I believe that the shared space of a classroom, the experiences it houses and relationships it fosters should be venerated. The role of a teacher goes beyond the context of curricular content. As teachers, we have the opportunity to bring the world into our classroom, and provide an enlightened educational experience that prepares students for a life of global citizenship. It was an embodiment of this in my own educational experience that led me to becoming an educator myself. Reflecting on the small difference I had made on my volunteer trips abroad and realizing my actions and their impacts were all inspired by one small-town teacher really influenced my decision to become an educator.

Expanding on this global mindset it is of great importance to me to include my deep appreciation for traditional ways of knowing and knowledge transmission in my teaching philosophy. In my nation, we have eight principles for teaching and learning that form the basis of what is known in academia as the Nlaka’pamux Developing Wisdom Theory (NDWT). Of the eight, I find the following the most valuable to apply to my teaching practice; an understanding of connectedness (land, animals, plants and people), celebration (of people and land), giving lovingly to (family and) community, and lastly reflecting on learning and relearning lifelong lessons.

The completely egalitarian and inclusive nature of Nlaka’pamux philosophies recognize the intrinsic worth and value of all. I feel that this recognition of value accepts our learners for where they are in their journey, creating a dynamic, diverse, supportive and inclusive classroom. A classroom where students feel safe to fully invest in, make mistakes, give input, inquire and be accountable for their learning; a space where the success of one is the success of all, and is celebrated as such. I believe that it is in this type of environment in which students will thrive in their learning. Supplemented with an open-minded, student-focused approach towards delivering a cultivated and creative learning experience, students will not only learn the curriculum but develop their individual worldviews.