How intentional, Indigenous approaches transformed my teaching—and my students’ learning.

“Teaching Indigenous education is not only about the curriculum we present—it is about how we teach it, the relationships we build, and the ways we hold space for one another in the classroom.”

A New Energy for a New School Year

As the summer days fade and a new school year approaches, I feel a renewed sense of energy in my teaching. Over the past year, I’ve been deepening my work on teaching practices that support new educators in learning how to teach Indigenous education—through the lens of Indigenous pedagogical practices.

This has been more than simply introducing students to the parts of our colonial history that are often overlooked. It’s been about exploring how Indigenous peoples have passed knowledge from one generation to the next: the approaches, the relationships, and the ways of engaging with learners in the classroom.

Learning From My Ancestors

Learning to teach in the way my ancestors taught has been one of the most impactful journeys of my career. I’ve seen a profound shift not only in my own practice, but in the confidence of the educators I teach—confidence that they can meaningfully integrate Indigenous education into their own classrooms.

Although I’ve taught courses like this for nearly a decade, this past year has been exceptional in its growth and transformation, for my students and for me.

Weaving the Threads into Practice

Through reading, listening, and spending time in ceremony, I’ve identified key threads of pedagogy that connect directly to how my own Indigenous communities in how they pass knowledge on to the next generation.

When I weave these threads into my teaching—whether by selecting specific readings, designing lessons, or modelling intentional teaching practices—students can see the pedagogies in action. They experience a different way of learning, one grounded in relationship, reflection, and care. And from what they’ve told me, this approach has given them the confidence and clarity they need to bring Indigenous education into their own classrooms.

Teaching With Intention

A critical part of this transformation has been transparency: being explicit about my intentions at every stage. I explain why each reading was chosen, how each lesson is designed, and how my teaching methods align with Indigenous ways of knowing.

This intentionality has not only shifted the learning space, but it has also reduced the harm that can happen in courses about colonialism, racism, and Indigenous history.

The Weight of the Work

These topics are often difficult, and they can place Indigenous educators in vulnerable positions as we teach. We face pushback when students doubt the truths we share. We hear racist comments—sometimes unintentional, sometimes deliberate—and we have to navigate the impact of those words in real time. We also have to take care of the Indigenous students that maybe in the course hearing and feeling the impacts of racism.

This work can be heavy. As Indigenous educators we are teaching about our lived trauma while simultaneously experiencing it in the classroom. And because our identities are inseparable from our work, we cannot simply “leave it at the door.”

A Different Kind of Classroom

But this past year felt different. This group of students—and the intentional approach I brought—created a classroom space filled with respect, curiosity, and mutual learning.

I looked forward to every discussion, eager to hear how students were weaving these pedagogical threads into their practicum experiences. The stories they shared were so abundant and inspiring, I could barely keep up in writing down all the ways the threads supported their learning.

Looking Ahead

I’ll write soon about the specific threads I used and how they shaped the course. For now, I want to leave you with this: teaching Indigenous education is not only about the curriculum we present—it is about how we teach it, the relationships we build, and the ways we hold space for one another in the classroom. That, for me, has made all the difference.