Something that really stood out to me when reading through “In our own words: Bringing authentic First Peoples content to the K-3 class” is that all students benefit when First Peoples content and world views are incorporated authentically. This is so true. I think back to a lesson during practicum 491, where we created mini drums. We looked at the drum’s cultural significance in some First Nations communities and were led through how to make a whole-class heartbeat by one of our Aboriginal Education workers. I could see that all the children’s eyes were opening up to a new form of expression. The comments from learners after the drumming lesson were profound for grade 2s and 3s, showing an understanding of shared values, the importance of community and the existence of spirit.
Two of the First Peoples Principles of Learning that I often found myself using in lesson plans are the following:
Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focused on connectedness, on reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place).
I find this principle is very meaningful and encourages any educator to really look at their teaching and ask “does this unit/lesson/activity allow students to connect with other students or the community or the surrounding world?” A huge part of educating is helping young people see that they are part of something bigger, every action they take has benefits and consequences. I believe the only way to teach this is to let learners experience what this feels like and to do that, educators must leave room for their classes to explore, experience, and reflect in their own ways. One of my favourite lessons that I think does justice to this principle is called “Web of Life” where students are given different life-forms (could be a fungus, plant, or animal) then toss a piece of yarn between themselves, explaining how they are connected to one another each time eg. the bee and deer are connected because the bee pollinates the bush the deer eats from, deer droppings fertilize the forest floor where mushrooms grow etc.
For more detail, I have attached my Teacher Candidate presentations, which goes over the entire activity and possible accommodations, below:
Learning involves patience and time.
This is another principle that sounds very simple but is immensely important to incorporate into all units/lessons/activities. It connects to growth mindset, where we become comfortable with making mistakes and growing from them. We know as adults that nothing can be learned perfectly and nothing can be mastered immediately. The way we learned this is from falling down, giving ourselves time, getting back up and falling again… each time growing in patience.
