"You are a mentor- do not disappoint."

On the last day of my 2-week observation, I had the opportunity to attend an Educators Against Racism Conference that was being held at my school.  The set-up for the conference was comprised of a keynote speaker, a morning workshop then afternoon workshop.  The keynote was Staff Sergeant Baltej Dhillon, who was the first turbaned Sikh police officer with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.  He gave a talk on racism in the classroom and how we as educators can work to combat it.  The two workshops I attended for the day were "Working with Aboriginal Youth" and "Poverty as a Classroom Issue".  In the first workshop, we first discussed what life was like for Aboriginal people prior to contact, and how we should try and integrate those ways of knowing in various ways within the classroom.  We also discussed the issues that are plaguing Aboriginal education in the Canadian school system; the instructor showed us a video on Residential Schools, and we then discussed how this event (and similar oppressions) are the roots of many social problems that affect the Aboriginal students we will work with.  In the second workshop, we discussed the various factors that constitute poverty, how to spot students that are living it in your classroom, and some ideas/resources on how you can make their school life an enriching experience- even an escape from the realities of home. 

The conference was extremely enriching as I got a chance to explore some issues that will be of the utmost importance in our classrooms. Listening to Sgt. Dhillon speak about his experiences with racism and prejudice in school (and how it continued throughout his career) made me realize how prevalent it is and how we as educators need to vigilant as to making sure our classrooms remain a place of tolerance and respect.  In the Aboriginal workshop, I picked up some great tips and approaches for supporting those students in the classroom while keeping in mind the social factors that affect many of them.  Our instructor gave us some techniques of how to adopt Indigenous cultural practices into the classroom, as well as reminding us that we have to work to change the mindset of school itself for many Indigenous families- as school has not been a positive experience for many.  In the poverty workshop, I received a number of fantastic resources that not only explain the various factors that constitute poverty among students, but ideas/approaches on how teachers can assist in making learning easier and more accessible to those that are struggling. 



Sgt. Dhillon



I went up to Sgt. Dhillon after his presentation and asked him what he thought was a best approach to encourage multicultural tolerance in the classroom- whether it be Indigenous, Sikh, Chinese, etc.  He told me that the most important tool we can use is the very thing we are supposed to be giving students- knowledge. If you have students of diverse cultures in your classroom (which we no doubt will), give that student a chance to explain their culture/beliefs in a way so that the other students understand.  Take field trips to cultural sites, bring in cultural foods,  or have guest speakers; there are a variety of approaches to both teaching and learning that you could use to expand the knowledge of the students so that they become more tolerant individuals. "When it comes down to it", he said, " we are all human and when dialogue is made- we look past the externalities." 

NOTE: The title of this post were the final words about teaching I heard from Sgt. Dhillon in his keynote speech.