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Reconciling Ways of Knowing: Response to Robin Wall Kimmerer

"Respect, Balance, Kindness". These are three of the values Robin Wall Kimmerer shared during the "Reconciling Ways of Knowing" seminar. In particular I feel that these values beautifully represent what it means to be an educator. I have a page in my notes full of quotes from Dr Kimmerer and approaches to life that I find align with who I want to be as an educator very closely. She definitely has sparked a curiosity in me which led to me googling the following prompts after the seminar, along with purchasing two of her books. 

My Google Search Engine History After Class:

  •  "Indigenous approaches to technology" My second teachable is computer science - the world filled of human-made creations (it's) - how do I approach indigenizing a tech-focused classroom" 
  • "Indigenous perspectives on skin care, makeup and clothing" I have a passion for skin care, make-up and clothing, and I find it as a way to express myself. I wanted to see how I could combine this passion of mine to align closer to indigenous ways of knowing. 

As you can see, I truly believe that indigenizing my classroom begins with indigenizing me - if that makes sense. As in, indigenizing the classroom begins with increasing my own knowledge of indigenous culture and ways I can lead with it at the forefront of what I do and who I am. 

For me, it is really important that I lead by example in my classroom. I do not want to tell my students to do something, that I do not do myself; why should I expect something of my students when I do not hold them same expectations of myself? This is where I feel as though I can work and improve to indigenize my classroom. By demonstrating to students my interest, curiosity, and passion in learning about indigenous ways of knowing, I am in turn modelling the sort of behaviour that I want my students to have as well. 

It makes me think about a saying I always hear in STEM education, which is, "if we want students to be excited about science, we need to be excited about science". I think this applies just as well to approaching indigenous ways of knowing. If we want our students to include indigenous knowledge as the "corn stalk" to the bean plant (science), we need to do the same in our lesson plans with enthusiasm and a positive attitude. 



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