Interview summary by Meredith McEvoy, Teaching and Learning Faculty Developer, Centre for Teaching and Learning Innovation
NIC’s Centre for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation staff conduct interviews with instructors to explore the perspectives and insights they have about quality teaching and learning. NIC embraces the diversity of approaches each instructor takes as they cultivate a supportive environment tailored to their program and student needs. These interviews share how North Island College is making quality student learning a priority.
Jan comes from diverse cultural roots on her mother and father’s side and is a member of the Sutherland, Haiyupis, and Morris family through her husband, Moy Sutherland Sr., Ahousaht First Nation. Jan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology, a Bachelor of Education degree in special education, and a Master of Education degree in adult learning and global change. Her passion over the past 30 years has been working alongside Indigenous community members and organizations in the areas of education, employment, essential skills, tutoring, and training. In 2018, Jan became a sessional instructor in NIC’s Educational Assistant/Community Support, Indigenous Focus certificate program, and a contract instructor with Douglas College’s Essential Skills Practitioner Training certificate program. Jan became a regular faculty member at NIC in Human Services in 2023. She continues to offer educational services to individuals, small groups, large groups, and organizations in her private practice.
Question 1: What does quality student learning mean to you?
Quality student learning is establishing respect and taking time to get to know each other in a gentle, authentic way. These principles establish the foundations to create a safe learning environment through meaningful conversations, reflective practices, and mediated learning experiences. I am on a learning journey, right beside learners. Quality learning means being available and responsive to learners. We are building attitudes and abilities that have real impact in the communities, families, and individuals we support. One important way this translates into my practice is by responding to emails in a timely fashion. A person may feel stuck until they have a clearer understanding or direction. I remember feeling this way as a master’s student, so I know how important it is to keep lines of communication open. Students often hear me say, “Communication is key in all aspects of life.” There is time and space needed to build trust around communicating: to trust that I care about each one of them and their individual educational journeys. Communicating provides quality learning experiences for all.
How we view ourselves within our developing practice is very important. From an Indigenous perspective, we discuss how all of us are in the relationship of “hosting”. For example, I’m not an instructor, a manager, a receptionist or a janitor. I am in a position of hosting. When a person shifts energy in life and sees themself in terms of hosting, we come to know how to look after each other in generosity and kindness. As a facilitator, if I walk in class and the garbage hasn’t been dumped, that is my job. If it’s too warm or cold or the lights are too bright, that is my concern to address. As we come to understand this value of relationships and we engage in the reciprocal act of hosting each other, it changes where we come from and how we form respectful relationships together. Being a host provides quality learning experiences for all.
In class, we spend time talking about assessments; what they are and what they are not. For their own educational journey and for anyone they will work alongside, students are encouraged to think about the act of assessing and the context of assessments. They only show a tiny little window of who a person is and what they know. We are all intelligent, beautiful people. As an instructor, I will never really get to know them very well. Our time together is short. Students are encouraged to know that they hold answers inside their spirits, hearts, and brains and continuously explore this truism. Through synergetic collaboration, we create something bigger and truly sacred, when we sit together. Recognizing that each student has a depth of understanding and experiences we will never fully explore together provides a platform of respect and quality learning experiences for all.
Over the years, I have come to know that this path of respects lays the foundation for a healthy, lasting community of practice and care.
Question 2: Can you share a time when you made a significant change in your teaching practice and why?
A significant change in my teaching practice started many years ago and continues into today. I worked at an adult education centre for 11 years, from 1996 to 2007. During this time, I reflected on my practice on a daily basis. I could see that I was not addressing all of the needs of people enrolled in our program. The two main gaps in my practice were around building more experiences and conversations in the areas of identity and belonging. I knew that students would have a deeper educational experience once these aspects were infused into programming; resulting in people with more resilient, happier lives. It sat with me for some time how to bring these needs into our offerings in adult education. I listened to and learned from many people along the way.
In 2007, I moved into an educator and training position, where I coordinated and taught in a brain training, sensory integration program for 8 years. Within this position, I was responsible for essential skills training. Not knowing what essential skills were, I soon learned they included; reading, writing, document use, computer, numeracy, communication, working with others, continuous learning, and thinking skills. My years of searching had ended, and a new part of my journey began. At my core, I knew we needed to look at traditional essential skills first, before any other skills.
It is from understanding of ourselves, within our unique cultural worldviews, we can find alignment, belongingness, and a new understanding of the world. The development of FEAST (Facilitating Essential Skills Action Skills Training) transformed my practice and opened many pathways for people to see more of who they are; especially as learners. FEAST starts with experiential and reflective activities utilizing traditional materials. There are no pens or paper. Through FEAST each person opens up to possibilities for themself, their family, and their community.
Within this journey, developing the metaphor of the “canoe box” has significantly changed my teaching practice. “A canoe box is a precious piece of equipment: holding things secure that you will need on your journey. Each one of us has our own canoe box. There may be tools to keep you safe, foods to provide sustenance, and sacred objects to keep your spirit strong. What is in your canoe box for your journey?”
FEAST and the canoe box developed from being on a journey with students, along with family and community. It came from my quest to do better, be better in my practice. When I made the leap from in-community education and training to public education, at NIC and Douglas College, I continued to develop and use both metaphors in my practice. These andragogical tools give pause, a breath, where everyone looks at their inherent gifts and blessings from their ancestors and their environments. Learners enhance understandings of how they continue to hold and enhance these legacies and connections from individual birthrights.
Question 3: How do you adapt your teaching practice to drive quality learning for diverse students?
It comes from students. I listen to feedback and act on their feedback in a formative way throughout each course, each term, and each year. My practice has developed and grown from sitting with learners. In the online learning environment we work in, quality learning for diverse learners comes from inviting each person to collaborate within a growing range of online learning environments and tools.
