Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020 by BC Teachers' Federation

NEWSLETTER IN THIS ISSUE SUMMER/FALL 2020 Love in the Time of Corona The Long Return

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Call for Social Justice Newsletter Articles

Anti-Asian Hate Crimes during the COVID-19 Pandemic

By Trish Mugford, CASJ Status of Women Action Group and Vancouver Secondary teacher

“This is Your New Normal”

Crossing and Creating Bridges

Need to Recreate and Unite —Can we?

Shut Down

This article was written in late May 2020. Teachers had just spent two months adapting to teaching from home and were beginning to contemplate a gradual return to the classroom. This fall, as teachers transition yet again to a new form of teaching in the classroom under COVID-19 restrictions, we hope that you can apply some of the lessons learned last spring which are shared in this article.

Supporting Victims of Intimate Partner Violence during COVID-19 10 A Toast to the Allies

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

Place, Outdoor Learning, and Aboriginal Perspectives

Aboriginal Ways of Knowing and Being poster

Why We Need a Sensory Audit

BCTF Social Justice Workshops Go Digital!

Muppets Meet at Syrian Refugee Camps

Wonder Womyn

Walking through a World Full of Microaggressions

Exploring the Green New Deal: Lessons learned from COVID-19

How Can Teachers Act in Solidarity with Teen Climate Activists? 26 First Peoples Principles of Math

Committee for Action on Social Justice

Love in the Time of Corona

eaching is an act of faith, hope, and love. Now may be the time to focus on love.

nurtured our relationships from a distance. We have done all this while coping with our own grief.

In our pre-pandemic classrooms, teachers worked hard to establish safe and trusting environments for students. We knew that if we didn’t, we would lose them. Since moving to a virtual classroom, the resiliency of educators teaching under COVID-19 has been staggering. Online platforms, phone calls, motorcades, and home delivery of materials for students are some of the new ways we have reached out to our communities. We have painstakingly created learning opportunities. We have worried when we were unable to reach every student. We have

Many teachers are also struggling at home with financial issues, illness, increased violence, and racism. We are not exempt from society’s ills, yet we are expected to rise above them. In fact, we tend to expect this of ourselves. Many teachers feel inadequate within a tech-savvy world. Others work many hours longer than they did in a pre-COVID-19 world, as mornings blend into evenings and days into weeks. It may feel like we work twice as hard to get half as much done, all the while dealing with the uncertainty of the days to come.

Social Justice Calendar of Events 32 British Columbia Teachers’ Federation • 100–550 West 6th Avenue • Vancouver, BC V5Z 4P2

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We know that fear physiologically prevents learning. It is impossible to ignore the heightened level of anxiety we are all experiencing. Fear of the unknown is perhaps the most difficult bogeyman to grapple with. We still don’t know what this particular bogeyman looks like or when it will fully show itself. The opposite of fear is the emotion that draws us towards something. Bravery? Optimism? Confidence? These words are about as helpful as the morale booster, “Keep calm and carry on.” Feeling safe is what we really need to dissipate fear. How do we feel safe in a pandemic? Maybe we need to be asking something else first: How do we feel safe to make mistakes, to not have all the answers, to admit failure, to be imperfect, and to be real? Teachers are juggling burning torches of fear, many with grace and resilience, as they take on the much greater responsibility of educating during a pandemic. We are also doing all this in spite of feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. We are not a homogenous bunch and never have been. We teach different subjects and grade levels, we are TTOCs, and we are non-enrolling specialists. Right now, we are writing the script while literally filming and premiering the production. Sometimes our audience goes beyond students and includes their parents or anyone else who might be on the other side of our computer cameras. Online classroom management requires a whole new skill set for many of us. Technology provides opportunities to connect with each other in a way that would not have been possible had COVID-19 struck even a decade ago. However, “Zoom fatigue” is real and brings its own drain on our energy. Our minds are together when our bodies feel we are not. To mute or not to mute? Cameras on, cameras off. Find the chat. Post your comment. Pick your emoji. 2

Let’s not forget that online connecting is not happening for everybody, and that brings a whole other set of challenges as we seek to sustain our relationships. #AloneTogether makes a nice hashtag, but it is cold comfort for those who simply feel alone. Doing it right for ourselves and our students includes drawing upon vast reserves of forgiveness, as well as recognizing our judgements and then putting them aside. In the face of stay-at-home teaching and learning, we have adapted our understanding of the common language of the classroom (assignments, assessments, due dates, grades, and work habits) and changed what we expect of our students. We must also adjust expectations and extend compassion to ourselves. We are navigating virtual learning, work precarity, home lives, families, mental and physical wellness, and adversity. We each need to acknowledge our own place on this spectrum and accept that it may be changing even day to day. The opposite of fear is acceptance. Acceptance leads to curiosity, which leads to a sense of understanding, which leads to feelings of safety, trust, and, finally, love. If we are all in this together, our power of empathy—of love—is going to be what pulls us through.

Lesson from Literature BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

The Long Return By Constance Easton, Co-ordinator, Mental Health, SEL, and Counselling, Richmond School District

Navigating social and emotional supports in uncertain times

ot long ago, life as we knew it turned upside down. On March 23 of this year, the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) conducted a survey of more than 5,000 people worldwide. Participants were asked to describe how they were feeling in their own words. More than 95% of the responses reflected unpleasant feelings; the top five were anxious, fearful, worried, overwhelmed, and sad. Only about 6% of the sample mentioned positive emotions like feeling hopeful or grateful. Many people reported feeling lost and rudderless in this “new normal.”

Learning (SEL) can help us map our journey. Beginning with the self, we can take care of ourselves through self-awareness and self-management. A dysregulated adult cannot regulate or co-regulate a student, much like a dysregulated leader cannot effectively co-regulate and lead their community. We know from work done by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence that teachers who developed their own SEL skills not only improved their own well-being, but also improved the social, emotional, and academic

MODEL

We also need to take care of our bodies by nourishing them with healthy food, getting enough sleep, and keeping them moving to maintain the energy we need to be resilient and flexible in this changing world. Balancing working from home with time spent in the classroom is also important. Scheduling our time and prioritizing self-care is critical to avoiding burnout, even when TEACH it means saying no or letting go of some things we did before this new reality.

Based on work done by trauma specialist Kevin Cameron, we PRODUCT need to acknowledge that, for many of us, this has been STAFF & a significant event that has STUDENTS affected us on many different levels. Accordingly, there are key points to keep in mind in order to make sure we can move forward together through the CONTACT LISTEN next few months. Cameron named five key components to this healing process: listen, connect, protect, model, and teach. Staff are at the heart of this circle. We also need to be given opportunities to process what development of their students. Adults has happened, acknowledge what who recognize, understand, label, and we have lost, and consider what can regulate their own emotions are less be gained as we move forward. Only likely to report burnout, demonstrate then will we be able to support our higher levels of patience and empathy, students’ mental health and model encourage healthy communication, resilience. and create safe student learning environments. SEL will be an essential Since the middle of March, most of us skill for adults, especially as schools have been trying to make sense of our begin to reopen. new reality as we struggle with the uncertainty of the future and wonder All of this begins with teachers. how to find a path forward. CASEL’s How do we create a self-care plan five pillars of Social and Emotional that leads to resilience? The first BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

step is to acknowledge our limits and set appropriate boundaries to honour them. Understanding that we cannot do more with less, it is important to have routines in place to structure our day and to give us comfort. This applies to our students as well. We all thrive under predictability and we need to feel safe to learn.

Part of listening to ourselves is acknowledging the effects of this pandemic on our experience as educators: the huge learning curve of teaching virtually, the new reality of returning to schools under COVID-19, and the stress of uncertainty which is reinforced daily by a barrage of social and mainstream media. According to psychologist Kelly McGonigal, regularly remembering the reasons why you became a teacher, reflecting on the students’ lives you have touched, and seeing stress as an opportunity to grow may ease feelings that you have no control over your life. The idea is to reframe your perspective by changing the story you tell yourself about the experience you are having.

As we move from the inner circle of self through our connections with others, we can begin to look at our reality in a different way. This reframing approach can help us address any number of common challenges, both inside and outside of the classroom. We create and maintain connection with others by building relationships. We tap into our social awareness when we think about how our actions and choices impact others. Relationships are the fabric that holds our school communities together. Over the past few months, we have heard repeatedly that “we are all in this together.” As we return to our classrooms and close the door, it is important to remember that we do not have to find all the answers by ourselves. In his article “5 Strategies for Teacher Self-Care,” Jon Harper likens this to what happens when we hold an umbrella too long in the rain and wind. Our arms begin to shake and eventually we drop the umbrella. Yet, if a colleague asked us to hold their umbrella for them, we would not hesitate because we know they would do the same for us. A school community is built on connection. We take care of our students, and we need to take care of each other.

Mental Health and COVID-19: Supporting students and their families Available on TeachBC: www.teachbc.bctf.ca As a teacher, you occupy a critical front-line role in preventative mental health education, initial identification, and ongoing school-based support for children and adolescents with mental health challenges. Schools are a key part of social networks that build resiliency and foster social ties that can decrease the negative impact of traumatic events. As you connect with your students and their families, you may hear the stress and anxiety in their voices. Students and families may share struggles with you and look to you for support and answers. This short guide provides you with information related to mental health and COVID-19, as well as contact details for organizations that can provide further support.

