Educators value the success of all students. Educators care for students and act in their best interests.

If nothing else, as an educator, I sincerely care about my learners. I form strong relationships with them built on respect. It is important to me for the classroom to be a community where the difference between equity and equality is understood and accepted. I take the time to get to know my learners and their interests outside of school, and I model the behaviour that I expect from them. I make it a priority to include opportunities for learners to explore identity, culture and intercultural awareness and collaboration. 

I have had a few very proud moments where I think this care in modelling and teaching has paid off:

  1. In a class of 30 with no EA and a wide range of abilities, one of the most gifted learners who was already done the assignment took the weakest under her wing (without my asking!) and brought her to the library to help her with the task.
  2. When I introduced a Traditional Ecological Knowledge lens to my science class, and two non-Indigenous learners came up to me to personally thank me for explaining the definition and ideas in a detailed way that was accessible to them.
  3. When I walked into the theatre to see what looked like a professional rehearsal going on, but it was my grade 9 drama class fully dedicated to the process they were immersed in with no teacher guidance whatsoever.
  4. When a learner told me that they have been “paying attention to things they hadn’t before” since starting my science class.

Young people are capable of so much – we just need to give them the proper care, guidance, and a safe space to reach their full potential.