Ensouling Our Schools - Vocabulary Flashcards
Introduction
The traditional focus of education has long revolved around adult-defined goals: preparing workers, shaping democratic citizens, and passing down cultural values. These aims are largely one-sided, offering little space for student voice, self-actualization, or genuine freedom within the learning process.
While teachers are often driven by a desire to make a difference in students' lives, and students seek meaning, identity, purpose, and connection, the reality of schooling often falls short. Rarely do teachers prioritize rote memorization, and students seldom see the periodic table as essential for a meaningful life.
When asked about vital educational outcomes, teachers emphasize respect, empathy, self-confidence, leadership, critical thinking, and risk-taking, rather than passive obedience or conformity.
This raises a crucial question: Do current educational practices truly prepare youth to improve the world, or support their self-actualization and empowerment?
Troubling data from Statistics Canada reveals a rise in youth anxiety and sadness. Approximately 20\% of children and adolescents require mental-health services, yet 75\% of them receive no care. By high school, nearly 40\% of students report being sad enough to disrupt their regular activities for extended periods.
Ensouling Our Schools
The core mission is to cultivate classrooms that champion universal well-being and inclusion, not just academic achievement.
Envisioned outcomes for every classroom:
Students feel confident in who they are and what they offer.
Students connect meaningfully, treating each other with genuine respect.
Students are challenged to learn, develop critical thinking, gain perspective, and grow.
Students master the art of learning and collaborating with diverse individuals.
Salamanca Statement (1994) and Inclusive Education
This global commitment advocates for education for all, irrespective of physical, intellectual, social, emotional, linguistic, or other conditions.
It underscores the urgent need to provide education for all learners—including those with disabilities, gifted children, street children, nomadic populations, and linguistic minorities—within regular education systems.
The action plan mandates that children with special educational needs must attend regular schools, supported by a child-centered pedagogy tailored to their specific requirements.
The Salamanca delegates asserted that inclusive, regular schools are the most effective means to combat discrimination, foster welcoming communities, achieve education for all, and improve system efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Key Components of Inclusion
Global definitions highlight:
Placement of all students in general education classrooms.
Access to the general curriculum and learning opportunities.
Meaningful participation, peer interactions, and social-emotional support.
Why Inclusion Matters
Self-awareness and understanding one’s environment foster positive engagement with difference.
Insecurity can fuel fear of difference; building self-worth and openly discussing the value of all individuals are vital for a just society.
Critique of the Traditional Accountability Agenda
An excessive focus on standards, tests, and measurable curricula can strip education of its essence.
Classrooms should be vibrant learning communities built on deep relationships; the mind, heart, spirit, and soul of a child cannot be captured by standardized tests.
True cognitive development involves dynamic debate, perspective-taking, bias analysis, and prosocial outcomes—growth that standard tests fail to measure.
Professional, well-trained teachers, who build daily relationships with students, are fundamental to genuine development.
Teacher Burnout and Its Consequences
Teacher burnout is alarmingly high, with 47\% in Canada leaving before retirement—a rate unmatched by other professions. This leads to increased youth anxiety, poorer learning outcomes, and high turnover.
To improve student outcomes, we must restore heart, a love of learning, belonging, community, and connection by addressing burnout.
Are Schools an Archaic Institution?
Schools initially emerged to meet industrial demands for specific worker skills, creating a training model reflected in early schooling.
Contemporary perspectives vary: students often link schooling to securing good jobs, while parents and teachers emphasize preparing children for career success.
A subtle but significant shift is occurring: a growing focus on the child’s needs, rather than solely industry demands. Importantly, many employer-valued skills, such as teamwork, problem-solving, and persistence, align with social-emotional competencies.
Traditional Schooling vs. Learning (See Figure 1.1)
SCHOOL: Typically starts with answers, consumes information, follows prescribed curricula, adheres to strict schedules, uses standardized tests, relies on standard curricula, and is often impersonal and test-driven.
LEARNING: Begins with questions, explores passions, is learner-centered, flexible in structure and scheduling, non-linear, highly social and personal, and emphasizes inquiry, curiosity, and deep thinking.
Beyond Economics: Teachers’ Perspectives on Schooling
Beyond economic goals, teachers value social change and civic/ethical development, aiming to eliminate discrimination, enable mobility, and cultivate socially responsible citizenship.
These non-economic goals are often deemed more crucial than purely economic outcomes, though not exclusive of them. Students similarly prioritize learning, social skills, personal development, and life skills over job-centric purposes.
Research Findings on Purpose Beliefs (Widdowson et al. 2015)
Four categories of beliefs about schooling purpose:
Learning and developing self-knowledge.
Developing life and social skills.
Optimizing life chances and quality of life.
Enabling future employment and economic well-being.
A strong consensus exists among stakeholders regarding the importance of learning for its own sake; schooling is not solely seen as a means to produce a workforce.
The Spiritual Function in Schooling
Parents and teachers wish for student happiness and fulfillment; students often describe schooling as fun and a journey of self-discovery.
In traditional classrooms, learning is frequently seen as compulsory, teacher-dependent, and career-oriented, with rote memorization often described as boring.
