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Sara,
thank you for sharing and acknowledging this yearning for more, like there is a deeper connection that you are missing. One where it feels like you need to be one with the rock, to give the rock life.
As a science teacher, I have grappled with the Westernized view; teaching the characteristics of living and non-living. There is an other perspective to bring into teaching this, one where "imaginary" and looking at an object as having a spirit, should be considered. This will take time.

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Thanks for sharing the meaning of spirit. Never thought it in this way since as a ELL, I learn words mainly through dictionary.

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I agree about the magic of writing about something while being present in that place. It allows you to really take in your surroundings and the emotions of being in that place at that moment of time which is something that can't be re-created later. And then being able to look back on that writing later on in time, potentially years later, it can transport you back to that place vividly just through words on a page.

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I am really enjoying listening to the use of language and translation. I think this is why is is SO important to continue to speak our languages, to keep alive and give meaning

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I like the idea of writing/reflecting on site rather than in a different place. I think a lot of detail will be lost which will disrupt and misinform the memory of such place. It’s like trying to remember every detail of a dream after you wake up.

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Yes Christine! Love the moment of pause and taking the time to slow down and connect back to where we are.

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The comments made about trusting intuition and concerns about practicum really resonate with me. I want to enact change and disrupt but, I don’t see it happening in my practicum school. I am trying to trust the process and be patient. Change takes time.

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"wanting to do/teach things aligned with an Indigenous way of knowing" ... it is so hard trying to be a new teacher, with FA's and SAs who experienced and learned in a very different era. As Robert said, having to sort of play the game is exactly what I think most of us are doing right now! Trying to get through our practicum to eventually become our own teachers, do the things we want to do and practice in our own classrooms.

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I love the idea of leaning into intuition. It can be tough to trust and listen to that inner voice, but I feel like any time I've trusted my "gut", the voice was leading me in the right direction. Like an internal compass.

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I really like what was said about people taking in different ideas and having different interpretations of what we say to them. I think this is really important and can be very valuable to remember when we have class discussions surrounding Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Being. I personally feel a bit worried about giving justice to the Indigenous values and teachings in my classroom, but it should be remembered that we don't necessarily have to explain so deeply the meanings to our students when they could very well interpret what we say in various ways. Its almost MORE important that we allow students to discuss amongst themselves what they feel or how they connect to the values and beliefs with each other to make sense of the information themselves, rather than us having to worry about "nailing home" the ideas, teachings, or practices.

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Learning 100% is a two way street. your students are resources and sources that we can learn from and that their peers can learn from. Teachers need to allow students to explore their own identities and bring them to the fore front. this can make education a richer and more fulfilling process for students, because it aligns more with their goals of self-actualisation rather then the prescribed outcomes that someone has set for them.

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I *detest* comprehension questions. I think it's indicative of a much wider issue today with regards to how we (societally, culturally, economically, corporately) consume art. It's those "ending explained" YouTube videos that seek to dissect every aspect of a narrative, explain metaphor and character and theme and setting through logic and linearity without understanding that art is fundamentally an emotional and aesthetic experience. Answers are boring and good art doesn't give them to you nor wish you to find them.

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I agree that when we are so focused on trying to understand a story, we end up not quite listening. It's the same case with art. When we approach an artwork with the goal to comprehend and interpret, how we experience the work would be different from if we just embrace the work and let everything come to us naturally.

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I agree with the thoughts of story and perspective. We all bring a different perspective to how we understand a story. Our experiences, knowledge, perspectives, and understanding of the story only brings to the richness of it. The meaning of a story will always change depending on who is telling it and who is listening.

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The layers of a story are so complex. Indigenous stories incorporate humour, metaphor, and teachings that can't always be immediately grasped. It's important to sit and take the time to think about the meaning and one's connection to each story.

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I liked what Wayne said about how everybody will comprehend stories differently. Everybody comes from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, all of which frame how we interpret these stories. Relating this to teaching, we should be conscious about the diverse backgrounds that our students come from and be cautious with what we say and how we say things.

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It’s definitely a struggle to try to “cover everything” and to feel overwhelmed because there’s just not enough time. I’m also feeling lost preparing for my social justice 12 class, because there’s a lot to cover that is based in trauma and pain and hardship. I think it’s important to pause and teach our students about joy. Why isn’t our curriculum geared more towards this?

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Great point about the tension between time and reflection versus content/curriculum. Not sure what this will be like when we have our own classrooms, but planning for practicum has been frustrating in this regard for sure. I would love to spend time to work deeply with certain ideas and themes with my students, but due to what my SA wants me to teach I'm definitely rushed. I have been able to fit in a couple lessons luckily though where we zero in on something. As a socials teacher, finding historical stories have also been really useful for this.

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Something that Clifton said struck me just now. He said that in these institutions, we are expected to be at a certain level at a certain time. Makes me think about how Univeristies are structured. I.e. when students come in we say "class of (anticipated graduation year)" usually that's 4 years after the students enter. So it's almost expected that everyone will end their education at the same time, instead of different times. What if instead we said, "class of (entering year)" to the incoming students?

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It does take time to learn...I do like how Robert has pointed out that he does feel pressured by time when instructing, but he is mindful and does not let it rule his teachings'. I aspire to concentrate less on time, more on taking my time.

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I find that despite teaching Math, a traditionally content heavy class, it is much more important to teach the learner, and not just teach the content. As a previous prof said to me, there is no content police, there really isn't someone checking over how much content you are actually covering.

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I agree with what was said about how hard it can be to teach social studies and recognize the positive aspects of the stories being shared. I think that this impacts learning about so many people because their stories are always told from a place of weakness. It is our job to find more examples that acknowledge the strength of the people we are discussing so that students can be more empowered.

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I like what was said about giving oneself time and reflection to really grasp a story. Life in the 21st century is really fast paced and most of our students will be used to the immediacy they receive from the internet. A good way to counteract our collective shortening attention span is to slow down, tell stories, and take the time to reflect on them.

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I feel shy teaching with storytelling because I worry that I will lose my train of thought or get lost with my monkey brain bouncing around. When I hear Indigenous storytellers, they sound solid and confident. That confidence draws me in and captivates me. I aspire to that.

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This reminds me of one of the FPPL's: learning involves patience and time. It is valid not only for students but for teachers as well.

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"Stories in socials are depressing" sounds like my perception of socials in grade 11

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Knowledge … you have to let it sit a while and grow :) well said