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Let Us Take The Time To Reach Out 

The pages of the calendar turn relentlessly. June is here and we’re busy in a different way. The weather is cool one day and warm on another. Some days, the skies are filled with smoke and those of us far away from the site from where this smoke comes, are mindful that not everyone is.

We have one home, this beautiful planet.

How Did I Do?

One writing from me had the words, “How did I do?” We’ve all gone through it: being assessed and evaluated. Now, our jobs require this work of reporting and evaluation to be done. Students at different times of the year receive institutional texts and then may come back to us the next day after sharing that text with people in their lives. Those are other report cards and those are other times.

This One Is Different 

The June report card is different. Students leave at that last bell of the last day of school. In the Fall, they will go down the hall to another classroom, to another school in the neighbourhood, to another province or to another country. The lives of children are so directed by the fortunes of their families that over these life events they have limited control.

This we know, though in the busyness of life, I/we may not always remember.

Goodbye and See-You-Later 

I was listening to a podcast by a gardener whose work I follow and something he said stays with me, relatable to various stages and aspects of life: When you move on and someone else is gardening now, you have no say in what they do in the space that you loved.

So in my role or yours next year, when you see our students in someone else’s classroom down the hall, we need to walk on. We are here if someone reaches out to collaborate. That’s it.

You can only reassure yourself that when you were there, you did your best and the people and plants thrived. When you have taken care of the classroom or learning space or garden and given your best, when you’ve done due diligence to your professional judgement, it’s time to pull the door behind you and walk on.

From that thought shared by the celebrity gardener, I added in this my reminder to self and to you, my fellow travellers: Whether in a classroom or a supportive role, you have, just like in life, finite time. Finite seasons. How can I/you make the best of each one?

A Special Message 

In these busy times we may have different ways in which we take time to care for ourselves. For me it is precipitation: rainy days always make me happy because in my heart I remember the monsoon of the home I left behind. The Monsoon in Mumbai always came on June 13th, so right about now, my heart calls me to a place I feel in my cells and in my soul.

Is there something that you remember deeply? Do share.

Nostalgia: is the pain of remembering. It’s a sweet pain especially on days when a dear friend, here, pops into my phone with something they remember from a previous conversation. Neither Hindi nor Urdu are their home languages which is why I am touched that they remember this conversation, and this memory

I am sharing the exchange below.

3 text messages from a phone screen that read 1. Hi Rashmee, how are you doing? 2. The air smells of wet earth today and I am thinking of you. 3. Saundhi Khushboo
My friend’s message on a rainy day

Saundhi Khushboo (saun-dhee khoosh-boo) the post-rain fragrance of the soil.

I smile on this Monday in June and I watch the raindrops .

Wishing you peace and calm in the midst of the busyness

With You, In Solidarity

Rashmee Karnad-Jani

P.S: Saundhi Khushboo is now added to my dictionary in my spell check – that felt good.

From Spring Retreat to Summer Academy

Have you ever participated in an ETFO retreat or Summer Academy? I recently attended the annual Women’s Retreat for  ETFO members in my local.  I was happily surprised that Occasional Teachers were welcome to join so I could share a cabin with a couple of colleagues who are full time teachers.  The organizers put together a terrific event and the resort had great accommodations, amenities and food!

We were lucky to have Dr. Dawn Lavell Harvard of Wiikwemkoong First Nation, and director of the First Peoples House of Learning at Trent University, as the guest speaker after dinner on the Friday night. What a gifted and brilliant woman to help us better understand the struggle for Indigenous women’s rights, particularly First Nation women who lost their homes, families and status if they married someone other than a First Nations person. That was not changed until 2019. She also addressed Red Dress Day, the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2 Spirit. She spoke of all the women in her family who were teachers and that this audience of women teachers was the best place to make an impact on the future. It was an inspiring talk and I highly recommend to all our readers to go and see her speak or at least watch videos or listen to podcasts she has recorded. 

