Indigenous Education Today

There has been much in the media about “Aboriginal Issues”, and we’ve discussed Indigenous education in our class this term. I am also currently taking an Indigenous Studies course at Queen’s as an opportunity to learn about Indigenous culture and history in a more academic context than I have in the past.

I think the PDT group who spoke to our class about Indigenous education hit the nail on the head with acknowledgements we as teachers need to make regarding these students in our classrooms. I live beside the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, and many of my friends and long-term boyfriend are from this reserve. I fully agree there is a history of mistrust in this community about the school system, as there are still residents living there today who were forced to attend Residential schools; my boyfriend’s grandfather included.

 I also agree that there are some serious cultural differences that need to be addressed about Indigenous education in the classroom; whether one works in a reservation school or not. Multiculturalism is an important aspect of Canada; therefore students should have access to knowledge about other cultures, as well as feeling free and able to celebrate their own. Just as with other multicultural celebrations, teachers could incorporate Indigenous culture and festivals into their classroom to teach their students about the history of Indigenous people.

Today students and teachers across Canada are doing just that, by standing up for Aboriginal rights. Free the Children has teamed up with the “We Stand Together” campaign, which is going on right now until March 8^th, 2013. This is the campaign’s third year in existence, and I believe it is a step in the right direction. Teachers involved in this campaign are encouraged to integrate more information about Indigenous communities and history into their classroom, and promote a positive sharing of knowledge. “ ‘There is a clear gap between what many non-Aboriginal Canadians understand about the issues and circumstances faced by Aboriginal people . . . We Stand Together is a grassroots initiative that starts right inside the classroom to teach young Canadians the significance of Aboriginal history, helping to close this gap, foster understanding and raise awareness of Aboriginal culture and history in Canada for generations to come’ ”.

 

I think this campaign makes a good point that teacher candidates need to be concerned with: “It’s not about one tradition being better than another, it’s about respecting each other’s traditions”.

 I haven’t yet had an opportunity to work in an Indigenous school, but I hope to get my placement at Quinte Mohawk Elementary school on my neighbouring reserve this year. I have only had placement experience in the Catholic board, and I would like to see for myself how the community and style of teaching differs or remains similar. I have been employed and volunteered in public inner city schools in Kingston, so I am interested in comparing myexperience from that environment as well.

Works Cited

http://www.freethechildren.com/2013/02/standing-together-for-aboriginal-education/#sthash.WhIisCLj.dpuf

Poverty In Canadian Schools

Despite being an affluent country, poverty is a very real issue in Canadian society. The Canadian Teacher’s Federation states that the groups most apt to be impoverished are “vulnerable groups such as Aboriginal children, children of new immigrants and children with disabilities” and that “Child poverty rates are at double digit levels in all provinces except Alberta, Quebec and PEI”.  Therefore teachers will encounter poverty almost indefinitely in their classrooms, no matter where they work.

I have experience working in inner city schools in Kingston, where poverty remains a big issue for many of the students there. One child I worked with regularly came to school without a lunch and without proper clothes for the weather. This child had siblings in the school, and the problems were the same with those children. As much as this problem was prevalent in the school and many children’s problems were plain to see, I couldn’t always tell from looking at a student that they were in financial crisis. This is something else I have learned and will tuck away for when I become a teacher. Teachers must be mindful of these situations even if we do not suspect them to be happening. The teachers I talked to discussed with me how they infrequently have expensive filed trips or pizza days as students may not be able to afford these luxuries. Instead, there were breakfast programs in place for everyone at this school, not simply those who were in need. There were also healthy snack trays and bins that were left in the classroom and students simply had to ask to receive one (I worked in a kindergarten class, but in older classes students could take what they wanted without asking).

Many studies have come to the similar conclusion that poverty is an obstacle that affects a student’s learning. The CTF found that many low-income children experience the following:

·         Reduced motivation to learn

·         Lower achievement

·         Less participation in extracurricular activities

·         Lower career aspirations

·         Interrupted school attendance

·         Increased risk of illiteracy

·         High dropout rates

 

 

While specific programs and teacher support are strategies to battle the effects of poverty, “it is the parent-child relationship that has been proven to have the greatest influence on reversing the impact of poverty. Both parenting style and parental involvement, inside and outside of the school environment impact on a child’s early development” (Ferguson). The glitch in this solution occurs when a parent is busy working multiple jobs and doesn’t have time to help their child with their math homework, or read to them before bed.

