-How does learning “look/feel different” in this context?
With the BC teacher strike in full swing, I have adapted my community learning experience to the current situation. I was only able to spend a few days working in various classrooms in Kyuquot Elementary/Secondary School which is unfortunate because I was starting to build a rapport with the students. I am now spending my time in the Houpsitas kindergarten and preschool program; this program is not part of the BC teachers strike because it is a Cheklesahht tribal building and the program is run by the band.
Side view of Kyuquot Elementary/ Secondary School. Small gym is on the left, played a lot of evening volleyball and basketball with the community members
Houpsitas Kindergarten and Preschool. This Band building is located within community near the dock, whereas the school is located further up the logging road on the crest of a hill.
Logging road from our lodging and school down to community and kindergarten/preschool.
Despite the changes I have enjoyed being part of an eclectic mix of learning communities. One thing that stands out to me that is different in this community is the FUN FRIDAY’S program in the primary grades at Kyuquot Elementary (gr. 1-6). Since the community is so remote, many individuals need to travel long distances on the weekends to have many of their basic needs met including buying groceries, seeing the dentist or any other kind of specialist. For this reason the school has at least one Friday off each month to encourage families to travel on those weekends; the goal of this initiative is to boost already sporadic attendance among the students. Since attendance is erratic regardless of what day it is, the primary teachers focus their attention on fun, collaborative art projects on the few Fridays when school is in session. This past Friday I had the chance to help coordinate tie-dye festivities. I had never seen this done in action and relished the opportunity to watch the wonderful deliberate and organic creations.
The students mixing their fabrics into various dyes outside on the basketball court. The students took responsibility for their work and were engaged most of the time.
Since there are so few young learners in the community, typical grade partitions and instruction formatting that we see in larger communities do not exist in Kyuquot. For instance most teachers instruct students from at least 3 “grade levels”. Teaching is often differentiated and based on developmental level rather than age. This is evident in a school wide literacy program. Students are separated into groups based on reading and writing ability; grade level or age has nothing to do with it. Within the kindergarten and preschool program, students get an opportunity to explore their environment through play, but get specific instruction things like letter recognition, basic counting and writing. Again, instruction is unique to each and every learner based on the level of development. This is especially important because there is a huge developmental gap among learners, the students are as young as 3 and as old as 6.
A look at the inside of the Houpsitas learning community.
A student practicing reading and letter recognition on an interactive website.
A quick 20 minute hike on Wallace Island across the bay from Kyuquot was all it took to reach this beautiful lookout point.
Sometimes we found various community dogs sitting on the steps outside Houpsitas keeping guard over the young ones we assumed.
I am wondering Josh, how far do residents have to travel on the weekends to get their basic needs met? And how are are travelling – by boat? What communities do they travel too – Campbell River? Tahsis? Compare this with a urban trip to the local grocery store – often within walking distance. What grade did you do your practicum in? I’m thinking that your expereince with teh Kindergarten and preschool age children, is quite different than your practicum experience. What is interesting is how well the ‘children’ must be known by those who work and live with them.
Residents typically have to travel to Campbell River to have many basic needs met including groceries or seeing medical specialists; it is a 30 minutee boat ride and then roughly a 3 hour drive on logging roads and highway. There is a small store on Walters Island across the Bay from Kyuquot for bare essentials. I did my practicum in a grade 7 classroom so it is nice to see different routines and management strategies in place for the younger students. It is quite unique because the band funds 3 community members to work in the kindergarten/preschool. One of the staff is the mother of 2 young students and one of the other staff is an Aunt of one of the students.