Social Issues day I

I know it has been a while since we had our first social issues day in December, but it was so moving that the memories of that day still linger with me today. the day started off with a plenary session with an aboriginal group from the Niagara Falls area. We were told about the specific needs of aboriginal students and how as teachers we can help them succeed. The wonderful display of tradition with the drum was a great experience, it had the entire group's attention. It was also great that they got the group involved with a circle dance, which was something I was familiar with since most cultures have some kind of circle dance, which of course symbolizes a never ending bond. The thing that touched me was what they left us with 'please do not forget our children'. This was a very strong statement that I feel is something every parent wants from their child's teacher. It is something I hope I will never do. The rest of the day was spend in small workshops. The two that i attended where
1- children and grieving and 2-the workshop about mental health, both were very informative and touched on issues that as teachers we could encounter in the classroom.