• Learning ultimately supports the well-being of the self, the family, the community, the land, the spirits, and the ancestors.
  • Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focused on connectedness, on reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place).
  • Learning involves recognizing the consequences of one‘s actions.
  • Learning involves generational roles and responsibilities.
  • Learning recognizes the role of Indigenous knowledge.
  • Learning is embedded in memory, history, and story.
  • Learning involves patience and time.
  • Learning requires exploration of one‘s identity.
  • Learning involves recognizing that some knowledge is sacred and only shared with permission and/or in certain situations.

When I was introduced to the FPPL as a student embarking on my education journey, it made me reconsider what I thought was considered effective teaching, reinforcing the importance of having a framework that incorporated Indigenous perspectives into teaching practices. Throughout my practicums in this education program, I have been learning how to effectively apply the First Peoples Principles of Learning into my lessons and have been learning how to actively use the principles of the FPPL in my delivery and teacher tone when presenting content. This has made my connection with all learners more substantial, thus improving the quality of my instruction for all learners who receive it, and simultaneously helped me build cultural competency.

As I progressed in my practicums and became more experienced in developing lessons and teaching them, my understanding of how to apply the First Peoples Principles of Learning framework to teaching made me realize how much power it has in improving the quality of lesson structure, improving student performance and well-being, and its ability foster a safe and comforting learning environment that is warm and welcoming to everyone. My eyes have opened to the importance and the necessity of Indigenous principles in education; their emphasis on holistic wellness including relationships with others and ourselves, and recognizing that a deep understanding of teachings takes patience and time has become integral to my teaching style. When developing a lesson or anytime I teach something that is not formal, I instantly reflect on the first principle (learning ultimately supports the well-being of the self, the family, the community, the land, the spirits, and the ancestors) and think to myself “how can this lesson support the well-being of every learner?”, as with experience I now recognize the cruciality of developing lessons and teaching in a manner that corresponds with the framework of the FPPL, supporting all learners.

Throughout all of the lesson plans I have established throughout this program’s entirety, I have made sure that all sections of the First Peoples Principles of Learning framework have been recognized. While some lessons only target a smaller amount depending on the context of the lesson, the purpose remains the same; teaching should have recognition of Indigenous principles regardless of how many areas of the FPPL you reach. We work on traditional land; Indigenous learners need to be authentically represented in our education systems, and when utilizing the FPPL in the development of lessons, educators will become stronger teachers and stronger reconcilers.