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Hello! Sat Sri Akal! Salut! Lei Ho! Namaste! Weytk!

My name is Parminder, aka Pam. I was born into a Punjabi Sikh family in British Hong Kong. I am an aunt to two beautiful nieces, a sister, daughter, granddaughter, niece, friend, immigrant, life-long learner, teacher and an avid student of life. I have travelled to 21 countries on four of the seven continents and as a polyglot, I speak English, Punjabi, Cantonese, Hindi and French at various fluencies and am dabbling in Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Mandarin and Secwepemctsin (Shuswap).

My journey toward becoming an educator was influenced by my maternal grandmother, my mother and my sister who are, or were, all teachers. My grandmother was a trailblazer who decided to further her passion for learning into a career in teaching in her native India. She did this when women were mostly homemakers and rarely pursued careers. To date, one of her proudest achievements is her career and the independence her work pension allows her until today. There’s more information on her influence in the timeline section of this portfolio.

My teaching journey, that has spanned twelve years thus far, started off with a TESL course at the tail end of my Physical Geography degree at UBC when I was contemplating career choices and leaving my options open. Teaching jobs were very competitive in BC at the time so it was providence when one of my UBC instructors informed my class about an ESL teaching opportunity in Hong Kong. Having grown up in vibrant Hong Kong with wonderful memories during my childhood, I was eager to explore the city as an adult and visit my old haunts. What were the odds of being handed an opportunity to start my career in the wonderful city with which I was still enamoured? I jumped at the opportunity and was rewarded with nine wonderful years of teaching students English in the cosmopolitan Asian city. An ESL specialist teacher, I taught students from lower elementary to vocational post-secondary. It was a dream start to my career. The opportunity allowed me to make so many wonderful friends in the teaching field from all over the world. I learnt so much from all their journeys and experiences and more than anything, it cemented my belief that teachers do have a special calling.

However, the political situation in Hong Kong took a nefarious turn when peaceful civil disobedience through silent marches, legal protests and sit-ins by activists were infiltrated by elements of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) government. Freedom of speech and freedom of the press were stifled, and education soon turned to propaganda with widespread whitewashing of the atrocities committed by the CCP in books by book publishers and self-censorship by teachers not wanting to incur the wrath of the CCP.

This turn of events made me ever more grateful for my parents’ foresight in choosing Canada as our new home to immigrate to and thankful to Canada for having such a welcoming policy towards dissidents, refugees and other immigrants.  After moving back to BC, I worked as a specialist elementary PE teacher at an independent school and later transitioned to classroom teaching as a Grade 6 homeroom teacher. My experiences here have added more breadth to my teaching, and deepened my appreciation and passion for it. It is a wonderfully unique career where I have the opportunity to make a positive impact on the youth in my care everyday.

In my spare time, I enjoy playing field hockey, a highlight of which was captaining my team for two years. I also enjoy cycling, tennis and hiking. I like to try different sports when the opportunity arises, the latest being indoor climbing and I am eager to try pickleball which combines three sports that I enjoy— tennis, ping-pong and badminton! I have completed my level 1 sport coaching certificate through the Hong Kong Sports Institute and would love to apply it towards youth sport coaching as I believe there are many mental and physical benefits to inclusive youth sports.

Going forward, I endeavour to create a learning environment that is inclusive, diverse, and which celebrates the unique backgrounds, experiences, challenges and perspectives that each student brings with them.

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My Teaching Philosophy details how I situate student development at the centre of my teaching. A positive student mindset is integral to their immediate and future success. This has to be addressed before any meaningful learning can take place.

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EDEF 3200 _Parminder Grewal_ Teaching Philosophy

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Through the reading and discussions for this presentation, I learnt that it is vital to consider all 3 perspectives - the philosophical, sociological, and historical - when dealing with dilemmas related to teaching and learning if I want my students to be open-minded and well-rounded students. As educators, we have to be “less susceptible to the educational myths, bandwagons, and moral panics” by regularly questioning, examining, and learning.

