In this final blog I discuss a few questions that may still be lingering about Experiential Learning and specifically, my learning at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary School.  Firstly, being a part of this course helped me to take part in teaching activities that I would not normally be able to do on a regular practicum. Thanks to this experience, I was able to see first-hand the value of experiential education in a French school in another school board.

A dictionary-a simple, yet effective tool for communication. I remember the first day I walked into the grade 4 classroom at Pierre Elliott Trudeau and the many dictionaries that littered the student’s desks. It was a beautiful sight to behold. It was then and there that I knew I would be at home in this classroom. On a daily basis I witnessed language positioning and saw students fully engaged in the learning of a language. It was here that the education of all students, and their full participation in learning as a goal of global citizenship was evident in my community engaged learning experience. I was inspired by the teaching and affirmation of one’s language citizenship at Pierre Elliott Trudeau, and the expression of students who have a safe place to live out their oral citizenship. The experience of being a community of French speakers within a  community of English speakers in the heart of the city, is a unique experience and one that I may not have witnessed on a regular practicum, as this course gave me complete autonomy on where I wanted to be placed.

 

One of the significant differences about my time at the school “where everything is possible” is that the classroom power dynamics almost disappear. Perhaps it was the value of having someone come in to assist in any way possible, without the added responsibility of rating their teaching style as a host teacher. In any new situation one needs time to acclimatize, but in the grade 4 classroom in which I was placed, there was such an acceptance of roles that in made working together seem seamless.

Another significant difference was the level of assistance I could give to students. From the start I was able to assist the students in a way that I was unable to as a teacher on practicum. I was often more focused on lesson planning and on living up to the expectations of my Associate Teacher. As a best-practise for other pre-service teachers, I would say that it is important for them to be both teacher and classroom assistant/helper on a consistent basis and on an individual level. Also, it is important for pre-service candidates to effectively manage the dynamics of relationships with both their associate teachers and students. As guests in the classroom, it is important to use time wisely to observe student behaviour towards one another, and towards their learning with an aim to assist where needed the most.

 

For this placement I was able to meet the needs of the host institution by being a classroom assistant. Initially, I wanted to teach a lesson to the students, but the needs of the classroom were more geared towards working one on one with students on an Individual Education Plan (IEP). Although this meant that I would not be focusing on teaching, being so close to the students on a daily basis helped me to alter my understanding of what it meant to be successful on this placement. Instead of trying to construct an environment in which I could achieve my stated goals, I was flexible enough to allow my journey to take unanticipated twists and turns. I was able to learn more about citizenship education through my own experience at the school and focus on the things that brought me joy that were all around me.

 

 

Looking back, I don’t think that I would do much differently, with the exception of spending more time with the students. My own planning process could have been a little more thorough before stepping into the school, as this may have helped me to feel more confident in the daily activities that supported my goals. Also, in order to achieve one’s goals for this placement, I believe that a willingness to step out of your comfort zone and a desire to see your research come to life in the classroom environment are the main things that are needed to be successful in a course like this one. 

One obstacle to my learning was that I did not provide enough prompts for students or prepare any questions specifically about how they experienced their citizenship, and to degree what they to engaged in the classroom or school. This prevented me from getting more authentic student voices in my work.

In conclusion, as a teacher of French as a second language, I was able to witness several ways in which students communicated in French. When they were assigned the task of not repeating certain common words in French they eagerly shouted out when a mistake was made. Their melodious voices filled the room and I was filled with hope for a bright linguistic future for our nation’s youth.

For this penultimate blog post, I would like to start where I left off last week, that is, talking about citizenship education. As I near the end of blogging, I am becoming even more aware of the need to take a deeper look into an educator’s perspective on what it means to be a part of a growing community of young learners within one’s geographic and cultural environment, and how this marks the process of teaching and learning.

 

Apart from the school board’s framework for success, and the school slogan “everything is possible” I wanted to know what marks the lives of teachers so that they keep showing up in the way that encourages maximum student learning? Conversely, what motivates students to want to engage in the way that I have witnessed in the 4^th grade classroom in which I was placed?

After reading Alicia’s blog from last week titled “What it means to be international” and commenting on the issue of student voice, I did some self-reflection and introspection myself, and questioned how much I had included the voices of children in my own research. By my own self-admission it was safe to say that I have only meagrely highlighted the voices of the children in my blogs so far. Was this then, a reflection on my own teaching style?