 [C]hildren from lower income families were less ready to learn than children from more affluent households . . . [There are] important links between readiness to learn and what goes on in a child’s home environment . . . the fact that the lower income children were less likely to experience the home environment factor may help to explain the difference in readiness to learn between the income levels. (CTF).

Therefore it is essential for parents to establish a relationship with their students’ families in order to fight this battle together.

I found several videos on the topic of poverty in Canada, but these two I found the most helpful and informative.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLSMGkYMjTA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVXzsxc4ikY

 

Works Cited

Barnett, W. Steven. “Long-Term Cognitive and Academic Effects of Early Childhood Education on Children in Poverty (March 1998), 27 (2), pg. 204-207 

http://www.ctf-fce.ca/publications/Briefs/Brief-reChildPovertyandSchools-eng.pdf

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2528798/

Making Our Schools "Positive Spaces"

The “Positive Space” stickers are widely visible throughout Queen’s campus. We celebrate and educate during Gay Pride Week, and fly the famous rainbow-striped flag on campus. As a place of higher education, I believe every university should be making their campus a safe and comfortable place for all its learners.

That being said, I’m especially proud of this movement towards safer schools happening at the elementary level. I work in a local inner-city elementary school in the public board which is very different than the small rural Catholic school I attended growing up. The first thing I noticed as I approached this Kingston elementary school was the “Positive Space” stickers on the front door, in plain view for all to see. As I went inside I noticed the stickers throughout the school. Something so small as a rainbow-coloured triangle had a great effect on me. Having those stickers mean that administration is dedicated to making school a safer experience for the younger generation attending it. It means that students are taught about homophobic language and actions and how they can hurt others, beyond the generic bullying talk. There are openly LGBT staff members at this school; one of which brought her partner and newborn baby into the school as a part of a board wide program teaching students about empathy.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved my elementary school education, and I often go back to visit. I thoroughly enjoyed my small-classroom experience and remain a practicing Catholic. However, I am liberal in my views regarding gender and sexual orientation. Ten years ago when I was in elementary school there were no discussions about sexual orientation during our health and sexuality lessons, and “creating a positive space” functioned primarily in a religious context. I think a part of our duty as educators is to be welcoming to all students and their families, regardless if they are hetero-normative or nuclear in style. We cannot rightly teach our students about inclusivity if we harbor our own prejudices that affect the views of children we work with. As a teacher you are a role model whether you accept that fact or not, and just as students will learn long division or how to write a short story, they will also take social cues from your example.

 

Young Children and Death

Although children may not fully understand the concept of death in the primary-junior age bracket, doesn’t mean it will not affect students that we will be teaching. My cousin was killed in a car crash in November 2012 at only 24 years old. He leaves behind him a wife and his two boys, one six years old and the other under two years old. The six year old is in grade one at his elementary school, and he is struggling with the grieving process and understanding the loss of his father.  Professor Sandhu defined grief as “intense sorrow, bereavement, caused by a loss, typically triggered by a traumatic or unanticipated event”. I have never professionally worked with a student whom I knew was in a state of grief (that I know of – perhaps the matter was kept private) but I have discussed my six year old cousin’s response to death with his mother and how it has affected him at school. As Professor Sandhu explained using her “brick wall” metaphor, my cousin has experienced these symptoms:

• Loss of interest in daily activities

• Loss of appetite and a fear of being alone

• Statements of wanting to join the deceased person (or be around him)

•Poor concentration

• Frequent absences from school or poor performance in school

In her article, Teri Busch writes that when children suffer the loss of a loved one “Many children have difficulty articulating their feelings and needs” (Grieving children). As a teacher it is our job to show the student that we care, and work with the family if at all possible to help ease the child’s adjustment. We also need to keep in mind that other students may also have reactions to the death of a classmate’s loved one and be unsure of how to handle it. Many of my cousin’s grade one classmates hadn’t experienced death either, and though some of them dealt with it inappropriately the teacher was able to assist all of the children adjust to this new information about life and death as best she could.

 

Works Cited

Busch, Teri; Kimble, Cathy S. “Grieving children: Are we meeting the challenge?” Pediatric Nursing27. 4 (Jul/Aug 2001): 414-8.

