Professional Development Opportunities
I had the opportunity to attend a Professional Development Day at the school I worked at. I will admit I have not been to many. However, this one was different as I knew I would benefit greatly from the presentation. The focus was on Truth and Reconciliation. The keynote speaker was Kevin Lamoureux. Kevin had quite the resume; it included the Education Lead for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and an award-winning scholar. His presentation focused on what we as educators can do with the gift of Reconciliation that has been provided to us by Residential School Survivors. Reflecting on my own experience and knowledge of Residential Schools, I felt guilty. Growing up, attending Catholic School, and hearing about the atrocities of these children by clergy made me feel ashamed. However, Kevin made multiple points during this presentation to remind us that we did not do this, we should not feel guilt. What we can and should do moving forward as educators is to channel these emotions into making positive changes for the future generations. We have the opportunity to be a part of the solution moving forward. Some small steps we can start taking to start the conversations include; land acknowledgments, creating access to information and stories, and talking about Indigenous communities.
A highlight from his presentation was that schools were locations of cultural genocide, which has led to intergenerational trauma. Therefore, schools were not seen as safe places. Today, we as educators have the choice to make schools safe spaces for children. Reconciliation in schools is about safety for all children. We have to change the perception and feelings associated with coming to school. Creating inclusive surroundings that benefit all types of students. Schools can become places of healing; we have to start the process. Responding and addressing trauma is a great start. These types of cultural wounds require cultural healing. The best way to start is to educate ourselves as educators to find the best tools, resources, and practices to support our learners.