Call for Social Justice Newsletter Articles

o you have a story to share about a social justice activity or project that you have carried out in your classroom, local, or community? Is there a social justice issue that you would like to highlight for BCTF members? We are currently accepting articles for the Winter/Spring 2021 edition of the Social Justice Newsletter. For more information, 4

see the submission guidelines document on the Social Justice Newsletter web page under Publications on the BCTF website. The deadline for the Winter/Spring 2021 edition is December 15, 2020. BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

Anti-Asian Hate Crimes during the COVID-19 Pandemic By Serena Mohammed, CASJ Status of Women Action Group and Richmond teacher

started writing this article on Victoria Day, just as our province was heading into phase two of the restart plan. British Columbians will soon begin meeting with small groups of friends, visiting stores, and participating in outdoor activities. For many of my friends and colleagues who identify as Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour (IBPOC), the reports of decreasing numbers of new COVID-19 cases have not completely alleviated our apprehensions regarding staying safe in public. In addition to the health concerns that are associated with COVID-19, we are worried about our own personal safety. I am three-quarters Chinese, and I work and live in a school district where over half of the population identifies as Chinese. Since the onset of the pandemic in Canada, reports of anti-Asian hate crimes have increased significantly. The victims of these hate crimes are not only people of Asian descent. Indigenous people and People of Colour with no connection to Asia have been targeted

as well. The victims have been told to go back to China, blamed for the COVID-19 pandemic, verbally harassed, and physically assaulted. Many anti-Asian assaults and incidents of harassment were unprovoked. Most of the victims were attacked when they were taking public transportation or walking in the community. Many of the victims were women or senior citizens. Two members of my immediate family, my mother and sister, were verbally harassed on two separate occasions. The Chinese Cultural Centre—where I used to attend Chinese language school and where many children still participate in enrichment lessons—was vandalized. I am worried about how these children will feel when they find out that their language school has been damaged intentionally. As students and staff return to in-school learning, many of my colleagues are worried about their own safety and the safety of their students as they travel to school by public transportation and spend more time in public. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light the continued existence of racism, discrimination, and xenophobia in Canada. Unfortunately, this is not the only time that folks who identify as IBPOC have been affected by racism. People have been impacted by racial discrimination throughout Canadian history. The Racism in Canada Timeline poster and accompanying video provide clear and accessible summaries of Canada’s role in racism since confederation. In order to prevent continued discrimination against IBPOC communities, we need to take major and meaningful steps towards the elimination of racism. As teachers, we have an important role to play in promoting social justice, inclusion, tolerance, and respect. It is important for teachers to inspire children and youth to advocate for a world that is free of racism and other forms of discrimination so that everyone can feel safe, empowered, and included. The new BCTF resource Racism and COVID-19 includes links to several useful teaching resources. Teachers can also support students by teaching them how to access victim services. Victims of a hate crime can report the incident by calling 911. Notify the operator that you are reporting a hate crime and indicate whether it is an emergency or a non-emergency. The operator will direct you to the appropriate staff to report the incident. For more information about supports and services for victims of hate crimes, visit the BC Hate Crimes website and consult the BCTF resource Racism and COVID-19.

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BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

Resources 5

Racism • BC Hate Crimes website: https://hatecrimebc.ca/contact/ • Are you experiencing racism in the workplace? Available on the BCTF Antiracism Poster Resources web page • Racism and COVID-19. Available on TeachBC • Racism and COVID-19: Supporting IBPOC teachers. Available on TeachBC • Racism in Canada Timeline and video. Available on the BCTF Antiracism Poster Resources web page • Show Racism the Red Card teaching resource. Available on the BCTF Antiracism Lesson Plans web page • For additional antiracism resources and lessons for students at all grade levels, consult the BCTF Antiracism web pages under Social Justice on the BCTF website.

Racism and COVID-19 As the outbreak of COVID-19 has increased people’s fear and anxiety, so too has it magnified the historic legacy and present reality of racism in society. The relationship of trust and support that teachers have developed with their students may lead students or their family members to feel safe enough to disclose an incident of racism. This short document provides teachers with information about resources and services to support people experiencing racism, as well as resources for teachers and students to build the necessary skills to advocate for those impacted by racism.

Racism and COVID-19: Supporting IBPOC teachers The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant increase in the incidence of racism. As teachers who identify as IBPOC, you may bear burdens that make you particularly vulnerable at this time. This short document provides IBPOC teachers who are experiencing the impacts of racism with information about resources and support services. 6

“This is Your New Normal” By Maryam Adrangi, Burnaby teacher

get suspicious every time I hear this phrase because “normal” can mean so many different things. For some people, the new normal means lineups at the grocery store, working full time while taking care of a toddler, or teaching from a laptop. For others, the new normal means that every time they leave the house, they are facing an unprecedented amount of fear of discrimination. For some, the new normal is a little more nefarious. For People of Colour during the pandemic, the new normal means increasing acts of racism and further entrenching the ways in which we experience structural racism. Asian and Indigenous people are reporting an increased number of hate crimes and are being told, “Go back to where you came from.” Many low-income earners and People of Colour are deemed essential workers but remain undervalued and left begging for proper safety measures or personal protective equipment. Black people highlight that wearing a mask puts them at an increased risk of being criminalized. It is People of Colour from many racialized backgrounds who are being shamed for not following social distancing protocols, when having the ability to follow these guidelines is actually a privilege. These manifestations of racism are on the rise as a result of the pandemic. Unless we act, this is our new normal. When the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic back in March, I anticipated the swath of anti-Asian sentiment that was to come. The WHO’s announcement was accompanied by President Trump declaring COVID-19 a “Chinese virus,” finger-pointing China for mismanaging the outbreak, and pronouncing that anyone travelling from China should quarantine for 14 days. With all this piled on top of the antiAsian sentiment that is already prevalent in BC, it is no surprise that there has been a record increase in anti-Asian vandalism and graffiti, as well as physical violence and harassment. It was only a matter of time before other racialized communities came forward to talk about how they were also disproportionately experiencing the social and economic implications of this virus. The list of stories is endless. There are many news articles about the incidents of Asian, Indigenous, Black, and Brown people being shamed, yelled at, or attacked in the streets for not wearing masks or being accused of looking threatening because they are wearing masks. Neighbourhoods made up of predominantly People of Colour are being monitored more closely by police to ensure that they are abiding by social distancing protocols. Meanwhile, city parks and beaches are packed full of White families and friends enjoying sunsets and fresh air—within six feet of each other. These examples don’t even begin to address how the downturn in the economy has taken an even larger toll on People of Colour. Many newcomers, immigrants, and refugees find themselves in BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

undervalued and underpaid jobs that have all of a sudden been deemed “essential.” This means that they need to make the difficult choice between risking their lives by going to work or staying home and potentially losing their jobs. Prime Minister Trudeau’s plans and economic stimulus packages don’t always address the precarious situations these families and workers face. We are beginning to see who is socially protected and untouchable, and unlike what we have heard in Trudeau’s speeches, it isn’t “all Canadians.” This is a difficult time for everyone. We are all adapting to the instability around us, and we have lost control of many aspects of our lives. This makes people anxious and scared, leading people to sometimes act irrationally—or at least, that is how the mainstream media justifies it. One CBC article, “‘Nothing spreads like fear’: COVID-19 and the dangers of emotional contagion,” even called this behaviour “panicked bullying.” This term suggests that people’s racist bullying is simply rooted in a state of panic because clearly only White people are allowed to panic. Panic and fear are valid emotions during this time of uncertainty, but racist manifestations of these emotions are inexcusable. Suggesting that this racism is a result of panic, fear, and anxiety brought on by the pandemic suggests that these hate crimes are brand-new phenomena that have never existed previously. This erases the years of colonization and racist policies that have set the stage for racism to be considered a logical and permissible manifestation of anxiety. It also sends a clear message: only White people in Canada can live in fear of threats to their health and economic situation during this pandemic. This contradicts what we would expect, given that People of Colour tend to be more at risk of economic hardships and health issues resulting from this virus. As the situation changes daily, it is heartbreaking to think that this means conditions will only get worse for People of

Colour in our communities. We are told that the virus does not see race, yet race has played and continues to play a huge role in how families are surviving during the pandemic. How did this happen? Or, a more hopeful question to teachers could be: How can we change it? The way in which racism is impacting our communities is evolving, and we are seeing that life under quarantine and the coronavirus is testing our ability to support each other. If fear and anxiety are causing acts of hate and racism, we need to be talking to our students and colleagues about where those fears and anxieties come from. We need to check if our own reactions—to students, to their stories, to their situations—are perpetuating this racism. Are we failing to see our students’ full experience as one that is shaped by racism, both individual and structural? Or could we even be hiding the fact that individual and structural racism affects us and our loved ones? This is a perspective that students rarely hear. We do not know what life will be like on the other side of this pandemic. We do, however, know we have a role in figuring out what it looks like. We have seen businesses and governments react in a way we were told was never possible. We are seeing social welfare programs change and adapt. Why can we not see our social relations change as well? Moving towards a world that is more equitable should not simply be a matter of the dollars and cents in people’s bank accounts; it should also be a matter of people’s dignity. This is where teachers come in. We need to ensure that our interactions with both individual students and with entire classes can include all students and their experiences. We can go beyond our classrooms and organize spaces that celebrate instead of erase the diversity within our schools, locals, and unions. Without these spaces, we fail to see the unique ways in which we are all impacted, as well as the unique ways in which we are trying to find solutions. Can we abolish all anti-Asian sentiment in BC? Can we break down all the systems that equate disposable workers with racialized workers? Can we ensure that the structures in our world are made anticolonial and anti-oppressive? Can we make space for all our students and coworkers to live with access to services? Maybe we cannot achieve this all right away, but if we don’t try, then we never will. While we may not come out of this pandemic in a post-racial utopia, we can still make efforts to make a more equitable version of our new normal.

