Educational Philosophies

Treaty Education Philosophy

I am a white Canadian woman. My ancestors come from Denmark, Sweden, England, Germany and Scotland. To me, treaty land is something that I respect greatly; because of all of the benefits I receive personally from the land. From treaty land, I benefit from getting the opportunity transport freely in many ways and to many places, ranch, farm, freedom, and rights. In return for these benefits, I treat the land with respect in many ways. I am sure to keep the land clean and safe; I give back to the land any possible opportunity I get, and I am sure to educate my future students on the importance of the land. I remember that the land is available to us because many First Nations worked for the land and are sharing it with us and I make an effort to educate people on why the land is available to all people. It is important to educate people about the land so they can respect and give back to the land as well. I believe that it is important for people to understand that the land is here because of the First Nations people. I believe it is important to show the respect and recognition they deserve for what First Nations have done. 

One thing that has been brought to my attention recently is the term “we are all treaty people.” At first, I thought this was always the proper response until it was explained to me in class that we are not all treaty people attending as we are more treaty partners with the peoples who are treaty people. This is important to recognize because there are many people such as metis and other identities that may or may not consider themselves treaty people. After spending the day at the Treaty 4 gathering it was interesting and beneficial to see the diverse group of people that attended. It shows inclusion and acceptance to being partners together in Treaty 4. As a future educator, I believe that it is important to educate my students about treaty land and the First Nations peoples. I will do everything I can to make sure my students have the opportunity to explore and understand treaty land and Treaty 4 in general. 

Relationship Philosophies

I believe that each student has the right to a full education regardless of their ability, age, gender, or status. Inclusion and diversity are extremely important to me and I want to make sure that my students are always feeling included and welcome in the classroom, on the playground, and in their everyday life. It is my job as a teacher to make sure that every student is able to be true to who they are. To be sure that this happens I will make sure that when first meeting my class I will introduce myself using my pronouns. That is just a start to making sure that my students are comfortable enough to receive an adequate education. I believe that it is my role to make sure that I support my students. To make sure they are getting the support I will be sure to take time to get to know each student. I will get to understand their culture, values, identity, beliefs that are important to know to make sure that they are able to be included. I will use diverse instructional strategies and lessons. 

            I am passionate about inclusion as I have mentioned before. Children need to feel accepted. I believe inclusion is much more than just abilities it also includes gender, sexuality, race, and culture. I will be sure in my physical layout of my classroom to have appropriate materials and supports from different cultures such as books, signs, etc… I will be sure to not have gender binary in my classroom and view every student as a student not by their gender. I will work hard to make class norms that include all of the students being focused on inclusion also so that each student is welcomed by their peers as well by myself. If I am in a school with an EFAP or FIP room, I will be sure to plan lessons in thoughts that all of the students will be able to be a part of the lesson even if they are not. I will be sure that all of these students with varying abilities are invited to join in any work that they are able to. Also, I will focus on cross-curricular and try to find outcomes that the students will be successful in. 

            In my classroom I will be sure that families feel as welcome as the students are. I will make sure that I have a positive relation with the parents through things such as phone calls and showing the student’s work through programs such as seesaw. Having a good relationship with the parents will benefit both the students and the families. I have enjoyed the thoughts of having the students bring or draw a picture of their loved ones. This is not limited to parents as many students live with varying gradians. I believe that having a good relationship with the family and getting to know the family beliefs will benefit the type of learning that I can give the students. 

            I will be sure that my relationships are with more than just students and families. I will have an open classroom for all teachers, parents, and students. I will be sure to be able to support all people that walk into my classroom. I know that it is important to support our students but it is equally important to support our fellow staff members as well. Working like a team. Relationships are the key to a good healthy education. I will go out of my way to make sure that I have positive relationships with the people that I encounter.