Teaching Philosophy
I have many philosophies that I have developed through experience and observation. One of the philosophies I have been exploring lately is around Indigenizing my classroom authentically.
Indigenizing my classroom is about more than counting tipis instead of triangles. It is about honouring the way we traditionally saw children; the way we taught them and treated them. Children were considered sacred because they had been with the Creator most recently. This meant they were the purest and most worthy of our selfless protection. Every decision was made with consideration of the effects our choices would have seven generations into the future. This was the universal culture on Turtle Island (North America) at one time.
Sitting Bull’s famous quote (1876) “Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children” has multiple meanings. It was spoken at a time when the environment was transitioning and treaties were being made to regulate the interaction between very different cultures. At this time, the Chiefs and Elders were focussing their energy on the value system that they thought was most important – the children’s sustainability. Sitting Bull clearly conveyed his stance in wanting a sustainable future for the children. An internal meaning to his statement also lies in the well-thought-out wording. There is a connection to the community when raising our children. When the children’s entire support team is committed to their success, they have a better chance of learning to be resilient and socially responsible community members.
To follow Sitting Bull’s guidance is respectful to all children and inclusive of all Indigenous cultures from Turtle Island. We find ourselves in another transitioning time with the efforts to change our societies and reduce the effects of global warming. Instead of only working between European and Indigenous cultures, now we are working on a global level. Coming back to the simplicity of our traditional teachings makes this complex goal attainable. As a teacher, I can bring Sitting Bull’s teachings into my classroom when guiding students’ ability to think critically and advocate for the environment. I can bring the community to my classroom (including the voices of the ancestors in students’ support teams) by teaching life lessons through the traditional stories. I can help my students direct their values to the sustainability of future generations.