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Crossing and Creating Bridges By Shailly Sareen, CASJ PAGE Action Group and Nanaimo-Ladysmith teacher

ince immigrating to Canada, I have crawled, walked, and stumbled across numerous bridges in order to overcome barriers that I have faced as a woman, Person of Colour, and first-generation settler. The term “bridge” serves as a metaphor for the challenges of learning about different cultures and people and embracing the past and present realities of the land. I am grateful for the opportunity I was given to learn about the true history of Canada during the Bridge Program at Simon Fraser University. In the years to come, I hope our true history is shared with the world so that new settlers to Canada aren’t shocked when they discover some of these realities. During my journey, I have continuously made attempts to find a place for my identity within the beautiful Canadian mosaic. On one hand, I have been welcomed by some people open-heartedly, while on the other, I have faced microaggressions—comments and actions that target a person for the sole reason that they do not belong to the perceived norm. This experience has fueled my need to be a stronger advocate for social justice. Additional barriers I have faced include practical difficulties, such as having to return to university for upgrading in order to become qualified to teach in BC and needing to find part-time work to help pay for my living expenses and education. When there wasn’t an existing

bridge, I created one to cross over to the side where I needed to be. As a first-generation settler, I must say that it has been quite a journey learning about and embracing the land where I have had the privilege to settle and educate young people. While I have continued this journey of learning and teaching in BC for a few years now, I find myself crossing over or creating new bridges every day. I am currently in the process of building a new bridge, as I changed schools last September and am discovering the new community where I spend more than half of my day. Who are these children? Who are their families? What values are important to them? What are their hopes, needs, dreams, and aspirations? In the average educator’s lifetime, we all cross numerous bridges, beginning with learning about the children, their families, and their communities, and followed by reflecting, questioning, or embracing what we do on a day-to-day basis. We do all this despite the existing issues of class size, composition, digital-era struggles, and the growing mental health concerns in our communities. What bridges have you already crossed or created in order to overcome barriers? Which ones are you currently crawling, walking, or stumbling across?

Shailly wrote her article on Crossing and Creating Bridges before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In May of 2020, caught in the midst of the pandemic and witnessing its impacts on her students and their families, Shailly found herself having to build yet another bridge, or as she so eloquently puts it, “a new foundation.” This experience inspired her to write the following article. 8

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

Need to Recreate and Unite—Can we?

Shut Down

No one wants to talk about it. No one is willing to lend an ear. Try to speak-up... You will be shut down. I guarantee you, you will be silenced.

ust when I—and many of you who are reading these words— took a deep breath, closed our eyes, and felt the joyful anticipation of spring followed by summer, COVID-19 hit us like a harsh, unforgiving wave that had been forever brewing and silently waiting to lash out. It was the loudest cry from Earth that we humans have ever experienced. A cry to recreate, rethink, and rebuild. A cry to unite. A cry to forget all differences. A plea to come together, breathe, eat, play, live, learn, teach, and educate in this new reality. Who could have imagined that we humans, who have reached the epitome of greed and selfishness, would scramble to create not only a bridge, but an entirely new foundation? If we are surprised that we needed to do this, who are we kidding when we know that Antarctica is turning green? How did we come so far to arrive at this new reality? We remind ourselves to be more grateful, patient, generous, and empathetic just so that we can make it through one more day of “remote teaching and being there for our family.” We continue to make these changes—we are striving to build another bridge— in order to strike that balance, to give our all and more. We do this in order to reach that family who is dependent on school for meals and clothing. We do it to reach a home where a lack of technology makes remote learning inaccessible. We do it for the family who relies on the school community as their indispensable crutch. We look after our loved ones and help the vulnerable in our communities by being present, making eye contact, sharing a warm smile or a wave, providing door-step grocery delivery, and giving frequent reminders to social distance and properly wash our hands. Brick by brick, we laid the foundation of Google classroom, FreshGrade, Microsoft Teams meetings, and more. And just when we have finally begun to settle in and accept the challenge of climbing the ropes of teaching remotely, we need to plan our own return to school, along with that of our children and families. This school, in the time of COVID-19, might seem more like a grocery store with its six-foot markings. Our classroom will become an island of desks spread around the perimeter until we have battled through this phase. At least we all are hoping that it is just a phase. But who can deny that it is a call for inevitable C-H-A-N-G-E!

By Shailly Sareen, CASJ PAGE Action Group and Nanaimo-Ladysmith teacher

But, you will try again and again, and again. Until your voice is heard. Yes, you are strong and resilient. Do not stop until they hear you. There might be a few, who value you for being Y-O-U. Speak-up! Stand-up! Show-up! Until they don’t just hear, but Feel the emotion beneath your words. Until they see not just your colour, but respect you as a WHOLE. Show-up, until you have done full justice to your role!

There is no choice. It is a need. A need to come together. A plea to embrace and gather in unison, not only as educators, but also as real people with real lives and families. I wonder if it will be challenging, as each one of us will have to find a way to come together irrespective of our differences.

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BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

Supporting Victims of Intimate Partner Violence during COVID-19 By Barb Ryeburn, BCTF Social Justice Administrative Staff

On April 9, the BC Federation of Labour hosted an online panel on Sexual and Domestic Violence during COVID-19 Isolation. Panelists included representatives from organizations providing services and advocacy for victims of gender-based violence. The panelists’ discussion was the source of much of the information in this article.

Why is the pandemic linked to such a dramatic increase in intimate partner violence? Isolation due to social distancing measures contributes to victims’ vulnerability. Increased stress levels associated with job loss and fear of the virus are also key contributing factors. In addition, violence against women stems from the desire of abusive partners to exert power and control. An individual’s sense of powerlessness during the pandemic may increase their tendency to become violent with their partner. Intimate partner violence is not limited to physical acts. The Power and Control Wheel, developed by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project, illustrates the many forms of intimate partner violence. These include intimidation, coercion, and threats, as well as emotional, economic, physical, and sexual abuse. Sexual abuse is by far the most common form of intimate partner violence.

is not just the absence of war. Many women “ Peace under lockdown for #COVID19 face violence where DOMESTIC ABUSE INTERVENTION PROGRAMS 202 East Superior Street Duluth, Minnesota 55802 218 -722 -2781 www.theduluthmodel.org

they should be safest: in their own homes. Today I appeal for peace in homes around the world. I urge all governments to put women’s safety first as they respond to the pandemic.

”

—United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it a dramatic increase in the incidence of intimate partner violence. Vancouver-based victim service providers received between 200–300% more requests for support during the initial months of the pandemic. In Canada, nine women were killed by their partners during the first 36 days of social distancing measures.

Two populations are particularly vulnerable to increased violence during the pandemic. Historical trauma linked to colonization has contributed to an increased incidence of violence against women in Aboriginal families. Being restricted to home as a result of the pandemic may serve as an additional trigger for Aboriginal families, as their movements have been historically restricted through residential schools and other colonizing practices. Women with disabilities, who may have a heightened dependency on a partner, are another vulnerable population. 40% of women with disabilities have experienced intimate partner violence. These women may be victims of unique forms of abuse, including withholding physical care or medication. In addition to inciting increased levels of intimate partner violence, the pandemic has made it more difficult for victims to access supports. Under social distancing measures, most victim service providers are no longer able to offer in-person supports and have been forced to adapt their services. Frontline workers have begun working from home and connecting with clients through texts and phone calls. Service providers have also updated their websites with resources specific to the COVID-19 context and have begun running social media campaigns to raise awareness and share contact information. Unfortunately, these services cannot fully replace the in-person supports that agencies provided prior to the pandemic. Many clients who live with their abusive partners do not feel safe contacting service providers by

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

phone. Victims who were able to address their sense of isolation resulting from sexual and physical violence through support groups are no longer able to access this service. Shelter spaces for victims fleeing an abusive relationship are extremely limited, and some victims’ financial dependence on their partner (due to loss of employment during the pandemic) may make it difficult to leave home. Finally, because the services provided for victims of violence against women are not considered essential, vital in-person supports—such as accompaniment to hospital and police victim services—are no longer possible. Some populations face a higher number of barriers to accessing supports. It is more difficult for Aboriginal women to access services due to limited targeted programming and barriers to access stemming from racism and stigma. Antiviolence organizations may not have a full understanding of the unique situation of women with disabilities and are often not adequately equipped to support them. Many of these service providers lack physical supports for accessibility, and staff may lack skills to communicate using American Sign Language. Although the federal government is committing an additional $30 million in funding for women’s shelters and sexual assault centres, additional funding is still needed to allow providers to respond to the heightened incidence of gender-based violence during the pandemic. This funding is needed to purchase resources to meet survivors’ basic needs, ensure a consistent supply of personal protective equipment, and secure technology to facilitate ongoing support and communication with clients.

At their May 1 meeting, the BCTF Executive Committee passed the following recommendations: That the Federation carry out member outreach to raise awareness of genderbased violence and of supports available. That the Federation provide a donation of $5,000 to the Ending Violence Association of BC and encourage locals to support regional and local programs that provide direct service for victims of gender-based violence in their communities. That the Federation advocate for increased government funding of service providers who offer direct support for victims of intimate partner and gender-based violence. That the Federation provide a donation of $2,000 each to Atira Women’s Resource Society, WAVAW Rape Crisis Centre, and Battered Women’s Support Services.

Take care of yourself While no one is immune from violence, people with a post-secondary education or from professional backgrounds— including teachers—are less likely to report intimate partner violence because of stigma associated with the misperception that they are alone in their experience. If you are a victim, know that you are not alone. Please reach out for support.

Additional resources How Can I Help my Friend? A pamphlet providing information on strategies to support victims of intimate partner violence is available here: www.bwss.org/wp-content/uploads/BWSS_Helpmy-friend_2014.pdf. Power and Control Wheel: www.theduluthmodel.org/wheels Developed by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Program, this resource helps victims to identify whether they are in a violent relationship.

