our present and our future.” The Eurocen- tric curriculum we teach in Ontario reflects the values of colonization, which privileges the lived experiences of white people and silences racialized and Indigenous voices. The history we teach reproduces stories of dominance and entitlement and attempts to justify the illegal occupation of Indigenous land. This narrative of white supremacy has been maintained for hundreds of years by Canadian government, legal, political and criminal justice systems, by educational in- stitutions and by the media. Disrupting the dominant narrative is essential to social jus- tice education.
DISRUPTING THE DOMINANT NARRATIVE
At the Grove Community School we orga- nize assemblies and activities where students can learn about colonization, racism, sexism, homophobia, power and privilege. We invite guest speakers from different communities to our school. This work creates safe and in- clusive spaces for everyone. We begin each year by working in collab-
oration with students to co-create inclusive and positive classroom agreements to sup- port self-love and knowledge. The activity is called “Strengths and Struggles” and is in- tegrated curriculum about accessibility and identity that recognizes the different ways we learn and respects that we all have strengths and struggles. Using picture books and me- dia texts, students learn about children with different abilities and begin to recognize that everyone is able. Inviting a guest speaker to share their story and/or participating in the Terry Fox Run enriches this curriculum. Stu- dents explore the local community to iden- tify, describe and collect data about different types of barriers. The Grade 1 and 2 students use inquiry to investigate how ramps in- crease accessibility for people in wheelchairs and make connections to other accommoda- tions that support integration and inclusion. Social justice education includes creating
opportunities to celebrate community and family pride. Every year, the Grade 3 students complete a research project called “Trac- ing our Family Roots/Routes.” The learning goals of this project include honouring our diverse family journey stories and deepening our understanding that, with the important exception of First Nations, Inuit and Métis families, many of our families have lived in other places before arriving and settling in Canada. Students work with their families to document the different places they have
lived and investigate the forces that “pushed” or “pulled” their families to leave home. Ev- ery student shares their family journey story as an oral presentation. The ensuing discus- sions are powerful. These projects allow us to make connections between struggles in the past and in the present, such as racial dis- crimination, poverty and war, and disrupt dominant narratives about immigration and settler experiences. Strengthening our relationship to each
other and to the land is an important part of our learning. “Seeds of Change” is an ex- ample of curriculum that integrates envi- ronmental justice with community activism. Students explore land-based education and focus on equity and environmental sustain- ability. We read the biography of Wangari Maathai as inspiration for our learning to- gether. Her story of resistance teaches us about the power and strength of commu- nity and advocacy and motivates us to plant our own seeds of change. Together, we learn about the local environment and focus on
“As we sing, we will reflect We honour this truth, with respect On this ground, where we all stand Is One Dish One Spoon Wampum Belt land.”
Every morning, we gather outside in a circle as a school community to ac- knowledge the Indigenous land that our school is on. We listen to the national anthem sung by Asani, a trio of First Na- tions and Métis women from Winnipeg, who sing the verses in English, French and Cree. Beginning every day acknowl- edging traditional lands and playing the anthem in different languages disrupts the national narrative and creates space for Indigenous histories and voices. This is one of the ways we are working to- wards reconciliation and beginning to decolonize our school.
ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ FEDERATION OF ONTARIO 17
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