Decolonizing Public Education Part 2: Learning is Holistic
- indigenoustutoring
- Mar 28
- 3 min read
The second principle states that learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focused on connectedness, on reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place). This contains a lot of ideas - there are so many aspects to holistic learning, and it would take a long time to unpack all of them! Many of these ideas are covered through discussions of the other principles of learning, so we'd like to focus today’s post on one aspect that stands out and helps tie the pieces of the second principle together: reciprocal relationships.
In a typical classroom, you might think of the teacher sharing knowledge with the class and the students listening - but in a classroom focused on reciprocal relationships, everyone involved is both sharing knowledge and listening to the ideas being shared in turn. Focusing on reciprocal relationships recognizes that learning is not a one-way street from teacher to student, but a web connecting everyone to teach and learn from each other.
To foster reciprocal relationships in the classroom, there has to be an exchange between students and teachers. What does this look like in practice? One example is Talking Circles.
Many of you may already know this, but Talking Circles are a long-standing First Nations format for discussion and decision making, used to show that everyone is connected and every person in the circle has an equal voice. Everyone in the discussion sits in a circle and takes turns speaking, with the speaker often holding a feather or talking stick to show it is their turn to speak. While an Elder or classroom facilitator might lead the circle, each speaker takes on the role of “teacher” while it is their turn to share their own knowledge, experience and perspective (something no one else has). Talking Circles ensure everyone can see and hear the speaker, and each person’s voice is respected equally.
Talking Circles have been gaining traction in Canadian classrooms, and Comox Valley Schools has a great teacher resource page about how they incorporate Talking Circles into class lessons, and a short video about how incorporating Talking Circles in classrooms has helped bring in First Peoples teachings, build classroom community, and foster good communication skills. By committing to share from the heart and listen deeply, Talking Circles deepen our understanding of ourselves, each other, and the world.
You might have already experienced other ways to bring reciprocal relationships into learning, too! Have you ever done “Reciprocal Teaching” in class? It’s where students take turns taking on different types of teaching roles themselves. For example, one person might read from the text, the next will pose questions about it, a third will provide answers, and a fourth will record the process. The roles are then switched every page, or every paragraph until the text is fully read, and each member of the group has had a turn in each role.
Can you think of any other ways your learning incorporates reciprocal relationships, inside or outside of school? What are some things you think could be changed to make your learning more reciprocal?
To learn more about talking circles, their history, and their role in education, I highly encourage you to peruse these various articles:
Author: Lexa, ITMP Blog Coordinator, Basil Giannopoulos, Web & IT Admin
Image credits: Wix Media
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