Tag Archives: support

OECD – Supporting Indigenous Students

Module 3 – Entry 3

Tyler Ohashi

OECD – Supporting Indigenous Students

As mentioned in my previous post, our school district highly values the 7 Principles of Learning from the OECD. In my journey to learn how to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into my practice, I found that the OECD has also looked into how to support Indigenous students.

This article outlines how educators can align their practice with what Indigenous students are reporting is important to them. Indigenous students are reporting that they would like to see schools that:

  • Care about them and who they are as Indigenous people.
  • Expect them to succeed in education.
  • Help them to learn about their cultures, histories, and languages.

Therefore, schools should include practices that include:

  • Extra support for students: Finding ways to change the experiences of individual students goes a long way.
  • Engaging families: Mutually respectful relationships between schools and parents can have significant benefits for students.
  • Monitoring and reporting: Tracking progress with data helps educators and families understand where progress is being made.

Teaching to Indigenous students should include teaching in a holistic manner that promotes well-being, participation, engagement, and achievement.

This article also includes links to other resources located in the OECD library that provide information on how to incorporate Indigenous education in your practice.

Reference

Supporting Success for Indigenous Students. OECD. (2017). https://www.oecd.org/education/Supporting-Success-for-Indigenous-Students.pdf.

Teacher’s wear orange to bring awareness to Kamloops residential school

Module 2 – Entry 1 – Tyler Ohashi

This morning, I was reading CBC as I usually do and I read this article about school across BC are going to have their flags at hast mast from May 31 to June 4 and teachers are going to wear orange to help bring awareness to the atrocities that happened at a Kamloops residential school.

Image source: CBC News

The article was very impactful because it made me think of our responsibility as teachers to our students. We are a safe person for our students, someone they can come to if they need help, someone to look up to NOT someone they fear. I cannot imagine being fearful of school.

The horrors the students of these residential schools faced every day, left lifelong scares. Rich Joe, a member of the Chilliwack school district puts it like this,

“Joe’s traditional name is Skalúlalus and he is member of the Lil’wat Nation. He says he has family members who attended Kamloops Indian Residential School where the remains of 215 children were discovered this past week.

“I’m still dealing with it,” he said upon learning the news on Friday.

“I attended Indian Day School, so I’m a survivor as well and my grandmother attended that school … and I believe my grandfather did as well and I was devastated. I cried probably about 10 times yesterday.” (Pawson – CBC News, 2021).

Having found the remains of 215 children buried around the residential school in Kamloops residential school is a confirmation that students of this school had a real reason to fear school.

Hate is a strong word, but I hate that these students had to endure such a poor environment.

Reference:

Pawson, C. (2021, May 29). Teachers in B.C. to wear orange, hold special ceremonies over discovery of children’s remains | CBC News. CBCnews. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/teachers-in-b-c-to-wear-orange-hold-special-ceremonies-over-discovery-of-children-s-remains-1.6045964.