Category: Face 2 Face Sessions

“How might we impact efficacy and resilience towards engaging with FNMI (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) content through a Community Responsive  approach?”

Hello Cohort Colleagues. I am working on narrowing down my project for this year. I am putting out my thinking thus far, and encourage your feedback.

What I am thinking about :

“How might community responsive PD impact a staff’s sense of persistence, resilience and self-efficacy towards engaging students within FNMI learning?”

or

” How might community responsive PD impact teacher’s sense of self-efficacy, persistence and sustainability towards engaging students in FNMI learning?”

Theoretical Frameworks I would use to examine this inquiry: Indigenous informed leadership lens (leading through and with community)

How to measure impact: Triangulation – measuring what staff indicate already knowing, what is most challenging, what they want to still know/do/go with their learning, where it has landed (based upon what they perceive still wanting to learn more about)

1. Qualitative Data: focus groups, informal conversations, photos of work already in place in classrooms/curriculum/content
2. Quantitative Data: Survey/Likert scales pre-during, post and if possible post-retrospective

I encourage all and any feedback and appreciate your thinking.

 

What question guided your inquiry and action plan? (HMW?) 

The questions that guided my inquiry and action plan have been rolling around in my mind for the past 9 years. I have been deeply reflecting on how to create spaces and places in schooling environments where students, staff and families voices and lived experiences are embraced. In my experience, if we can create such places, individuals feel as if they belong and are safe to explore, create and learn. Likewise, such spaces provide the conditions for students to feelsupported and safe to achieve a strong sense of well-being and academic success.

To create such conditions, I began to reflect upon leadership frameworks and celebrated leadership role models. I have noticed, specifically evident during my doctoral work in leadership, the absence of intercultural leadership models and frameworks. If we are indeed working towards decolonization, equity, diversity and inclusion in our pedagogy and practices, why are we not actively seeking to learn more about intercultural leadership models? 

Cohort 21 has provided me the space to start actually doing this. Connected to acting upon the Calls to Action 62 & 63, I have started to look at what Indigneous informed leadership might look like in schools. Specifically, if one led from an Indigenous informed leadership lens, what might be the impact upon staff and student well-being. Therefore, my question guiding the action research was:

“How and to what extent might leading from an Indigenous informed lens impact staff and student well-being?”

What did you do and what impact did it have?

The Beginning

Personally: As mentioned, Cohort 21 provided the space and place for me to start to explore leadership from an intercultural framework–specifically trying to scratch the surface of First Nations, Metis and Inuit leadership. 

Part 1. Conversations

My own learning began when I connected with a community member I had previously met during my PQP coursework. Our conversation was centered around questions such as:

1. As a white woman of privilege, is it my place to come to know more about Indigenous informed leadership?
2. What might it look like if educational leaders led from an Indigenous informed lens?
3. What barriers might be in place to prevent Indigenous leadership from occurring in schooling?

Understandings: Initial challenges within this work is if you don’t know Indigenous ways of living and being, it is fairly difficult to lead from such a framework. Leadership in communities is not isolated from a community’s knowing and being, but rather, is interconnected. It is the interconnectedness that is central to leading from such a framework.  Another challenge is how we presently view the student in schooling. Our focus tends to be on the individual (eg. academic, well-being, success), rather than the collective group. As it was shared with me, this is not the case in a community setting. Learning happens in relation with your community, with the focus not necessarily solely on the individual, but rather in a manner similar to an apprentice/journeyperson model. Parents, grandparents, adults in the community  show and guide children how to be, know, and do. Education, and educating children, is for the benefit of the community with the student-family-community partners in how children learn. It was shared with me to listen to TedTalks by Dr. Gregory Cajete to learn more about this. 

Part 2. Digging into Resources

It was highly recommended to me from my conversation to first start knowing more about the truth of First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities through the Indigenous Canada course from the University of Alberta. This course not only filled in the many blanks I wondered about, but made me deeply realize the significant impact of colonization not only historically, but presently and into the future. This has deeply impacted my bias and stereotypes, and has and will impact how I lead moving forward. I also read quite a bit before acting upon my action research. The following are the resources I read and consulted during the planning and implication of my action research.  

Davidson, S. F., & Davidson, R. (2018). Potlatch as pedagogy: Learning through ceremony. Portage & Main Press.

Henry, E., & Wolfgramm, R. (2018). Relational leadership–An indigenous Māori perspective. Leadership, 14(2), 203-219.San Pedro, T. (2021). Protecting the promise. Teachers College Press.

Fallon, G., & Paquette, J. (2014). Rethinking conceptions of educational leadership within a First Nations setting in Canada: Mapping a disputed terrain. Journal of Educational Administration.

Joseph, B. (2018). 21 things you may not know about the Indian Act: Helping Canadians make reconciliation with Indignous people a reality. Indigenous Relations Press. 

Joseph, B. (2019). Indignous relations: Insights, tips and suggestions to make reconciliation a reality. Indigenous Relations Press.

