EASE PROGRAM 2022

This professional development opportunity helps educators teach students strategies to address the thoughts, feelings and behaviors associated with anxiety, while also supporting social and emotional learning and mental health literacy of educators. This program gave me a number of tools to use for my future classroom, and in completion of the program I received lesson plans that will aid me in my practice. This program taught me how to teach students how to manage their anxiety and build resilience to solve problems and stress before they escalate further. This relates to the BC curriculum’s core competency of social and personal wellbeing, specifically the personal awareness and responsibility piece. Students that can manage their anxiety and emotions are personally aware and responsible for themselves.

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WESTCAST CONFERENCE 2022

Western Canadian Association for Student Teaching is an annual education conference held by education faculties in western provinces. This year, the conference featured multiple keynote speakers and workshops that focus on topics related to wellness. Some specific workshops I attended were:

  • Out the Window! Taking Teacher Education Outdoors
  • Planning and Implementing Indigenous Health and Wellness in a Science Classroom
  • Going Beyond Naming Our Emotions
  • Considerations for Spiritual Practices to Enhance Wellbeing in Educational Communities

What I found particularly interesting, within the whole conference, was the keynote speaker Kristen Tootoosis. Kristen is from the Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation. She has devoted her career to working Indigenous Peoples of all ages in the area of psychotherapy clinical experience combined educational experiences and Indigenous knowledge. Kristen has worked with various First Nations communities focusing on educational therapeutic supports for students, families, and school. Her experience and knowledge was very inspiring, educational, and practical for how I interact with my future students, specifically my Indigenous students.

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DANCE PLAY 2022: Roxane Letterlough

Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in a professional development program focused on indigenous culture and its relevance to the curriculum and core competencies. Through this program, I gained a deeper understanding of the importance of incorporating indigenous perspectives into my teaching practice. I learned about the traditional values and beliefs of indigenous communities, as well as their historical and contemporary contributions to Canadian society. This experience equipped me with the skills to create lesson plans and classroom activities that incorporate indigenous content and foster a deeper appreciation for diversity and inclusion among my students. As a result of this professional development opportunity, I am now better equipped to create a learning environment that respects and celebrates indigenous culture.