Who serves as your inspiration or mentor?

My mentor in education is Velma Illasiak.  Velma is a Gwich’in woman from Aklavik Northwest Territories– she was the principal of Moose Kerr School in Aklavik for many years and now travels the school district as an Indigenous Language and Education consultant.  Velma’s wisdom, passion, and student and community-centered approach have inspired me as a member of this school district.  She connects learning to place, fosters strength and compassion through her teachings and connects learning to the spirit.  Velma is a gift to educators in the region and has shown me how empowering and impactful connecting my teaching to the values of the community is for the students I teach and learn with. 

Would you like to share a story or technique related to being a 21st Century Teacher?

I think a 21st-century teacher needs to think about their role in supporting and connecting to the communities and cultures their learners are coming from. Helping learners realize the importance of collectivism as an approach to learning and leading is hugely important in today’s learning spaces. Designing for collectivism helps disassemble the hierarchical nature of individualist models, which makes learning spaces more equitable and creates the conditions for ALL learners to thrive.

Can you provide some tips for fellow educators on implementing this?

In my classes, and in co-planning with other educators, the very first moves I make are to foster the creation of a community of learners in the classroom who are grounded in their values and beliefs as learners. I make sure that early experiences in the classroom are about learning from each other and mapping the strengths, gifts, and talents of those in the room.  If I’m in a community that is guided by traditional values and beliefs I want to connect to these in the classroom as soon as possible.. Once we have a sense of the values that support learning, I bring in language around the roles and expectations of learners who care about each other and support meaningful, purposeful learning. I consistently begin learning experiences by invoking these pieces and circle back to them frequently when reflecting with learners. This foundation guides the way the classroom community of learners grows together and it forms a learning ecosystem for student-centered pedagogies to thrive. 

What plans do you have for your next steps?

The tips and techniques I can share around forming the community of learners in the classroom really center on early experiences to build safety (check-ins, multi-modal learning opportunities, relational learning from local experts, family members, intergenerational peer learning, turn and talks, co-teaching and modeling collaboration, using circles). Next, it’s about team building (designing products, STEM and STEAM challenges, collaborative problem solving, loose parts, collaborative story work, etc).  Finally, connecting to land and place and developing a relationship with the land as text, regulator, source of inspiration, and as a relation. This kind of connective practice helps students learn about where they are, gives meaningful purpose to the learning and helps students connect to a community outside of the school. These experiences help educators learn about students in so many contexts and that knowledge helps support the co-creation and co-designing that makes learning relevant and meaningful to the people in the learning! 

The planning supports I have included can help design with the learners in mind and they give prompts and frames to help educators think about the strategies that help make learning engaging and purposeful for students. 

The next steps in my teaching and learning journey include growing in my documentation practice, especially examples of place-based Inquiry in action and the ways that learning that is impactful in communities beyond the school helps learners see purpose in their time at school.  I’m very interested in learner engagement and in working with communities to co-design purposeful learning for ALL.  I am really passionate about Inquiries that are co-designed with educators, communities, and learners and I am working to co-create resources that help support community-connected inquiries in schools. 

I am working to grow my professional learning networks, coaching contacts, and collaborations in Inquiry spaces. I hope to participate in some podcasts, grow my critical friend network, and continue to support learning in my district and region.