Khalifa, M. A., Khalil, D., Marsh, T. E., & Halloran, C. (2019). Toward an indigenous, decolonizing school leadership: A literature review. Educational Administration Quarterly, 55(4), 571-614.

Kraushaar, R. D. (2018). Weaving Instructional Leadership and Indigenous Knowledge: An Exploratory Case Study.

Ladson-Billings, G. (2022). Culturally relevant teaching: Asking a different question. Teachers College Press. 

McCall, K. (2020). Leadership through an Indigenous lens. Kathryn M. Burder Center for American Indian Studies. 

Morin, R. (2016). First Nations instructional leadership for the twenty-first century. SELU Research Review Journal. 1(2), 61-72. 

Sleeter, C. E. (2011). Professional development for culturally responsive and relationship-based pedagogy. Black Studies and Critical Thinking. Volume 24. 

Talaga, T. (2017). Seven fallen feathers: Racism, death and hard truths in a northern city. House of Anasai Press. 

Wagamese, R. (2016). Embers: One Ojibway’s mediations. Douglas & McIntyre.

Wall-Kimmerer, R. (2015). Braiding sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants. Milkweed Editions. 

Voyager, C., Brearley, L., & Calliou, B. (2014). Restorying indigenous leadership.

In Voyageur, C., Brearley, L., & Calliou, B. (Eds.), Restorying indigenous leadership: Wise practices in community development (2nd ed. pp. 329-342). 

The Middle

Part 3. The Plan(s)

Because I have  previously engaged in action research, I know things don’t always go as planned. Such was the case with this action research. Initially, I thought I would look at staff and student well-being intersectionality. However, things actually became more interesting. I actually ended upon engaged in 2 action research projects (because of course, why wouldn’t I?) Upon talking to a fellow Cohort colleague at my school, we realized we were looking at a similar theme, albeit different content. As well, an Upper School grade 10 duo wanted to engage in YPAR by creating an “Every Child Matters” garden which will become a legacy project for our Grade 5 students. 

Project 1: Action Research with my Colleague

Problem of Practice. Schools and educators work diligently to make our schooling environments places where students feel safe, valued, and that they belong. In the creation of such places, educators make space for differentiation and agency to support the success and well-being of all learners. In the process of creating such spaces, practices and initiatives need to be reflective of the mission, vision and strategic planning of schools. When practices and initiatives are not evaluated for congruence, but rather added alongside what is already in place, staff and student well-being can be impacted. Using an Indigenous Informed leadership lens, through storytelling, this study attempted to answer the following questions:

1. How does staff define “professional well-being”?
2. How and to what extent do factors within the workplace affect professional well-being?
3. How and to what extent does agency affect professional well-being?
4.  How and to what extent does leading from an Indigenous Informed leadership lens affect staff well-being?

Theoretical Framework Guiding this Action Research. The framework that will guide this study will be through the lens of Indigenous Informed leadership. Specifically, aspects around community decision making, empathy and humility involving all stakeholders’ voices.

Data Collection. Due to the nature of subject availability, we are engaging in convenience sampling. We are cognizant that convenience sampling has limitations, however future cycles of research will involve all school site classroom, specialist and support staff members. We have created a 10 question open-response survey, and are interviewing staff members who have not answered the survey. Results are still presently coming in. Codes will be derived from common words from the data, and grouped into themes. These themes will be shared and presented to the administration for review and consideration.  

Results. We are presently gathering data, closing the collection by May 1, 2022. 

Project 2: Creating an “Every Child Matters” Perennial Garden

The second project has me leading a YPAR First Nations, Metis and Inuit project led by 2 grade 10 student leaders. In consultation with an elder, and under my guidance, they proposed and actualized a mentorship group enacting the Calls to Action 62 and 63, to impact the humility, empathy and respect for students who were lost to and survived residential schools. Our grade 10 leaders will engage 80 grade 5 students in 2 workshops, leading them towards creating an “Every Child Matters” garden. Guided by a local community elder, and Indigenous knowledge frameworks from sources such as “Braiding Sweetgrass”, the project will include Indiengous knowledge around science/biology (companion planting, native perennials), residential school resiliency, and concepts from the grade 5 First Nations, Metis and Inuit social studies unit. This yearly event will see grade 5 students tending and caring for the garden, enacting their commitment to the Calls to Action as they move from their elementary experience towards the Prep school.  Our grade 10 leaders have stated how much they have learned by engaging with a community elder and reading “Braiding Sweetgrass”. Staff from various grade levels stated they are grateful we are moving Indignous learning beyond classroom walls, and will actively seek out ways to connect their student’s learning to the garden.  Intended impacts on students and staff will include holistically engaging with curricular content and demonstrating enacting the Calls to Action. Our community will be impacted by having a visible space to reflect upon the truths of residential schools, and be reminded that “Every Child Matters”. 

What did you learn in the process? (Link to any resources)

What is your big take-away and what questions do you still have?