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

A Toast to the Allies A spoken word poem by Chanelle Tye, CASJ Antiracism Action Group and Conseil Scolaire Francophone teacher This one goes out to all the allies in the room. I see you with your rainbow sticker on your classroom or office door. I see you acknowledging that we are on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish people. I see you with your lesson plan about the Underground Railroad. I see you with your pink shirt, and your orange shirt, and your OTHER pink shirt. I see you believing with all your heart that female principals are just as capable as male principals. I see that she/her at the bottom of your email signature. I see you and your poster of Indigenous Ways of Knowing. I see your visual schedule and your Zones of Regulation. I see you retweeting Shelley Moore and talking outside pins in the staff room. I see you making accommodations and adaptations for your deaf and hard of hearing students. I see you with your positive thoughts about the queers, and the visible minorities, and the neuro-diverse, and the Aboriginals. I see you nodding warmly to the girls in hijabs as they walk down the hallway and wearing your shalwar kameez on Vaisakhi. I see you standing up And I see you stepping back. I see you. I see you and I want to tell you, from the very bottom of my heart, with the deepest sincerity, You can kindly see yourself out. But hold up. Before you stand up (and leave) let’s step back and see. What is an ally, anyway? An ally is a person of privilege or power who uses that same privilege or power in the aid of the less fortunate. Sounds nice. Sounds wholesome. Sounds like the kind of person you and I might want to be. The problem with allies is that they have to have power in order to use that power in the service of the powerless. And the problem with power is that it’s a hard drug to kick. The word ally serves to make allies feel good about themselves without requiring them to dismantle the systems that keep them in power. Allyship is just oppression with lipstick on. 12

Tell me, honestly, what does your pink shirt and your diversity club do to make real systemic change? Students need more than a safe space in school; they need safe schools, safe walks home, safe homes. They don’t just need a safe place to be in the world—they need a safe world. How does your allyship disrupt or upset the systems that keep us down? For Indigenous people, for the gender diverse, for women, for the disabled, for racialized people, for poor people, for sick people, for the very old and the very young, for people living in underserved urban and rural areas, for newcomers— this is a non-exhaustive list—for all these people and all these intersections of oppression we need more than allyship. We need a revolution. We need justice. We need liberation. At the very least we need you to check yourself—whose voice is missing in your classroom, your life, your panel of esteemed guests, around your dinner table, at your lunch table, in your contacts list, in the highest offices of the land and the school district and the teachers’ union? We need you to desegregate yourselves—by that I mean, we need you to know and love and trust people who are different from you. We need you to identify and unlearn your biases and prejudices—to admit you have them in the first place. We need you to educate yourselves and do your own emotional labour. We need comrades and colleagues and classmates who will give up their own power, their own voice, their own comfort, their own time, their own money, their own safety, their own ignorance to walk in solidarity with us. We need you to divest yourselves of the power you have; We need you to listen before you speak; we need you to not speak at all. And we need you to act. To unchain yourselves and to unchain us, To unchain yourselves so you can unchain us. So, this goes out to all the allies in the room. We need more than allyship. We need a revolution. BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women A photo essay by Nimfa Casson, CASJ Antiracism Action Group and Port McNeill teacher In October of 2019, this Red Dress Art Project installation was displayed at North Island Secondary School in Port McNeill to remind students, staff, and the community about the missing and murdered Indigenous women across Canada. Not only was the display a reminder of the severity of the issue, it also aimed to trigger discussions related to Aboriginal culture through the following questions: • What do red dresses reveal about Aboriginal culture? • Is this project an effective way to address the issue and send a message? • What else can we do to help address the issue?

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

Place, Outdoor Learning, and Aboriginal Perspectives By Mary Hotomanie, CASJ Environmental Justice Action Group and Burnaby teacher; and Donna Morgan, Burnaby teacher

hat is so important about getting outdoors with students? Especially now as we return to school in the COVID-19 era, all students will be happier and healthier if they get outside as much as possible. Connecting students to the wild and not-so-wild places near them is the way to teach them to value and establish a meaningful connection with the environment.

Dr. Kimmerer strengthens this approach to learning as she responds to her own question: “The land is the real teacher. All we need as students is mindfulness. Paying attention is a form of reciprocity with the living world, receiving the gifts with open eyes and open heart. My job was just to lead them into the presence and ready them to hear.”

the end, we will conserve only what we “ Inlove; we will love only what we understand;

The Aboriginal Ways of Knowing and Being provide meaningful guidance in relation to the importance of the connection to land in the overall well-being for members of Aboriginal communities. Two examples include:

and we will understand only what we are taught.

”

—Baba Dioum, Senegalese Environmentalist, 1968

The importance of place-based education for Aboriginal students, for all students

• Learning is connected to land, culture, and spirit. • Learning honours our Ancestors, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and Descendants.

Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, the author of Braiding Sweetgrass, asks, “How will people ever care for the fate of moss spiders if we don’t teach students to recognize and respond to the world as a gift?” This may be one of the most important questions asked in our time. How do students learn to respect and care for Mother Earth if they haven’t had the opportunity to experience the gifts on the land, in their school yards, or on their front lawns?

The BCTF Aboriginal Ways of Knowing and Being poster explains the depth of connection in the relationship between land, place, and community; the importance of this knowledge and way of being in terms of survival as a healthy individual and contributing community member; and most importantly, the land as a teaching and learning environment for Aboriginal people. To learn more, consider booking the BCTF Infusing Aboriginal Content workshop, which has been adapted to online delivery.

As educators who value Aboriginal approaches to learning, we often take groups of students and teachers outside to learn. This can sometimes be challenging, as students often equate time outside to play time. While this is as it should be, time spent outside also provides a very valuable opportunity to connect students to learning in meaningful and relevant ways. Taking an Aboriginal approach in learning about place provides students with a focused yet enjoyable understanding of what it means to be on the land.

For Aboriginal people, place-based education has been and continues to be important and essential in the education and survival of Aboriginal communities, most significantly, that of our youth. Getting outside and developing that hands-on knowledge of the land we live and breathe on is invaluable in developing and maintaining a holistic approach to our students’ overall well-being. It also offers much diversity in curricular approaches to meaning and relevant ways of being.

We know children develop a much deeper connection to land and place when they spend time outside feeling, tasting, seeing, and breathing the gifts provided by their planet—the gifts in and around trees, of spiders and bees, and of discovering the value of plants. They begin to value what is there as they learn about the traditional uses of plants, some of which they know only as weeds. One example is horsetail, a plant that has been here since the time of the dinosaurs. They begin to understand the term Mother Earth. iStock

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

Safety precautions during COVID-19

Everything you can do indoors, you can do outdoors

Transmission of COVID-19 is less likely outdoors, especially if you follow physical distancing rules. Outdoor physical activity makes our immune systems more robust and allows children to move more, play longer, and sit less. Under our back-to-school protocols, we may not be embarking on any official field trips, but we can continue to explore school grounds and nearby parks. Check with your administration to confirm permission before walking to nearby parks.

Many schools have created outdoor spaces for learning so that individual students and classes can take their learning outside. Classes often start with short breathing activities that help students settle into their natural setting and acclimatize to the sounds they hear, smells they breathe, and air and grass they feel. Children read and reflect, do small group work, and watch the natural world move forward as they observe the seasonal changes in the land, plants, trees, and animals that surround them. Many schools have parks or green spaces close by that teachers can take advantage of for learning. Aboriginal educators in Burnaby support these opportunities by collaborating with teachers in building knowledge around Aboriginal worldviews and ways of being and developing connections to place in meaningful and respectful ways.

When in parks or community spaces:

Your school yard is also a wonderful place to start! Three Big Ideas for Lessons and Activities The resource list at the end of this article provides links to all resources cited.

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• Maximize distance and minimize interaction between students and others outside. • Choose gathering points carefully when you settle your class. Make sure that the spot you have chosen has enough room to physically distance yourself and students, and that safe passage is provided for other park users. • Do not use structures upon which the virus may have settled, particularly those that have been in close contact with potentially ill people, such as water fountains. • Practise proper hand hygiene. All students should wash their hands when re-entering the school building.

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

1. Map your school grounds or neighbourhoods Engage students in mapping the neighbourhood using only natural landmarks. For more details, see the Childhood by Nature: Nature Map your Neighbourhood website. Another form of mapping is sound mapping. Students sit in a spot on the school grounds or in a nearby park. Using a paper or whiteboard with an “x” in the center representing themselves, students make a map of the different sounds they hear. This activity increases their auditory abilities and encourages them to use another sense to connect with the world. For more information, see the Sound Map website. 2. Learn names and uses of Aboriginal plants of BC Learning about Aboriginal spaces values Aboriginal knowledge and provides an opportunity to explore the Aboriginal history of the land. Aboriginal stories of place are the recorded history for each nation. When we share the knowledge of plants that have been here for thousands of years, we also talk about how long Aboriginal people have been here. Learning about the traditional uses of plants also underscores the scientific knowledge Aboriginal people have held for thousands of years. Students continue to be amazed that medicines we see today are founded on the traditional knowledge of Aboriginal peoples in many parts of the world. The Royal BC Museum and University of British Columbia Faculty of Forestry websites provide resources that help connect students to the land. Students can also become actively involved in identifying and removing invasive species from natural areas around the school. The Invasive Species Council of BC’s Invasive plants web page provides information on this topic. 3. Sit spots and journaling As Dr. Kimmerer suggests in Braiding Sweetgrass, taking students repeatedly to the same sit spot to engage in observation and journaling is a very powerful activity for developing their connection to the land and plants. Wildsight provides excellent resources to encourage journaling in Kindergarten to Grade 7.

is the single, most powerful tool “ Journaling to supercharge your observation, memory

and connection with nature. The goal of nature journaling is not to create a portfolio of pretty pictures but to develop a tool to help you see, wonder, and remember your experiences. You can learn to do this. You do not need to be an artist or a naturalist. These are skills you will develop as you go. —John Muir Laws & Emilie Lygren, 2020

”

For additional strategies to engage your students in outdoor learning and Aboriginal perspectives, consult the resource How to Get Out Safely in the COVID-19 Era.

