“A capable person is one who has integrity in relationships that honor the self, others, the land and the spiritual world. Through these relationships, a capable person grows and develops a more expansive understanding of the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual – the four parts of human development.”
Angela James (Becoming a capable child; Early Years Study, 2020)
I chose this quote because it is grounded in the teachings of my elders and it is the traditional Tlicho way of teaching a child (Doedaézhe). As a future teacher, I strongly believe in the importance of inclusive education that is accessible to all students through a learning centred environment. Every student will come to my classroom with their own unique strengths and specific gifts. Learning doesn’t always look the same for everybody, but as every student grows into their own capable person, it is important as their teacher to honour and value these strengths and to provide a safe strength-based environment to help nurture each and every one of their unique gifts. Right away, this quote made me think of the circle of courage and how it can be connected to the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual parts of human development. In my classroom, I plan to have the circle of courage accessible and posted somewhere around the class. Not only will I connect to the circle of courage frequently, I would also like to encourage my students to connect to the circle of courage through weekly class discussions about the importance of the four quadrants of the circle of courage, as well as how each student feels like they connected to it within their own lives. This will help honour the relationship and gifts of self, others, the land and the spirits in every student’s unique way.
Ultimately, I want my classroom to provide a nurturing, inclusive and safe environment for each individual student to develop their own capable person.
James, A. (March 2, 2020) Becoming a capable child. Early Years Study https://earlyyearsstudy.ca/report_chapters/a-child-is-a-capable-person/
Robertson, D. A. (2017). When we were alone. Highwater Press.