A newly released infographic produced by the national EdCan Network of educators entitled Truth and Reconciliation in Your Classroom: How to get started and who can help aims to empower teachers, principals and administrators across Canada with four key steps to begin implementing truth and reconciliation initiatives immediately into K-12 classrooms.
Developed in collaboration with Dr. Kate Freeman and Dr. Lindsay Morcom from Queen's University's Faculty of Education, and Shawn McDonald of the Algonquin & Lakeshore Catholic District School Board, this quick-scan infographic outlines how educators can avoid cultural appropriation, prioritize authentic Indigenous expertise, develop relationships with local Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers, and build their own knowledge on the traditional territories that they live on. This infographic was inspired by a feature article that recently appeared in Education Canada Magazine.
The EdCan Network has also released a new Facts on Education fact sheet authored by renowned expert Dr. Pamela Rose Toulouse of Laurentian University, entitled How can we embed truth and reconciliation in every school?, which offers evidence-based strategies for how educators and students can bring this learning into our school communities.
"The challenge for teachers is that many don't know how, or where, to begin, so we're providing concise and authoritative sources of information to encourage this process of relationship-building, respect, responsibility, and reciprocity," says Max Cooke, EdCan Network Interim CEO.
In addition to the downloadable copy of the infographic, which can be posted in staff rooms and classrooms, available at www.edcan.ca/trc-infographic, also included are several practical resources available to support teachers in building their knowledge and confidence on this subject matter.