Religion In Schools

As I have stated in previous posts on this blog, I was educated in a Catholic school board from kindergarten to grade 12, and my family and I identify as Roman Catholic. I once worked at a school with a heavily religious influence. Despite my religious background, I felt very uncomfortable. Instead of feeling at home in this situation, I couldn’t help but think of students in the classroom who perhaps didn’t identify with the same religious context as the administration. I have studied World Religions courses in grade 11 as well as at Queen’s, as I feel it’s essential for a future educator to have at least some knowledge of multiple religious backgrounds. Just as each student is unique, their background and belief system is also individualized, and it’s very important for teachers to be aware of religious and spiritual differences in their classroom.
 

The “Equity and Inclusive Education in Ontario Schools” document states:

A school board is expected to provide religious accommodation for students and employees who want to practice a faith . . . Individuals who do not belong to a religion or practice any specific faith are also protected by the Code. Therefore, a board has to facilitate the practice of religious observances and allow its employees and students freedom to practice their religion [or lack thereof] while at school (25).

The section that struck me in this passage is the part about non-religious students. Just as a student of a religious background has the right to feel a sense of safety and belonging in their school system, a child of a non-religious background also has the right to not be ostracized or pushed to participate or share in other religious traditions. Another section I found extremely important was a passage that stated “The commission . . . exclude[es] . . . religions that “incite hatred or violence against other individuals or groups” or that “contravene international human rights standards or criminal law” (25). I believe it is the teacher’s duty above all else to ensure the safety of a child’s physical, intellectual, and emotional state while in their care.  
 

 

Religion is one of the many topics that will always be controversial in a classroom setting, as we saw in our class discussions in PROF 310 this year. It can be a difficult conversation to have in a religious setting or otherwise, but it doesn’t have to be. What we can take away from these discussions is that

tolerance and acceptance of each other’s’ differences is key in developing a sense of community in the classroom at the university level or elementary. As a part of Multiculturalism celebrations, I think it would be a great idea to incorporate religious education. I like the idea of using different festivals and holidays as a way of teaching children about other cultures, as I learned a lot from our classroom activity.  

 Works Cited

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/inclusiveguide.pdf

IEPs

 

In recent years more students are being assessed with special needs, and their teachers are expected to rise to the needs of these students. One tool that teachers use is IEPs. IEP stand for “individualized education plan”. The textbook Special Education in Ontario Schools gives an informative definition of what an IEP is, and what it is not. The definition includes: “a written plan of action for a student whose needs require modification of a regular school program . . . an ongoing, flexible document . . . containing a summary of the student’s strengths and needs . . .” (Bennett, 59). I think this definition touches on some very important points. The fact that it is both “ongoing” and “flexible” is beneficial to both the student and the educator. As the student grows and develops their needs may also change. It is important to keep an IEP up to date and appropriate for the student’s ability. The textbook states: “A student’s IEP needs to be reviewed each reporting period” (Bennett, 64). What an IEP is not is also covered in Special Education in Ontario Schools. It states that an IEP is not: “a detailed account of every minute of a student’s day. . .” (Bennett, 59). IEPs are more of a guideline for teachers, and should not be mistaken for a lesson plan.

I was fortunate enough to be allowed to observe the creation of an IEP in one of my practicums. In my practicum experience I was in a grade one classroom where there were many IEPs, but there were two that stuck out to me for their many differences. One boy had an IEP because it was determined that he was “gifted”, a term that is constantly debated and “lacks a consistent definition” (Bennett, 134). In this child’s case, he was a very talented writer (far beyond his age group of 6), highly proficient in reading, and advanced in mathematics. However, as time went on (I was there over the course of 6 months) it was discovered that this student was indeed a great reader, but his reading comprehension was average. Therefore it came to be that his IEP was adapted to fit his talents for math but was limited in the reading section.

There are 5 categories of IEPs that Professor Sandu explained in my PROF 310 class. The categories are: “behaviour, communication, intellectual, physical, and multiple”. I saw this when working with the other student who had an IEP in my practicum class, but for a very different reason that the first boy. This boy struggled in school, but his parents would not allow him to be tested for a learning disability. Both having negative experiences with special education in their past, they wished to keep their child out of this system despite his need for differentiated learning. After establishing that the student needed glasses, the parents were slowly agreeable to the idea of an IEP for their son. He was only in grade one, but his reading and fine motor skills in writing were much below where they needed to be, and I was lucky enough to be a part of developing an IEP for this child. Despite the parents’ fears about special education and the stereotypical negative connotations, IEP’s have made classrooms more inclusive to students with special needs as the curriculum is custom fit to the child, as opposed to making the child fit the curriculum.