Integrating spiritual, social, and emotional learning (SEL) transforms student perception toward meaningful growth and future opportunities.
Emergence of SEL and Reframing Learning
With SEL, students frequently view learning as a pathway to better future opportunities, extending beyond academic subjects into daily life and personal well-being.
Student quotes illustrate how learning connects to health, personal growth, and social responsibility.
Health Promoting Schools
The World Health Organization (WHO) champions Health Promoting Schools (HPS) to establish schools as healthy environments for living, learning, and working.
Core Focus Areas of HPS:
Fostering self-care and care for others.
Empowering healthy decisions and life control.
Creating health-conducive policies, services, and environments.
Building capacities for peace, shelter, education, food security, income, a stable ecosystem, equity, social justice, and sustainable development.
Preventing leading causes of death, disease, and disability (e.g., helminths, tobacco use, HIV/AIDS/STDs, sedentary lifestyles, substance abuse, violence, injuries, unhealthy nutrition).
Influencing health-related behaviors through knowledge, beliefs, skills, attitudes, values, and support.
Policy and Implementation Realities
Despite widespread adoption of HPS policies, consistent, holistic implementation remains a challenge globally.
Governments often send mixed messages by promoting health-promoting goals while simultaneously increasing standardized testing and practices that heighten stress or emphasize rote skills.
A true whole-school approach extends beyond health education to encompass the physical, social, spiritual, mental, and emotional well-being of both students and staff.
The Seven Foundations of a Better World (Jones, Haenfler, Johnson, 2001)
Economic fairness
Comprehensive peace
Ecological sustainability
Deep democracy
Social justice
Culture of simplicity
Revitalized community
The Gap Between Policy and Practice
Despite policy alignment with these foundations, practical implementation often falls short, with time and resources diverging from holistic, values-based education. Curricula, assessment, teaching methods, and school rules may not align with these ideals.
Hope and Possibility: Doing School Differently
An inspiring alternative is the Three-Block Model of Universal Design for Learning (TBM of UDL), rooted in inclusive education, SEL, and health-promoting practices.
The Three-Block Model of Universal Design for Learning (TBM of UDL)
This holistic educational paradigm seamlessly integrates (i) universal design for learning (UDL), (ii) inclusive education, (iii) social and emotional learning (SEL), and (iv) health-promoting schools.
Foundations and Influences
UDL, pioneered by Rose and Meyer (2002), emphasizes accessible learning with multiple means of engagement, representation, and action/expression.
SEL frameworks from CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) also heavily influence the model.
The TBM merges inclusive pedagogy with evidence-based practices to nurture diverse learners within a genuine learning community.
Purpose and Synergy
The TBM ensures every child has access to schooling and peers, while cultivating deep thinking, critical inquiry, leadership, risk-taking, and collaboration.
It also prioritizes inner development: fostering self-worth, connection to others, the planet, and a sense of something greater than oneself.
Connection to Reconciliation and Indigenous Education
The TBM aligns with the holistic, whole-child worldview and supports reconciliation efforts in Indigenous education, as advanced by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC).
The TRC (2007) issued 94 Calls to Action for education, with its 2015 report stressing healing and respectful, forward-looking relationships.
TBM as a Synthesis
The TBM integrates inquiry, differentiation, backwards design, and SEL to create truly inclusive classrooms.
It resonates with Indigenous practices that value autonomy, self-regulation, and academic self-efficacy, moving away from deficit models of students.
The Four Anchoring Threads of the TBM (Figure 1.2)
Thread 1 (White): Spirit and Soul in Education (spiritual dignity, values, connection, reflection).
Thread 2 (Black): Neurology, Trauma, Well-Being, and Mental Health in Our Schools.
Thread 3 (Red): The TRC and Indigenous Worldviews of Education for Well-Being.
Thread 4 (Yellow): Leadership for Inclusion and UDL.
Interaction of Threads
These threads are interconnected, not isolated, interacting dynamically with the three blocks (UDL scaffolding, inclusive practice, SEL/health) and with each other, much like a medicine wheel.
The TBM’s Visual Metaphor: Weaving
The TBM is akin to a loom, weaving together practices like inquiry, differentiation, backwards design, and SEL to create a more profound impact than any single component could achieve.
Balancing Meaning and Purpose (Figure 1.3)
Juxtaposing “The Meaning of Life Is to Find Your Gift” and “The Purpose of Life Is to Give It Away,” the TBM inspires schooling that helps students both discover their unique talents and contribute positively to others and the world.
Evidence Supporting TBM Implementation
Research (Katz 2012, 2013; Katz & Porath 2011; Katz, Porath, Bendu, and Epp 2012; Glass 2013) demonstrates that TBM practices enhance engagement, self-concept, belonging, prosocial behavior, and respect for diversity, even among students with learning and behavioral challenges.
Indigenous students often show the most significant gains, with the achievement gap potentially closing under TBM paradigms (Katz, Sokal, and Wu, in press).
Teachers report reduced stress, higher job satisfaction, fewer behavior problems, and increased inclusion self-efficacy through TBM-supported planning and teaching.
