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Item: A yellow umbrella representing the 2014 Yellow Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong - student-led protests to protect democracy and fight authoritarianism

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2014 saw massive unrest in Hong Kong, the city where I was born and the place where I spent my formative years up until Grade 9 and then, again, after university. The Yellow Umbrella Movement was a protest against the encroaching authoritarianism that China wanted in place of the democracy promised to the city-state until 2047 as part of the handover from British Hong Kong to Chinese Hong Kong.

In 2009, the Education Bureau had updated the curriculum to include the subject of Liberal Studies. It was a subject which taught critical thinking and created a space for open discussions -- traits critical to a free, open and democratic society but also traits which exposed and threatened authoritarian rule.

The powers-that-be did not like this very much and replaced actual events with whitewashed versions in history books and even renamed the subject Citizenship and Social Development. This was met with a lot of resistance from students and educators. The subject was even blamed for being the reason for all the social unrest.

The importance of a liberal education is crucial to the future of a flourishing democratic society. We need citizens who can think critically and speak freely to hold our government accountable.

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Item: An aeroplane ... to travels, adventure & much more!

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Travel opportunities while teaching abroad

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Travel opportunities while teaching abroad

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Being a Third Culture Kid, I start feeling restless after being in one place for too long and get the itch to move to greener pastures. Teaching is a career that makes this transition a lot smoother. There are international schools, IB schools, overseas Canadian schools, second language schools and schools with their own country's curriculum. The teaching community is very welcoming and resourceful. There are opportunities for short term teaching or longer term positions. The options are endless. It is a good way to travel, flex your global citizen muscle, make new friends and immerse yourself in a different culture. There is a universality to eduction that traverses borders. It is great way to check your biases as well.

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Items: (top) a pin commemorating the infants that were a part of Le Estcwicwéy̓; (bottom) a sticker from the remembrance events at KIRS that were part of the 2024 Orange Shirt Day at the end of September

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The news that broke on May 27, 2021 about the 215 missing children whose remains were suspected to have been found on the grounds of the KIRS was heartbreaking. Of the 94 Calls to Action by the Truth & Reconciliation Commission, as teachers, it is our duty to address those that related specifically to K-12 education.

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Items: 

(top) a bracelet made by and gifted to me by my niece. 

(bottom) Diya craft that my niece made for me after she  learnt to make it at school during the Diwali festivities.

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As the next generation in our family to enter their formative school years, it hits close to home when I see the growth that is taking place in my nieces everyday. They inspire me to be the best teacher I can be and to bring out the best in the students in my care. As they navigate the school system, I am reminded of the responsibility teachers carry and the impact they have in shaping the young minds of tomorrow. It is so important to create classrooms that are inclusive in which students feel seen and celebrated for who they are. This is in start contrast to my schooling which was all about conformity, fitting in and playing the part.

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Item: A bracelet made by two classmates for every student in cohort 2 during the first semester of the program.   

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It has been wonderful to be a part of such a diverse group of teacher candidates on this journey to certification. The comraderie and support system created has been invaluable as we navigated practicums, coursework and much more together.

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Items: (top) A Murchie's Earl Grey Cream tea bag; (bottom) A Numi Matcha Toasted Rice tea bag

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Sometimes, no matter how thoroughly a teacher has prepared for a lesson, things outside our control take over, be it a student having a bad day, technology not cooperating, admin being unsupportive or a parent being a bully. On days like these, a nice cup of tea and a trusted shoulder to cry on/vent to goes a long way to reclaiming some portion of the day to smile about as you serenade yourself to Nina Simone's Feeling Good "a new dawn, a new day..."

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Item: (top) ribbon with a First Nations print from the 4Generations Creations Indigenous-owned shop in Sahali Mall; (bottom) a Xyemstém re Stsmémelt (Respect the Children) sticker in Secwepemctsin

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The discovery of Le Estcwicwéy̓ made world news headlines on May 24, 2021. It brought awareness to the general population of and shed light on the atrocities of the residential school system. This groundswell of information has coincided with the Indigenization of the BC Curriculum as per the Calls to Action proposed by the T&C Commission. It has been a unique time to be in the BEd program as there have been major shifts happening to decolonize and indigenize the curriculum, and reconcile the horrors meted out on the First Nations Peoples in Canada. This is only the beginning and going forward, I see Indigenous world views, teachings, principles and ways of knowing being an integral part of teaching & learning in BC.

I chose to wrap my jar with the sticker Respect the Children as an acknowledgement of what happened and the wrongs that need to be righted. The ribbon serves as a guiding reminder of teaching holistically, with compassion, empathy, understanding and in balance with nature.

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EDVP 4120-01 Visual Art _Reflection _Parminder (Pam) Grewal