The evening included group games, a campfire and karaoke.  We played a game of reverse charades where the entire team acts out a word and only one member has to guess. I’ve played a similar game in the classroom called Hot Seat. Yes it was silly and there was plenty of laughter.  A few ”minute to win it” challenges also took place involving cotton balls being thrown into hoops and objects being blown across the floor with straws. 100% harmless fun!

On Saturday we attended three workshops with women from all different walks of life.  Mine involved writing, sound bathing and wood burning art. All good for the soul! At lunch we took time to do some echo singing. During the break I had a quick dip in the lake (less than a minute) and a sauna while others chose to hike or relax by the water.

If your area doesn’t have any retreats being offered, watch for the happenings at the main office in Toronto. They offer affordable events to all members throughout the year and make them accessible no matter where you are coming from. There is funding to help with travel and accommodations. I plan to attend the professional learning for occasional teachers because it will address concerns that I deal with regularly such as classroom management techniques and instructional strategies.

Looking through the catalogue of ETFO Summer Academy offerings has me very excited. There are dozens of 3 day workshops on a wide range of curriculum areas begin offered across the province in various locations in the GTA and beyond. You will find professional learning from Waterloo to Ottawa, Niagara on the Lake to Barrie and Peterborough. Plenty of virtual workshops are also available. I’m particularly interested in art and drama workshops that I think will help me as an occasional teacher.

To register for ETFO events, create an account at https://www.etfo.ca/ under the Events tab.

If staying withing your local suits you better, there are numerous important committees that help each local thrive.  We can learn more about our collective agreement, health and safety, political action, social justice and professional learning just to name a few. Being involved in the local union helps us build professional knowledge and expertise in our profession.  I greatly appreciate the efforts of my local and hope you all get the chance to Ignite and Refresh yourselves like we did!

 

Striving to Become an Anti-Racist Educator Part III: Basic Principles of Anti-Racism Education

In my previous post I shared two resources that helped me to examine my beliefs about race and other identity markers as an initial step towards becoming an anti-racist educator. I also shared those resources in the hope that they could be of use to others who are also striving to become anti-racist educators. In this post I’ll share another resource that guided me in taking another step towards becoming an anti-racist educator. Again, with the hope that the resource may be of use to others.

In the second chapter of the book Anti-Racism Education: Theory and Practice, Canadian/Ghanian scholar George Dei outlines 11 basic principles of anti-racism education to help readers in their work towards effecting systematic change in relation to racism and other interlocking forms of social oppression. Some of the principles Dei outlines include, recognizing the social effects of race despite the concept’s lack of scientific basis. Recognizing that one cannot understand the full social effects of race without examining how race intersects with other forms of social oppression, such as gender, class, and ability. Interrogating white male power and privilege, and the rationality for their dominance in society. Problematizing the marginalization of certain voices and delegitimatizing the knowledge and experience of minorized groups in education systems. Acknowledging the traditional role of the education system in producing and reproducing racial, gender, sexual, and class-based inequities in society.

What I found useful about the principles outlined in this chapter, were that they provided a list of essential considerations for employing anti-racist practices when teaching along with a clear rational for each principle. For example, the first principle of anti-racism education focuses on recognizing the social effects of race, despite the concept’s lack of scientific basis. Following this statement, Dei goes on to explain that there are powerful social meanings associated with race which have real consequence to human lives that can be seen in how some human lives are more respected and valued over others. Therefore, to employ anti-racist practices one must recognize that human beings with minoritized racial identities have different social experiences primarily due to the colour of their skin and that those social experience may be harmful or jeopardize their overall safety and well-being. To combat systems and structures that allow inequities and injustices to exist we must learn to respect others who look like us and those that are different and normalize different ways of knowing and being in the world.

In my work with students and other educators, I often use books written by diverse authors, current events, and policies as entry points for conversations about race, racism, and anti-racism. I find the use of texts provides a way to facilitate discussions about race related issues and gets students and educators to think critically about race, racism, and anti-racism, with the goal that discussions lead to actions that support the creation of more equitable and just communities for all.

