Achieving Indigenous Student Success

A Guide for Secondary Classrooms

Pamela Rose Toulouse

• Publisher: Portage & Main Press
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781553796565
• eBook ISBN: 9781553796909
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Inclusive Education

In Achieving Indigenous Student Success,   author Pamela Toulouse provides strategies, lessons, and hands-on activities that support both Indigenous and non-Indigenous learners in the secondary classroom. Read chapters on topics such as:

• Indigenous Pedagogy and Classrooms Considerations
• Indigenous Self-Esteem and Mental Health Activities
• Differentiated Instruction and Bloom's Taxonomy
• Attrition, Retention, Transition, and Graduation Continuum
• Indigenous Themes and Material Resources
• Culturally Appropriate Secondary Lesson Plans by Subject (including English, Math, Science, History, Geography, Health, Physical Education, Drama, Music, Visual Arts, Technological Studies, Business Studies, Indigenous Worldviews, Guidance and Career Studies, and Social Studies and the Humanities)

This book is for all teachers of grades 9–12 who are looking for ways to infuse Indigenous perspectives into their courses. Ideas include best practices for retention/transition/graduation planning, differentiated instruction, assessment, and equity instruction. Using appropriate themes for curricular connections, the author presents a culturally relevant and holistic approach that helps to build bridges between cultures and fosters self-esteem in all students.

PART 1

PROGRAM FOUNDATIONS: CHAPTERS 1 TO 5

INTRODUCTION TO PART 1: PROGRAM FOUNDATIONS

The chapters that follow offer secondary-classroom teachers strategies, theories, ideas, and resources that honour Indigenous world-view. The pedagogy being discussed for implementation in schools is relevant for all learners, especially in educational spaces devoted to inclusion and equity.

Chapter 1. Indigenous Pedagogy and Classroom Considerations provides an overview of

• a holistic way to approach course and lesson planning

• the spiritual aspect of planning that begins with identifying a culturally appropriate resource and learner concepts

• the physical aspect of planning that has the educator determining the time needed, space(s) required, materials needed, and considerations/cautions

• the emotional aspect, also known as the three-step plan, which has the teaching strategies, inquiry questions, key terms, and classroom-management techniques

• the intellectual aspect, which has the assessment for/as/of strategies, curricular extensions, and suggested ways to infuse Indigenous contributions across the subjects

Chapter 2. Indigenous Self-Esteem and Mental Health Activities provides an overview of

• the living concepts of bimaadziwin and windigos in an adolescent’s life

• appropriate secondary strategies in teaching these Indigenous concepts

• national Indigenous mental-health resources and initiatives to implement in secondary classrooms

• a culturally appropriate model and description of the stages in a human being’s life

• how to create a living profile and use this as a critical self-esteem and mental-health analysis tool

Chapter 3. Differentiated Instruction and Bloom’s Taxonomy provides an overview of

• practical strategies in the content, the process, the product, and the learning environment aspects of differentiated instruction (DI)

• examples of how to implement DI on a continuum with Indigenous resources as the focus, as well as subject-based suggestions

• the six levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy and the connections to the Ojibwe living wheel, including examples at each level

• applying Bloom’s question stems and respectfully integrating the innovations of the 500 Nations

• partnerships and materials that are culturally appropriate and models emulating a differentiated approach in secondary education

Chapter 4. Attrition, Retention, Transition, and Graduation Continuum provides an overview of

• the factors that lead Indigenous students to exit secondary schools early

• the practices that provide a foundation for Indigenous student success in high schools

• retention strategies that focus on curriculum/pedagogy, extra-curricular support, parental/guardian/community engagement, culturally safe spaces, and career events/cooperative activities

• transition strategies that focus on national examples for changes from elementary to secondary and secondary to postsecondary (or to work)

• graduation strategies that focus on a balanced approach through understanding our locations, deconstructing colonial constructs, and contributing to learner communities

Chapter 5. Indigenous Themes and Material Resources provides an overview of

• select Indigenous texts, resources, and materials for grades 9 through 12 in English, Math, Science, History, Geography, Health and Physical Education, Integrated Arts (Music, Drama, Visual Arts), as well as Professional Development for teachers

• connecting these material resources to Indigenous Lifelong Learning Concepts (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit)

Chapter 1.

INDIGENOUS PEDAGOGY AND CLASSROOM CONSIDERATIONS

An Holistic Approach

What is holism? When Indigenous communities speak of the need for classrooms to take a holistic approach, what do they mean? Just what does a holistic approach look like? Each Nation of the 500 Nations on Turtle Island (North America and part of the Mesoamericas) has its own explanation; however, two commonalties do exist: consideration and respect for the whole person (Whitley 2014).

As an Ojibwe woman, I have been raised with my own world-view, traditions, experiences, and history.

What I bring to this chapter on Indigenous pedagogy is my understanding of what works at the secondary level. The model and strategies for classroom consideration are firmly supported by a growing body of literature on holistic and culturally competent learning spaces. This pedagogical approach supports Indigenous student success and is consistent with the research on effective teaching practices in equity-based classrooms (Nardozi et al. 2014).

Many educators feel ill equipped to teach about Indigenous peoples and their contributions to the world. The reasons range from fear of getting it wrong, to lack of resources, to lack of clarity in how to approach Indigenous communities, to uncertainty about connections between Indigenous resources and the provincial/territorial curricula (Dion, Johnston, and Rice 2010). These are legitimate concerns and completely normal for a teacher committed to student achievement and diversity. In fact, the first step to planning an Indigenous approach to any classroom is to identify the barriers (e.g., fears, assumptions, potential blocks) one faces. This is a humbling act in which an individual is forced to confront the unknown/known and the reasons for this discomfort.

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Important Note! Self-identification includes the term an Indigenous person wishes to be referred to. For the author, Pamela Rose Toulouse, the words Ojibwe and Anishinaabe are interchangeable. Both are the ways she wants to be identified.

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Educators often do not see that their current approaches to learning, via effective strategies and dynamic resources, complement Indigenous students and their success in the classroom. Many educators are already implementing pedagogical approaches and teaching tools that support Indigenous students. What needs to grow, however, is a conscious assessment of areas we do well in and areas that require more work. This level of reflection and transformation is the mark of a teacher who is committed to the areas of student achievement and social change (Santoro et al. 2011).

The Foundation for an Effective Learning Cycle

The Foundation for an Effective Learning Cycle (see figure 1.1) has its foundations rooted in the teachings of the Ojibwe Medicine Wheel. It represents the holistic world-view presented in this book. The Medicine Wheel is a circle that embodies the teachings of equality, interconnectedness, and the cycles of life. It is composed of four quadrants, each representing a cardinal direction of north, south, east, or west. In turn, each direction represents different elements of life, including spirit animals, medicine, life stages, and colours. The Medicine Wheel represents the balance between the spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and physical aspects of ourselves.

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Important Note! “Sacred and alive” refers to the lived application of Indigenous teachings in a person’s day-to-day existence. Here, for example, it means the teachings of the Medicine Wheel and living a balanced life with attention to the spiritual, physical, emotional, and intellec...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Preface
• Introduction
• Part 1: Program Foundations: Chapters 1 to 5
• Part 2: Culturally Appropriate Secondary Lessons by General Subject
• Appendix A: Maps
• Appendix B: Indigenous Names for First Nations and Inuit of Canada and Alternative Names for Indigenous Peoples of the United States
• References
• Image Credits