Rashmee Karnad-Jani Anti-bullying, Anti-Racism, Building Inclusion, Communication with Parents and Guardians, English As Second Language (ESL), English Language Learners (ELLs), Equity, Faculties of Ed, Language Learning, Learning About Your Students, Learning in a Real Life Context, Learning to learn, Making a Difference Through Education, Media Literacy, Wellbeing, Women at Work

Where in Mumbai? 

The Places 

We go from here and there through our day. Sometimes, we go to new places around our usual work location, whose address we enter into  our devices so that we arrive promptly with time to spare, even.  So one day recently, I thought I was just going to work.

The Context 

Since December  2024, two colleagues and I have been collaborating with consultants in another department to work on a key resource that has helped many and will continue to help more students and educators as we move forward. Sometimes in March, just before a series of professional learning sessions, we met again. We had to get through a lot.

The Necklace Started It 

I have always loved necklaces and I always wear one when I’m not in classrooms. This was one such piece.

A necklace with two double strands of flat turquoise beads and a large oval turquoise pendant set in silver. The back piece is made of small silver beads, silver fastening and black lava beads and round yellow beads. The necklace is set against a black background.
   My Necklace From Mumbai

As colleagues from the other department came into the meeting room one of them complimented me on my choice. I thanked her and added, “It’s from Mumbai. Like me”.

A dear friend with whom I’d attended school (Grades 9-10) had gifted it to me from her collection when she visited last summer. But I didn’t have time to share that as we were at work, you know. We had a lot to do.

My colleague smiled warmly and asked,  “Where in Mumbai?”

Where in Mumbai?

At the end of that long and busy week, my heart skipped a beat: In 21 years of working in education and 23 years living “here”, no one had ever asked me “Where in Mumbai?”

“Dadar”, I said.

My colleague told me where she grew up and I reminisced that I used to go shopping in that neighbourhood and had fond memories of some beautiful silver jewelry pieces I had bought there. I had also worked nearby to where she’d grown up. We talked about these places we both knew from what seems like another lifetime.

The glow of that conversation stayed with me and now we talk about books and authors and other things when we are in the same place, warming lunch.

Why This Question?

I have many friends in many spaces at work. We have lots of conversations and have many fond memories over the years. We talk about books, family (ours), pets (theirs), dreams and many other things.

Yet, just one question “Where in Mumbai?” has stayed with me differently. It is as if a locked door has sprung open.

Some points that come into view for me that I want to share with you, my fellow traveller.

  1. I think about how we, as educators, recognize intellectually that the whole child comes to school.
  2. Yet many of of us aren’t able to bring our whole selves to work.
  3. I/we don’t talk about everything that makes me/us complete because either there’s too much to do, or more often, I/we don’t think anyone else knows of that place, that food, that fragrance and so on
  4. I am sure there are many more meanings that will come to the surface for you and me when you read this. Do share.

There’s A Ghazal (Poem) For That

So here are some lines from a ghazal written by Gulzar and sung by Jagjit Singh that explain that feeling of perhaps being The Only One in a space. These lines explains the feeling of a solitude that I couldn’t put into words until that question “Where in Mumbai?

“Aainaa dekh karr tass-allee hui

Humko iss ghar mein jaan-taa hai koi”

The Translation Goes Like This

I was reassured when I looked in the mirror 

That someone knows me in this house.

Thank you, dear colleague- friend who has memories of Mumbai. Not identical ones, but just like I do.

I can’t wait to see you again.

Fellow Travellers, I wish you such unexpected and pleasant encounters in your work spaces.

And if you know Mumbai, or Goa, please write back.

With You, In Solidarity

Rashmee Karnad-Jani

Rashmee Karnad-Jani Anti-Racism, Building Inclusion, Celebrating Success, Climate Change, English Language Learners (ELLs), Equity, Learning About Your Students, Report Cards, Student wellbeing, Weather, wellness, Year End Reflection

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.

Rashmee Karnad-Jani Advocacy for change, Celebrating Success, Communication with Parents and Guardians, Constant Learning, Differentiated Instruction, Diverse Learning Needs, Equity, Faculties of Ed, Inclusion, Learning in a Real Life Context, Making a Difference Through Education, Mindfulness, Outdoor Education, Outdoor Learning, Pedagogical Documentation, Professional Judgement, Professional Learning and Growth, Science

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).
Geeta Kumar Anti-Racism, Equity, General, Inclusion, Social Justice

Equity Habits of Mind: Shifts in Practice (Part One)

My positionality: To preface this post, I am engaging in this work as a co-learner rather than an expert. As a racialized woman and a life-long learner, my role as an anti-racist teacher involves knowing the students and families in front of me to create equitable learning experiences to ensure students feel a sense of belonging and community. This means doing the heart and hard work of learning and unlearning.