To conclude, while I have shared some resources and insights in this and my previous two posts regarding my work towards becoming an anti-racist educator, I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge the reality that anti-racism work is contextual, nuanced, challenging, and messy. Meaning, while I’ve committed to doing anti-racist work by striving to become more anti-racist in my thoughts and practices, I still make mistakes. Mistakes are part of the work. Yet, learning from experiences, striving to avoid the mistakes of the past, and continuing to do the work is what I believe to be most important and what I strive to do and encourage others committed to anti-racism work do as well.

Also see:

Striving to Become an Anti-Racist Educator Part I: A Call to Action

Striving to Become an Anti-Racist Educator Part II: The Importance of Self-Examination

From Representation to Celebration: Asian Heritage Month

Asian Heritage Month is celebrated each May in Canada.  The federal government of Canada has announced their theme as, “Unity in Diversity: The Impact of Asian Communities in Shaping Canadian Identity”. This theme acknowledges the abundance of diversity present among Asian Canadian communities, and how this richness has contributed to building a unifying Canadian identity. The diverse nature of Asian Canadian communities is considered as one of their strengths, just as it is in our Canadian identity.” 

When I spent some time last month with a wonderful group of educators to collate resources that acknowledge Asian identity here in Canada, we kept this theme in mind.  There is so much diversity in Asian identity – not just in regionality, but also within regions, the global diaspora, culture, and more.  Celebrating and representing this diverse identity is something that requires some thoughtful planning. 

We started locating books for representation; ones that addressed topics that many Asian children experience.  We thought about our own experiences as Asian teachers as well as the experiences of Asian students and families we knew in schools. We decided to address a few different topics; name stories, immigration experiences, food, language, and clothing.  For each of these categories, we selected texts, such as picture books, visuals, and websites that could be explored for cultural representation.  We tried our best to ensure that we weren’t building stereotypes;, that we had characters from a variety of countries and regions and intersectionalities. It was wonderful to meet with like-minded educators who were interested in bringing their ideas to reality!

Through our discussions, we also realized the joy and understanding that happens through highlighting changemakers and trailblazers during heritage months.  To acknowledge this, we made sure to include links to useful resources that provided information about Asian Canadians, such as government websites, websites built by those who identify with that ethnicity, or texts that were written from their own cultural perspective.  There was no shortage of resources to find; in fact, we found so many that were new for us to comb through and learn more about our own identities and others.  Seeing these mirrors and windows into our Asian heritage inspired us to walk through those sliding glass doors and into possibilities of what we could do in the classroom.

During this planning session, I realized that we needed to include Asian Canadians that are recent trailblazers – it wasn’t only about focussing on the past achievements, but making these moments come alive for students in the time period that they are living.  Some of these include Kevin He, the first Chinese born Canadian to sign an NHL contract in 2024;  politician Rechie Valdez, the first Filipino Canadian woman to be elected as a Member of Parliament in Canada and who has been recently announced as the new Minister of Women and Gender Equality. There’s also Lauren Chan, a model, editor and founder of the plus-size clothing brand Henning.  This champion for diversity in the fashion world also identifies with the LGBTQ+ community and has Chinese-Armenian heritage. 

As you explore different ways to recognize Asian Heritage month in May and beyond with your students and staff members, I encourage you to look at the ways Asian Canadians are still becoming ‘firsts’.  Join in the celebrations that are happening right now and consider how history is still in the making. 

 

Cultural Responsiveness, Pathway Planning, and the Future of Healthcare

Recently I had the privilege of supporting an event organized by my school board on the “Future of Healthcare”. My role was simple: usher a group of 20 secondary students around different workshops organized by healthcare professionals from the Toronto and Peel area.

I expected a full day of listening, learning, and spending time with a new group of students – which is a pretty fabulous day for any teacher. What I didn’t expect was to be blown away by the critical connections these healthcare providers would make with students throughout the day. The Future of Healthcare program, coordinated in collaboration with the Peel DSB and Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), is designed to “target underrepresented youth and expose them to postsecondary education that could lead to career opportunities in the healthcare field.” In a world where we often hear about the defunding and discrediting of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, it was powerful to see the impact of cultural responsive pedagogy in action and also see the possibilities for a more inclusive, identity-affirming healthcare system.

