Tag Archives: teacher

The Importance of Teachers

Module 2 – Entry 5 – Tyler Ohashi

In the May/June issue of BCTF’s Teacher magazine, I came across an article authored by Kristina Cockle (2021) where she describes a teacher that had a strong positive influence on her as a person. Kristina opens her article with some background on her experiences with racism as she grew up. She witnessed major differences in the treatment of Indigenous students compared to their white counterparts. Indigenous students were considered a lower class of students. However, racism did not just affect Indigenous students, racism can affect any student. When Kristina’s grade 5 /6 teacher witnessed racism, she would call it out and provide reasoning why it is not okay. This teacher was challenging the way students interact with racism. The teacher was providing opportunities for reflective thinking, to challenge criticism, and to make things right.

(Image from May/June Teacher Magazine p.18)

I like this article because it demonstrates the importance of recognizing how influential teachers can be. We must critically assess our actions, what we teach, how we teach, the content we teach because every action we do as a teacher will have some sort of effect on our students. This article inspires me to be the best teacher I can be for my students and makes me realize I must set good examples for my students.

Reference

Cockle, K. (2021, May 1). The greatest gift was being held accountable for my racism. Teacher Magazine, May 2021. https://bctf.ca/teachermagazinemayjune2021.aspx.

MODULE 1-Entry 1: My Very First Visit to a Local Community Garden!

Please click on the following link;Grandview/¿uuqinak uuh Community Garden and select Google images to view the various pictures. Here you will get a glimpse of what my mother started back in 1979! My mom taught me about respecting Mother Earth and all it’s children, young and old.  She was an educator at the small neighbouring school Grandview Terrace Daycare, which was a preschool in an innercity area, for well over 40 years.  She noticed many of her students, ages 2-5 were mal-nutritioned, and the food that was available in her school did not meet the requirements for a proper and nutritious diet for any growing child.  So around the time I was 2 years old, my mom began to do what she does best, she started to grow a little community garden in a little patch of soil just behind the school. She would take me to work with her and spend time teaching, working on the garden and taking care of me.  She used this garden, that bore so many fruits and vegetables, to feed the children and give the remaining to the students whose families were in need.  Her name is Sneh (which means love in our culture), and she has fed so many little tummies, and filled so many hearts and she is my mentor and hero! —-,—‘-(@

She is still teaching many around our neighbourhood how to garden to this day!  Sneh is a teacher, friend, colleague, gardner, landscaper, protector, and most of all advocate for all the children, from various backgrounds, the majority being of Indigenous decent.  Back in the 70’s and 80’s, community gardens were non-existent, just like government funding and proper food programs for those in need.  Without getting too much into my very first blog, I just wanted to give everyone a chance to see what one person can do, and what it can lead to over time.

I added some links below for you to see and read about the ¿UUQINAK’UUH community garden and elementary school, wow has it grown!!!

Grandview Grows!

https://www.vsb.bc.ca/schools/grandview/Teaching-and-Learning/Programs/Pages/Community-Garden.aspx

http://www.cityfarmer.org/grandview.html

Grandview/¿uuqinak’uuh Elementary sets a high benchmark