Indigenous Education, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is not simply about bringing in diverse texts and learning about holidays. It begins deeper—with our mindsets as educators.

Equity Habits of Mind are the intentional ways we reflect, question, and respond in order to create inclusive, belonging and affirming learning spaces. These habits help educators not only recognize inequities but also take meaningful steps toward disrupting them as part of anti-oppressive work and teaching.

In this series, I will explore some considerations and shifts to take as you move towards incorporating anti-oppressive work in your practices.

Please note that this is not a checklist, nor can it be. Cultivating these habits takes time, and can transform teaching into a lived commitment of anti-oppressive teaching. There is a commitment to having brave’ critical conversations, being uncomfortable and lifelong learning and unlearning.

Shift # 1: Self-Reflection – Inward Work

It is vital that we seek to better understand ourselves, including identity and positionality, as we engage in the work of Indigenous Education, Equity, Inclusion, and education. This includes critical and ongoing reflections on power, privilege, build spots, and more. While this is vulnerable work, it should be recognized that discomfort is necessary for growth. Some questions include:

  • What assumptions am I making?
  • What privilege do I have?
  • Whose perspectives am I centering?
  • How does my identity shape my thinking?
  • What do I need to learn ?

Using a graphic organizer like the one below, can also help guide your thinking in understanding privilege.  Known as the wheel of privilege and power, the closer you are to the centre, the more privilege you have. By understanding our privileges and unconscious biases, it helps us to identify where we need to shift our thinking as we become more capable of seeing the systems and structures that perpetuate inequities. 

Photo retrieved from: https://www.canada.ca

Have you tried this ? What did you notice? What do you wonder? How this impact your ability to build relationships with students and understand their needs?

Some ETFO resources to understand privilege more:

Geeta Kumar Equity, Literacy, Professional Learning and Growth

Teaching Reading is Equity Work!

For the past several years, my annual learning goals have centered around deepening my understanding of Structured Literacy—an approach rooted in the Science of Reading and grounded in decades of research into how children’s brains acquire and process written language.

As educators, we know that teaching reading is not just an academic goal—it is a matter of equity. Ensuring that all students receive access to high-quality, evidence-based literacy instruction means we are actively dismantling barriers to learning. We are building a culture of belonging, wellbeing, and opportunity.

Structured Literacy prioritizes clear, intentional, and research-informed instruction. Here are the core principles that define this approach:

  • Sequential
    • Skills are introduced in a logical, developmentally appropriate order, with careful scaffolding to ensure mastery before moving forward.
  • Explicit
    • Instruction is direct, intentional, and interactive. The gradual release model—“I do, We do, You do”—supports learners through modelling and guided practice.
  • Systematic & Cumulative
    • A structured scope and sequence ensures instruction builds progressively, helping students connect new learning to prior knowledge.
  • Diagnostic
    • Assessment is ongoing and timely. It drives instruction and allows educators to respond to students’ evolving needs with precision.

If you are beginning your journey understanding the Science of Reading and Structured Literacy, it is encouraged you to explore the resources listed below. The Margaret Wilson Library is a great place to check out books !

  • Supporting classroom practice: Lessons language curriculum 2023 (ETFO)
  • Shifting the Balance by Katie Egan Cunningham, Jan Burkins, Kari Yates
  • 7 Mighty Moves: Research-Backed, Classroom-Tested Strategies to Ensure K-to-3 Reading Success, by Lindsay Kemeny
  • Know Better, Do Better: Comprehension: Fueling the Reading Brain With Knowledge, Vocabulary, and Rich Language by David Liben, Meredith Liben
Rashmee Karnad-Jani Advocacy for change, Anti-bullying, Before School Starts, Building Inclusion, Equity, General, Inclusion, Mentorship, Professional Learning and Growth

The Importance of Questions (Part 2)

Noticing The Questions

As I  composed this piece in the last weeks of December, I was aware that it has the potential of being more than a 2 part piece. I continue to notice questions in everyday professional spaces. Questions asked around me stand out because the language that goes from seemingly innocuous talk to formal texts that in turn guide trajectories of educational work and the outcomes for students.

If those outcomes unfold on paths of equity and social justice, I always look deeper for the driving gear: who is the person – parent, family friend, educational worker or combination of all three or more who have made it their mission to ensure that that student achieves their fullest potential. 

Also, sometimes the topics I write about invite readers to take a deep and honest look around so that we can be authentically inclusive in our professional practice towards all with whom we interact. A twinge here and there is therefore okay, it helps us sharpen out growth mindset as ETFO members.

