An Exploratory Case Study of One Early Career Teacher’s Evolving Teaching Practice in Northern Canada

Abstract

This paper focuses upon the case of one early career teacher, Don, a participant in a longitudinal study examining the transfer of learning about literacy practices from pre-service teacher education to the classrooms of secondary content area teachers. We followed Don from his B. Ed. program into his first two years of teaching in an Indigenous community in northern Canada, with a focus on how his pedagogical content knowledge and his culturally relevant pedagogical practices developed. This case traces Don’s journey from his goals and plans at the end of his teacher education program, through his feelings of uncertainty near the end of his first year of teaching, to his growing confidence in his second year of teaching.Cet article s’intéresse au parcours de Don, un enseignant en début de carrière et participant d’une étude longitudinale examinant le transfert des apprentissages en termes de pratiques en alphabétisation, de la formation des futurs enseignants à l’enseignement d’un contenu pédagogique en classe de secondaire. Nous avons suivi le parcours de Don dès son programme de baccalauréat en éducation et pendant ses deux premières années d’enseignement au sein d’une communauté autochtone du Nord canadien. Nous nous intéressons particulièrement à ses connaissances pédagogiques liées au contenu et aux pratiques pédagogiques culturellement pertinentes qu’il a développées. Cette étude de cas explore l’aventure de Don, de ses buts et objectifs à la fin de son programme de formation en enseignement, en passant par l’insécurité ressentie vers la fin de sa première année de pratique jusqu’à une confiance grandissante au cours de sa deuxième année d’enseignement

Strategies for Teacher Education Programs to Support Indigenous Teacher Employment and Retention in Schools

“…The literature offers various explanations for the high turnover rates of non-Indigenous teachers in Indigenous communities. For instance, they are less likely to be able to adapt a curriculum suited to Indigenous cultural context (Hall, 2012;Hickling-Hudson & Ahlquist, 2003;Murray-Orr & Mitton-Kukner, 2017) and they may perceive remote Indigenous communities as "abject place[s] of deficit and disadvantage" instead of "a cosy place of belonging and comfort" (Somerville & Rennie, 2012, p. 193).…”

Incorporating Indigenous Content Into K-12 Curriculum: Supports for Teachers in Provincial and Territorial Policy and Post-Secondary Education Spaces

“…(p. 255) Without a meaningful connection to Indigenous content, non-Indigenous pre-service teachers may feel restricted in meaningfully and respectfully teaching Indigenous issues, or having Elders teach tra-CJEAP, 198 ditional knowledges in the classroom. Further, by incorporating Indigenous content into school curricula, teachers have the potential to indigenize education, meaning to dismantle traditional colonial and culturally assimilating practices, to infuse properly Indigenous ways of knowing; a key step towards decolonization (Antoine et al, 2018;Korteweg & Fiddler, 2018;Murray-Orr & Mitton-Kukner, 2017). The findings of this study demonstrate cultural safety teacher training is a means towards MOE and PSE institutional goals of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, but it is a start of a learning journey that will assist with reconciliation and not an end to itself.…”

“…The findings of this study demonstrate cultural safety teacher training is a means towards MOE and PSE institutional goals of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, but it is a start of a learning journey that will assist with reconciliation and not an end to itself. Training teachers to safely teach and integrate Indigenous content is not only a matter of adjusting the scope of education to reduce settler biases and harmful stereotypes, but also helps teachers to establish new connections and relations with Indigenous peoples that are respectful and empathic to the impacts of colonization (Dion, 2008;Harrison et al, 2012;Keliipio et al, 2018;Murray-Orr & Mitton-Kukner, 2017;Vetter et al, 2014).…”

“…Building relationships is especially important for pre-service teachers due to the level of distrust manifested between Indigenous peoples and Canadian governments as a result of past and current colonial policies (i.e., the Indian Act, IRS, child welfare system, correctional services). Education has been the site of oppression against Indigenous peoples, knowledges, and ways of being, thus, it is increasingly urgent for pre-and in-service teachers to build true and authentic relationships to reduce the distrust inflicted upon Indigenous peoples (Murray-Orr & Mitton-Kukner, 2017;Oskineegish, 2015). Since colonialization, federal and provincial governments have attempted to erase Indigenous stories, languages, cultures and knowledges through means of 'education'.…”

“…To overcome the challenge of distrust, literature suggested that when teaching in-community or specifically to Indigenous students, settler teachers must prioritize forming new, respectful, and trusting relationships with their students and communities. Researchers recommend teachers first gain familiarity with their home-community, the protocols, cultures, and languages, so as to build relationships and set the foundation to learn and teach in and with the community members and students (Murray-Orr & Mitton-Kukner, 2017;Vetter et al, 2014). Oskineegish (2015) further advised to shape lesson plans around the community's local environment, as well as to be mindful that plans will change and are dependent on the needs specific to the students, which may be in direct contradiction to standardized curriculum set forth by provincial or territorial governments.…”