Author:
My understanding of how to include culturally responsive pedagogues into my teaching has improved significantly after reading the writing of Howe, Johnson, and Te Momo (2021) study. Engaging students with culturally relevant teaching approaches requires taking into account the social, political, and cultural circumstances of each institution, as demonstrated by the experiences from Canada and Aotearoa New Zealand. In order to include Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing into curriculum, teaching, and learning, I have discovered that it is necessary for me to have a thorough understanding of the many histories of both my students and the community at large. In order to do this, teaching strategies like storytelling and hands-on activities must be modified to accommodate Indigenous learning styles in addition to including Indigenous viewpoints into the curriculum.
Furthermore, for implementation to be effective, teachers must create a classroom climate that celebrates variety, fosters respect, and advances understanding among students. Joanne Brown’s discussion on Indigenous Ways of Knowing introduced me to the concept of “All My Relations,” which resonated deeply with me. The interdependence and connectivity of all living things, including people, animals, plants, and the environment, are highlighted by this idea. In my opinion, “All My Relations,” signifies that, realizing that we are all a part of a wider web of life and that our activities affect not just the environment around us but also ourselves.
I intend to include lessons and activities that emphasis the links between many facets of life, such as the interactions between people, animals, and the environment, in order to integrate this idea into my teaching practice. In addition, I want my pupils to be compassionate and emphatic, and I want them to think about the needs of other people as well as the welfare of the entire planet. Using the concept of “All My Relations” in the classroom, I intend to foster a greater awareness of how interrelated we are and to instill a feeling of duty towards the environment
Reference
Howe, E. R., Johnson, S., & Te Momo, F. (2021). Effective indigenization of curriculum in Canada and New Zealand: Towards culturally responsive pedagogies. Journal of Contemporary Issues in Education, 16(1).
Your dedication to adopting culturally responsive pedagogies and incorporating Indigenous viewpoints into your teaching is encouraging. Your comprehension of the interdependence that “All My Relations” highlights shows a great regard for other ways of knowing and being. I agree with your viewpoint that we may enhance our curriculum and help our students develop empathy and environmental stewardship by include lessons that emphasize the connections between people, animals, and the environment. Your commitment to establishing a welcoming and understanding environment in the classroom will surely benefit students’ learning and perspective.
I couldn’t agree more with your idea of incorporating storytelling and hands-on activities into your teaching practices. Yes, these two methods are not only helpful in teaching about indigenous cultures but they can also be used to teach other courses as well.
Thank you for saying that you would introduce the concept of “all my relations” to your students since it inspires me. In the curriculum, this concept should be introduced. It can be used in the science curriculum to guide students to understand nature, in the literature curriculum to stimulate humanistic feelings, and also in the social curriculum to guide students to recognize their social responsibilities, protect nature and maintain harmonious human relations.
The reflection expresses a solid understanding of the reflection question. It also shows that the student read and understood the two articles as required by the reflection question. Based on Howe et al., (2021), the student has fully explained that engaging culturally sensitive environment in teaching fosters effective education. This shows that the student read and understood the article. Also, the student explained that instilling respect and understanding of others is the most appropriate way to achieve the concept of “All My Relations.” This is followed by a solid description of this explanation, which confirms that the student understands Joanne Brown’s discussion. However, were the student to include more specific examples and their impacts, it could have made the most perfect reflection.