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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.

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?

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.

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.

Oh the joy of sunny, warm spring days!

It’s not too late to get some seeds started. Flowers, vegetables and even grass can be easy to get growing in the classroom. Growing seeds is such a valuable life skill and a way to get those children who have an affinity for the natural world excited to learn.

Growing seeds can be intimidating when time and resources are scarce, plus the soil can get everywhere! For a no-mess growing activity I recommend bean seeds, paper towel (school paper towel will do) and clear jars or cups. It’s so simple to soak the bean seeds overnight and pop a few in a jar. Squish in some wet paper towel and prop the seeds around the side of the jar. Let the magic begin! Keep the paper towel damp and watch the sprouts get their roots, stem and leaves. I prefer bush beans over pole beans because they can be put in the school garden or taken home to plant without worrying about supporting the plant with a pole.

Perhaps your students do not have access to an inground garden but they could manage a container garden. In this case put a bit of potting soil in a cup or container, add the seeds and cover with the recommended amount of soil. Some easy to grow flowers are marigolds, nasturtiums, sunflowers, and morning glories. Vegetables for small containers include lettuce and radishes but I’m also partial to herbs like basil and thyme in containers.

The wonderful thing about seeds is how easily we can access them! It’s fun to try an experiment using seeds from peppers or squash. How about planting a strawberry or a potato?

Finally, there is an adorable grass head project that has been very successful and so simple! Decorate a plastic cup by drawing a face with permanent marker. Googly eyes make it extra silly. Fill the cup with the soil and sprinkle grass seed on top. Add water and your silly face will have a full head of green hair in no time. Students love to give their grass head a haircut.

We all rely on the plants of the world for their gifts. We can reciprocate this gift by caring and nurturing their seeds to grow another generation of seeds.

My local public library has a seed library where we can sign out seeds in the spring and return a new generation of seeds in the fall. Maybe our schools could start similar projects?

I wish everyone a wonderful growing season ahead!

Brenda