Some Spaces Are Special

A black metal park bench beside a walking track with three red-leafed trees behind it. The grass around it glows in the sunshine
A Special Park Bench (Karnad-Jani, 2024)

Notice this beautiful bench situated along the walking track around the cricket pitch beside the school with the gorgeous sunrise where I worked for 14 years. In 2018, after considering many factors, mostly around breathing room and well being, I had decided to move to another school. But I still walk here every season as long as the paths are ice-free. So it was that one late summer in the last week of August, shall we say, I met up with a former student now an educator who wanted to talk through some career decisions.

Such walks are mutually supportive as I can give back to the communities of practice that steady me and another educator can have an unconditional space to air their ideas and possibilities. We walked a few laps and sat down to take in the view. A warm breeze was blowing and I was thinking of 6 students in my last three years at this school with whom our team used to walk this track daily for our observation skills, social skills, and conversational and communication goals with our flip and talk books etc. One student had clearly described this very bench as “A park bench is like a chair that’s outside. It is longer than the chair inside our class and you can’t pick it up.” How delighted we were at this description! It is one of the special memories of that time

 

What are YOU doing here?

Just then, someone I knew from years ago stopped in front of me and demanded, “What are you doing here?” and without waiting for a response, walked on.  My walking companion was as startled as I was at this interaction if one could call it that. “What was that, Ms. Karnad-Jani? They did not even wait for a response.”

My heart beat quickened from past memories of having faced this question in various spaces. 

Deep breath in. Look around. Exhale. I was glad I was in a beautiful space outside that helped me compose myself. We walked some more and that was that.

I have thought about this question often as it appears in our lives in many ways.

When one is asked “What are YOU doing here?”  we can claim space individually and collectively to support one another when this question comes up  that may challenge our very presence in some, many, any spaces.  

I am sharing Claiming Space: Self-Identifying With My Union from 2018 which is always relevant. Also please read the Letter from the Editor highlighting the writing from the issue in which this article was published.

Also, always consult and implement the guidelines outlined in ETFO’s Terms of Use when using any published materials in professional learning and elsewhere because all of us who write academically and professionally work very diligently to think about the ideas we share with you. 

 

"I am ETFO" button with the word "also" added in reads " I am also ETFO"
I wear my “I am ETFO ” button proudly.

With You, In Solidarity,

Rashmee Karnad-Jani

Geeta Kumar Assessment, Equity, Feedback, Inclusion, Professional Learning and Growth

Shifting to an Asset-Based Lens to Support Student Identities

Shifting to an Asset-Based Lens to Support Student Identities

January is a busy time of the year for many educators: collecting various forms of data, reviewing grade books, collaborating with families and colleagues to write Term 1 report cards and goals for Term 2 IEPs (Individual Education Plans). During this time, it is important to reflect on how we communicate about learning. Language plays a pivotal role in this process, and adopting an asset-based approach is key to maintaining high expectations and supporting students’ identities.

The Ontario Ministry of Education’s Growing Success document encourages educators to adopt an asset-based approach when describing student strengths and areas for growth. This practice shifts the focus to potential, emphasizing the learning and progress.

Examples of shifting language

Instead of saying… 

  • This student is weak in identifying numbers to 20
  • This is a Level 1 math student
  • This is a Spec Ed student
  • This student cannot speak English

Shift to say … 

  • The student’s learning of identifying numbers to 20 is emerging.
  • This student is currently demonstrating a level 1 in number sense
  • This student has an IEP
  • The student is building their English proficiency 

The Impact of Language on Identity

Notice how what we say can also indirectly impact a student’s identity? 

What we say about students—to families, colleagues, and the students themselves—shapes their identity as learners. Asset-based language communicates that we believe in their potential and growth. Having brave, critical conversations with colleagues about this shift is challenging. However, this shift in practice helps ensure that all students can achieve, regardless of their starting point or identity. 

What are your thoughts on this?

