"Members recognize that a commitment to ongoing professional learning is integral to effective practice and to student learning. Professional practice and self-directed learning are informed by experience, research, collaboration and knowledge."

(Ontario College of Teachers)

During my time at all three of my practicums I was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend staff meetings and professional development teaching. We hosted the Tour for Humanity which taught our intermediate students about the history of the Holocaust, reflected on the "miss, dismiss and avoid" framework associated with bias and, in particular, anti-Black racism in education, and used data from a questionnaire sent out to all students with questions pertaining to bullying, exclusion, racism, sexism, homophobia, and transfobia to address areas of greatest need in the school.

These opportunities to grow my knowledge of understanding about racism with my colleagues were invaluable and have helped me better frame my perspective as an educator. More specifically, the learning allowed me to deepen my recognition of privilege in my own life and how I can use it to dismantle systemic racism in my classroom, in schools I teach in, and in the school board at large.