As my second week up in the Pacific Northwest comes to a close, I have come to a deeper understanding of the different kinds of support that the school community needs to provide for its students here. All of my classes at UBC discussed the difference between equity and equality. We explored equity and equality with respect to differentiated instruction based on students’ academic needs, but barely touched on the fundamental needs of students, such as food and clothing. It has been truly inspiring to observe the efforts that both the school district and individual staff members put forth to take care of their students. I have seen boxes of granola bars in teachers’ bags, washers and dryers to clean clothes, and even heard of a teacher who keeps racks of clean clothes that were left behind in the Lost and Found Bins for students who need them. Perhaps the most remarkable part of this is the humility that exists behind these acts; it is just part of the job here.  It has been a very humbling experience to see how schools work tirelessly to meet more than the academic and social needs of the community.

I have also had the privilege to sit on two meetings with the Aboriginal Education Department. Helping Teachers have been going through old resources and updating them to make sure that the units are authentic with correct spelling, naming, and accurately reflect BC’s New Curriculum and the First Peoples Principles of Learning. The district really emphasizes community through Aboriginal Education. The Clans and Crests are represented throughout the units and the schools and if a student or teacher does not belong to a local Clan, they become members of the Butterfly Clan. It has been a very educational experience to see how to incorporate the FPPL in an authentic way that is very inclusive to all students. The school district here not only acknowledges the Clans that its students come from, but celebrates them as well. The practices of the Aboriginal Education Department here in the Pacific Northwest could very easily be translated to other districts as well and I look forward to finding opportunities throughout my career to relay what I have learned here so far.