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Check out this Presentation designed by PamG.

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This English Language Arts lesson explores poetry through the five senses. It is a fun way to engage students in a genre that they are not always comfortable with. It also incorporates place-based learning by using their surroundings as the inspiration for the poem.

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This Math lesson plan teaches students financial literacy using the 50/30/20 principle. It also integrates with Socials on the issue of affordability in Canada today.

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This is me during Science class conducting a hands-on thermal energy experiment on whether an egg can be cooked in a thermos using the principle of conduction.

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This is a place-based lesson about the Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver, BC. It can also be a field trip destination for schools in the Lower Mainland.

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EDSO 3200_Pam Grewal_Place Based Learning.mov

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Photo 1- In February, my class does an educational poster display on prominent Black Canadians in Canada's history.

Photo 2- Place-based learning is a powerful and engaging mode of delivery. Here, the students are at Science World in Vancouver for a visit related to their Science unit on Space.

Photo 3- Hands-on learning is a fun way to engage students in inquiry. Here, they are doing a Makerspace challenge.

Photo 4- Gamification is a fun way to bring concepts to life. Here, intermediate students designed a Math problem-solving game for the primary students to play.

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The FPPL are nine principles that are grounded in First People’s wisdom on knowledge sharing. They are the guiding principles on how to teach using an Indigenous lens. They form a holistic approach to learning that includes the wellbeing of the family and the land, and acknowledges those that came before and those that will come after. They also include Indigenous ways of knowing which are more experiential as opposed to being book based, and grounded in oral tradition versus pen and paper writing. Knowing these differences in how FNMI knowledge is communicated allows for a tailoring of the curriculum delivery to reflect these nuances. It is not just the ‘what’ of the curriculum that needs Indigenizing but also the ‘how’, ‘why’, ‘where’ and ‘for whom’.

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The redesign of the BC curriculum started in 2016 for grades K-9, 2018 for grade 10, and 2019 for grades 11 & 12. It moves away from Prescribed Learning Outcomes (PLOs) and benchmarking, and moves toward a more concept- and competency- based curriculum. This was in response to new skills that graduates will need to be prepared for the demanding world of the future. Literacy and numeracy still form the foundation of the curriculum but core competencies were identified with an eye to the development of citizens who are competent thinkers and communicators, and who are personally and socially competent in all areas of their lives. There was also greater flexibility given to teachers to teach deeper, not wider using their own areas of expertise to guide inquiry and learning.

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Curriculum | Building Student Success - B.C. Curriculum

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The nine professional standards for BC educators ensure that teachers act in the students’ best interests with considerations given to their growth and development, and the contribution of the community-at-large towards raising the leaders of tomorrow. It implores teachers to act ethically to uphold professionalism in teaching by engaging in continuing professional development to stay abreast of the latest research on teaching and by helping build a collegial culture. This also extends to showing expertise and best practices in planning, teaching, assessing and reporting in the subject matter taught. It also ensures a continued commitment to the calls to action laid out by the Truth & Reconciliation Commission that investigated the atrocities and cultural genocide committed against the FNMI communities in Canada through the residential school policies.

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The Calls to Action 62 and 63 relate directly to the K-12 grades. These include designing mandatory age-appropriate curriculum on topics including residential schools, Treaties, and Aboriginal peoples' historical and contemporary contributions to Canada. This also includes the funding and training necessary to make the curriculum a reality, from post-secondary teacher training to positions at the senior administration level to usher in the much-needed change. It also mentions building student capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy, and mutual respect by mainstreaming Indigenous culture from the marginalised position it has historically held. For schools catering to Aboriginal communities, it calls for providing the necessary funding to utilize Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods in classrooms.

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What's happening?

The goal of the collaboration between the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) is to support the establishment of a national research program in response of the Call to Action 65. This national research program will take the form of a reconciliation network that required the creation of a coordinating body called the Coordination Hub (RNCH).

