TakingITGlobal

I have been teaching at Takhini Elementary since 2016 and have been in my current role, teaching grades 2/3 since 2021. I have been lucky to use Connected North to facilitate over 100 sessions since then; animals, habitats, forces, space, multiple modes of art, emotional regulation, and storytelling are just a few of the topics we have learned about. We have been lucky to learn alongside musicians, visual artists, authors, science enthusiasts, retired teachers, Indigenous storytellers, and other students. The benefits my students reap from these opportunities are incredibly widespread, but the most important to me is that they are engaged in their learning experiences. We live in a time and place where our access to experience is only improved by way of technology. Virtual field trips show students the world in a way they may never have a chance to see. These field trips also provide me with an opportunity to authentically teach my students the importance of valuing guest teachers – whether they are other students, our Connected North facilitator, or session instructors. This skill is so important because my students are learning how to treat people who work with them, not just their classroom teacher and educational assistants. The first session I ever booked was Amazing Monarchs. We had a new teacher at our school, who had come from the same area in Ontario where the butterfly migration South begins in August. Because I was still getting to know the kids and I wanted them to have something to connect with the new teacher about, this seemed fitting, and who doesn't love butterflies?! It was a wonderful launching point for myself and my class because my students immediately associated Connected North with fun! I continue to book a super fun and engaging session to start my school year, each year, but with the carryover of students I have had, I don't need to sell Connected North time in our classroom - the kids do it themselves. Embedding Connected North into my teaching practice has improved my class culture in so many ways. Students see and hear that I am excited about these sessions, which immediately incites a level of excitement in them. I can model social and communication skills during my conversations with our facilitators and guest teachers, and students build relationships with them over time. C o n n e c t e d N o r t h i n O u r C l a s s r o o m Amber Allison - Connected North in Our Classroom 9

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