TBM Structure: Part I and Part II
Part I introduces the four threads and their rationale for integration into every classroom.
Part II presents practical, universally designed programming adaptable for all students, aligning with curriculum and school structures.
The Means and Threads of Weaving the TBM
Figure 1.4: Weaving the Threads: The four threads intertwine to address critical twenty-first-century issues, connecting evidence, champions, policy, and classroom practices.
Part II: Practical Programming
This section offers actionable strategies that address the threads, integrate with curriculum, and align with school structures.
Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Benefits of TBM
Inclusive education under the TBM fosters positive relationships across Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups, individuals with and without disabilities, and all students.
The goal is for every child to recognize their innate value, feel a sense of belonging, and appreciate living in a diverse world full of beauty and potential.
The Medicine Wheel and Thread Alignment (Figure 1.5)
Spiritual (dignity, values, connection, reflection) aligns with Thread 1 – Spirit and Soul.
Emotional (relationships, empowerment, cooperation, struggle) aligns with Thread 2 – Neurology, Trauma, Well-Being, and Mental Health.
Physical (action, skills, sustainability, health) aligns with Thread 4 – Leadership for Inclusion and UDL.
Mental (understanding, awareness, perspective, leadership) aligns with Thread 3 – The TRC and Indigenous Worldviews.
Vision for Inclusive Education
The TBM champions diversity as a source of strength, cultivating a shared sense of responsibility for the well-being and achievement of all learners.
Indigenous Perspectives, Reconciliation, and Inclusive Practice
Inclusive education serves as a pathway to mutual growth for Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, and for all learners, including those with disabilities.
The premise of reconciliation highlights that diversity and respectful interaction enrich lives, while conflict harms all. Inclusive practice helps mend relationships.
The TRC’s Calls to Action and its ongoing commitment to education as a tool for healing and equity vigorously support the TBM’s objectives.
Systems and Structures for Inclusive Practice
The TBM thrives within systemic conditions that champion inclusive, universal design in learning:
Inclusive policies with no exceptions.
Visionary instructional leadership.
Distributed leadership empowering all relevant stakeholders.
In-depth professional development for staff.
Staffing that enables collaborative practice, including dedicated team planning time.
Scheduling in cohorts/teams to foster collaboration.
Strategic resource and Educational Assistant (EA) allocations to classrooms.
Emphasis on co-planning, co-teaching, and co-assessing.
Budgeting that redirects funds from segregated practices toward integrated funding models.
Universal access to assistive technology.
Multi-leveled resources to cater to diverse needs.
A school and district culture rooted in care and inclusivity.
Curricula designed with diversity in mind.
Flexible learning environments that adapt to learners.
Instructional Practice Under TBM (Figure 1.2 and related content)
Integrated Curriculum with strong cross-curricular connections.
Student choice and autonomy in learning.
Flexible groupings and cooperative learning strategies.
Differentiated instruction and assessment tailored to individual needs.
Self-regulated learning fostering independence.
Assessment for learning and comprehensive class profiles.
Discipline-based inquiry encouraging deep exploration.
Metacognition, promoting self-awareness of learning processes.
The Role of Technology and Instructional Design
Utilizing Understanding by Design (UbD).
Implementing problem-based learning and inquiry-based approaches.
Leveraging technology to empower inquiry and collaboration.
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and Well-Being as Guiding Principles
Cultivating compassionate classroom communities.
Building awareness of strengths and challenges, fostering a strong sense of belonging.
Developing self-regulation, goal setting, and planning skills.
Practicing emotional regulation and mindfulness.
Valuing diversity: recognizing individual strengths and challenges, appreciating varied contributions, and fostering collective responsibility and empathy.
Democratic Classroom Management
Emphasizes collective problem solving, balancing rights and responsibilities, promoting independent learning, offering student choice, and creating leadership opportunities for students.
Teacher Well-Being
Prioritizes positive mental health for both teachers and students; developing resiliency and distress tolerance are seen as essential skills for school communities.
Indigenous Perspectives and Health, Healing, and Reconciliation
The TBM seamlessly integrates Indigenous worldviews on health and education with the overarching goals of reconciliation.
Service Education and Meaning/Purpose in Programming
Programs like Respecting Diversity (RD), Spirit Buddies, Class Meetings, DBT, Mindfulness, and TRC programming serve as practical, TRC-aligned examples within the TBM framework.
In essence, the TBM of UDL offers a practical architecture for creating inclusive, meaningful learning experiences that honor diversity, champion well-being, and align with reconciliation and social justice goals.
Conclusion: Toward a Meaningful, Inclusive, and Just Education
Inclusive education, SEL, and health-promoting practices, all embedded within the TBM, illuminate a path toward a school culture where every child is valued, learns with purpose, and actively contributes to a more just and sustainable world.
The ultimate goal is a learning community where students discover their unique gifts and are empowered to share them with their communities and the world.
Part II promises concrete, universally designed programming that effectively links these threads to curricula and school structures, enabling all students to engage deeply and positively with learning and each other.