I believe that it is more important than ever to keep a focus on cultural responsiveness in teaching, particularly during a moment where xenophobic and racist commentary regularly saturate social media feeds. As an educator, I’ve noticed an increase of rhetoric in the media and the field suggesting equity and anti-racism pedagogy cannot exist in tandem with “back-to-basics”, “common sense” foundational literacy and mathematics initiatives. Participating in a pathways planning event where there was an intentional centring of diverse voices and identities reaffirmed my belief that culturally responsive pedagogy does not weaken, but enhances and enriches learning for students.

Culturally Responsive and Inclusive Pathway Planning

The positive effects of cultural responsiveness and inclusivity extend far beyond the classroom – when we expose students to careers in a way that is more attuned to the variability of students’ lived experiences and the barriers they may face, we help them to see what is possible in their own lives.

For example, many students associate healthcare careers with well-known roles like doctor or nurse – but there are so many other options like social worker, lab specialist, therapist, or emergency medical technicians that they may not be aware of without knowing someone directly linked to the field. As a second generation Canadian from immigrant parents, I can attest that was hard to understand all the different pathways I could access as an adult, much less what I needed to do to prepare for them. Having opportunities to see the range of options in the workforce can make all the difference for students that have limited connections to a particular industry.

As elementary educators, topics like the workforce, college, and university can feel distant. But the reality is that many students have to start thinking seriously about their future pathways in the intermediate years – it is not long after grade 8 that students must make intentional course selections, choose part-time jobs, or pursue co-op and volunteering options. Taking opportunities to introduce students to workplace options, even in the elementary years, can result in real, life-changing decisions.

Representation Matters

Representation can be game-changing when it comes to the topic of career and pathway planning for students. Being able to witness the impact of representation in real time at the Future of Healthcare event was one of the best professional learning experiences I’ve had all year.

As an observer, I could see the affective filters of students lower when engaging with so many peers and professionals that they could identify with. Participation was high, and students were eager to ask questions about the medical field. A Sikh doctor gave insight on how to respond to a case study in which an unconscious patient’s religious beliefs conflicted with the haircutting required to perform a life-saving surgery. Students weighed in on the right course of action to take when the ingredients of a prescribed, essential medication were revealed to be at odds with the dietary restrictions of a Muslim patient.

Though students from different schools were intentionally mixed with other schools, they were eager to collaborate and problem solve case studies that explored the intersection of culture and medicine. They considered possible ways to respond to challenging situations, and how to create caring, supportive healthcare environments for culturally diverse communities.

I strongly believe that what made the learning so meaningful was the lived experiences and cultural funds of knowledge the speakers brought – in addition to the wealth of medical expertise and qualifications they had. In a country with a population as diverse as Canada’s such knowledge is an asset to professional practice.

There is More Work to Do

A day before I went to the Future of Healthcare event I was working in a classroom with newcomer students in English Literacy Development programs, and I asked one student what schools could do to support him. He stated quite frankly: “we need to know what courses to take, what grades we need, to become what we want.” Newcomer students in particular have a disadvantage in that they and their families may be unfamiliar with topics like credit accumulation, English proficiency assessments, and how and when to apply for postsecondary institutions.

As a middle school teacher, I didn’t look into what course selection could look like for students nor what secondary school credits they needed long into my career. I think this was something overlooked that I really should have corrected sooner, rather than simply relying on my own experience as a high school student in Ontario.

In a changing world with so many new careers emerging, it is key to be aware of what formal learning and lived experiences students should have to help them pursue future goals. Give students time to ask questions and talk about their future aspirations. And of course – as educators we don’t have all the answers – but by taking the time to listen we can help students to find the resources they can leverage to become what they want to be.

The Corner Cafe: Part 1

Remember When?

Times flies, doesn’t it?

It is 5 years this June since I was hired for a centrally assigned position that I started that September. Fortunately,  as my role in this school district is designed in  a way that I can co-plan, co-teach, co-debrief and co-reflect with my colleagues, I am not distanced from students. Yet, I feel a twinge on my heartstrings when I pick up a picture book or find something exciting to share as I do not always have a classroom to take this back to right away, the next day.

