Analysis of focus group and narrative data, together with a review of initial educator/teacher education programs designed for northern Indigenous educators/teachers, provide implications for culturally appropriate programs that address the unique needs of northern Canadian Indigenous educators and teachers. The professional trajectories and initial teacher/educator education experiences of five Indigenous early childhood educators and teachers provide insight into the challenges of becoming credentialed and the outcomes of accredited programs designed in collaboration with northern Indigenous leaders to respond to the challenges.
This paper draws on the traditional sharing circle at the SPARK conference held at the University of British Columbia in 2019. The sharing circle was led by an Elder and two early childhood educators sharing knowledge from their perspectives and experiences of the Anishininiiwi Awaashishiiw Kihkinohamaakewi Niikaanihtamaakew Indigenous Early Childhood Education Leadership Program (IECELP). The sharing circle at SPARK was delivered in the Indigenous research method of a wildfire circle consistent with the summative research conducted across four First Nation child care centres to measure the impact of the IECELP. We propose alternative ways of transferring knowledge in Indigenous culturally responsive ways to be welcomed and encouraged in academia and in early childhood education.
We draw on a focus group discussion amongst four Indigenous northern Ontario early childhood educators (ECEs) from an Indigenous postsecondary institution’s ECE diploma program, to show the important contributions of programs offered by Indigenous postsecondary education institutes to Indigenous cultural revitalization. We are the Indigenous Elder, two instructors, and senior administrator of the program, as well as a non-Indigenous university professor. We argue for Indigenous community-generated curricula that embody local Indigenous cultural knowledge, values, and practices, drawing on themes arising from analysis of focus group data: participants felt that they brought limited knowledge of their Indigenous language and culture to their program, and participants experienced an awakening of Indigenous knowledge through their participation in Indigenous practices outside the core curriculum.
This article discusses the potential that trauma-informed pedagogy and social-emotional learning practices hold for supporting educators during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. The authors bring a critical lens to considering these approaches, noting some limitations and provisos in their use. We advocate for dialogue, mentorship, and professional learning in using them not only to support educators but to authentically include diverse ways of knowing, doing, and being in early childhood environments.
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