First Peoples Principles of Math

By Aaron Hoffman, Ed May Social Responsibility Fund recipient and Vernon teacher

Every 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,

iStock 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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

C O M M I T T E E F O R A C T I O N O N S O C I A L J U S T I C E ( C A S J )

• 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.

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

Workshops

• Engaging Men and Boys to

Prevent Gender-based

Violence • Promoting Healthy Youth

Relationships: Educating against gender-based violence

Economic Justice 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 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 Regie Plana-Alcuaz Anjum Khan Shailly Sareen Amy Ashlyn

Workshops

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

LGBTQ2S+ Action Group 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 J anuary 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 This newsletter is available online at bctf.ca/SocialJustice.aspx?id=6352 Summer/Fall 2020 PSI20-0045

SEP

7: Labour Day 8: 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

BCTF Social Justice Program 2020–21 Calendar of Events

OCT

1: 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

NOV

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: 2:

3:

5:

6:

10: 18:

DEC

World AIDS Day International Day for the Abolition of Slavery International Day of Persons with Disabililities International Volunteer Day National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women Human Rights Day 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

iStock/arthobbit

MAR

1: 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 Women’s History Month Learning Disability Awareness Month

image from Winnipeg Free Press

APR

4: 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/barkarola

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

Asian Heritage Month Mental Health Awareness Month

iStock/ South_agency

JUN

1:

1–5:

5:

8: 12:

18: 20: 21:

27: Injured Workers’ Day Canadian Environment Week World Environment Day World Oceans Day World Day Against Child Labour Autistic Pride Day World Refugee Day National Indigenous Peoples’ Day Canadian Multiculturalism Day

Aboriginal History Month LGBTQ2S+ pride Month

Nobel Foundation [Public domain]

12:

17: 18:

30:

JUL

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

Canada’s parks day

Adapted from iStock/bulentgultek

Black History Month

9:

12:

15:

19:

AUG

International Day of the World’s Indigenous People International Youth Day National Acadian Day World Humanitarian Day

WORLD HUMANITARIAN DAY

image adapted from the UN