After 2 years of planning, emailing, getting approvals, and finding aligning schedules, April 22nd was a fantastic day of learning at SMLS. What could only be described as a teacher field trip, 28 colleagues from across divisions traveled to New Credit First Nation for a day of learning and unlearning with Giidaakunadaad Nancy Rowe at Akinomaagaye Gaamik Round House. I established a relationship with Nancy many years ago before I joined the SMLS community through the Bronte Creek Project at the Halton District School Board (a program that unfortunately no longer exists). It was only through this relationship that I was able to connect her with the SMLS community.
As this was a cross-divisional group from Junior, Middle, and Senior levels, I utilized a deck of cards to have faculty sit with new people on the bus. Utilizing Basecamp Cards (playing cards I take on trips that also have fun questions on them), faculty had to find their matching number card and sit with that person on the 1-hour bus ride. It provided for some new social interaction and sharing that wouldn’t normally happen if we were at school.
We started the day with an introductory smudge and discussed the way indigenous content is approached in the classroom. Nancy is an educator, consultant, and a Traditional Practitioner of Anishinaabek lifeways, views, and customary practices and provided insights on Indigenous Education: Aanishinaabek (Michizaagiig) History, Origin, Treaty, Law Past, Present and Ongoing Impacts of Colonization, Education Human, Inherent and Indigenous Rights.
As educators, everyone found it hard not to take notes constantly and try to think about how to implement pedagogy in the classroom, however, it was an excellent exercise for everyone to be present and hold onto every word in the moment.
We shared a delicious lunch made by Nancy’s daughter of wild rice, venison (harvested by her son), apple crisp, fresh fruit, and strawberry mint juice. As teachers in a very busy school, we are not often provided time to think and discuss ideas in a new space without operational conversations constantly entering our minds and conversations.
Even though this was just 1 day of learning and most of the faculty came away with more questions than answers, it provided this area of our collective educational practice to have focus for everyone involved and question the way we are approaching indigenous learning and content in our school.
I will be bringing this group of faculty back together as part of our June PD. I am excited by the prospect of having more colleagues involved and planning new ways to approach curriculum for the next school year. We often said throughout the day that our day was a grain of sand on a beach, but I’m excited for the next conversations together.
I am very grateful for this year’s experience with Cohort 21 in a new role as a coach. After each F2F and virtual call, I am inspired and reinvigorated to find new ways to approach questions and ideas within our school. Thank you for a great season and look forward to the next iteration of Cohort in the future!