Calling teachers to respond to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students' requests for pedagogical change
Seeking a Pedagogy of Difference: What Aboriginal
Students and Their Parents in North Queensland
Say About Teaching and Their Learning
PROJECT INTRODUCTION
"It is important to know and understand our history with education. It’s a history I do not think many teachers know. It might be a part of the past, but knowing helps to build a better future for our children ... For many, including my parents, it was not positive. School was not a welcoming place ... Until they see something different, there will be that mistrust."
"When I went to school, who I was [as an Aboriginal woman] was not important and you were made to feel it was not a good thing. I never remembered anything at school that made me feel proud I was [Aboriginal]. That is not what I want [today for my
children]."
"You can tell she is interested in us all .... Not just friendly stuff but making you feel you are important and that you can do alright in her subject. In the class she’ll spend lots of time with you and not make a scene about it with the rest of the class. You feel welcome. I think she’s a good teacher because she gives you time .... Because she is that way with us, we try hard to be that way with everyone. Everyone is important. No matter who you are."
"The math[ematics]s problems are just not in words. He’ll show you and you have to work it through. I mean, you can see the problem. Not just read it from a piece of paper. Then you will work it through right there, figuring it out and you’re doing the maths but not really aware that you are. When it’s in a book, you just get lost….because the words don’t tell you what you are supposed to do. Then when you have it, the words come. But they have to after the real thing. Just so the words make sense."
