Social Justice 2/3

Jan 85 min read

Ending the erasure: Black studies course brings stories of Black joy, excellence, and resistance to the forefront

For years, Mel Scheuer was acutely aware of the absence of Black voices in classroom lessons and resources about BC and Canada’s history...

Jan 84 min read

Book reviews and recommendations for Black History Month and beyond

Promise Boys is a recently published book that is a murder mystery novel for students who like a fast-paced read with multiple...

Jan 83 min read

The importance of Own Voices literature in the language-learner classroom

When I first started teaching Spanish in BC, I used the materials that were available in the different schools where I taught. Many of...

Nov 20, 20233 min read

Surrey teacher is finalist in Global Teacher Prize

For many, the prospect of winning $1-million US might be an invitation to take a break and reflect on one’s accomplishments...

Nov 7, 20238 min read

The making of Melanin Magic: A case for BIPOC groups in schools

In the fall of 2017, Carmel Bennett, youth and family counsellor at Cedar Hill Middle School in Victoria, BC, noticed that many of her...

Nov 2, 20236 min read

Supporting trans students: Q&A with a parent, ally, and trans-rights advocate

I am always keen to share my lived experience as the father of a 10-year-old daughter who is transgender...

Sep 25, 20235 min read

Empowering educators and students to combat online prejudice and hate

Our lives are now entwined with digital media and social platforms—they mediate every aspect of our daily routines.

Sep 25, 20235 min read

The BCTF’s International Solidarity Think Tank: Teachers Responding to Climate Emergencies

From heat warnings, to floods, fires, and landslides, BC has experienced several climate emergencies in the last few years.

Sep 22, 20232 min read

Ideas for commemorating the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

I seek out opportunities to learn as I strive to become educated enough to be an ally.

Aug 18, 20233 min read

BIPOC 2050 Project takeover edition: Centring BIPOC voices and experiences

The May/June 2023 edition of Teacher magazine is a first for the Federation: it is the first written entirely by...

Aug 17, 20232 min read

Why representation matters

I grew up in a suburb of Toronto in the 1980s and 1990s as the daughter of Caribbean immigrants, and the only Black student in my class...

Aug 17, 20234 min read

Where I am from: Poetry and reflections from the BIPOC 2050 Project

Over the past several months, members involved in the BIPOC 2050 Project have hosted gatherings...

Aug 17, 20234 min read

Truth telling

Dr. Nicola Campbell eloquently shared, “It is a sacred responsibility to witness, recount, reflect and knowledge embodied within...

Aug 17, 20233 min read

The burden of representation

Standing out as the only person of colour in a room is not a new experience for me...

Aug 17, 20233 min read

Summer reading list

BIPOC authors recommended by BIPOC readers

Aug 17, 20233 min read

Sher Vancouver Podcast: Celebrating queer and trans BIPOC stories

As educators, it is our hope that all students and staff feel comfortable and safe at school...

Aug 17, 20236 min read

Reflections on teacher identity: Race, gender, and the struggle for “legitimacy”

Over spring break, Natasha and I met to catch up—and discuss facets of our teacher identity...

Aug 17, 20234 min read

Putting your name forward: Q&A with Rick Kumar and Marilyn Ricketts-Lindsay

Q&A with Rick Kumar and Marilyn Ricketts-Lindsay, recently elected to the BCTF Executive Committee

Aug 17, 20233 min read

I’m me, be you

A free-verse monologue on identity, representation, and self

Aug 17, 20235 min read

From language to action

An introduction to the Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression Office