b'AWARENESSThere are three types of curricula:outside of the classroom, soWhat tools or resources have the one issued by the Ministry ofthen it becomes a tightrope-walkyou personally encountered or Education, the one practised byfor teachers who are trying tocreated that have helped you be the school (or school board), andbalance the understanding thebetter at your job to reach kids?the one that educators actuallystudents have when there areOther Indigenous colleagues are a deliver in the classroom. Howoften mixed messages from agood resource, for one. There are do they differ, and why do theyvariety of sources. also a lot more FNMI authors and matter?I dont want to disparage anyfilms out there, which has made There are practical and theo- teachers or those attemptingit a lot easier to provide that retical differences, and theyto educate, but when a speakercontentfor me to learn as well matter because teachers are oftencomes into a school and suggestsas for the students. For example, expected to do much more thanthat behaviour X is wrong orthe National Film Board has a lot just deliver simple meat andbad and needs to be punished,of really good Indigenous films or potato lessons. Im not suggestingand a student thinks, Wait, myIndigenous-themed films. that these things should bemum does that or my older siblingOther than those, Id say a great disregarded in terms of making ahas done that, I then need toresource is a good sense of student a well-rounded individual.consider how to reassure thehumour. Being able to laugh at Still, it makes for more nuancedyoung person that everythingmyself and some of the inter-and complicated discussions withwill be OK while, hopefully,esting things students have said students who might not fully under- interpreting how the studentand done helps me get through stand why they feel and act theunderstands the mixed message. the more challenging subjects and way they do. They just know that theyre not happy with the situationEven teachers fall short all thedifficult days.at home, or theyre not happy withtime because were human. We the situation in the classroom ordont always collaborate in theWhat are the top three things even in the school, and theyrebest way, and we dont alwaysyou wish non-Indigenous just trying to deal with that as bestfollow the rules or play fair, ifeducators knew about teaching as they can. I think good teachersyou will. All told, if I knew howIndigenized curriculum to recognize that and they let the kidsto bridge the gap, Id be a Nobelstudents?guide them.Prize winner. I just believe weNumber one would be to be My teaching colleagues oftenneed to keep trying. Tomorrowsprepared to be wrong about talk about those all-importanta new day, and we get to attemptprevious beliefs. I think thats a teachable moments, and thatsto be better.huge shock for a lot of people why there are different types of curricula that are being delivered. You try to cover all your bases, but there are only so many days in a school year.Also, I think its a constant push-and-pull battle between what some folks have deemed the real world and the school world, and teachers are expected to help prepare students to be good citi-zens in the real world by attempting to instil values that make life livable, such as collaboration, sharing resources, following the rules, and being kind and fair with each other, even when some of these values arent necessarily communicated or expected at home or even in the broader communities. Often, too, the students discover that far too many people dont function along those lines in the world 2021indspiration29'