Launched last Summer for a Fall 2022 attribution, the Coordination Hub for the reconciliation network was a one-time special initiative that led to the award of an institutional Connection Grant, valued at $100,000 annually for 7 years.

This grant awarded to the NCTR to create the Coordination Hub will enable it to support solid interactions between the network's participating researchers, their organizations and communities and to develop meaningful and efficient activities. The Coordination Hub will ensure:

administrative support for knowledge mobilization activities of the reconciliation network

research support through access to relevant archives and educational materials

organization of annual conferences

An additional $10,000 per year amount was also granted as a supplement for translation and interpretation fees. These additional funds will be utilized for the translation of key knowledge mobilization documents and videos to ensure adequate support for reconciliation network teams working in both official languages. With the supplemental funds, the total awarded for the duration of the grant is $770,000.

On November 23rd, 2022, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, along with the NCTR, announced the launch of the Reconciliation Network in response to Call to Action 65.

The Reconciliation Network will see SSHRC investing up to $6 million, with each grant valued at a maximum of $1 million over 5 years. The investment will support a national research program with multiyear funding to advance the collective understanding of reconciliation. The funded recipients will participate in activities managed by the NCTR, in its role as coordination hub for the network.

Teams led by First Nations, Métis Nation or Inuit researchers are invited to submit proposals for new or existing formal partnerships that contribute to our collective understanding of truth and reconciliation. Proposals could address residential school history; the ongoing legacy of residential schools; past Canadian policies of assimilation in one or more areas, including child welfare, education, language, culture, health and justice; or other significant issues.

Recent budget investments

Under Budget 2018, $3.8 million in funding was provided to support the commitment to Call to Action 65 by developing a new strategic plan, setting new directions to support Indigenous research and research training in Canada from 2019 to 2022.

The plan identifies new models and mechanisms to conduct research by and with Indigenous communities, based on the results of 2 engagement exercises. The first involved organizing a series of roundtables and workshops in partnership with Indigenous organizations, while the second involved funding Indigenous organizations and researchers to support their own research engagement activities.

In total, 116 projects were funded through the Indigenous Research and Reconciliation Connection grants. The engagement exercise culminated in a National Dialogue event in March 2019, followed by the release of a new strategic plan in January 2020.

Recent progress

The first call for the Reconciliation Network in Response to Call to Action 65 was launched in fall 2022 and closed in May 2023. Applications to the program are being assessed with results to be announced in late 2023.

In addition, the Tri-Agency launched the Indigenous Leadership Circle in Research (ILCR) in 2022. It held its first in-person meeting in the fall of 2022.

The ILCR supports the implementation of research and assists in monitoring progress. Members of the ILCR belong to First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities across the country and represent a variety of disciplines. Members come from postsecondary institutions, Indigenous not-for-profit organizations, and other research communities.

Collectively, the appointees have a deep cultural understanding of Indigenous research and Indigenous knowledge. ILCR serves as a forum for Indigenous guidance and direction on issues related to reconciliation and Indigenous research, including Call to Action 65.

More broadly, work is underway to implement the recommendations generated by working groups and through engagement with the Indigenous Leadership Circle in Research in areas that support reconciliation. These include:

building relationships with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples

supporting the research priorities of Indigenous Peoples

creating greater funding accessibility to granting agency programs

championing Indigenous leadership, self-determination and capacity in research

To date, key accomplishments related to Call to Action 65 include:

generating key pieces of work, including:

an environmental scan of current Indigenous research funding landscape

preliminary identification of mechanisms for indirect financial or operational support

ongoing development and implementation of tools and models to confront barriers within application processes

a new SSHRC-NSERC pilot funding supplement for Indigenous students, to better support their representation and success in research

a pilot process for merit review in Cree as a case study, through the SSHRC President's office

Next steps

Applications made to the Reconciliation Network in Response to Call to Action 65 are being assessed and the results are not yet available.

The co-development process with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation for the Reconciliation Network funding opportunity has resulted in a strong and ongoing relationship with the NCTR. Together, we continue to seek new opportunities to support advancing understanding of factors associated with reconciliation.