Resources • Childhood by Nature: Nature Map your Neighbourhood: www.childhoodbynature.com/naturemap-your-neighborhood • Sound Map: www.sharingnature.com/sound-map.html • Royal BC Museum: https://learning.royalbcmuseum. bc.ca/pathways/native-plants-south-coast/read/ • UBC’s Faculty of Forestry, Centre for Forest Conservation Genetics: https://cfcg.forestry.ubc.ca/ resources/cataloguing-in-situ-genetic-resources/aboutbec-and-bgc-units/ • Invasive Species Council of BC invasive plants web page: https://bcinvasives.ca/invasive-species/identify/ invasive-plants/ • Wildsight: https://wildsight.ca/programs/education-athome/sit-spots-k-7 • Mindstretchers Academy Nature Play Diary: https://mindstretchers.academy/collections/free-resources • How to Get Out Safely in the COVID-19 Era: http://blogs.sd41.bc.ca/science/files/2020/05/How-ToGet-Outside-Safely-in-the-COVID-19-Era.docx To order copies of the poster on the opposite page, contact Miranda Light at mlight@bctf.ca. To book the Infusing Aboriginal Content workshop, fill out the workshop request form on the BCTF PSI Workshops page.

The Mindstretchers Academy Nature Play Diary web page provides suggestions for drawings and provocations that will keep primary students occupied as you get outside.

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

Learning is connected to land, culture, and spirit. We—the two-legged, four-legged, finned and feathered, plants and rocks— are all related. We must always practice reciprocity through acts of giving and receiving. Learning honours our Ancestors, Elders, Knowledge Keepers and Descendents. It respects and embraces ceremony, protocol, and teachings that are connected to the sacred medicines including tobacco, cedar, sage, and sweetgrass.

ABORIGINAL WAYS OF KNOWING AND BEING

Important teachings emerge through stories. Learning involves developing relationships, respecting distinct cultures, and honouring the perspective of others in our communities. The deepest learning takes place through lived experience. It requires exploring our identities, learning from our mistakes, and having gratitude for our gifts. Learning is a journey that takes courage, patience and humility. It is about striving to become a better human being and living with balance in body, mind, heart and spirit.

Carving and Raven moon artwork: Carl Stromquist Design and layout: Jennifer Sowerby | BC Teachers’ Federation bctf.ca

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

Why We Need a Sensory Audit By Lee, CASJ Disability Justice Action Group and Vancouver Secondary teacher

The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a spotlight on health and safety. Ensuring working and learning conditions that minimize the risk of transmission while optimizing our students’ ability to engage is of the utmost importance to all teachers. This augmented awareness of the importance of working conditions can be applied to our understanding of BCTF meeting environments and their impact on members’ ability to fully participate.

At their February 22–23 meeting, the BCTF Executive Committee (EC) referred the following recommendation from the Committee for Action on Social Justice to BCTF staff for a report back to a fall EC meeting:

The BCTF has already made meeting spaces scent-free through a policy that addresses inclusion issues around multiple chemical sensitivity. Scents are not just a preference but a barrier to some folks being able to function at a basic level. Some members have reported finding it difficult to breathe in spaces where perfume, cologne, or air freshener products are used.

That the BCTF carry out a sensory audit at all BCTF meetings on an ongoing basis to monitor and ensure an accessible space for all. In a similar referral, the BCTF EC asked the BCTF Health and Safety Committee to consider the assessment of sensory triggers during locals’ inspections of schools.

There is growing public awareness about physical disabilities and the duty to create accommodating workplaces. The Disability Justice Action Group seeks to also raise awareness of invisible disabilities. One example is brain injuries, which are common to both adults and children and impact working and learning conditions. By simply having options provided in work and meeting spaces, members are able to access these spaces. As health is a private matter, there is no way to know how many people do not fully participate in work and meetings due to inaccessible spaces. Invisible disabilities may also include chronic pain, gastrointestinal disorders, immune suppression, nervous system disorders, mental illness, and many more common conditions that are often stigmatized. The Disability Justice Action Group is advocating for sensory audits and accessible spaces so that all members may work in spaces that will promote the best working and learning foundations for everyone. i St

o ck

While BCTF events will probably take place virtually for the foreseeable future, this postponement of in-person events provides the Federation with the necessary time to consider a plan that will ensure the provision of fully accessible meeting spaces for the future.

he Disability Justice Action Group has recommended that the BCTF carry out a sensory audit of workplaces and meetings to ensure that they are accessible and inclusive for all members. While controlling lights, sounds, and chemical scents can contribute to everyone’s wellbeing, those with disabilities may experience further barriers. One example is the impact of fluorescent lights and lack of variation in lighting. Bright flickering fluorescent lights are not ideal for most people, and those with brain injuries may experience constant headaches and brain fog in such settings.

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

BCTF Social Justice Workshops Go Digital! By Barb Ryeburn, BCTF Social Justice Administrative Staff

hen social distancing measures under the pandemic make it impossible for large groups of teachers to participate in workshops together, what does the BCTF workshop program do? We move to online delivery! During the pandemic, more than ever, teachers can benefit from the excellent professional development and Staff Union Representative Training that the BCTF PSI and SURT workshops have delivered for years. Workshops created for BCTF members by BCTF members are the most successful at meeting the needs of BC teachers and union activists. Since we can’t deliver them in person, we have found a way to deliver them virtually. Inspired by the success of the Surrey Teachers’ Association Convention—which was adapted in a short amount of

time from an in-person conference to one delivered fully online—the BCTF went to work adapting some of its workshops for virtual delivery. Last spring, BCTF members with experience writing workshops were trained in online workshop development before adapting some of the BCTF workshops to this format. In August, BCTF workshop members participated in an online version of Facilitators’ Institute Training, where they learned online workshop facilitation skills and were trained to deliver these new virtual workshops. The following social justice workshops are now available for virtual delivery as a local SURT or at a school based, local, or regional professional development day.

Building a Stronger Union through a Local Equity Audit This new workshop will provide participants with an understanding of the concepts and strategies needed to develop a local equity audit action plan. This plan will allow participants to assess their local structures and policies in order to identify barriers to member engagement. Local executive members will develop strategies to strengthen their union by ensuring members from diverse backgrounds have a voice and see themselves represented in local leadership. Participants will leave the workshop with an awareness of the important components of a local equity audit and a familiarity with resources and funding sources available to support them in carrying out this important work.

How to be an Antiracist in our Schools, Unions, and Communities This skill-based workshop is a powerful, practical way to promote awareness and empathy, and to develop the skills to effectively respond to discriminatory remarks and incidents of racism. Although it is often easy to identify an incident of personal racism, responding effectively can be challenging. This workshop has been updated to provide participants with opportunities to practise strategies to intervene effectively.

Taking Action for Climate Justice This workshop will provide participates with an increased understanding of the urgency to take action on global warming. Participants will leave the workshop with a bank of lessons and resources to teach about climate justice along with the skills needed to address controversial issues in the classroom. The workshop provides strategies for teachers to support existing BCTF policies related to climate action by supporting students in advocating for climate justice in their communities and at the provincial and national level.

Role and Function of a Social Justice Contact This workshop will provide opportunities for local and school-based social justice contacts to explore their roles and functions at the school, local, and provincial levels. Participants will consider how their role may change in the context of COVID-19. Teachers will have an opportunity to develop short- and long-term plans and explore how to work in alliance with others in their schools, communities, and zones. For more information and to book these and other BCTF social justice workshops, visit the workshops listing page under Social Justice on the BCTF website. BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

Muppets Meet at Syrian Refugee Camps By Anjum Khan, CASJ Peace and Global Education Action Group and Vancouver Elementary teacher Leaving everything that is familiar behind and venturing into the unknown, people are seeking out new beginnings filled with hope for building a better future for themselves and their families. Often, children’s education Basma, Grover, Ma’zooza, and Jad on an adventure. Photograph: Sesame Workshop is at the bottom of the priority list for international refugee-serving agencies. he world is currently witnessing the highest levels Yet it has been confirmed that schools and children’s of displacement on record. The United Nations High programs help by stabilizing routines and providing a Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported an estimated sense of normalcy for children and families. 71 million forcibly displaced people in 2019. People are fleeing from war-torn countries because of persecution, Broaching this territory of rebuilding a life and home famine, political turmoil, and extreme environmental is a new humanitarian program from an old children’s situations. Many are leaving their homes not knowing favourite. Since its inception 50 years ago, Sesame Street when—or even if—they will be able to return. has helped children from diverse backgrounds navigate the challenges of life in a big world. With characters from There are three categories of forcibly displaced people: Big Bird to Grover to Cookie Monster, Sesame Street has internally displaced, refugees, and asylum seekers. People dealt with difficult issues and brought them into the who are internally displaced stay within their own country reach of everyday lives. Sesame Street is continuing this and remain under the protection of its government, even trend by bringing its special magic to the displaced and if the government is responsible for their displacement. traumatized refugee children living in Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Refugees are those who have been forced to flee their and Lebanon. Their new program is designed to bring country of origin due to conflict, violence, or persecution; play and laughter to children suffering from long-term are unable to return based on a demonstrable threat due displacement and the impacts of the Syrian war. to their race, religion, political stance, or social status; and have been accorded refugee status by Ahlan Simsim—“Welcome Sesame” in Arabic—is creating the UNHCR. Asylum seekers are also content that is particularly relevant to refugee children, seeking international protection from along with storylines that appeal to all children. Stories danger in their country of origin, but their follow five-year-old Muppet best friends Basma and Jad, claim for refugee status has not yet been along with a friendly goat named Ma’zooza. A strong determined. Every refugee begins as foundation underpinning this work is the focus on talking an asylum seeker, but not every asylum about feelings, identifying emotions like sadness and seeker will be granted refugee status. anger, and considering ways to understand different perspectives. The show aims to support children who The number of refugees worldwide is suffer daily from neglect and violence and experience growing at an alarming rate, yet over half toxic stress from the lack of nurturing care. of the 26 million refugees come from just three countries: Syria, Afghanistan, and Before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, thousands Somalia. Half of the refugees from these of outreach workers visited clinics, community centres, countries are under the age of 18. Most homes, and other gathering spaces to work on the lessons end up living in countries neighbouring discussed in the Ahlan Simsim programs. While this their home. Global responses to the personal connection is no longer possible, the program’s plight of refugees continue to evolve in creators have acknowledged that these displaced families terms of how to manage the unfolding are among the hardest hit by the pandemic and have situation and the growing number of adapted their programming by developing learning tools displaced people. that are available through WhatsApp. These resources

