My metaphor for teaching is pine bowls that I made when I was a high school student. These bowls were made through a long process of gathering pine needles from the grounds around the school – only pine needles that had already fallen were to be picked. These needles were dried over the weekend and my class was taught how to make these bowls by a local elder of the Secwepemc Nation.
The process of making these bowls echoes the process of finding oneself as an educator. It cannot happen overnight, and you must gather your resources and learn from those with experience. I love these pine bowls because I made them myself, and they pushed me to connect to my People, my Land, and my Place.
I look to these bowls to remind myself of my connection to People, Place, and Land – and why this pedagogy is so important to myself and my teaching journey.
