Blog #9: Bringing my Future Students Into the Picture
These past few weeks have been beyond hectic, but I am still fulfilling my pledge as best as I can. I was able to donate food to All Nations Hope Network and I could see how much they appreciate my donations. I remember at the beginning when I contacted the director; she was saying how in need they are of donations. This simple act, I feel can go such a far way and can help a few individuals. I can see that I am a Personally Responsible Citizen, with the various donations I have made. As an individual I am trying my best to be an engaged citizen and to me that means, becoming apart of the community and building/discovering yourself while doing so. I believe, my donations help me to "build character and honesty, integrity, self-discipline, and hard work" (Westhimer and Kahne, 2004).
I am enjoying donating every week and seeing how much of a difference my donations are making. Although I cannot see it at the time or even at all, I know deep down, that these donations are going a long way. Although this was just a pledge for a class, my pledge will not end when the class does. I will continue donating and doing all I can do to reconcile the harm done to Indigenous peoples. Although as an individual, I feel I am a personally responsible citizen, I feel as an educator I fit into the category of The Participatory Citizen. As a teacher, I want to do weekly or monthly donations with my students, depending on what they can do, and have students become apart of my pledge. As a teacher I will "emphasize preparing students to engage in collective, community-based efforts" (Westhimer and Kahne, 2004). I will have a box where students can put their donations in and then as a class; we can go drop off the food to the foundation. I want to ensure it is an Indigenous foundation, so it is directly affecting those who were affected. By doing this with a class, it will spark conversations and allow that entry into talking about the past, present and future of Indigenous peoples. It is important to speak up and talk about it then be silent. I want my students to be the next voices and to make a change. This change all begins with me.
America Educational Research Journal. (2004). 41(2), 237-269. doi:10.18411/a-2017-023
Curriculum outcomes:
- IN5.2 Analyze the evolution of Canada as a multicultural nation: This fit well with my pledge because it is clear if I can incorporate my future classrooms with my pledge, they will begin to look about Canada's evolution and I will be able to intervene Treaty Education into my teachings through this pledge.
- IN7.3 Analyze the relationship of technology to globalization: This fit well with my pledge because it was clear that some weeks, technology was a form of commitment and research was needed.
- DR8.2 Describe the influence of the treaty relationship on Canadian identity: This fit well with my pledge because students will begin to understand how we are all Treaty People and that directly influences their identity of themselves and of Canada. After discovering I was a Treaty Person, I have began to view Canada in a different ways, as if I am looking through a different lens trying to find the truth.