So I rely on a quiet activity called “Remember When?” to keep alive the fond memories that keep the 21 years in this work as a teacher well irrigated so that they can continue to bring me joy. I am sharing one such memory below, deeply rooted in intentional planning and pedagogy.

The Corner Cafe

A bulletin board with a poster above it that says "The Corner Cafe" There are 4 smaller posters on the board that say Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency and Expand Vocabulary
Karnad-Jani’s CAFE Board

I have taught in 2 schools in my 21 year career.

At the school with the gorgeous sunrise, I was a Grade 7-8 science teacher then a Special Education Resource Teacher in an Intermediate Student Support Centre. Our core focus was literacy and mathematics, social skills and advocacy skills among others.

With the deep commitment to support my students, I had planned and intentionally set up the CAFE Bulletin Board based on the the skills development focus on Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency and Expand Vocabulary outlined in the CAFE Book.

What Does CAFE Mean ?

In the book mentioned above and in the pedagogical process planned around it, CAFE means

  • Comprehension
  • Accuracy
  • Fluency
  • Expand Vocabulary

It Is Not “Just A SERT Thing”

Some colleagues with whom I partnered and co-taught also used this template to set up similar CAFE boards in their classrooms. Students, when integrated in subject areas saw the same skill building supports. They did not see this board as “Just something we do in the SSC”.  My colleagues and I participated in authentic partnerships incorporating Tier 1 practices for the benefit of all students (and occasional teachers who worked alongside when we were away as the classroom was the 3rd teacher). Such partnerships are possible and work well when it is acknowledged that SERTs also have subject specialities.

It was not “Just A SERT thing” or something some students needed. We all used it.  As a cricket and basketball fan, I would ask my students to recommend readings for me to demonstrate my understanding. We would use this space to document my wonderings around hockey and baseball, two sports with which I am not as familiar and students saw me as a comprehension constructor and fluency builder as well.  They could give me feedback about what they saw me doing and bridged over to what they would like to try. Deconstructing my comprehension challenges and examining how I made meaning opened up space for students’ learning journeys.

And Then I Moved…

After 2004-2018, I decided to move to another school, after much thought and soul searching.  When I got there, my 3-4 SSC was in a much smaller space. Students  at this school did not know me and their previous teacher had left the school so they were not comfortable with change, I learned.

To support them as much as me, I set up another CAFE space at my 2nd school.

Here with the added emphasis on critical thinking but with younger students and a smaller space, I also incorporated individualized Q Charts where students could ask questions from their everyday lives. We moved to other topics through the year that aligned with their science and social studies classes so the pre-teaching of content vocabulary and comprehension access happened before and side by side with their subject classes. We CAFE’d everything.

A student placing sticky notes on a Question Matrix

Students Remember

The Corner Cafe became a beloved and effective Literacy Hub at 2 schools in The East in a large publicly funded school board in Ontario.  You did not need an IEP to work in the CAFE.  We worked together so that students felt stronger to transfer their literacy and mathematics skills in other settings. Our walls were rich and instructionally strategies were intentionally planned and implemented. 

I  attended the Grade 8 graduation ceremony last year at School 1 and 2 and plan to go again this year as my then-Grade 3s are graduating.

Soon after I left School 2 to take up my centrally assigned work, I would get emails from The Cafe Students. They set up their own “Cafe Classroom” and emailed me to invite. So, we organized a virtual visit through their teacher and I got to hear all the wonderful things they were learning and doing.

“We remember The Corner Cafe”, they said. Then after some “tell her, tell her” whispers, they added “And we practice CAFE”. That was a warm cuppa joy for me.

Some Guiding Questions

  • How am I using the CAFE framework to strengthen student learning?
  • How am I using resources connected to Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy  to support my learning and professional judgement?
  • How am I supporting content areas in leveraging CAFE in subject-based comprehension for all students?
  • How am I using ETFO resources to support my work?
  • Any others you may come up with as you continue your work through your career.

If you decide to or have already set up a CAFE in your school, please take a peek at the instructional areas highlighted above.

