Classes have only been going on for four weeks, and I already feel a change in myself. As someone whose relationship with school has varied over the last ten years, I can confidently say this is the best version of “student me” there has been. I can feel myself taking things away from lessons instead of being stuck in a rut of confusion. I have never been one to talk much in class, but in this program, I have surprised myself with how much I am talking (even though a lot of it has to do with cold calling- which only brings me slight anxiety, compared to my past self). I don’t dread doing assignments or readings anymore, because I know this work is important for my future as an educator.
Learning about the different philosophies has been interesting. I still struggle with remembering which characteristics belong to which philosophy, and I often find myself looking back to the chart. However, since learning about them, I can now see them applied to the different teachers I have had in my life, and that some of my favourite teachers had elements of multiple philosophies and applied them in their own ways. I can recognize pros and cons in each philosophy and identify aspects that I want to apply to my own philosophy.
For example, I know that at times I prefer to be taught in a hands-on way, an aspect of pragmatism. While at other times I can appreciate the structure of lectures which stems from essentialism. (M. Raymond, 2025). I also understand that these approaches will not work for everyone. This bleeds into the learning process and input: understanding that everyone has the same learning process happening in their brains, however the input will always be different. Some people learn better from having visuals while others may need different types of supports (Horvath, 2023). I think this is something that I would like to make a poster of and put it on a wall so that students would be able to understand it too, as I think it has helped me have a greater understanding of my needs as well as being open to others.
The POPEY presentation with Zach Groshell is something that has stuck with me. Having Groshell emphasize that it’s almost impossible to breakdown tasks too far was a big stand out for me for two main reasons:
1. As someone who often needs instructions to be very simple and to the point where I often need an example to make sense of it, it was very affirming to hear that.
2. I reflected to when I was on my Letter of Permission last year, thinking of ways I could’ve broken down tasks more for my students and how I think that could’ve benefited them.
Being able to reflect on an experience and apply these lessons is something I am very grateful for, I also think having this experience is helpful for me to be able to understand all that we talk about in class.
I have heard about the term working memory before, but I have never had it explained. Understanding the limitation of the working memory has made a world of a difference for me, as it helps me understand myself and my students way more. If we overload students with new information, it will not be beneficial for them. Instead, we should work in small chunks to make sure they are grasping the concepts. The model that was shown to help manage a cognitive load is a good structure that I want to use as a reminder for myself and keep me accountable to break down tasks further for students. (Z. Groshell, 2025)
- Cut the fluff- teach the stuff.
- Break it down into smaller steps.
- Use concrete examples.
- Provide loads of practice opportunities.
- Gradually fade the supports.
In EDUC 346, one of the assigned readings was Jo Chrona’s Wayi Wah. In this book the author often reflects on her past experiences. One that has really stuck out to me was from a situation where a colleague of hers was complaining that they had to teach Indigenous education and it wasn’t fair to other students from different cultures. Chrona asks questions such as if the languages of those cultures are still taught in other places or if the history of them is still being taught. The answers being yes, Chrona then highlights that British Columbia is the only place that teaches the language and cultures of the Indigenous people from here. If it is not taught here, then where would it be taught? This has stuck with me as I know that it’s important for Indigenous education to be taught here but I have never thought of the idea, if not here then where? (Chrona, 2022). It’s important for people who live on this land to understand the history and significance of Indigenous culture. This reading also ties in with another that was assigned, Ensouling our Schools by Jennifer Katz where she mentions that if students feel alienated from their education, they are more likely to disengage from it (Katz, 2018). This is such an important thing, especially for my local area as we have such a high population of Indigenous youth and they deserve to see their history be taught, represented, and valued so they can feel connected to it in their education. If they aren’t being represented here, then they aren’t represented anywhere.
While I was growing up, there wasn’t drumming in the schools like there is now. There wasn’t a lot of Indigenous education in general. Now that I work in the school system, I find myself learning with the kids about the history and traditions, I am continuously learning every day in my community the importance and history of Indigenous culture. Since the beginning of this program, I have already learned so much when I look at the role of teachers and how important they are for students and their future. I understand the importance of creating a good relationship with them as that’s what they need to learn and grow. I am grateful to be learning every day from my community and being able to bring that into my practice.
References
Chrona, J. (2022). Wayi Wah! Indigenous Pedagogies: An Act for Reconciliation and Anti-Racist Education. Portage & Main Press.
Groshell, Z. (2025, September 16 & 23). The Power of Explanations & Explicit Teaching [PowerPoint]. POPEY.
Jared Cooney Horvath. (2023, December 19). All People Learn The Same Way: The Most Unnecessarily Controversial Statement [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIO08oUNPUo
Katz, J. (2018). Ensouling Our Schools: A Universally Designed Framework for Mental Health, Well-Being and Reconciliation. Portage & Main Press.
Raymond, M. (2025). Key Philosophical Terms & Concepts from Western Philosophy [PowerPoint slides]. Moodle. https://moodle.unbc.ca/mod/url/view.php?id=232414