Bringing the Legacy of Residential Schools into the Classroom

Teaching about an emotionally charged, important topic like residential schools can be daunting, especially if like many Canadians you weren’t exposed to residential schools in any great depth during your own education. My job includes the delivery of educational programming relating to residential schools.  This most commonly takes the form of historical tours of the Shingwauk Residential School site, presentations, or workshops focusing on the history of residential schools.  All of these activities can be engaging and are worthwhile.  But from my experience the most impactful way of learning about residential schools is talking with residential school Survivors and Elders.