 

Building on a foundation of success

As I went on to question what I was learning as a trainee teacher, I noticed how much my own background in language teacher education and citizenship influenced my determination to see these themes represented in the classroom. Although important, what I found from my observations at Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was a broader focus on student achievement in community and what can be defined as building on a foundation of success.

In my discussions with staff at the school, they highlighted areas that were pivotal for academic achievement for students. The first being parental and stakeholder involvement mentioned by the administration, and the second being student participation and inculcating values such as confidence, determination, enthusiasm and a sense of wanting to win, as highlighted by one of the physical education teachers.

Still I questioned, what evidence there was to support the demonstration of these beliefs of the administration and staff as it related to everyday student experiences? Researcher Cassidy et al. focuses on the importance of student voice and its role in making students feel a part of the learning community– an experience she believes is important for success. In her 2018 work, “Fostering citizenship in marginalized children through participation in community of philosophical inquiry” she affirms that students must “practice their voices in terms of speaking about their own ideas and the ideas of their peers without the influence of an adult on the content or focus on the dialogue itself”. For her, educators should “free the children to engage in the dialogue and develop their critical thinking in order that they may engage more fully beyond the confines of the school”. This resonated with me as I believe that true expression of citizenship education is when the learning expands to engagement and involvement outside of the school community. The question then remains, how much did I learn during my time on a Community Engaged Learning placement and am I prepared to continue the learning when I begin my journey as a full-time teacher?

How will I as the teacher enact experiential learning about citizenship and engagement in my own classroom?

After my 5-week visit to the classroom, I made a list of best practices based on my experience that would help me as I begin my teaching journey. I believe that I can enact experiential learning by focusing on these three important points:

1. By modeling it for students and ensuring that my own practices and learning activities are in line with experiential learning practices.
2. By focusing on media literacy and gender issues or other areas where I know experiential learning can easily be integrated into the curriculum and students will respond positively.
3. By being open to student ideas and decisions about their own learning; how they feel and want to approach learning they will guide me as to how I ought to facilitate their learning.

 

The good book

One area that was not fully explored in my posts was the use of the curriculum to inform citizenship education and immigrant issues in the classroom. According to Sharley in her 2018 article “The promising potential role of intercultural citizenship in preparing mainstream teachers for immigrant populations” these issues are highlighted in the American curriculum, alongside other initiatives and structures such as “community actions and task forces”. Together they offer a “useful starting point for connecting intercultural citizenship education into teacher preparation for im/migant communities” (Sharley 2018). Our own Ontario Social Studies curriculum makes room for indigenous and migrant issues that assist educators in addressing immigrant and citizenship issues in the classroom. As teachers it is important to use every resource available, and the curriculum is one such resource.

In conclusion, it is my role as a teacher to ensure that I am prepared to allow students a voice and to help shape the way they learn and understand a sense of citizenship “as status, as feeling and as a practice” (Sharkey 2018). This community engaged learning course has had a positive role in preparing me for teaching immigrant populations. It has made me more sensitive to the need to help bring about a sense of rest from turmoil, and peace for those who feel marginalized and paralyzed by their language, citizenship and social immobility.

 

 

Instruments of peace song by the Drakensburg Boys’ Choir

 

References

1. Cassidy, C., Christie, D., Marwick, H., Deeney, L., McLean, G., Rogers, K. (2018). Fostering citizenship in marginalised children through participation in Community of Philosophical Inquiry. Sage Journals. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1177/1746197917700151
2. Sharkey, J. (2018). The promising potential role of intercultural citizenship in preparing mainstream teachers for im/migrant populations. Sage Journals. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168817718577

 

Being photobombed by a student during my last visit to Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau is how I began my day at my CEL placement site. Last Friday, February 8^th, I left home to complete another regular day of my CEL placement, or so I thought. This day I would be visiting the skating rink with the students. It was a field trip they were all looking forward to!

I was content to stand on the sidelines and watch the grade 4s I had grown to know and love, frolic on the ice, but when there was an extra pair of skates available that were just my size, I could not resist the urge to join in the fun. When I started skating or rather, wobbling on the ice, I looked up and saw children less than half my age being successful at something I found almost impossible! And so, my journey began into a self-reflective questioning and analysis of how much I truly participate in so called ‘Canadian’ activities that make up the society in which I willingly and proudly am a part. 