The End (Sort of)

Although I have engaged in action research, I was reminded how powerful it is because it actually guides you towards places you might not have thought were possible. Takeaways for me included I am just scratching the surface on coming to know more about Indignous communities, and the more I know, the more I don’t know. Relationships are key in action research, and I could not have gone this far without first establishing trust and demonstrating humility. I offer to others, action research is better when you work collaboratively with partners on a project. Multiple perspectives provide opportunities for deeper experiences and richer work. A side plus, the more people, the more synergy is created beyond those involved. 

Questions that are still lingering are, was this impactful beyond what I learned myself? What are the long-term effects of this research? Specifically related to the garden, how do we build in intergenerational commitment to tending and caring for the garden when we are gone? 

 

As I have been reading, listening, and wondering– specifically related to wording,  my revised question is now the following:

“How and to what extent might leading from an Indigenous informed lens impact staff wellness?”

Frameworks/themes guiding this question include:

1. Humility
2. Community
3. Storytelling
4. Sustainability

“Why are you engaging in this line of action and inquiry? What important unmet need sits central to your question?”

It became clear in my leadership studies, there were predominant models of what it meant to be a successful leader. As well, predominant leadership models of how to  initiate change were likewise from a particular frameworks. I started to wonder, if these models of leadership and change were as successful as they were presented, why was it that education did not seem to really change? More worrisome, the leaderships model that one was to emulate saw students not seeing themselves as successful in a manner that was emotionally, mentally and or physically contributing to their overall life happiness and wellness. Likewise, I was noticing a parallel with the adults in the school buildings–all adults. Educators, consultants, administrators, support staff, care takers, bus drivers and lunch facilitators seemed at times to be suffering as well.

I started to consider what other modes/models of leadership might looking like, and how coming to know multiple leadership frameworks, might one address overall wellness in schooling. It then dawned on me, since we returned to Canada, we have had successful leadership practices on our land since the beginning of time. If communities, for example, have been able to thrive over millennia, why in the world have we not looked to such models as educators?

If I were to identify an unmet need that sits central to my question, it is “Am I privy to know about Indigenous leadership practices?” As well, what do I do with the knowledge and is it my place to bring this way of knowing into my own  practice as an educator and leader”.

 

 

“Who should you talk to next to help guide your inquiry? In order to answer your HWM question, what voices and perspectives need to be consulted? What did you learn when you talked to them?”

I have reached out to folks who have graciously offered to connect with me about the topic I am looking into. Specifically, I have reached out to folks who are from Indigenous communities and or work with folks from communities around the GTA. These are the voices I need to engage with to support my understanding, and to become more familiar with Indigenous leadership. I have also started a Coursea course offered by the University of Alberta called “Indigenous Canada” to hopefully fill in more gaps, and possibly, narrow my question further. 

For those who I have reached out to, my understanding thus far is community is everything. Each person involved in a community is not only part of the community, but each individual is integral to the functioning and success of the community. Community is consulted when decisions are made. I have also come to understand leadership is not about one person, nor is it about the individual. Rather, the individual is part of the whole. Specifically, students are not seen from an individualistic perspective. Children are seen as a part of the whole, and the whole supports who they are and who they will become. In this respect, “school” is from, with,  and to the generations, with the “curriculum” taught through storytelling shared by elders and comes from the ancestors. 

I wonder what this perspective might look like in formal schooling such as we know it.

“What was the process like in coming up with your HMW question? Where did you land? Share your first HMW question attempt.”

The process of coming up with my HMW question has been similar to the process I go through when starting a watercolour painting. The idea starts as swirling images/thoughts in my mind about an idea or construct. It takes a few weeks before ideas start to synthesize and take shape (often on a drive in the car).  Once I start putting ideas to paper and sketching them out, things start to materialize. When the ideas are put to paper, other thoughts start to emerge and converge. This is where I step back and look–really look. I start to consider what is not on the paper, and what might be left out or missing. Next comes adding colour and details–much like writing HMW questions. These initial strokes (on paper or on the keyboard) transform into what will eventually become the question. However, just when you think you are moving, things can get muddy. Second guessing creeps in. Are all the aspects I want to convey there? Do I need to add more? Do I need to take away something? Most importantly, can what I have on the page change into something else that could be even more meaningful? This is where I step back again, and move away from the painting (in this case the research questions). I eventually get back to the piece, and start to see things in a new light. 

Specifically relating to my HMW, I know from past experiences, a research question can change and needs to be malleable. The more you dig deeper into the topic, the more you might tweak the question to get closer to what it is you want to know. Likewise, I know the research question can change the more you reach out and talk to people. 

Right now I think I am okay with my HMW. It is something that is meaningful, connecting to our school’s vision and strategic plan, it can be measurable, and if I can really make it happen, benefit both students and staff. However, talk to me next week…….. 🙂

Here is the re-mix of my initial HMW:

“How and to what extent, can leading from an Indigenous leadership mindset impact staff and student wellness?”