Decolonizing Education Through Circle Work, Connections, and Community

Who do you surround yourself with, and how do you support others through this challenging and important work? 

In my time during Exploration C in districts and schools, I had the pleasure and opportunity to attend SD43 Coquitlam’s school district to get a feel of how districts run, the school environment, teaching and learning philosophies, and the support networks that are available through mentorship and community building. In each classroom I stepped into, I saw the poster of the First People’s Principle of Learning. I wondered how classrooms are implementing certain principles into their practice. 

For me, relationships are fundamental to how we connect with our families, the community, and within ourselves in our schools. The relationship between the teacher and learners allows those learners to connect to their identities and to feel a sense of belonging. When I stepped into a Kindergarten and grade 1 split class, I felt that connection between the teacher and her students. The teacher had established connections with the students she held onto from the previous Kindergarten class, who were now the leaders in her classroom for the new Kindergarten students. The teacher begins with MindUP mornings, where she teaches about wellness by noticing our bodies through breathing, being mindful, and being present in the moment. I could feel the calm in the classroom and how children connect through this practice, relating this to the First People’s Principles of Learning. It reminds me that “learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential and relational (focused on connectedness, on reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place).” 

The children start their mornings through connections. To start the day through this peaceful practice, they have thought about their intentions for the day, bringing forth that emotional and heart connection to the day ahead. I resonated with the community-building aspects when the speakers from the Coquitlam district talked about their experiences as teachers and how they began to find those support systems and networks in their schools. Those connections blossom into relationships and support networks that are helpful within our work. The image they shared was this idea of the marigold effect in which you “surround yourself with good people” (Gonzalez, Jennifer, 2013). Marigolds are companion plants and allow other plants to bloom, growing strong and healthy through the protection and encouragement of those marigolds. My image includes a marigold. I hope to plant and surround myself with those people, and with connections, my tree will begin to blossom. 

To continue on the idea of Marigolds, I resonated with “the ‘three-sisters’ technique developed by the Native Americans, who grow corn, squash, and beans as companions to enhance the growth of them all” (Simard, 2022, p.178). The three sister plants bring me this idea of caring for one another rather than separating and individualizing our benefits when we work as a community. We want to work in partnership to benefit each other because “individuality is cherished and nurtured… for the whole to flourish, each of us has to be strong in who we are and carry our gifts…so they can be shared with others” (Kimmerer, et al, 2022, p. 114). Furthering the notion of three sisters is “a Four Sisters garden; the planter is also an essential partner. We are the planters” (Kimmerer, et al, 2022, p.117). As planters, reciprocity calls for us. We must care for the people in our circles, the land, plants, and animals. We have a responsibility to care for this land and its inhabitants. 

Jennifer Morgan from the Coquitlam school district shared with us restorative work in circle practice, which opened my eyes to possibilities of community building through talking and sharing ideas through a circle to include everyone's input so that we can work with students to co-create and problem-solve. I want to prioritize my relationships through the First People’s Principle of Learning, where “learning ultimately supports the well-being of the self, the family, the community, the land, the spirits, and the ancestors.” A plan to build community is through relationships, providing safety networks, and communications through trust. As a future educator, I want to honor those students, colleagues, or parents who surround my circle, giving them a voice and a place of belonging to begin to flourish. We come together in this relational circle as one, where we can relate to one another, and through our relations we have come together as equals. 

The First principles of Learning are “these initiatives [that] echo what has already been known by First Peoples- that education is a complex process that is personal, holistic; embedded in relationship to each other, to self, and the land; and is most effective when it is authentic and relevant” (Chrona, Jo-Anne L, 2014). So far in my learning journey, I am continually learning and building the pieces in my foundation as an educator. I want to promote authenticity and relevance by fostering supportive and inclusive environments in meaningful connections with students, colleagues, and the community.

Resources: 

Chrona, Jo-Anne L. (2014). Background of FPPL and Current Contexts. WordPress. https://firstpeoplesprinciplesoflearning.wordpress.com/background-and-current-context/

First Nations Education Steering Committee. (2006/2007). First Peoples Principles of Learning. FNESC. https://www.fnesc.ca/first-peoples-principles-of-learning/

Gonzalez, Jennifer. (2013). Find Your Marigold: The One Essential Rule for New Teachers. Cult of Pedagogy. https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/marigolds/

Kimmerer, R. W., Gray Smith, M., Neidhardt, N., & Kimmerer, R. W. (2022). Braiding sweetgrass for young adults: indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and the teachings of plants. Zest Books, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

Simard, S. (2022). Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest. Vintage Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.