Things Change: Please Engage Professionally and Responsibly

Although research and practice have changed in Ontario and elsewhere over the years, when I did this work, some things were different. Now, there are new resources and conversations that guide our work as ETFO members and different school districts will likely have their own supported initiatives.

I therefore invite readers to see this writing and sharing as a window into that classroom where students and I strengthened our practices.  We used this board and this mindset to strengthen content literacy as well because as a J/I teacher first and foremost, I was also mindful of the importance of being able to read and comprehend subject areas like science, social studies, history, geography and mathematics.

  • The concept of CAFE is not my creation.
  • I applied it to my classroom programme and students ad have shared the sources I used to develop this learning space in two schools.
  • If you choose to set up a CAFE in your school,  do reach out.
  • If you have already set up a CAFE at your school, and want to discuss ideas, please connect.

With You, In Solidarity

Rashmee Karnad-Jani

 

 

 

 

A Teacher’s Purpose

Do you remember working on your faculty of education application and coming across that all-important question: Why do you want to become a teacher? I can still remember pouring my heart into the answer, sharing my hopes and dreams of making a real difference—of teaching with purpose and helping to create a brighter future for my students. Looking back and reflecting on all that I have learned in these years, I realize that teaching is rooted in a deep sense of moral purpose—a commitment to making a difference in the lives of students and, by extension, in society and our future. This sense of purpose is what draws us to teacher education and helps us through the challenges and success of the classroom.

We know that real change—whether in ourselves, our students, or our communities—takes time, patience, and a willingness to try new approaches. In teachers college, I remember learning not only about pedagogy and curriculum, but also about the importance of patience: patience with ourselves as we develop our skill, patience with students as they navigate their own learning journeys, and patience with the process of growth itself

Patience is about maintaining a positive, supportive attitude and recognizing that meaningful learning is going to take time. As educators, we are often tempted to step in and solve problems for our students. But true growth happens when we give them space to struggle, to collaborate, and to discover their own solutions. This is where patience is intertwined with trust—trust in our students’ abilities, and trust in the process of learning.

As I write, I am reminded of a student from a few years ago, let’s call him—Lucas. Lucas was feeling challenged with a math concept in my grade four class. I tried everything: differentiated assessments, modelling, manipulatives, extra one on one support. But the breakthrough came not from my direct intervention, but when another student stepped in and said “I know what to do, I can show you”. She began explaining the problem in her own words. I can still remember seeing and feeling the “ah ha” moment on Lucas’ face. At that moment, I realized that sometimes the most powerful thing I can do as a teacher is to step back, be patient, and let students learn from each other.

This experience showed me the connection between patience and moral purpose in teaching. Our moral purpose is not just about academic achievement; it’s about caring, building community, and fostering a growth mindset to learning. It’s about building trust and rapport, creating a safe and supportive environment for learning, fostering a growth mindset to embrace challenges and learn from mistakes, its about the care and respect we show for every student’s unique journey and reflecting on our own practice. 

Teaching requires energy, adaptability, and a deep commitment to growth. Our passion for teaching fuels our enthusiasm, while our patience anchors us through challenges and change. 

So remember, patience isn’t just about waiting. It’s about knowing when to step back, when to listen, and when to let your students take the lead. As you continue your journey, ask yourself: How do you practice patience in your classroom? How does your moral purpose guide your actions each day?

At The Speed of ASAP

I  often find myself running at the speed of “As Soon As Possible”.  First thing in the morning, I look at my list of priorities from the day before (that are often incomplete) and then reorganize them into the ASAP list…. What must be done this moment, can wait until prep time, tomorrow, or later this week.  It’s like constantly running background noise in my brain while I’m teaching and spending time with students.  

But what if I changed that list?  Not the content or the timing; I can’t change due dates or even the list itself most days, but I’ve been thinking of changing my approach. As soon as possible doesn’t have to be the only title for this list. 

