MODULE 2 EPORTFOLIO

ellaflitcroft

Building Community & Kinship

How I build community in my classroom:

  • I try to make my classroom feel like a safe and welcoming place where everyone feels like they belong.
  • I get to know my students and learn about their interests, families, and personalities.
  • I use morning meetings, sharing circles, partner work, and group activities to help students get to know each other.
  • I encourage students to listen to each other and respect different ideas and experiences.
  • I try to model kindness, patience, and respect in the way I interact with my students.
  • I think building relationships is one of the most important parts of teaching because students learn better when they feel comfortable and supported.

How I build relationships:

  • Taking time to talk and listen to students.
  • Remembering little things about them and showing that I care.
  • Finding out what they enjoy and using their interests in lessons.
  • Celebrating their successes and encouraging them when something is difficult.
  • Giving them lots of chances to work and learn together.

How I want to use the kinship model:

  • I want my classroom to feel more like a community or family, where students look out for and support each other.
  • I want students to understand that they are not just responsible for themselves—they are also part of a group and their actions affect others.
  • I want to give students more chances to learn from each other instead of always relying on me as the teacher.
  • I can use sharing circles, group activities, and partner work to help students build stronger relationships.
  • I want to make sure every student feels that their experiences, family, culture, and ideas are important.
  • Overall, I want to build a classroom based on trust, respect, kindness, and caring for one another.

Big takeaway: I want my classroom to feel like a community where everyone belongs and everyone looks out for each other.

My Connection to the Land

My Connection to Land

When I think about my connection to land, the first place that comes to mind is the lake (Jim Smith). I spend part of my time living at a lake, and it has become a place where I feel comfortable, peaceful, and connected to nature. One of my favourite things to do is go fishing. Being out on the water, especially when it is quiet, gives me time to slow down and appreciate where I am.

I think my connection to the land comes from spending so much time outdoors. I have always enjoyed being outside, whether that is fishing with my family, walking my dogs, or simply sitting outside and enjoying my surroundings. The lake is more than just a place I go to; it is a place where I make memories and feel connected to the environment around me.

Through my education, I have also started thinking about my relationship with land in a different way. Learning about Indigenous perspectives has helped me understand that land is not simply something that we use or live on. It can be connected to relationships, stories, knowledge, and responsibility. This has made me think more about how I treat the places that are important to me and the importance of respecting and caring for the land.

The land reminds me that I am a part of the environment rather than separate from it. When I am fishing or spending time outside, I notice things that I might normally overlook, such as the changing weather, wildlife, plants, and the way the water changes throughout the day. These experiences have helped me appreciate the land and the role it plays in my life.

For my visual, I would choose a picture of the lake that is important to me. I think this would represent my connection to land because it shows a place where I feel most connected to nature and where I have created many memories.