Second Class Citizenship

Researcher Hilario et al in their 2017 work on second-class citizenship, posit that feelings of second class citizenship come about for a myriad of reasons. Some factors include, but are not limited to gender, race, language, socio-economic status and educational achievement (Hilario et al, 2017). These often invisible social barriers are somewhat personal and can be difficult to pinpoint by those who are external to the conflict. At that very moment standing on the ice, I began to ask myself what were some of those voices that prevented me from feeling ‘just as Canadian as anyone else’. What had kept me back from enjoying this very Canadian past time  of iceskating? Where exactly did I place myself on the spectrum of being and becoming a Canadian that was different for me as a French bilingual migrant to this country, than it was for anyone else?

As I took a look back through my trajectory and life in Canada I realized that I was being educated daily on the ways of life that now influence the way I speak, live and express myself. What was missing though, was a way of enjoying the things that Canadians freely enjoyed (poutine excluded). The diversity that I experience daily, and the need for active participation is one thing researcher Cassidy et al. highlights as impartitive for fostering citizenship in marginalized children. Her 2017 article titled “Fostering citizenship in marginalized children through participation in community of philosophical inquiry” she focuses on the need for children to have a voice when they begin to participate in the community. What she and Hilario have in common is the desire to target minority groups as being those who could benefit from citizenship education. While Hilario approaches her text from a gendered standpoint she draws some similar conclusions to Cassidy and presents the point of view of participants candidly and emphatically. 

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

That Friday morning as I looked out onto the skating rink full of happy grade 4s who did not have a care in the world about second-class citizenship, I remembered the words of the national anthem that I have learned over the years. Being part of the country of Canada means so much more than having documentation to prove your links to the land. It means enjoying the rights, privileges and freedoms of a nation that has built a strong foundation of hope and peace for many around the world, and it means being willing to be a vital part of working towards doing the same for the next generation of Canadians.

 

        Video reflections of students anticipating the trip. 

 

 

 

References

1. Hilario, CT., Oliffe, JL., Browne, AJ., Johnson, JL. 2018.”Just as Canadian as Anyone Else”? Experiences of Second-Class Citizenship and the Mental Health of Young Immigrant and Refugee Men in Canada. American Journal of Mens Health. 12(2):210-220. Retrieved from: DOI: 10.1177/1557988317743384
2. Cassidy, C., Christie, D., Marwick, H., Deeney, L., McLean, G., Rogers, K. (2018). Fostering citizenship in marginalised children through participation in Community of Philosophical Inquiry. Sage Journals. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1177/1746197917700151

“One good teacher in a lifetime may sometimes change a delinquent into a solid citizen”.      

Phillip Wylie

 

    On December 13^th, 2018 I visited Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary School to continue my investigation of global citizenship in action. In my last post I painted a picture of how environmental awareness was one of the main distinctions of the school and it was especially apparent in the grade 4 classroom in which I volunteered.

       For this visit I had several critical inquiry questions that aligned with my research goals. Firstly, I wanted to know how the school prepared students for their role as engaged citizens. Researchers Maurissen, Claes and Barber (2017) use the phrase “engaged citizenship” to describe the role that schools play in preparing students for positive political attitudes and behavior Maurrisen et al. (pp. 951, 2017). They characterize these attitudes as “democratic capacity building” which occurs through discussion. Their research measures how students perceive the classroom climate as open or closed to respectful and fair discussions, which reflects the degree to which they are likely to demonstrate their participation as engaged citizens. The researchers present their work through a political lens and describe how students experience democracy in the classroom with a focus on the value of student engagement signified by a positive discussion climate. With this as a starting point, it was also important for me to know the level of open discussion that existed among students in the grade 4 class. How did the school context lend itself to student participation in dialogue and action, and in what other ways did it promote an awareness of engaged citizenship? I also wondered what approach teachers used to ensure a school and classroom “characterized by fairness and responsiveness” Maurrisen et al. (pp. 981, 2017) where “adolescents feel respected and fairly treated by their teachers” Maurrisen et al. (pp. 952, 2017) and any best practices for this.