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

equip parents with strategies to meet the social and emotional needs of both themselves and their children. They also provide suggestions for play-based activities to support health, hygiene, and language learning. In many refugee camps and sites of humanitarian aid, the needs of young children are often invisible and left unaddressed. Only a small percentage of humanitarian aid organizations support education programs. These organizations often employ underqualified tutors or minimally educated teachers who receive only a small, daily stipend. Ahlan Simsim will not only transition young refugee children into developing emotional resilience and making educational progress, it will also bring joy and laughter to these children. Human beings have always migrated for many different reasons. Movement from one’s homeland, especially in the cases of forced migration, is often accompanied by intense feelings of psychological dislocation. Along with the sense of profound loss of leaving their homeland, refugees must navigate the challenges of surviving and finding a way to normalize their situation through developing daily routines and building cultural norms. Helping implement education programs for children from a very young age is critical and necessary in bringing routines and meaning to daily life, while also preventing large gaps in children’s education. Sesame Street has played a role in the Middle East for over 40 years. With the new Ahlan Simsim show and its supplementary educational resources, millions of Syrian refugee children and their neighbouring host communities will be provided with playful early-learning opportunities that can help to provide stepping stones to a future that is a little bit brighter.

Asylum seekers and refugees are among the populations most at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic due to limited access to medical care and tightly packed and often unsanitary living conditions. As of May 2020, 134 countries of asylum had reported local transmission of COVID-19. The UNHCR has responded to the pandemic by monitoring transmission of the virus and expanding its delivery of clean water, hygiene supplies, and medical services. The UNHCR is also working to raise refugees’ awareness of preventative measures and has increased provision of financial assistance, counselling, and supports for victims of genderbased violence. To limit transmission, countries have closed their borders, which has resulted in a marked decrease in refugee resettlement to host countries. While Canada settles a substantial number of refugees each year, including 29,950 in 2019, these levels will be significantly lower in 2020 as a result of the pandemic. On March 16, 2020, Prime Minister Trudeau announced that Canada’s borders were closed to all foreign nationals except Americans. On March 20, the Canadian government closed its borders to asylum seekers and began sending back those who entered from the United States. In addition, the reduced capacity of visa offices overseas due to the pandemic has significantly slowed the processing of applications for refugee settlement in Canada. All of these measures, which were put in place to protect Canadian residents, have intensified the impacts of the pandemic on refugees and asylum seekers and increased the pressure on the UNHCR to ensure their safety.

Jad and Elmo in Azraq refugee camp, Jordan

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

Wonder Womyn By Trevana Spilchen, CASJ LGBTQ2S+ Action Group and Delta teacher I am wonder womyn, by which I mean people look at me & wonder... Woman? or man? Most accurately I’m trans, the in-between stuff the oh so queer stuff And while I do not have a magic lasso that makes people tell the truth I do have the magical ability To make people stare at me awkwardly which in turn reveals the truth of their feelings about me Because 1 of 2 things inevitably happens when I stare back at them They either give me that Oh shit I was staring at you & now I feel like a douche bag kinda smile and I am relieved & know they are basically ok Or they give me that You are a disgusting human that shouldn’t even exist in this world kinda scowl and I tense up ready for an argument or maybe even something worse. As superpowers go, making people stare at me awkwardly would not be my first choice It does keep me safe sometimes & gives me hilarious stories to tell my friends but it also amplifies people’s transphobic hatred which often makes me feel like a disgusting human being that shouldn’t even exist in this world Maybe if William Marston had created me I’d have the same bullet-proof bracelets he gave Wonder Woman & I could simply raise them up bouncing the searing sneers back at the perpetrators

I can’t bear to twirl into the superhero suit I wish I was just a woman without the wonder without the fear without the questions I don’t have the strength to answer today I hate myself for hiding & often feel I haven’t earned the term woman That I’ve fallen short of being she fallen short of being me The other day I threw on a hoodie, shorts & flip flops with no bra to go to the grocery store hoping to hide within the binary only to remember that my legs were still silky smooth shaven & my toes still wore the pretty purple shine from my first ever pedicure a birthday present from my daughters No trouble to tell I was lying to the world & to myself No need to even use that lie detector test you also created William Marston You know I’m guilty You & I both know no matter what I put on there is a wonder woman underneath Just like Diana Prince, And I wonder… Does she hate herself for hiding? Are there days when she wishes she was just a woman? without the wonder just one of the girls in this patriarchal world simply trying to be normal whatever that means Me, I’m just waiting for the day when I can say I am wonder woman and actually believe it’s true.

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Maybe if I had superhuman strength of character I could just carry the weight of their hatred without noticing But what people think weighs on me, And so some days

To see Trevana perform “Wonder Womyn,” visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP1HI_YGxr8. 22

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

Walking through a World Full of Microaggressions By Trevana Spilchen and Kamaryn Willbond, CASJ LGBTQ2S+ Action Group members and Delta and Dease Lake teachers

ave you ever seen someone ask to touch a Black person’s hair? Have you ever heard a queer woman being told she just hasn’t found the right man yet? Or, if you are a mother, have you ever been asked if your husband is babysitting the kids?

Linda: I also think that when people stare at me, what they see when they’re looking at me is that I’m a Chinese woman. But there are all sorts of assumptions and stereotyping going on.

These are microaggressions, which are defined as indirect, subtle, or unintentional verbal or nonverbal discriminatory acts against members of marginalized groups.

Kammy: You are in this constant state of hyper-awareness, and you’re looking to see what risks are coming at you this moment and every moment of your life.

CASJ’s LGBTQ2S+ Action Group invited members of the Antiracism Action Group to participate in a discussion on microaggressions. We began by watching a video of Trevana Spilchen (also known as Spillious), a trans-feminine spokenword artist, performing their poem, “Wonder Womyn.”

I am wonder womyn by which I mean people look at me & wonder… Woman? Or man?” We used this poem as a catalyst for our conversation about microaggressions. The following quotes were pulled from the transcript of our recorded conversation in order to shed light on the way marginalized people experience microaggressions. Andre: You said in your poem that people give you two options, either “Oh, yeah! I shouldn’t be looking at this person,” or “You’re such a bad person and you shouldn’t be here.” Me, being a Black teacher, a lot of the environments that I‘m in…I’m usually the only person who is Black. And people think that I don’t realize they’re looking at me because I have dreads and I’m Black. But I totally do see it, and I totally do realize what people are doing. Sean: People think that I don’t notice that they’re staring at me. Of course, I notice. I just don’t want to deal with noticing.

Ryan: One of the key points of microaggressions is that they’re constant.

Sean: How safe are you? How safe am I here? Do I get to relax? Kammy: What can I say? What can’t I say? Sean: What do I have to hear? Nimfa: You are always in that reactive mode, thinking, “I wonder if they really meant it that way or there is a subtle dig somewhere?” You are constantly analysing. Ryan: I saw this quote once that said, “It is sometimes difficult to know the difference between your intuition guiding you and your traumas misleading you.” Linda: Sometimes it brings down your self-esteem, and you’re constantly feeling that you are being discounted. I’m really tired of it. You almost have to prove to others who you are. Andre: For me, it’s kind of like, when that happens, it’s either I am quiet and their behaviours keep going on, or if I say something, it’s kinda like, “Oh well, he’s just being the angry Black guy who’s going to find everything he can to play the race card.” Sean: A lot of the microaggressions that happen to me happen because people are flattening my identity. And then for people with intersectional identities,1 the idea of having a flattened identity often makes them feel like they can pick only one or the other. Intersectionality is a term coined by Black civil rights activist and law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw. It describes unique forms of oppression based on overlapping aspects of one’s identity, such as gender identity, race, class, indigeneity, and sexual orientation.

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

Nimfa: It takes me back to an experience I had. We had this gathering, and somebody said, “Where are you coming from with that kind of idea? Are you speaking like you are a Canadian now, or are you still speaking like you are Filipino?” Do I have to now preface everything I say by saying, “I’m coming from this angle. I am a Canadian speaking right now and not an Asian”? Andre: My brother, he’s half Chinese. He looks like he could be Chinese, but he doesn’t feel like he is accepted when Chinese people see how he acts or how he talks. Then, when he’s with his Black friends, they’re like, “You’re not Black enough because you don’t do this, or you don’t do that.” You have to be one or the other. You can’t be both. Trevana: What you said about not being Black enough really reminds me about the same gatekeeping that I’ve experienced. I’m not trans enough. And it’s really interesting that this happens with racial issues as well as with queer issues. The following CASJ members participated in the discussion of microaggressions with authors of this article: Antiracism Action Group: Ryan Cho, Nimfa Casson, Linda Frank, Andre McDowell LGBTQ2S+ Action Group: Sean Moores

As you can see from the stories told here, it is exhausting to walk through the world constantly bombarded with subtle jabs based on misconceptions and stereotypes. Further, it is incredibly overwhelming to have to respond to all these situations day after day. This is where you can help. Hopefully some of these lived experiences resonated with you and encourage you to speak up when you see others experiencing microaggressions. 23

Exploring the Green New Deal: Lessons learned from COVID-19 By Sarah Newton, CASJ Environmental Justice Action Group and Revelstoke teacher

s home learning teachers—as School District 19 calls us—we developed a window into the lives of our students. Videoconferencing lets us see who lives in a household with distractions, which children have bedrooms without pillowcases or sheets, which students join our class meetings chronically late or not at all, who doesn’t have technology, which families are forced to use their neighbour’s internet service, and which students appear to be less cared for over time. The even playing field that we all aspire to create in our classrooms became a distant memory in the world of COVID-19. Many of our at-risk families now have the added burden of the pandemic. Added to what? To the landlord demanding rent that they can’t pay, or the parent’s two part-time jobs suddenly having winked out of existence, or the abusive partner who is now permanently in a foul mood, or the lingering illness that never really heals. These are just some of the challenges that our at-risk families were dealing with on a good day before COVID-19. I am sure you have seen evidence of these experiences and worse during some heartwrenching Zoom or Teams meetings.

