How does Jo Chrona’s blog post resonate with me?

This reading really resonated with me because it changed how I think about why Indigenous Peoples perspectives need to be taught. Before, I mostly saw it as representation, something especially important if Indigenous students were present. But the idea that Indigenous knowledge belongs to this land, and that if it is not taught here it may not exist elsewhere, made me realize this is about responsibility. It is not dependent on who is in the classroom. It is about helping all students understand where they live and the histories connected to that place.

It also made me reflect on my own schooling. Growing up in British Columbia, most of what we did was surface level. We might read a story or do an art activity, but we rarely learned about the specific nations connected to our area or their ongoing presence. It often felt generalized, and looking back, I realize this was a form of pan-Indigenism, where all Indigenous peoples were treated as the same. This is something I really want to avoid as a future teacher because it erases the uniqueness of each nation, their cultures, and their relationship to the land.

I became more aware of this during my practicum. When Indigenous perspectives came up, I made an effort to learn whose land the school was on and to use specific names rather than speaking generally. I specifically tailored my lessons to the Ktunaxa Peoples ways of knowing and living in order to make them as authentic as possible. I noticed that this made the learning feel more real and meaningful, both for me and for the students. It was not just “Indigenous people” in general, but real communities connected to the place we live.

This reading reinforced for me that teaching Indigenous Peoples perspectives must be intentional, specific, and respectful. I want to ensure I am not contributing to pan-Indigenism, but instead helping students develop a deeper, more accurate understanding of the land and the peoples connected to it.

How do Shelley Moore’s words resonate with me?

Watching Shelley Moore’s video really made me rethink how I use the word “supports.” I honestly used to think of supports as the EA or another adult helping the student, but her explanation made it clear that supports are actually the tools and strategies, not the person. That really stuck with me. The EA is there to help the student use those tools and strategies, not to be the support itself.

I saw this during my practicum. There was a student who would immediately turn to the EA for help instead of trying the task or using the visual supports on their desk. It made me realize how easy it is for students to become dependent on a person instead of building independence. The goal should be helping students learn how to use tools and strategies on their own.

I also liked her point that resources help us access supports. Things like EAs are incredibly valuable, but their role is to guide students toward independence, not replace the supports themselves. It reminded me that my role as a teacher is to create those meaningful supports so students can feel capable and confident.

How does this connect to teacher competencies?

I think that this connects to competency 2: develop a growth mindset demonstrated in collaboration with others. Shelley Moore’s video made me reflect on how important it is to work collaboratively with EAs while also understanding our different roles. It helped me realize that inclusion is not about relying on one person to “support” a student, but about working together to provide the right tools and strategies that help students succeed independently.

During my practicum, I worked closely with an EA who supported several students in the classroom. Watching how they guided students without doing the work for them showed me the importance of collaboration and shared responsibility. It also helped me see that I need to be intentional in my planning so the EA can help facilitate the strategies I put in place, rather than becoming the main support themselves.

This experience helped me grow in my understanding of inclusion and reminded me that I don’t have to figure everything out on my own. Collaborating with EAs and other educators allows me to learn from their experience and continue developing my practice. It reinforced the importance of working together to create an environment where all students feel capable and supported.

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