Page 10 - Exploring the Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession through Anishinaabe Art

ONTARIO COLLEGE OF TEACHERS
The Standard of Commitment to Students and Student Learning
Reflect on the following description of the artist’s painting which honours and celebrates the standard of Commitment to Students and Student Learning and then respond to the professional inquiry questions:
Artist's Reflection
The Anishinaabe woman interacts with her students and is very committed to them. As a teacher, she is a carrier of knowledge and gifts and has great influence over their individual learning. She treats each one of her students equitably and with the greatest respect. She also greatly respects, cares for and is connected to her environment and Mother Earth, which are the source of life and survival.
The dark blue spherical shape in the painting represents Mother Earth. The turtle is a representation of the land of the Anishinaabe people, in North America, also known as Turtle Island. The turtle embodies the teaching of truth and although known to be a slow moving creature, it is very stable and strong. The turtle carries all things belonging to the land where all are connected and shared.
This particular painting illustrates the teacher working with her students. She is teaching them to respect the land that was given to them and to use it wisely. In this particular illustration, a tree is being planted, and over time, the students will witness its growth.
The teacher is committed to working with her students by teaching, communicating, facilitating and observing each individual student’s development. Similar to the growth of the tree, she will witness the growth of her students over time.
A young student sits in the middle and holds a birch bark basket depicting the four medicine colours. The four medicines contained in the basket are used for protecting and caring for the tree. This medicine representation, in the Anishinaabe culture, is important.
The seven people in the painting each represent one of the seven teachings within the Anishinaabe culture: wisdom, humility, love, courage, respect, honesty and truth.
All forms of life are connected, animate or inanimate. As such, the land, community, trees, eagle, raven, the sun and moon, are also connected. The eagle (migisi), considered to be the highest spiritual form of the animal, is a representation of love for the growth of the planted tree. The raven is a symbol of honesty. With this teaching, honesty must be practiced by the students in order to witness the development of the tree. The sun and the moon represent the time: day and night. The wigwams represent community.
The fish swimming in the water represent the fish clan who, in the Anishinaabe culture, are considered to be the teachers within the community and the supporters of their peer, the teacher.
4 EXPLORING THE STANDARDS OF PRACTICE FOR THE TEACHING PROFESSION THROUGH ANISHINAABE ART