I have included two videos in this post. The first is on the long side, but it discusses how each student needs to make use of their individual talents. It also states that we “a revolution in education” and the way we learn. The second is an informational video about IEP meetings and what goes into their preparation.

“Bring on the Learning Revolution”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9LelXa3U_I&feature=relmfu

IEP Meetings

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYeMBtmA5oc&feature=related

Works Cited

Bennett, Sheilia, Don Dworet with Ken Weber. Special Education in Ontario Schools. 6^th ed. St.  Davids: Highland Press, 2008. Print.

Sandu, Gurgit. “IEP & IPRC.” Queen’s University Faculty of Education. Kingston, Ontario. 29 Oct. 2012

ESL Students

Before this year I had no previous experience working with ESL students, or students who have English as a Second Language. I now work in a local grade six classroom and I have had my first encounters with teaching a student of this exceptionality. Richard R. Day does a good job of explaining this experience in his article Silence and the ESL Child. Day writes: “Most teachers are familiar with children who say little or nothing in the classroom. Efforts to elicit verbal responses are often met with monosyllabic replies at best. This problem is exacerbated in those classrooms with children either who speak a nonstandard dialect of English, or whose first language is not English” (35). This quote resonated with me because as a teacher candidate I have worked with and volunteered with many introverted or simply uninterested students who do not like to speak up in class or offer their thoughts during activities. This process to involve these students is definitely multiplied when the layer of a language barrier is added.

The student I work with can be quiet at times, but he also demonstrates outspokenness in certain areas. In class I have found myself explaining concepts that I as an English speaking person take for granted, such as acronyms. Acronyms are difficult for this student because not only is he decoding what words mean but also contexts of these words and the short-hands they are written in. He is particularly interested in popular culture, which is something that I had never thought about a student having to “learn” in the academic sense of the word. He checked-out and re-checked out a book of World Records from the library. The example that stands out the most in my mind is when he asked me what American Idol was. He understood that an American is someone who lives in the United States, and that an idol is someone special. But strategies an English reader uses, such as using pictorial clues, was useless to him because he did not have the prior knowledge to connect to the images on the page.

The textbook Special Education in Ontario Schools discusses the English language and the way it is formed as being a barrier to children with learning disabilities. However, I think this can also be applied to ESL students. Bennett writes: “The subtleties of English may pose a barrier for students . . . Because [ESL students] . . . not only have difficulty with language, but even further difficulty in reading between the lines of communication situations and social contexts, they may respond incorrectly . . .” (95). This comparison is not meant to be offensive to anyone. I simply see the resemblance between these statements and the student that I work with, insofar as the language acquisition and social implications of this exceptionality. He is just as intelligent as any English speaking student in the class; he simply struggles with conveying or understanding meaning in certain contexts. I believe that diversity in a classroom is something to be valued, and something we should teach our students to value as well. By validating the needs of ESL students and assisting them in the classroom, we are able educate our students more fully and emphasize understanding and application just as we would with English speaking students.

I have included two videos in this post. One outlines the struggles faced by ESL learners of both a young age and older learners. The other video is a demonstration of ESL teaching to kindergarten students. I found this video particularly interesting because of the musical aspect of the teaching. This again reminded me of the ESL learner in my grade six class, who is an excellent singer and quickly retains song lyrics and rhythm. This talent was discovered during a lesson that involved a sing-along. This student was able to make a connection to the music and demonstrated good understanding of the topics in the lesson, as do the kindergarten girls in the video. He told me after that because the tune was stuck in his head he was able to remember the important concepts the song outlined. An English speaking student in the same class gave me a similar response. That is just an example of how different teaching strategies can be beneficial to those who are both English speaking students and ESL students.

“ESL struggles and strategies”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bWU238PymM

“Teaching Kindergarten Kids English”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwCwj21MdlY

 

Works Cited

 Bennett, Sheilia, Don Dworet with Ken Weber. Special Education in Ontario Schools. 6^th ed. St.  Davids: Highland Press, 2008. Print.

Day, Richard R. "Silence and the ESL Child". TESOL Quarterly. Vol. 15. pg 35-39. Web. 4 Nov. 2012.