Recently, CODE's partnership with OAEA and OMEA brought elementary generalist arts teachers together for a day of inspiration and collaboration in Waterloo and at the TDSB Urban Indigenous Education Centre. These events focused on providing practical support, resources, and innovative teaching strategies to help educators nurture creativity in their classrooms.
In Waterloo on October 5, participants were led through a visual arts, music, and drama/dance session, learning about ways to access the curriculum that emphasize student creativity and engagement with the creative process.
The Urban Indigenous Education Centre event highlighted the powerful collaboration between artists and educators, offering a unique opportunity to explore and celebrate arts in the classroom "in a good way". This session focused on fostering meaningful relationships through protocol. Teachers learned directly from Que Rock and Robert Durocher and gain valuable insights into respecting and appreciating perspectives and artistic traditions from specific nations and artists. The event aimed to deepen cultural understanding and inspire educators to deepen students' understanding of the ways that the arts can be a mirror for their own spirit and place in the natural world, a window into other ways of being present on Turtle Island, and the way the arts can be a sliding glass door inviting students to taking meaningful steps towards reconciliation.
Whether in the heart of Waterloo or the bustling city of Toronto, the events were designed to empower teachers with fresh ideas and a renewed passion for integrating the arts into everyday learning.
Find out more about the collaborative work of Art Fusion or find out about past/future projects here.