ASAP could stand for As Softly As Possible.  What if I could plan assessment with softness, ensuring that our classroom conversations were emphasizing care and compassion instead of completion?  How would it look differently if my approach was to ensure students believed I genuinely care about their learning?  Perhaps, the questions that I asked them would reflect authentic curiosity about their thinking instead of focussing on whether they could give me the right answer so I can give them a mark.  Perhaps there would be space to share thinking and not just products.  Perhaps assessment As Softly As Possible would help us to all feel better and more purposeful about teaching and learning. 

ASAP could stand for Allow Space And Pause.  Instead of hearing the constant buzzing of deadlines, I could pause and replace that sound with joy.  Our class could cultivate our spaces together in community.  My Allow Space And Pause list could include time for us to build relationships  – both with me and with one another. Maybe I can allow some space for fun in our community after moments of hard thinking or before beginning our day together. Allow Space and Pause reminds me that we all need to take a moment to pause and reflect and, sometimes, begin again. 

ASAP could stand for As Sustainably As Possible.  I could  remind myself that when something goes on my ASAP list, something else has to come off.  It means that I am consciously trying to sustain my momentum; choosing to go slow and steady instead of sprinting as fast as I can.  As Sustainably As Possible means that I give myself space and time to think, feel, and enjoy teaching instead of allowing that stressful rushed feeling to frustrate me.  I want students and colleagues to feel more joy at school and less overwhelmed with that ever expanding  to-do list – and I want that for myself, too!

While I don’t think I’m ready to give up my ASAP list (after all, it IS a strategy I need to stay organized), I can change how I move forward with it. Whether that’s reminding myself to slow down or shifting to take a softer approach, I think there is a lesson here somewhere for me to find.  I’ll just have to add it to my list of things to do As Simply As Possible.

Striving to Become an Anti-Racist Educator Part II: The Importance of Self-Examination

In my previous post, I shared my rational and motivation for striving to become an anti-racist educator. In this post I’ll share one step I took towards building my capacity to do anti-racist work along with a video resource and a book resource that guided my step forward. To reiterate what I communicated in my previous post, my hope is that the insights and resources I share, will help other educators who are striving to infuse their work with anti-racist practices; and by doing so, support the cultivation of a community of anti-racist educators.

In 2021, while collaborating with a colleague to create a series of professional learning sessions for in-service educators on culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP), my colleague suggested we use the short video titled, The Archeology of the Self prior to discussing CRP. My colleague wanted to use the video to help educators think about their positionality prior to thinking about pedagogy.  In the video Dr. Yolanda Sealy-Ruiz defines the archelogy of the self as a deep self-examination to uncover how issues of race, class, gender, religion, and other prominent identity markers live within a person. In the video, Dr. Sealy-Ruiz goes on to explain that if people, particularly teachers avoid doing a deep self-excavation to uncover their own archeology prior to working with racialized and marginalized student population then intentional or not, they will exact harm. Meaning they will say, do, and/or teach in ways that are racist, sexist, homophobic, or perpetuate other forms of oppression.

Watching this video, then for the first time, I realized the importance of first interrogating what I believe to be true about race among other identity markers prior to engaging in anti-racist work because I understood how those beliefs informed my thinking and practices within the classroom. When I began asking myself questions and thinking about what I believed to be true about race and other identity markers, I was surprised, disturbed and at times disappointed by what I discovered. I was also alarmed by recognizing how my beliefs manifested in my thoughts and teaching practices. Yet I understood this at times challenging and uncomfortable self-examination work to be a necessary step towards becoming an anti-racist educator.

Months later, this time working alone preparing to create and facilitate a different professional learning session for in-service educators on how to support the language and literacy needs of students from diverse linguistic and cultural communities, I read the book, Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students by Zaretta Hammond. In the fourth chapter titled, Preparing to Be a Culturally Responsive Practitioner, Hammond writes,

“[…] [I]f teachers want to be successful in their work with culturally diverse students, they must first accept and understand themselves as cultural beings. This self-knowledge acts as a set of reference points that shape our mental models about teaching, learning, and dependent learners of color” (p. 56).

This quote resonated with me because I saw parallels between Dr. Sealy-Ruiz’s idea regarding the importance of understanding my archeology to avoid exacting harm on racialized and minoritized students; and Hammond’s idea regarding the importance of understanding my cultural reference points and the way they inform how I see, treat, and teach students, particularly racialized students.