Geeta Kumar Equity, First Nations, General, Indigenous Perspectives

Amplifying Voices: A Reflection (Part Two)

See here for Part One of this Series

Reflections and Experiences

The Footbridge Framework was honestly quite natural to follow. Having applied this framework with my classes, I appreciate that it encourages self-reflection on my own position as a settler. As educators, we are all on our own journey of refining our practices. This framework stood out to me because it allows us to identify learning and unlearning that is needed without judgment. Since this learning series, I have spent the time reviewing the author’s narrative to share with students, first as an appreciation, and then discussing the reason the text was written. This has helped my students build key critical literacy skills, and add more depth to their responses to the common question “What is the purpose of this text? Why did the author write it?”. As the number of resources available to educators increases, I value that framework emphasizes the careful consideration that must be given to the authenticity and the contexts in which the resource might be used. Additionally, this framework aligns with the TRC’s calls to action: 

“We call upon the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada to maintain an annual commitment to Aboriginal education issues, including: Developing and implementing Kindergarten to Grade Twelve curriculum and learning resources on Aboriginal peoples in Canadian history, and the history and legacy of residential schools.Truth and Reconciliation Commission delivered its Calls to Action” TRC # 63,

I highly recommend all educators to review this resource as part of professional learning, as a means to equip themselves with the tools to bring FNMI voices respectfully in their classroom.

M’lot, C., & Adamov Ferguson, K. (2022). Resurgence: Indigenous narratives and expressions in the classroom. Portage & Main Press.

Geeta Kumar AQ-rofessional development, Challenging Topics, Equity, First Nations, General, Indigenous Perspectives, Indigneous Ways of Knowing

Amplifying Voices: A Reflection (Part One)

I had the opportunity to participate in professional development focused on amplifying First Nations, Metis and Indigenous (FNMI) voices in the classroom. This professional development was timely, considering the revised Ontario language curriculum is now focused on approaching learning through a CRRP (Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy) lens. Strand A, ‘Applications, connections and contributions’ highlights that:

Students apply language and literacy skills in various contexts, and make connections to the contributions of a diversity of voices, experiences and perspectives, including those of First Nations, Métis and Inuit individuals, communities, groups and nations. (Ontario Language Curriculum, 2023)

As a racialized educator and settler, I really appreciate this change as it recognizes the vast diversity in the students and a clear response in regards to working towards Truth and Reconciliation (TRC). It pushes teachers to provide learning opportunities that continue to build on and learn about other student identities and experiences (i.e., windows, mirrors and sliding glass doors). In this learning series, we explored the Footbridge Framework (from Resurgence) as an approach to explore Indigenous texts and use them authentically. 

The Footbridge Framework: A means to become ‘story ready’

Firstly, it is important to note that the Footbridge Framework was authored by Christine M’Lot (Anishinaabe educator) and Katya Ferguson (early years teacher) both of whom reside in Manitoba. They both worked with other Indigenous contributors to construct this framework. The Footbridge Framework was formed to guide us to consider context, authenticity, representation and educator learning or reflections. Although it appears as a step-like process, the framework is actually represented in a thread-like structure; every story learning will branch out to different thinking and connections. The five stages of the Footbridge Framework allows you and your students to engage with Indigenous voices and texts with purpose and meaning. M’lot and Ferguson provided questions within each step to help educators work through the framework. 

Preparing to Set Out (p. 12): In this step, time is encouraged to be spent on researching the author’s narrative, identity, other contributions and their relationship to place and their work. During this research, educators are encouraged to self-reflect and form personal connections and consider their own engagement with Indigenous texts and content (e.g., How do I bring Indigenous voices in the classroom? What learning do I need to do to support students?).

Leaving Shore and Cross the Bridge (p. 14-15): Educators decide the learning focus, and share the text with students. Educators move from initial engagement to deeper understanding of the theme by encouraging students to first form connections to self, community and then an inquiry. The authors shared that this will allow them to engage in critical thinking with relation to issues of power, and agency (p. 17). By asking students “What is the Author talking back against? What forms of oppression is the author talking back against?” it will allow students to explore the deeper meaning of Indigenous texts. Students can then explore specific tensions between Indigenous peoples and settlers using the various inquiry prompts outlined in the Resurgence text, thus determining what they want to inquire about further.

Reaching the Shore and Beginning a New Journey (p. 17): As educators and students reach the shore, M’Lot and Ferguson share that introducing other Indigenous resources will help guide students to return to the text with a new lens. It can also include reading a different Indigenous text to start a new journey. 

In part two, I will share my experiences, and reflections for next time.

 

M’lot, C., & Adamov Ferguson, K. (2022). Resurgence: Indigenous narratives and expressions in the classroom. Portage & Main Press.

Iyanuoluwa Akinrinola 21st Century Learning, Advocacy for change, Anti-Racism, Black History Month, Black Lives Matter, Building Inclusion, Celebrating Success, Challenging Topics, Curriculum Planning, Equity, General, Inspiring Students, Inspiring Teachers, Learning About Your Students, Making a Difference Through Education

Why I Got Involved In Education: Black Student Success and Excellence.

A number of ETFO locals have included educational programming with Graduation Coaches connected to Black communities to serve as mentors to Black students, offering intensive, culturally responsive support.