 

The teacher-student connection and modelling right behaviour

       The Maurrisen et al. article discusses how a positive school climate is nourished within schools by attending to values such as respect, fairness, care and appreciating student participation. In my observations of discussions with in the classroom at Pierre Elliott Trudeau, I witnessed students respectfully disagreeing with one another and waiting their turn to speak during presentations. Despite this I was still curious about the philosophy behind teacher-student interactions and how it connected to the theme of global citizenship and being an engaged citizen. In order to learn more I decided to speak to two teachers to get more insight into the school context and its philosophy.

The main discussion points that were consistent for both teachers were the language they used to describe the student-teacher connection and participation. Some of the patterns that emerged in our conversations were the need for high standards in subject-matter achievement, expressed by one teacher as creating “a successful team” (translation); and the importance of student participation through teacher modelling of positive behavior. She was quoted as saying “teacher involvement has a big impact on the students” (translation). The other teacher I spoke with plays indoor soccer with students during lunchtime so that they have an opportunity to participate in an extra-curricular activity during the school day.

Both teachers agreed that the level of participation is high among staff and that their efforts to model this for students was an important part of their contribution to the school. One teacher mentioned that in so doing students learn to appreciate and ‘pay it forward’. Indeed, in my own discussion with the students in the 4^thgrade class, one boy said that he volunteered his time at the library during lunch to help stack the shelves, further emphasizing the positive results of teachers efforts.

 

 

 

The importance of making valuable connections

The efforts by teachers to connect with students outside of the allotted classroom time and the focus on modelling participation in the school context is important for global citizenship in action. At Pierre Elliott Trudeau students are exposed to teachers who willingly and conscientiously engage with them and encourage them to respect each other during and outside of regular classroom sessions, thereby forming positive teacher-student connections. While this is not new or unique in the school system, it is important to pinpoint areas of action where themes of engaged citizenship, social justice and eco-awareness intersect. The identity of the school and its distinct characteristics as a minority group of French speakers in Toronto presents an even richer and multi-dimensional approach to the theme of global citizenship at schools in Toronto.

 

Toronto the good. These words have never been more fitting as they were the day I walked into the halls of Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau elementary school. Looking out from the window of the third floor, one can see the CN tower, seemingly shining a light on the good work of educators at this institution. Named after the former Prime Minister of Canada, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, this is a Viamonde board bilingual eco-school. The building entrance is filled with posters of student art and mosaïques to remind visitors and students alike of the core values of the school. My focus for this placement will take me on a journey to discover citizenship in action, part of which encompasses caring for the environment. I chose this school as I am bilingual and wanted to see citizenship education represented in the area of language learning both inside and outside the classroom, as well as themes of promoting well-being and student engagement in the city. Unique to this school is its history of equality, justice, integration and diversity, established by the former Prime Minister after who the school is named. I hope to see this diversity represented in the student body and in the curriculum content studied.

For this community engaged learning placement, I was paired with a grade 4 class. Children are very creative and some of the expectations I have going into the classroom include finding creative models of engagement and innovation. I hope to be able to connect with students through language learning, and to find out what school and community initiatives are available for them to find their voice as local and global citizens. As a teacher-researcher I hope to see evidence of the policies on equity and inclusive education, and environmental education carried out at the school level. I will also be looking for examples of language education outside the classroom. Some of the questions that I hope to have answered relate to student identity and language and gender equity in the classroom.

Citizenship education can take many forms such as care for the environment, collaboration, cooperation, and a respectful and caring classroom community. Globally, the United Nation’s sustainable development goals gives member states direction on international standards to achieve. Locally in Ontario, the expectations for citizenship education are outlined in the curriculum and students focus on areas of identity, character and values education, active participation and power systems within societies (2018 Ontario Social Studies Curriculum grades 1-6). Collaboration with educators is also an important part of this placement and I hope to be able to connect with teachers who are focused on delivering the curriculum in an equitable way.

During my 5 weekly visits, I will work as a classroom aide and then transition into a teaching role in week 4. My main task will be to help students finish up work assigned, and to support those who show specific learning needs. I also hope to model and teach the broader character traits of empathy and care for the student community and self-regulation in order to achieve tasks.

One challenge I may encounter is finding ways to connect with the students as I am only at the school once per week. A personal challenge is taking the community philosophy I have learned at this school with me into my future teaching.