Glossary

a transformational leader working tirelessly to make bold ideas a reality in order to create a more equitable, effective educational system

a term often used to describe students or groups of students who are considered to have a higher probability of failing academically or dropping out of school

an acronym for Black, Indigenous, People of Colour

compiled into an orderly, formal code of expectations and behaviours

is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonization, colonizers may impose their religion, language, economics, and other cultural practices.

the action or process of settling among and establishing control over the original inhabitants of an area

conversations in which individuals are encouraged to express their views openly and truthfully, rather than defensively or with the purpose of laying blame. Integral to courageous conversations is an openness to learn and think differently.

a teaching philosophy that invites educators to encourage students to critique structures of power and oppression. It is rooted in critical theory, which involves becoming aware of and questioning the societal status quo

focusing on European culture or history to the exclusion of a wider view of the world

designed as a framework for instructional planning in schools that outlines broad goals and strategies to reach them. The foundations of the formal curriculum are based on publicly valued intellectual, social, cultural, political, and economic funds of knowledge.

Hegemonic power works by consent, not coercion caused by force or violence; thus it is not questioned. Hegemony supports the status quo and solidifies the idea that “how it is” represents “how it should be.” Therefore, hegemonic power becomes “common sense” and normalized within a society, facilitating compliance.

are usually defined by some physical, social, and mental characteristics of individuals. Examples of social identity categories are race/ethnicity, gender, social class/socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, (dis)abilities, and religion/religious beliefs.

the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group

having a particular habit, activity, or interest that is long-established and unlikely to change

to relegate to an unimportant or powerless position within a society or group

culturally shared stories that guide thoughts, beliefs, values, and behaviors

a six-page document produced by the Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. The section on Assessment Criteria provides a series of analytical questions regarding several types of bias so that evaluators may identify the various aspects of bias present in a classroom resource/text and provide for ways in which teachers and students might address these issues within the classroom: https://studentservices.ednet.ns.ca/sites/default/files/Bias%20Evaluation%20Instrument%20%2809092015%29.pdf

the combination of prejudice and institutional power which creates a system that discriminates against some groups (often called “subordinate groups”) and benefits other groups (often called “dominant groups”)

a set of dynamics, processes, and structures that engender marginality and persistent inequality across any of the full range of human differences based on group identities

a term that refers to the method of how teachers teach, in theory and in practice

a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group

Under the Indian Act (1876), the Canadian government defined a reserve as land that has been set aside (not apart) by the government for the use and benefit of an Indian band. Reserve land is still classified as federal land, and First Nations do not have title to reserve land. Reserves were often created on less valuable land and sometimes located outside the traditional territory of the particular First Nation.

The residential school system officially operated within Canada from the 1880s until 1996. The system forcibly separated Indigenous children from their families for extended periods of time and forbade them from acknowledging their Indigenous heritage and culture or to speak their own languages.

aims to specify and predict the circumstances under which individuals think of themselves as individuals or as group members

is a person’s sense of who they are based on their group membership(s)

social justice-oriented approaches in education refer to standpoints and scholarly traditions that actively address the dynamics of oppression, privilege, and isms, recognizing that society is the product of historically rooted, institutionally sanctioned stratification along socially constructed group lines that include race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and ability

historical and current policies, practices, and laws that create unfair/unjust differences between groups (by race, gender, etc.) across sectors of life, such as healthcare, education, and housing