Science is exciting!
I believe when students realize that science is exciting, and is happening all around them they will be excited to learn. Having a project/experiential approach to science ignites students curiosity and allows them wonder about the world they live in.
Here is a video I’ve created to demonstrate my science philosophy in a visual format.
I have created a video explaining my philosophy on outdoor education, which is called ‘Philosophy of Place’. Please watch the video and you will understand my love of the land, and the importance I give the outdoors as a teaching pedagogy.
Treaty Education Philosophy
Treaty 4 Flag retrieved from Treaty 4 Gathering
I am a white settler woman, whose lineage is of English, Irish, and Welsh decent. I believe it’s important for me to know my story of where I came from, and how I benefit from Treaty. As the Office of the Treaty Commissioner states, “Treaties were to be mutual, assisting both parties. The wealth generated from these lands and the freedoms associated with living in the province benefited Saskatchewan people and their descendants” (2019). I have benefited from these lands as it’s where I choose. I am thankful to call these lands home. I respect the land as it offers food, shelter, community and relationships. As Chelsea Vowel says, “Treaties are nation-to-nation agreements that mediate relationships, and they can and should be revisited as the relationship progresses” (2016, p258). The Treaties allow people to come together, learn from one another, and allow relationships to grow.
Relationships with one another, the land, and the environment are key to my philosophy. Everyone needs to be treated equally, all cultures need to be respected, and different ways of knowing acknowledged. As a teacher it is my role to “[Build] student capacity for intercultural understanding empathy, and mutual respect” (TRC: Calls to Action, #63. iii). I will invite Indigenous Elders and members of the community, into my classes to teach about their cultures and traditions. I will also have a wide variety of texts in my classroom of different cultures and societies. As Winch, Ross Johnston, March, et. al., explain, “a text is, essentially, any spoken, written, audio or visual communication involving language” (2006, p. xxxvi). My students will have the opportunity to learn about different cultures through a variety of pedagogies to understand that we are all the same and yet different.
One of my pedagogy’s is to teach students through the land as the land and environment have lessons to share. I plan on spending time outside incorporating the curriculum into lessons and teach in the outdoors, this is also an Indigenous pedagogy. I believe nature inspires a child’s curiosity and sense of wonder. When students are inspired, they are motivated to find answers — this is when profound learning occurs.
I am thankful for Treaty. I am thankful for living in Treaty 4.
REFERENCES
Office of the Treaty Commissioner. About the Treaties: Treaties. (2019). Retrieved from http://www.otc.ca/pages/about_the_treaties.html
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action. (2015). [PDF file]. Retrieved from http://trc.ca/assets/pdf/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf
Vowel, C. (2016). The more things change, the more they stay the same: Numbered treaties and modern treaty-making. In Indigenous Writes: A guide to First Nations, Métis, & Inuit issues in Canada (pp. 252-258). Winnipeg, MB: Portage & Main Press. (Chapter 28)
Winch, G., Ross Johnston, R., March, P., Ljungdahl, L., Holliday, M. (2016). Literacy Reading, Writing, and Children’s Literature. 5th Ed. South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Oxford University Press.
Our Differences Make Us Stronger
Positive relationships are key to my student’s successes. My attitudes, values, and how I see the world will directly impact students in my classes. As a teacher I have the ability to influence my students; how they see themselves, how they relate to others, and the philosophies they will carry in their hearts. The way I develop my relationships with my students and their families is pivotal in creating a society where social justice, diversity and inclusion is embraced.
I want to create a classroom where everyone feels welcome and accepted. Every student will realize they have something unique to offer, and our differences make us stronger. In the article Creating Classrooms for Equity and Social Justice (2019), the authors state, “ classrooms can be places of hope, where students and teachers gain glimpses of the kind of society we could live in and where students learn the academic and critical skills needed to make it a reality” (p. 53). I want my classroom to be this place, where ideas can be freely discussed without racial, gender, sexual orientation, religion, nationality and disability prejudices distorting the conversation. I want students to be open to learn and realize every person has something to teach; our lives become richer when we have acceptance in our philosophy.
Having diversity in the classroom is a gift, as it promotes critical conversations and encourages respect and understanding. I plan on having poetry, picutre books, and songs, representing the ethnic diversity in my classroom. I also plan on inviting student’s family, and members from the community to tell their stories. Our lives are made up of stories, and stories are an important and traditional way of sharing wisdom. I want my classroom to be a place that welcomes diversity where everyone is treated with respect.
It is important for everyone to feel included. I welcome everyone, into my classroom including students with disabilities. As Alexander says, “students with disabilities have so much to offer not in spite of their disabilities but because of their disabilities” (p. 73). All students have wisdom and insights to share, and the more perspectives we listen to and explore the better equipped we’ll be to challenge societal norms.
Building positive, kind, caring, and respectful relationships is my responsibility as the teacher. I want my students to be the very best they can possibly be; accepting everyone around them, while listening to everyone’s wisdom helps students to grow in a constructive way. Allowing students to feel safe, to listen to others respectfully, and express themselves graciously will encourage society to move critically and positively.
REFERENCES
Alexander, K. (2019). Seeing ourselves with our own eyes. In Christensen, L., Karp, S., Peterson, B., & Yonamine, M. (Eds.), The New Teacher Book (3rd ed., pp. 65-73). Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools.
Christensen, L., Karp, S., Peterson, B., & Yonamine, M. (2019). Creating classrooms for equity and social justice. In Christensen, L., Karp, S., Peterson, B., & Yonamine, M. (Eds.), The New Teacher Book (3rd ed., pp. 53-56). Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools.
Anthea Holczer 