This is a short list of the First People’s Principles of Learning and how it relates to me as a teacher. My thoughts and views on this is ever-changing as I grow and learn more, I have outlined my current thoughts in the passage below.
Credit to Jo Chrona’s blog for inspiring me to continually learn more regarding these principles. https://firstpeoplesprinciplesoflearning.wordpress.com/
Learning ultimately supports the well-being of the self, the family, the community, the land, the spirits, and the ancestors. For me, this principle means that learning should be about support, less about what you are learning and more about how it supports oneself and their surroundings. Students are unlikely to learn if they don’t understand why they are learning it to begin with.
Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focused on connectedness, on reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place). I really resonate with this principle. Learning doesn’t stop once students walk out of the classroom, some of the best learning happens in an environment where the students can learn from the land.
Learning involves recognizing the consequences of one‘s actions. This principle really embodies the personal and social core competency. The ability to recognize how one effect themselves and the world around them will help students thrive as individuals.
Learning involves generational roles and responsibilities. This principle is about the importance of learning from elders but also about learning through leadership and learning from each other. The teacher shouldn’t be the only person helping others learn, they should create an environment of learning to be done.
Learning recognizes the role of Indigenous knowledge. This principle is about adding Indigenous knowledge in the content we teach. For this to be done properly it is important for teachers to view themselves as learners and undertake their own learning in order to integrate First Peoples’ knowledge into their classrooms.
Learning involves patience and time. Learning takes time. Our modern world can be filled with the pressure to do things quick and perfect the first time but this is not the reality of how we learn. We learn by making mistakes and it doesn’t happen over night. When teachers model patience towards learning they help their students adapt a healthy attitude towards learning and the time it takes.
Learning is embedded in memory, history, and story. For Indigenous cultures knowledge was traditionally kept orally, through stories passed from generation to generation. Sharing knowledge through story and discussion is an engaging way for students to learn, draws from indigenous cultures, and provides learners with opportunities to share their stories and voice.
Learning requires exploration of one‘s identity. It’s important to understand one’s identity in order to fully grasp how one fits in their community. To allow for this in the classroom, it’s important that we don’t make generalizations about students and create safe opportunities for them to express their developing identities.
Learning involves recognizing that some knowledge is sacred and only shared with permission and/or in certain situations. Some knowledge within various cultures are not intended to be shared with people who are not members of the community. As a teacher, it is important to ensure that First Peoples knowledge can be shared before using it in the classroom.