Below are insights from a Black Excellence Graduation Coach.

Education has always been emphasized in my home. I still remember my parents hanging their university graduation photos from Nigeria in our houses’ hallways. Whether intentional or not, it inspired me to aim for university and, even after graduating, to continue climbing the academic ladder. This inspiration fuels me to this day.

However, in my academic pursuits, I have always understood that education—the process of gaining insights into a particular subject—does not always occur within the confines of brick-and-mortar schools. From observing, interacting, and learning from my siblings, parents, friends, and members of my African-Caribbean community, I learned that what people are taught strongly influences how they think and behave. I am a testament to this ideology, having benefited from the lessons my wonderful parents taught me at home. I learned from my Black community the importance of time management, embracing my Blackness, respecting others’ opinions, managing my emotions, critical thinking, and the unique experience of being Black in Canada. These lessons greatly impacted my academic performance.

In the paragraphs above, I touch on three main points: inspiring youth, the importance of cultural understanding in learning, and the influence of executive functioning skill development on learning. These points, combined with my thirst for knowledge and passion for caring for children and youth, drive my decision to wake up each day and actively shape students’ education. However, I am not in a stereotypical classroom.

Inspiring Youth

“Is that your little brother?” one of my peers asked as I walked away after spending 5 to 10 minutes coaching a kid I had just met at drop-ins on how to shoot a basketball and properly perform drills to improve his game. Intrinsically, I enjoy helping youth and inspiring them to build their skills or see beyond their present situation. Although my parents were academically inclined, school didn’t always come naturally to me, but having their achievements around me greatly inspired me to see beyond my present shortcomings. Unfortunately, some youth don’t have that level of support, and it may not always be provided in the classroom. That’s where I come in. In my role within the school and the work I do in the community, inspiring youth, especially Black youth who have historically been negatively affected by systemic issues, is vital to their educational performance.

The Importance of Cultural Understanding in Learning

Growing up, I didn’t have many teachers who highlighted the cultural differences among my peers and me, allowing us to see those differences as a means of learning and improving our academic potential. In elementary and high school in Canada, the only thing I learned about Black people was that they were once enslaved in America and came to Canada for safety. I also learned about famous civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. However, as educational philosophers would say, my culture and the cultures of others were not used to “call out our subjectiveness,” the unique aspects that help us see ourselves meaningfully in what we are learning. Fortunately, I grew up in a diverse neighbourhood with people from around the world and different religions, which helped me understand myself and see the world from different perspectives. Growing up with positive and negative examples of Black North American and Nigerian African cultures helped me see things about myself that were not represented in the classrooms and schools I attended. However, I struggled to see myself represented in education and learning at school unless I had a Black teacher. Learning that I was fortunate to have more than two Black teachers in the Ontario education system, I realized the value they added to my education. Research shows that when students have Black educators who are culturally relevant in their teaching, Black students tend to excel academically because their culture is represented in positions of authority and leadership.

The Influence of Executive Functioning Skill Development on Learning

The education system is meant to prepare students for life, guiding them to acquire skills and knowledge to contribute socially and economically to their communities. However, too often, students go through school focusing on grades without learning life skills that would help them apply their academic knowledge. These skills are often left to parents to teach and are only enforced in schools when students misbehave. Understanding that teachers managing over 100 students may only have time to reactively address life skills, I researched culturally relevant teaching practices. I found that integrating these life lessons in the classroom improves student academic achievement. This is especially true for Black students who frequently face microaggressions and biases. To assist teachers in drawing the best from their students, I got involved in education to help students see themselves beyond their current school experience and think about their future, providing them with the skills to reach their goals.

Conclusion

Once again, I reiterate that education is the pillar of society and cannot be ignored. What community members learn, whether directly or indirectly taught, strongly determines how they think and behave. Understanding that education is also a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 4), I got involved outside the classroom because of the profound impact education has on any country’s future and the changes the themes I explored made in my own academic and life trajectory. To do the right thing and indirectly pass on the torch by positively impacting the lives of youth, I realized that inspiration does not only come from the classroom. I can inspire youth to do better than my peers and I have done just by being an educator in the school. Additionally, my awareness of my Blackness and its cultural significance helps me see the untapped potential that the current education system may not bring forth in Black youth. Not wanting that unique light to be snuffed out, I know it is essential to be present in the education system, advocating for young Black girls and boys to see themselves represented in pivotal societal places. Lastly, participating in advocating for better quality education for Black children cannot be done without being an active member of the village raising our Black, racialized, and non-racialized children. By instilling life lessons that help them wisely utilize the knowledge they receive from teachers and the curriculum, they will become pivotal members of their community, moving it forward.