It is imperative that as educators and members of a powerful bargaining organization, we take advantage of our budding awareness of the need to find better ways to exist as a society. As people with privilege, we need to stand up for our students to address the poverty trap that is their daily life. The Green New Deal offers a paradigm shift that isn’t risky, isn’t cutting edge, and isn’t even untested. The principles of the Green New Deal have been de rigueur in Scandinavia for many years. Do you recall how cranky we get when people tell us to aspire to Scandinavian educational standards? Well, it is thanks to government policies resembling the Green New Deal that these countries have achieved such inspiring results! They have created a society for the people, by the people. Since March break, our students have been through a great deal, some far more than others. Our most vulnerable students need us to take advantage of this disruption in “business as usual” by jumping at the opportunity to assess the source of the growing chasm between the haves and the have nots. We are capable of working together to address our shared problem of wealth inequity. The answers are out there. The Green New Deal is old news in many countries around the world. As Canadians, we need to be focused in our desire to 24

effect positive change for our students. We can do this by demanding that, as we reopen the economy, we don’t rush back to the old normal, but move forward to rebuild with a greener, more equitable, and stronger Canada. Our problems, including COVID-19, stem from a way of doing business that exploits resources and people with little regard for the future. We use up and mess up the Earth’s gifts without giving a thought to the fact that there isn’t enough to go around now, let alone last into the future. If governments are going to spend billions of dollars on the recovery from the pandemic, why not do it right? This is an opportunity that simply cannot be wasted. We have a moral and ethical obligation. It is our job as teachers to help our students. The “old normal” is not the way to go. It is reckless and criminal to even consider going back to what was normal. The Green New Deal is the stepping stone to a new Canada where people feel valued, the environment is respected, and the notion of growth has less to do with capitalism and more to do with preserving nature and our very souls. We owe it to our students and to all creatures on this planet to find a new way forward.

At their June 2019 meeting, the BCTF Executive Committee carried the following motion: That the BCTF encourage members to participate in meetings and information sessions regarding the Green New Deal. The Pact for a Green New Deal is an expanding movement of Canadians calling for government response to global warming and societal inequities through investments in green energy sources, free public transit, affordable housing, a just transition for workers, and an end to fossil fuel expansion and subsidies for the fossil fuel industry. To learn more about the Green New Deal, visit the following websites: • Pact for a Green New Deal: www.greennewdealcanada.ca • LEAP Green New Deal web page: https://theleap. org/portfolio-items/green-new-deal. BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

How Can Teachers Act in Solidarity with Teen Climate Activists? By Myles Hulme, North Vancouver teacher

t the 2020 Cross Border Social Justice Conference— a regional social justice conference hosted by the Surrey Teachers’ Association in partnership with several locals—a group of six students took to the stage and shared their thoughts and actions on climate change. Supported by Dr. Claudia Ruitenberg, a professor in the Department of Educational Studies at the University of British Columbia, these teen climate activists expressed their wealth of knowledge and experience around growing up active and aware amid a climate crisis. As a spectator in the audience feeling the wiry grey hairs now filling the base of my beard, I was filled with the concern they felt. I also felt admiration for the extraordinary journey they had taken on, a journey that only the wisdom of youth can properly undertake. This is the wisdom of a new generation of students who want to be informed, who want to act, who want to forge a better future, but who are coming of age in a climate crisis.

As a teacher, it is always helpful to hear or to call upon the wisdom of youth. I have a responsibility to frequently drop the lecture tone, listen to children and teenagers, and figure out how to best help students in my classroom and beyond navigate a complex world. I need to know what these powerful minds are thinking before I can make connections between them and the curriculum and then do my utmost to move everyone forward together. This is what the profession of an educator calls for. This is what I signed up for. It was therefore both relevant and opportune that Dr. Ruitenberg opened the teen climate activists’ plenary session with a series of questions the students could wrestle with to elucidate what youth have on their minds when it comes to climate change. These questions included, “How can teachers meet their responsibility of helping to preserve and restore a world that they are helping to unlock for youth?” and “How can teachers act in solidarity with teen climate activists?” BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

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The teen climate activists Before launching into the responses provided to these questions, it is worthwhile to draw a portrait of just who these teen climate activists are. It is a lesson in itself for teachers to learn that there are students in our classes with incredibly impressive resumes. At the time this article was written, these activists had not yet graduated and two of them would still be in elementary school in most school districts. Yet their vigour and thoughtfulness could fill a page, and it certainly filled a rather large auditorium. It is also worthwhile to note that those tired eyes we sometimes see on Monday mornings in our classrooms look that way for very good reasons. We should feel encouraged when we figure this out. We should feel excited to find out what these kids are up to on the weekend because it will enrich our connections and our classrooms. Alongside Dr. Ruitenberg, we heard the voices and arguments of Arshia Uppal, Julia Zirnhelt, Ella Kruus, Rebecca Hamilton, Emma-Jane Burian, and Zoe Schurman.

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

Arshia is a Grade 12 student from Surrey. In the background, as she introduced herself, was the projection of an online climate clock ticking down to the point where the world will have warmed up by 1.5 degrees Celsius and hit a point of no return. According to the climate clock, approximately 12 years from now the warming climate will have tipped the Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ocean and land ecosystems over a point of no return. This will engage a process of change that will throw established equilibria out of balance and wreak havoc on animal and plant life and the connections between them. Drawing on her experience growing up in a climate crisis, Arshia codeveloped this climate clock. She is also busy organizing Surreyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s youth in climate action and is active in a youth climate justice organization called Sustainabiliteens.

Julia and Ella are Grade 7 students from Williams Lake. In a part of British Columbia where climate activists are confronted with more than the usual dose of climate-change denial, they helped organize the first ever climate strike. They are also members of the Greenologist Club in their school. One of their teachers facilitated their attendance at the Cross Border Social Justice Conference, which was held in the Lower Mainland, far from Williams Lake. Rebecca is a Grade 12 student from Vancouver. Over the course of several weekends away from school, she helped organize the Global Climate Strike in Vancouver, which was held on September 27, 2019. In one of her first comments during the teen climate activists’ plenary session, she stated that the panelists “want to leave the climate clock up because we want our teachers to see what we’re thinking when we’re in the classroom.” Emma-Jane is a Grade 12 student in Victoria. She has also devoted herself to organizing climate strikes. With Our Earth, Our Future, she has contributed to bringing together youth for several of these events on Vancouver Island. Attending an alternative school where interactions between students are prioritized, she feels that she has been given a leg up in understanding how collective action works. Last but not least, Zoe, a Grade 8 student from Seattle, brought the “cross border” to the Cross Border Social Justice Conference. On the other side of the 49th parallel, she is involved with Climate Action Families and Fridays for Future. She is also a weekly climate striker. 28

These were the teen climate activists. Are they average students? Let’s just say they are active students. They have much to teach us, but as teachers and educators, we can still help them.

What the teen climate activists would like teachers to know and do How can teachers act in solidarity with teen climate activists? Conscious or not, there was incredible unanimity in their response to this question. It can be broken down into four core lessons provided by students for teachers. First, they want us to feel what they feel. This will require conversations between teachers and students and the building of intergenerational solidarity. Many of our youth are suffering from eco-anxiety. They are growing up in a climate crisis. They want us to know that as they sit in class, the climate clock is ticking, and they can hear it. Second, they want us to teach climate science. Climate science is a real issue, not an opinion. There was a sense that if scientific facts are not being taught in our schools, then the entire infrastructure of truth—whether it be in math, natural science, or social science—is being ignored and downgraded. Why should students focus on anything if one of the most important scientific facts of our time is being left on the sidelines? Thirdly, they want us to teach them how to organize. Personally, I think that they may be a few steps ahead of us in this regard. However, we can help by encouraging more connections within the classroom, between classrooms, BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

At the 2020 Winter Representative Assembly, BCTF Local Representatives passed the following motion: That the BCTF develop a campaign to encourage all teachers to incorporate climate change action into their teaching.

between schools, and beyond. Schools are in fact the optimal places to build connections, learn how they work, and learn how to extend them. Finally, they want us to teach them how to be heard. Rather than simply talking about government structures, it is time to discuss how to make contact, apply pressure, and make peaceful change happen at a time when change is absolutely necessary. It is time to discuss how to lobby. The climate clock is ticking. Let’s not wait any longer to bring these six brilliant students’ lessons into our classrooms.

Resources • Climate Clock: https://climateclock.net • Sustainabiliteens: To be placed on the Youth Action Updates list serve, contact Emma at sustainabiliteensunions@gmail.com • Our Earth, Our Future: www.ourearthourfuturevictoria.com • Climate Action Resources document: BCTF Environmental Justice Resources web page • Teaching Green: Taking action on Climate Justice workshop module: BCTF Social Justice Workshops listing web page • Videos of the Cross Border Social Justice Conference: BCTF Social Justice Conference web page.