In addition, through the Indigenous Leadership Circle in Research, work is being undertaken to realize all of the goals of Setting New Directions to Support Indigenous Research and Research Training in Canada , for which the implementation timeline has been extended to March 31, 2026.

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We call upon the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada to maintain an annual commitment to Aboriginal education issues.

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Link to timeline: https://earth.google.com/earth/d/18x-shg9YqRWGt59FfRRk1AN9WRaiYPuM?usp=sharing

My timeline starts off in Punjab, India with my maternal grandmother. I feature the school she taught at when she first started her teaching career. At the time, it was rare for women to have careers so she was a trailblazer in that regard. My mother’s career trajectory started off and continues until today with teaching. She has always championed the profession she chose as a decent and honourable career. Her passion and commitment are unwavering and she has made a palpable difference in the lives of her students. Seeing these impactful differences that my grandmother and mother have made in the lives of their students, attached a noble-ness to the career that I still feel today. I believe that teachers are cut from a different cloth. Despite the odds with cuts to funding, swollen class sizes, unreasonable parental demands, impossible expectations by administration, they continue to champion the learning on behalf of their students. The number of hours that it takes behind-the-scenes to prepare for impactful lessons is often overlooked. The dedication and commitment that teachers show comes from a deeper place where teaching is not merely a career. It has a real and tangible impact that continues to be felt in the students’ lives long after they have graduated and left school.

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Aw snap! Google Earth isn't supported on your browser. You may need to update your browser or use a different browser. Please see our system requirements for more information. Chrome is a great choice and you can download it here.

Or if you're feeling adventurous, you can try Earth anyway by choosing an option below.

Learn more about Google Earth.

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Aw snap! Google Earth isn't supported on your browser. You may need to update your browser or use a different browser. Please see our system requirements for more information. Chrome is a great choice and you can download it here. Or if you're feeling adventurous, you can try Earth anyway by choosing an option below.

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Profile Link: www.linkedin.com/in/parminder-pam-grewal

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750 million+ members | Manage your professional identity. Build and engage with your professional network. Access knowledge, insights and opportunities.

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1. World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC) (Vancouver, BC) - I volunteered at the WEEC Conference that took place at the Vancouver Convention Centre in September 2017. This is the largest international congress addressing education for environment and sustainable development, worldwide. Speakers included Dr David Suzuki, Tara Cullis of the David Suzuki Foundation, Guujaaw from the Haida Nation, Elizabeth May from the Green Party of Canada, and Jeannette Armstrong (Syilx Okanagan) who was the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Okanagan Philosophy at UBC Okanagan. Topics covered included Early Childhood Education, Place-based Education and Local Outdoor Learning, Architecture and Green Design, Arts Based Approaches, Agriculture and Garden-Based Learning, Global and Cultural Diversity, Environmental Communication (and Uncertainty), Indigenous Knowledge, Ethics Lead Learning and Sustainability, Social Responsibility and Agency/Activism, Nature as Teacher / Nature as Researcher, and Global Policy and Environmental Education. I had the opportunity to attend quite a few of these sessions which was quite eye-opening and transformative.

2. Field Hockey Social Club League -

I played field hockey socially as part of a club league throughout my nine years in Hong Kong. For two of those years, I was the team captain which required extra commitment in terms of sorting logistics for practices and game days, attending club meetings, writing newsletter articles for publishing and ad hoc coaching duties. It was a challenging and rewarding experience that I still draw on today. It was a lesson in time management and juggling schedules. I often look back and wonder how I managed it all but it was one of the happiest times of my adult life. I realised the invaluable importance of having a good support team. I could not have done it without them. At reunions, my former teammates (now friends) and I still reminisce about the good times we had and I wear it as a proud feather in my hat when my teammates tell me that I was the best captain they’ve played with. I learnt a lot of transferable skills from my time as a team mate and team captain. The juggle was real.

