In considering what happens moving forward from this year at UBC, there are several things that I’d like to pursue professionally. For my sake and that of my students, I will continue to research mindfulness. I found it to be personally very worthwhile on my practicum and to hold a great deal of potential for fostering creative confidence in my students. I have found several online publications and organizations that I will keep up with as well as a few online courses that look worthwhile.
Mindfulness isn’t the only thing that I have found while at UBC that I want to know more about. The Aboriginal Education class that I took convinced me that I want to get in touch with the Splatsin Band office in Enderby when I get home and see if there are any Secwepemcstn language groups that I can become involved in. There is a need for the local tribal youth to see more of their culture and hear more of their language reflected back to them and to have the sound become familiar to all those who live on their traditional lands. I have the First Voices Secwepemc language app on my phone and I’m learning the basic greetings and thanks. I look forward to learning more.
Something else that I would like to devote more time to both personally and professionally is my own art practice. Ceramics, painting, illustration and textiles feed me creatively and I believe it is important to maintain the freshness, curiosity and drive that come with working on your own artwork. My time in the classroom should reflect my art practice and draw strength from it that allows my genuine passion and excitement for art to permeate every aspect of my classroom.