Yet what I appreciated about Hammond’s chapter, that wasn’t captured in Dr. Sealy-Ruiz’s video, was that Hammond included instructions and a list of questions to guide me in thinking about my cultural reference points and by direct extension engage in a deep self-examination to gain insight to my cultural identity.

Some of the questions Hammond poses that helped me to interrogate my beliefs about race and the cultural frames I wear to inform how I see the world include: How did your family identify ethnically or racially? Who were the heroes celebrated in your family and/or community? What got shunned or shamed in your family? What earned you praise as a child? What physical, social, or cultural attributes were praised in your community? Which [physical, social, or cultural attributes] were you taught to avoid?

Note that I didn’t try to answer all these questions at once but rather gave myself time and space to deeply reflect on each question. I think educators who are committed to anti-racist work may find Hammond’s questions useful in helping them to gain insight to the cultural frames they wear to see and interpret the world and in so doing help them potentially progress in their work towards becoming an anti-racist educator.

In my third and concluding post, I plan to share another resource that helped me to identify principles of anti-racist education and how that resource guided me in taking another step towards becoming an anti-racist educator.

Let’s grow something! 

Hello Fellow Travellers,

April has left behind a warm May and when the sun isn’t shining, it’s been cool cloudy Khandala (please look it up) weather.  There have been many things to go at work and much time to play: both aspects a reflection of the privilege one takes for granted when one gets to being in a certain place in a certain way. There’s that Standard North American Family * shelf on which one lives.

Before Work, I Play

When I first started teaching in 2004, I began at an early start school so I’ve  been in the habit of waking early. A huge help with meal prep and a quiet cup of coffee when raising young children back then. Nowadays as I’ve got more time and less mothering work to attend to, I look around and I peer.  There are many thoughts running through my mind that my botany courses do not explain anymore as this is a connection that goes beyond scientific knowledge and leaf identification skills.

“There you are!”, I whisper

“You came back after the winter”, I say.

“Oh my goodness. You’ve got many more little ones along the fence now!”, I celebrate.

Looking Down and Planning Up

Just as one indulges people in one’s life they reciprocate as well. When they were younger, my children would remark when I’d walk about in early spring on this space or elsewhere: “Mamma is peering at the ground. Something is growing there”. I do this in every area of my life. I peer and I wait patiently.

I also work to create conditions that will allow that which is growing to thrive.

Transferable Skills: The “Remember-When Mindset” (Karnad-Jani, 2025)

Recognizing potential and creating conditions for growth and thriving is a skill. We can learn it. We can practice it with critical and kind friends and colleagues who know the heart and art of teaching and learning.

I work hard to strengthen the skills in in one area of my life so that I can use the “remember when? mindset” to support myself and others in another area. I am sure there is a theory for this somewhere and a fancy name in a book, but to me, it means noticing that something is sprouting and how when I and you create conditions for roots to go down and stems to grow upwards the young seeds become plants and the seedlings become shrubs and trees.

Let’s Grow Something Together: The Sunflower Lesson

A few weeks ago, I planted sunflower seeds outside but brought them in on the mid-May long weekend due to the cooler temperatures. I noticed on Saturday that sunflower seedling had flopped. I gently poked in a wooden stick beside it and on Monday I notice that it doesn’t need it anymore!

Sunflower Seedlings On Their Own

What does that tell me? Scaffolding and support to those who need it, allows seedlings to strengthen without expending energy to prevent bending or breaking. I take this insight with me into all areas of my life and also sharing with you, my fellow travellers.

Sunflower Seedlings After Support

With You, In Solidarity

Rashmee Karnad-Jani

  • The Standard North American Family, says Smith, is an ideological code that informs the biases by which we see particular families as deficient because the ideal of SNAF is a two-parent, heterosexual family where the father’s work allows the mother to attend to the children’s schooling and educational outcomes. It is also important to notice that race is a critical intersection within SNAF (Karnad-Jani, 2021).