3. Tennis Social - It is with my field hockey teammates that I started playing tennis socially as well. This not only offered a much-needed transition from the hectic work day to my personal life. It was a time in my life where the work-life balance was in perfect equilibrium. It truly was a work hard, play hard mentality with positive reinforcement in both areas. It is a time I felt most productive. It was a mix of having an excellent support system socially through friends and also a supportive school administration who created a space where they let teachers teach, instead of micromanaging them.

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With this letter, we would like to invite you to attend the 9th World Environmental Education Congress which takes place September 9-15, 2017 in Vancouver, BC, Canada. The World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC) is an international congress addressing education for environment and sustainability. WEEC 2017 is the 9th congress and will feature the theme of Culture/Environment: Weaving New Connections.

The congress is an international meeting point for everyone working with education for environment and sustainable future or who has an interest in the field. WEEC 2017 will be an excellent opportunity to learn more about the latest in environmental and sustainability education, to discuss with people from all over the world, to share your own work and to learn from others. We expect participants from a wide range of countries, and so invite you to add your ideas and energy to the mix. From the congress we aim to build a relevant network among environmental NGO's, civil society associations, universities, local authorities as well as institutions from any level. WEEC congresses have received UNESCO and UNEP patronage and in many cases the presence or a message of the General Secretaries.

Warm regards,

David Zandvliet

Mario Salomone

Supported by:

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2017 World Environmental Education Congress - Culturenvironment: Weaving new connections

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With this letter, we would like to invite you to attend the 9th World Environmental Education Congress which takes place September 9-15, 2017 in Vancouver, BC, Canada. The World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC) is an international congress addressing education for environment and sustainability.

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1. ESL teacher Hong Kong - I had the opportunity to teach ESL students in Hong Kong for nine years. At my first teaching job, I was teaching vocational students who were older than I was. That was a surreal experience. It was mainly Communications as these were students in the Tourism and Hospitality, Computer Science and Early Childhood Education streams. I also taught students phonics in high school which was a bit strange. At the elementary level, the Education Department in Hong Kong had created a unique ESL literacy program which incorporated phonics and story together in a shift from textbook learning. I loved teaching this way as it allowed me to best utilize my skillset when teaching. It was interactive and included drama skits and songs which the students found very engaging. What I learnt was that oftentimes, it was the teachers who had a challenging time adapting to the new format. The students loved it.

2. Travels in Egypt - A travel experience that really challenged me and took me completely out of my comfort zone was a trip I took to Egypt with my two sisters. It was a 10-day trip through the Sahara Desert where we were guided by Bedouins as we toured the desert, camping under the stars and eating the local delicacies cooked by our guides. There was no running water, toilets, or privacy for that matter. It was as far removed from what I would consider a holiday yet I had one of the best times of my life. It gave me a whole new appreciation for how in-tuned people were with the land when your survival depended on it. One evening, a light wind blew through the area and we were at the mercy of the elements. There were foxes, scorpions and snakes that lived in those parts and we had to contend with them as there was no door to shut them out. Floating down the Nile on a sailboat will forever be one of the highlights of my travels.

3. Travels in Myanmar - Burma was a magical trip that felt like being transported to a page in a history book. Time seemed to have stood still in the otherworldly landscape. The ancient city of Bagan, a UNESCO heritage site, was breathtaking. From the architecture to the ruins of the temples and pagodas that still stand there today, the raw and unadulterated beauty of the ancient city is a sight to behold. It was truly eye-opening to hear about how this was the centre of civilisation in the region.

My sister and I took the local train to the hill station town of Kalaw. It was a rickety ride with the train swaying a little too much for our comfort as it skirted the mountain side. We encountered a slight hiccup when a car had fallen onto the railway tracks ahead of us from the road above. It was all hands on deck as the locals pitched in to help right the car and clear the tracks. It was an unforgettable experience.

