80s and early 90s , Kesten says , " It was very team-oriented and we felt like we were accomplishing lots of things , and we were given lots of positive feedback ." The undergraduate program , with its full semester practicum , internship seminar , and clinical supervision of interns , was singular in Canada and of interest to other teacher education programs . Faculty members were doing research “ towards making things better for teachers in school and ultimately for kids in schools ," says Kesten . " We rarely did publication kinds of research . Our research was to improve our programs . We went and found information , saw what others were doing , and brought it back , made it our own , and injected it into our programs , and made them better , we thought ." On one occasion , while doing research in Australia , Kesten was amazed to find a very similar type of program to the U of R ’ s at the University of Southern Queensland . When he inquired he found that they were modelling their program after a program described in the dissertation of a doctoral candidate who had researched the Faculty of Education at the U of R .
The thread of understanding that Kesten took throughout his career as a result of this dynamic program development was that “ you create something , you ’ re inventive with it , creative with it , inclusive with it ,” and “ you find the people who are stakeholders , and through your trusting relationships with those people , and respect of their position and their expertise and their knowledge and capability , create things together ."
Though warmed by memories in the Faculty , Kesten is still forward looking : " Those are not the good old days , these are the good old days ," he says . Creating an effective program that prepares teachers for the classroom is very difficult . Kesten ’ s advice is to focus " on the residents of the classroom : the teachers , teaching assistants , and the students ." The change Kesten has seen during the span of his career is the focus moving " from the individual to society ." He says , " We are preparing the best teachers that we can , but with the focus on a larger view that schools have a very important role to play in society and society needs to appreciate and reflect that ." While a positive change , Kesten feels , " there needs to be strong leadership in terms of bringing everybody together . You need a focus ." Successful organizations have a focus .
Kesten understands that the engagements of the Faculty change society , changing the context for teachers and students , but he wishes " there was a more immediate and direct effect for children ." He advises , " Don ' t forget about classrooms ... do the work that you are interested in and that you are capable of doing , but don ' t forget about classrooms — the teachers and students in those classrooms — because that is really what is of interest ." Another concern Kesten mentions is that the Faculty and its work is disadvantaged , positioned as it is in academe , in that it " doesn ’ t have the political clout " of other Faculties . The work done in and for the classroom is often stigmatized or not valued or understood by other Faculties . Kesten advises of the importance of ensuring " the Faculty maintains its independence and resistance ."
" I had a good time . There wasn ' t a day when I was bored ," says Kesten in sum . Retirement will not be boring either . His plans involve “ chasing the grandchildren ,” which means a lot of travelling , and a good deal of reading , and plenty of coffee with former Saskatchewanites in Sidney , BC , where he now calls home .
MULTIPLE WAYS OF HEALING : NEW LAND-BASED COUNSELLING GRAD COURSE OFFERED
Photo credit : Amy Schultz Photo credit : Angela McGinnis
Photo credit : Anna Hipperson
Multiple Ways of Healing ( EPSY 870AC ) is a new grad course that was offered by Dr . Angela McGinnis from May 18 to June 15 , 2019 . According to the syllabus , the " course places psychology and mental health in an ecological context to recognize the links between human health , culture , and the health of the natural environment ." Community visits and guest lectures included Alma Poitras , Elder-in-Residence ; Vee Whitehorse , Cultural Advisor of Leading Thunderbird Lodge ; Evraz Wildlife Park ; Kali Eddi , Registered Educational Psychologist of Wild Blue Psychology ; Koralee Lindquist . Kindred Spirit Animal Services ( hosted by Linda Moore ); and the Nature Conservancy of Canada at Fairy Hill , SK .
Photo courtesy of Angela McGinnis
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