In class, we discuss the importance of their education in terms of real-world applications in their developing practice. Working in collaborative ways together, throughout our certificate courses, is an important tool to define, refine, and apply to many diverse environments. Just one example of this is an online, collaborative midterm that students work on together. To ground the activity ahead of time, each person receives a document outlining an integrated health and wellness service for BC youth, called the Foundry. Students are prompted to explore the wraparound supports offered by the Foundry by visiting their website. The overview also provides prompts for ways to move forward outlining how students will work together by;
- A focused question to think about their personal strengths they bring to their practice,
- Proposal questions that their group will work on together; to apply for a local Foundry chapter to come to their community,
- A link to the Google slide template created for them, where on their own time they can explore and vision the look and feel of the work ahead,
- Offering alternative provisions, within the midterm experience, for anyone unable to attend the work on that day or someone who feels challenged to work in this small group setting, as well as offering 1:1 instructor support,
- Wraparound reflection is provided after the collaborative class time together; to reflect on the whole of the activity and make comments where people want to reflect on others’ work.
A safe space is built over time, with skills development and experiences for all learners, in how to work together in online environments. We build on incremental successes well before this activity is introduced. There are many layers of learning, connecting, dreaming, and creating that flow through processual development of knowledge, skills, and abilities. At the conclusion of the activity, many people say that they feel a sense of competency; that they feel they could be involved in the process of working on a real proposal in the community. It is fun and engaging. It is based on past student feedback and being aware of where each learner is on their path of learning.
Question 4: Can an instructor be certain that quality student learning is taking place in their classroom?
Together, we look at all experiences in terms of a journey. I ask students, “What was your process for working together? What steps did you take to get there? What techniques and strategies did you use along the way? What were the challenges? What new learning happened? What do you want to know more about? What will you share with others? How did you know you were finished?” Feedback is completed through oral response, typing in the chat on Kaltura, emails, World Café activities, and journaling.
It is in this place of deep reflection we find another layer to the richness of learning. I am a host in the groundwork and the process. They are hosts too. I make concerted effects to think of every aspect of the learning environment, so we develop a safe space for our sacred circle. Class engagement happens through readings, videos and conversations. We draw on the existing and developing tools that we have, like our canoe box. Together, we create authentic learning experiences in each class; where we can assess personal growth and learning and application. There is an intention to create a gentle circle, where learners are continuously being invited in; to participate and share their understandings in large group, small groups, and 1:1 conversations to gauge learning outcomes. We talk about the importance of knowing there are many ways to do one thing. We acknowledge that each one of us presents differently in different environments and with different circles of people.
Question 5: Does building a cohesive classroom environment resonate with you? Why?
Yes, of course! Within building a cohesive classroom is the principle of celebrating the uniqueness and individuality of each person as we build this environment together. I have been an educator for a long time, and I am still learning. “We are all learners, and we are all leaders,” students hear me say throughout the school year. We are all continuous learners developing our practice. Our time together is truly sacred. We have a pause, a breath, a moment to sit together. We are where we are supposed to be.
Building a cohesive classroom ethic happens through defining respect. Respect is how we wait and listen to each other with open ears. Respect is being prepared for class. Respect is how we pause and do not interrupt others. Respect is acknowledging what we come with and what we learn from each other along the way. Cohesiveness is as much in the pause, in the spaces of silence, as it is in what we do together.
Question 6: What strategies do you employ on day one of your class to build a cohesive class environment?
I affirm how important it is for each person who is present. I acknowledge students individually each and every time we have class. They come to learn that I see them as individuals: people with full lives that require balance in every day along with the extra pressures of being students. I acknowledge the importance of family first. Their lived experiences and their understanding of the world through culture is important and valued in our program. These are some of the main principles I employ from day one to build a cohesive class environment.
Question 7: What is your favourite learning technology resource that you’ve used in your teaching and why?
To date, I am still exploring the many tools and resources for online teaching and collaborating. This year, I leaned into Google Suite. We used Jamboard, Sheets, Documents, and Slides. Over the summer, I will explore other techniques to employ in my developing practice.
Question 8: How would your peers describe you as an instructor?
I asked a person who I have known for a long time. I do not think she would be considered a peer in the traditional sense. I am first and foremost her auntie and a second mom to her. I have supported her physical, spiritual, and emotional path throughout her life. Most recently the focus has been to provide tutoring in her master’s program and as a trusted advisor in her creative process of artwork. She has been one of my learners in formal education environments. She has experienced me in the role of educator.
These are her own words….
“Jan as a teacher has taught me to be a reflective critical thinker. She has taught me that learning opens up the universe to many opportunities, choices and decisions. Jan has helped me to understand that as a student, this is only one way. This is only one way to see what is being taught. It isn’t the only way to see the world.
Furthermore, student learning should reflect a student’s life, morals and values. Jan, as a teacher, helped shape and mold me to be an active community member.
I have learned as a residential school survivor that having someone critical of your learning isn’t always a bad thing. Jan took patience and care with my style of learning. I found it incredibly uplifting as a student to have a teacher take care of my trauma, help me move past it. This processing helped me as an adult.
My genuine understanding of Jan’s teaching style has literally held a mirror to me and showed me who I am and what are my greatest strengths. I almost quit my program at one time, but Jan’s belief in changed me when I couldn’t believe in myself.
As a student who has invested in my education, Jan’s teaching, practice, and style helped me take the broad sweeps of knowledge I had and brought it into focus. As an instructor Jan has taken my darkest moments in life and taught me to turn that hurt into my life and help someone else to hurt just a little bit less.
I have taken my pain and shifted it into learning opportunities.”