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BSc (Physical Geography), UBC - I completed my undergraduate degree in Physical Geography at UBC. I had a general interest in the sciences when I started my undergraduate journey. By the time I completed my second year, I was feeling stifled by the specificity that was demanded in choosing ‘a’ science to pursue. I was more interested in a breadth of knowledge rather than specialising in one particular field. This is when I meandered in my journey to find a science to my liking and discovered geography. The degree was offered as both a science and an arts degree depending on which courses constituted the majority of my transcript. I had found my happy medium. I enjoyed my arts and science courses in geography equally as much and found the subject matter fascinating. It was on this journey of discovery that I realised I wanted to be a generalist and not a specialist. When I was researching careers that would be best suited to my personality type and best complemented my degree, teaching kept showing up at the top.

TESL certificate, LLED, UBC - At the tail end of my undergraduate degree, I was considering various career options and teaching was one that kept popping up. I decided to enrol in a TESL certificate program through the UBC Faculty of Education’s Language and Literacy Education Department. I had been tutoring throughout high school and university, and really enjoyed the interactions with the students I tutored. It also came quite naturally to me and the feedback I received from students was overwhelmingly positive. So when an ESL teaching job was advertised through the program, I applied and was successful in the interview process. It did not feel like work to teach ESL as I was so comfortable with it. It also gave me the opportunity to work overseas which I was eager to do. Things were lining up nicely with my life and career goals and I was feeling motivated, driven and purposeful after feeling lost during my sophomore year at university.

Level 1 Sports Coaching Certificate, Hong Kong Sports Institute- I had been playing field hockey socially for several years when I decided to pursue coaching to try my hand as a field hockey coach. I enrolled in the general coaching certificate course offered by the local Sports Institute. It was a comprehensive course where the course material included Motor Control and Performance, Legal Concepts in Sports, Overview of Fitness & Principles of Training, Food, Nutrition and Sports Performance, Introduction to Planning, Biomechanics of Movement, Sports Anatomy, Human Physiology 1, Coaching as a Profession, Coaching Effectiveness, Psychology in Sports Coaching, Predisposing Factors of Injury, Role & Responsibility of the Coach in Doping and Sport, Introduction to Sports for the Mentally Disabled and Introduction to Sports for the Physically Disabled.

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Professional Development - Conferences, Seminars, Workshops

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Professional Development - Conferences, Seminars, Workshops

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1. DANCEPL3Y with Roxane Letterlough - I had such a fun learning experience taking part in Indigenous DANCEPL3Y with Roxane Letterlough. I would not have imagined bringing in Indigenous content in such a manner. The mind-body connection really brought home the experiential learning format that FNMI and non-FNMI students learn best from. It forced me to think outside the box as to how I can Indigenize my lessons in a fun and inclusive way.  It was a very creative way to incorporate language learning and cultural practices without appropriating either.

2. Championing Change: Conversations with Dr Imogene Lim by TRUFA Human Rights Committee - I attended the three functions put on by the TRUFA Human Rights Committee where Professor Imogene Lim was the invited speaker. The first event ‘From the Trenches: Championing Change’ was about the treatment of the Chinese Canadians by the Canadian government when the Head Tax was imposed. The tax not only applied to new immigrants to Canada but Canadian born Chinese Canadians. The second event was the screening of the film ‘Unarchived by Hayley Gray & Elad Tzadok’. I found particularly intriguing the section on the multicultural community of Paldi on Vancouver Island. The third event was ‘Let’s Talk Unconscious Bias & Consequences’.

3. Knowledge Makers 2024 (UNFAO) - I attended the Knowledge Makers 2024 conference at TRU whose theme was ‘Coyote Brings the Food’. This was a joint conference put on by TRU and the UNFAO. I particularly enjoyed the presentations by the authors of the Special Edition Volume 8 Knowledge Makers Journal. The theme was ‘Climate Change, Food Security, and Indigenous Women’. The focus was on Indigenous women addressing environmental challenges and food insecurity using traditional knowledge, ways of living, and land stewardship. I found particularly engaging the presentation by the Maori speaker on how she was digitizing the land claims that the ancestors of the people of Waikato had signed with the New Zealand government but were being hoodwinked out of.