integrated it fully into everything. I have seen other teachers use Class Dojo before, but none like they had. This teacher knew when a student needed an extra point for a different good try or bravery in class. The points were not simply a bribe for a class party. Class Dojo was a personal recognition tool for every student uniquely, making students want to do their best.

Next week, I am looking forward to visiting my third school; it will be in an affluent area of town and vastly different from the elementary school that I saw the first time. I am confident that my observational reports will become more introspective after my second and third visits to the school as our focus shifts away from