Becoming the Teacher Our Classrooms Need

If Not Here, Than Where-Article

As someone who is preparing to become a teacher, that line  “If not here, then where?“, resonates like a call to purpose. It isn’t just about where learning happens, but why it matters. It’s a challenge to all future educators to think deeply about the responsibility we carry in classrooms, curriculum, and in the lives of the young students we will teach.

That article by Jo Chrona, confronts a common mindset some teachers have  “I don’t have students of a certain background in my class, so why teach their histories?” Chrona argues that learning about Indigenous knowledges and cultures isn’t optional, it’s essential to our shared understanding of this land and its peoples. If we don’t teach it here, then what does that signal about the value we place on diverse histories and perspectives? For me, this speaks to a core truth about teaching that education must be intentional. It can’t shy away from truths because they’re uncomfortable or because they don’t fit with our comfort zones. In my future classroom, I want to be the kind of teacher that honours place, identity, and complexity, one that believes deeply in where learning happens as a foundation for social, cultural, and personal growth.

Five Moore Minutes

Watching the video “People Are NOT Supports!”, “from Shelley Moore, on YouTube really hit home for me because of my experience working as an Education Assistant. In schools, I’ve seen how easy it is for people to become labeled as ‘the support,’ especially for students with diverse learning needs. Often, I was physically placed beside a student and referred to as their support, even though what actually helped the student succeed were the strategies, tools, routines, and learning structures we put in place. As an EA, I learned that my role wasn’t to become the solution for a student, but to help students access the supports that allow them to participate meaningfully and independently in learning. Sometimes that meant fading myself out so the student could try on their own. Other times it meant modeling strategies, helping with organization tools, or adjusting how instructions were presented so the student could engage more confidently with the class. The video gave language to what I’ve experienced in real classrooms. People aren’t the support, they’re the bridge to supports.

Teacher Education Competencies

In the University of Victoria’s teacher education program, 12 core competencies guide how teacher candidates learn, reflect, and grow. These competencies aren’t just for completing a degree, they’re the professional DNA of an effective teacher.

1. Awareness of Your Worldview

The If Not Here, Then Where? post invites us to examine our worldview and how we understand cultures, histories, and relationships to place. Recognizing that our perspectives shape what and how we teach is the first step.

2. Growth Mindset & Professionalism

Both the video and the blog remind us that teaching is never finished. We have to be willing to learn and grow with humility and curiosity.

5–8: Communication, Inclusion, Collaboration

The conversation about supports and especially inclusive education aligns with competencies 5–8. Being an inclusive teacher means practicing effective communication, respecting all learners from all backgrounds, collaborating with specialists and families, and creating connections that help every student thrive.

9–12: Pedagogy & Change

Competency 10 — engaging critically and creatively with ideas to be a change agent in society is an explicit invitation to the kind of teaching I want to do. Classroom learning isn’t isolated from the world, it’s a space where equity, justice, and belonging are lived and modelled.

Reflection

Reading If Not Here, Then Where?, the video, “People Are Not Supports!”, and my own experiences, has shaped my thinking about what it means to show up as a teacher. I want my classroom to be a place where:

• Every voice matters

• Supports are meaningful

• Reflection and growth are continuous

If I don’t challenge these ideas in my practice, then where will I challenge them? And if not now as I prepare… then when?

Teaching, for me, is learning how to listen for the quiet notes , the voices that are often unheard and making sure they’re part of the song we’re creating together in the classroom.

Resources

Teacher Education Program Competency Guide | UVIC Teacher Education

(2) People are NOT Supports! Understanding the difference between supports, strategies, and resources – YouTube

If Not Here, Then Where? | Jo Chrona

Chatgpt.com. Image cover (I asked for the cover to be created from a picture that had words and expand it). (original)