Day 6: Conference Day

Today was a day where we talked a lot about inclusive societies, anti-bullying approaches, and accepting newcomers (refugees or otherwise) to our school system.

Our first presenter today talked to us about inclusion around the world. It was very eye opening for me that there are many countries in this world who believe that certain disabilities do not exist in their country (i.e. China does not have people with Down Syndrome, The Democratic Republic of Congo does not have Autism).  It was also surprising that the UN also does not have a definition for the word "disability".

We watched a very evocative video where they were showing how children with disabilities are poorly treated and essentially left to die. I guess living in Canada we don't see this as much because we have a broader definition of disability and systems in place to care for them, but there are so many people around the world who do not have the quality of life they deserve.

I also found it interesting to look at the landscape and the geography of an area through the eyes of a disabled person. I had never really thought about it before. But I will certainly do so now. I feel that I have new lenses for my glasses and will see the school in a very different manner.

I guess what I've taken away from this lecture is that though we have a long way to go here in Canada, we are miles ahead and we should be happy with the amount of work we've done.

Our second presenter today talked today about anti-bullying.  It was amazing to see how many educators have been bullied or participated in bullying.

The first resource we received is the link to PREVnet. This is a great resource for students and teachers to empower everyone who want or need to report bullying but don't feel safe or comfortable to do so. Its a good website to give people tools to feel able to do something.

It is not enough to punish bullying. We need to develop strategies and skills for these students to be able to cope with what is going on in their life. It is often said that people hurt because they hurt and this rings very true. The provincial code of conduct is more than punishing, it is about teaching. I feel that is is really important to incorporate these proactive and progressive to change behaviour. Changing the behaviour is more important than punishing. Punishing is not going to fix anything. We need to sake a step back and change the conversation on how we are going to best support these red zone students.

Another great website that was shared with us is CPSC Atlantic. It is a great site for resources on how to best select an anti-bullying program. Dr. John LeBlanc and his team look closely at anti-bullying programs and evaluates them for what is best for the students and the school community.

We have to create intentional learning opportunities for students to develop their social and emotional learning. Kids are not born with the ability for empathy, they need to be taught. When Ms. Syms told us this, it was like a lightbulb lighting up in my head. It explains so much in what I see in students in everyday life. I had never really thought of it this way. It is amazing how as a teacher we forget these things.

Our last presenter of the day talked to us about newcomer experiences (especially Syrian families) in Nova Scotia. I really enjoyed the fact that she debunked many myths that people have about refugees and newcomers. Personally, I live and work in a community where there were many newcomers, especially Syrian refugees, and I felt that a lot of the information that was presented this afternoon was not new to me.

I definitely appreciated the presentation. I feel that it is very important for teachers, who are front line people for these new students, to understand what these people are going through and how they may react or act when faced with new situations.

All three presenters brought a great and unique perspective to things I had seen, but never really considered. It was quite interesting to listen to each and every person speak.