Educators respect and value the history of First Nations, Inuit and Metis in Canada and the impact of the past on 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 Metis.
I have tried throughout all my practicum experiences to incorporate First Peoples perspectives and ideas into my teaching in a meaningful and respectful way. I have done what I can to make my classroom and inclusive environment for all learners to feel comfortable sharing and learning in. In my 490 practicum I was able to incorporate a few Indigenous math games into my lessons. The games focused specifically on probability and statistics which was the exact concept we were covering at the time. I was able to use this game as a fun activity for the students to take a break from the textbook or worksheet learning and to practice predicting probability. The students made their own game pieces to personalize the experience and played in groups to encourage socialization and conversation while competing with their peers.
In my 491 practicum I incorporated an explanation of an oral tradition into a lesson about chemical reactions. I found a great resource that described how Cree people in Saskatchewan passed on their knowledge or chemical reactions to make food and household cleaners. Sharing this resource and the stories with my students before I taught the lesson on the different types of chemical reactions allowed me to have a more open discussion with my students about what a chemical reaction is. I shared with them examples from the stories about making bleach or different techniques for making food, and from these examples, the students were able to share their own ideas and become more engaged in the learning taking place. I had more student engagement in that lesson than I have in most of the lessons I have taught.