As the world’s leaders focus their efforts on surviving the pandemic, those engaged in the struggle for climate justice are concerned that the urgent need to address global warming may be forgotten. The construction of megaprojects connected with fossil fuel extraction continues, yet physical distancing measures make it impossible to continue participating in protests and student strikes. But just as teachers are finding new ways to support their students’ learning, we are developing new strategies to engage in climate action. People have pulled together and made sacrifices to protect themselves, loved ones, and community members from COVID-19. We can all be inspired to take similar collective action on climate change. The BCTF Climate Action Resource document provides contact information for local, national, and international climate action groups that are taking action virtually. The resource also provides links to information on global warming and climate justice teaching resources.

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

First Peoples Principles of Math By Aaron Hoffman, Ed May Social Responsibility Fund recipient and Vernon teacher

very teacher wants to believe they are relevant and can make a difference. From my 19 years of teaching, I have learned that one of my strengths is acquiring the necessary supports to maintain relevance. This has led me to develop the First Peoples Principles of Math pilot project. A grant from the Ed May Social Responsibility Fund has enabled educators like me to continue the dedicated work of Ed May and his battle against discrimination and injustice within schools in British Columbia. Often, one does not have the access or ability to pursue interests outside their daily profession. Through funds from this grant,

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however, I was able to access the necessary release time and resources to collaborate with other educators and members of the community. I was inspired to create inclusive, innovative, and positive experiences for my students and school.

afforded the privilege of welcoming into our school the local Syilx people. The project has heightened my awareness of the importance of involving local Aboriginal Elders when teaching their history and culture to our students.

The grant has benefited my teaching by providing me with more time to reflect and refine specific focuses in three crucial areas: inclusive practices, Aboriginal curriculum, and improved food options at school. I will limit my discussion in this article to the ways I have explored bringing Aboriginal curriculum into my classroom through collaborative mentoring with younger grades.

This grant has inspired me to pilot the First Peoples Principles of Math. This resource guide allows for a more hands-on approach with math that improves student learning through its real-life applications and connections to Aboriginal people. Although early in its development, I feel the new guide is helping me to create learning experiences for my students that honour the First Peoples Principles of Learning.

The grant has allowed me to create connections with individuals who have transformed my planning and delivery to engage student learning. Community Elder Frank Marchand spoke with our students about traditional connections to the land through hunting and sport, specifically lacrosse. We were also uniquely

While the material is middleschool level, we are fortunate to collaborate with teachers from two younger classes—Holly Fischer (Grades 2–3) and Shannon Truesdell (Grades 4–5)—in a project in which the older students teach the younger students an adapted version of this program. Our Aboriginal Support Worker Jessie Brown, our Fine Arts teacher Neena Sood, and University of British Columbia Okanagan teacher candidate Gabby Valachy will also be directly involved with this implementation. The strength of this diverse group is that it will provide an opportunity to look at the role of Aboriginal content from many different perspectives with a critical eye. We are also eager to include our school’s physical geography to utilize the First Peoples Principles of Learning from the land. The Math First Peoples Resource Guide will be available soon on TeachBC at www.teachbc.bctf.ca.

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

COMMITTEE FO R

E (CASJ) TIC US

N ON SOCI TIO AL C A J

Antiracism Action Group Nimfa Casson Rozhin Emadi Linda Frank Chanelle Tye Workshops • Bafa Bafa Rafa Rafa • Incorporating Antiracist Strategies into BC’s Revised Curriculum • How to be an Antiracist in our Schools, Unions, and Communities

Status of Women Action Group Angela Marcakis Serena Mohammed Trish Mugford Sheena Seymour

2020–21 Committee for Action on Social Justice (CASJ) • Promotes safe, healthy, nurturing, respectful, and inclusive environments, where all diversity is celebrated. Creates and promotes resources on social justice issues. • Advises the Executive Committee on social justice issues; related BCTF policy, procedures, and events; and social justice grants • Develops links with unions, community groups, NGOs, and others on social justice issues. • Assists locals and zones in developing social justice programs, projects, and events • Promotes and assists in the development of local, zonal, and provincial networks of members on social justice issues. • Facilitates the social justice portion of BCTF zone meetings, summer conference, and the Provincial Social Justice Conference. • Advocates for systemic, social justice-related change both within the BCTF and throughout the province of BC.

Disability Rights Action Group Leah Kelley Lee Nichelle Penney Heather Sallows Workshops • Addressing Ableism

Environmental Justice Action Group Tara Ehrcke Sarah Newton Charity Peal Mary Hotomanie

Workshops • Teaching Green: Integrating Environmental Justice Issues across the Curriculum (five modules available: Taking Action for Climate Justice, Food Security, Sustainable Resource Use, Sustainable Transportation, Water Rights)

Peace and Global Education Action Group

Workshops • Engaging Men and Boys to Prevent Gender-based Violence • Promoting Healthy Youth Relationships: Educating against gender-based violence

Regie Plana-Alcuaz Anjum Khan Shailly Sareen Amy Ashlyn

Economic Justice Action Group

LGBTQ2S+ Action Group

Richard Pesik Kati Spencer Marcus Tse Rick Kumar Workshops • Help End Child Poverty in BC’s Classrooms, Schools, and Local Communities • Poverty IS a Classroom Issue

Workshops • Creating Cultures of Peace • Global Education: Bringing global perspectives into your classroom

Heather Kelley Lee-Ann Locker Trevana Spilchen Elliot Fox-Povey Workshops • Creating a Gender-Inclusive School Culture • Promoting Healthy Youth Relationships: Educating against gender-based violence • Reach Out, Speak Out on Homophobia and Transphobia

Additional Social Justice Workshops • Advancing Equity and Inclusion in Our Schools and Community • Assertive Communication • Creating Inclusive Spaces: Applying an equity and inclusion lens • Developing a Local Equity Audit • Developing Allyship Skills to Break the Cycle of Cyberbullying • In the Shoes of the Bully, the Bystander, and the Victim • Organizing for Change • Role and function of the Social Justice Contact • Sexual Health Education: It’s fun! • Social Justice in Every Classroom • Strategies for Discussing Controversial Issues

Important SJ dates to celebrate Sept 30 Orange Shirt Day October 7 World Habitat Day November Antipoverty Month December 3 International Day of Persons with Disabilities December 10 Human Rights Day January 20 –24 No Name Calling Week Februrary Black History Month March 8 International Women’s Day See the BCTF Calendar of Events online for more dates.

Please note: The BCTF is not responsible for the content or links found on any external website. Opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the author.

BC Teachers’ Federation 100–550 West 6th Avenue Vancouver, BC V5Z 4P2

Editor: Barb Ryeburn Copy editing: Lynda Tierney Design: Jennifer Sowerby

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

This newsletter is available online at bctf.ca/SocialJustice.aspx?id=6352 Summer/Fall 2020 PSI20-0045 31

BCTF Social Justice Program 2020–21 Calendar of Events SEP 7: 8:

Labour Day International Literacy Day 15: International Day of Democracy 21: UN International Day of Peace 20–26: National Forest Week 26: International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons 30: Orange Shirt Day

OCT

NOV

DEC

International Day of Older Persons 2: Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday 5: World Habitat Day 5–11: National Family Week 16: World Food Day 17: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 18: Person’s Day 24: World Development Information Day

5–11: Veteran’s Week 11: Remembrance Day 17–23: BC Multiculturalism Week 20: National Child Day 20: Transgender Day of Remembrance 25: International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women—16 days of action begins 27: Buy Nothing Day

1: World AIDS Day 2: International Day for the Abolition of Slavery 3: International Day of Persons with Disabililities 5: International Volunteer Day 6: National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women 10: Human Rights Day 18: International Migrants Day

JAN 17:

Raoul Wallenberg Day, credited with saving 100,000 Hungarian Jews during the Second World War 18: Martin Luther King Jr. Day 18–22: No Name Calling Week 29: National Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia

FEB

6: International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation 15–21: BC Heritage Week 20: United Nations Social Justice Day 21–27 Freedom to Read Week 24: Pink Shirt Day

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MAR

Disability Day of Mourning 5–8: International Women’s Week 8: International Women’s Day 21: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 21–27: Week of Solidarity with People Struggling Against Racism and Racial Discrimination 22: World Water Day 25: International Day of the Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade 31: Transgender Day of Visibility

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Women’s History Month Learning Disability Awareness Month image from Winnipeg Free Press

APR

Refugee Rights Day 5–11: National Wildlife Week 9: Day of Silence (against LGBTQ name calling) 11–17: Prevention of Violence Against Women Week 14: International Day of Pink 22: Earth Day 28: National Day of Mourning

iStock/ Anna Kosheleva

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JUN

Antipoverty Month

MAY

1: International Workers’ Day 3: World Press Freedom Day 8: World Fair Trade Day 17: International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia 21: World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development 22–25: Aboriginal Awareness Week 31–June 6: Canadian Environment Week

Injured Workers’ Day 1–5: Canadian Environment Week 5: World Environment Day 8: World Oceans Day 12: World Day Against Child Labour 18: Autistic Pride Day 20: World Refugee Day 21: National Indigenous Peoples’ Day 27: Canadian Multiculturalism Day

Adapted from iStock/bulentgultek

Nobel Foundation [Public domain]

Black History Month

JUL

12: BCTF incorporated as a benevolent society (1919) 17: Canada Parks Day 18: Nelson Mandela International Day 30: World Day Against Trafficking in Persons

AUG

9: International Day of the World’s Indigenous People 12: International Youth Day 15: National Acadian Day 19: World Humanitarian Day

Canada’s parks day

Asian Heritage Month

Aboriginal History Month

Mental Health Awareness Month

LGBTQ2S+ pride Month

WORLD HUMANITARIAN DAY image adapted from the UN

Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2020

Articles inside

Wonder Womyn

First Peoples Principles of Math

Crossing and Creating Bridges

Anti-Asian Hate Crimes during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This is Your New Normal

Call for Social Justice Newsletter Articles

The Long Return