Teacher mentors make a significant contribution to the development of Teacher candidates in UFV’s post-degree Bachelor of Education department. These K-12 educators share their classrooms and expertise, modelling the standards of the profession for teacher candidates.
This year the Teacher Education department decided that it was important to champion the important work that teacher mentors do in the name of social justice. As such, we developed the Social Justice Mentorship and Advocacy Award, to be given to a teacher mentor from a partnering school district who stands out in their commitment to social justice, anti-racism, and decolonizing, thus modelling the tenets of our department. The recognition includes a framed certificate and a letter of acknowledgement from the department head on behalf of Teacher Education department. Faculty and teacher candidates were given the opportunity to nominate a teacher mentor from the field based on the following three criteria:
1) The recipient models teaching and learning that addresses topics such as poverty, LGBTQ+, gender equity and identity, antiracism, peace, global, or environmental issues;
2) The recipient actively mentors and provides opportunities for teacher candidates to develop and put into practice during the practicum their own pedagogy for social justice and equity;
3) The recipient promotes social justice and equity through community outreach and initiatives that involve students, the school, and the community at large.
Hayley Ross (BEd 2021) nominated Ms. Keira Wass, her teacher mentor from Noel Booth Elementary School (Langley School District), as she had become a key contributor in Hayley’s journey to becoming an anti-racist educator. In her elementary school classroom, Ms. Wass created social justice as its own stand-alone subject, addressing topics such as identity, stereotypes, discrimination, and prejudice, all while striving to authentically include Indigenous perspectives into her lessons in a meaningful way. Ms. Wass carefully guided Hayley through her nervousness as she attempted to teach her own lesson on privilege, a difficult concept for a class with predominantly white students. Hayley saw firsthand what an incredible teacher Ms. Wass was for her students. Ms. Wass teaches these important, but challenging, topics in engaging ways that centre the curriculum on the lives of her students and does not shy away from uncomfortable conversations.
As Hayley states in her nomination:
“When the heartbreaking news of the 215 children found at the Kamloops residential school was released, Kiera and my other teacher mentor Brittany took the time and
respect that this news deserved, by discussing it with their students and reading stories about residential schools. Their classes created a memorial within the school and my teacher mentor continued to focus on Indigenous perspectives and worldviews for the remainder of the year.”
Hayley mentioned that this teacher mentor’s passion for social justice, knowledge of her students’ interests, and mentorship of her throughout the teaching of these topics, was invaluable.
In her letter of commendation to Ms. Wass, Dr. Vandy Britton, Teacher Education department head, thanked Ms. Wass for being such an exemplary mentor for Hayley and such a positive role model for her students.
As Gandhi said:
“We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change.”
May we all strive to be more like Ms. Keira Wass.
For more information, contact Barbara Salingre’ at barbara.salingre@ufv.ca
05/06/2022