Education News | Page 15 our classrooms and alongside our students it allows us to give students a brave space to be themselves, to feel acknowledged, respected, safe, welcome, empowered, and above all, loved. I became a teacher to change the world and ignite more love." The teaching profession is all about loving relationships, says Kiah, " I think that content is really important and obviously the foundation, the curriculum, but relationships, that’ s how we make change. When your students respect you and they listen to what you say, and what you say is about any of the EDI or mental health topics, they’ re going to listen to that and take it to heart."
On her internship, it was relationships that kept Kiah energized: " Those relationships really fueled me. A lot of times I would have students come to me and open up about their mental health struggles. They knew they could talk to me and we would figure it out, or I would walk them to guidance. I felt every single day I was there, it was for a purpose. I was doing what I was supposed to do."
A highlight for Kiah while an Education student, and one that has given her a taste of what it is like to influence change, was an opportunity in 2021, when she was chosen as the sole student representative for the U of R President ' s transitional committee. " That was something I will never forget. Being the student chosen out of all the students at the U of R. I was shocked. To be on a committee with Dr. Jeff Keshen, someone with so much authority, was really impactful for me. And not only to be on that committee, but to actually have real conversations about reform at the University, and BIPOC representation, just to have those conversations was so memorable. I felt like I was just one step away from making a change."
Kiah is still evisioning her next steps that she hopes will lead to change in schools. She is planning to extend her initial plan for mental health days: " I’ ve been thinking about creating a larger scale, more generalized non-profit that works to do the same thing, with the eventual goal of the mental health days, but to create PD opportunities, resources, funding for mental health / first aid, all of that encompassed, and add in EDI, too: an organization that could really push the boundaries and make these issues a priority in schools."
Even though she is brand new to the profession, Kiah has successfuly pitched a change in her current school that works toward daily calls to action and truth and reconciliation. She is excited to continue to grow in her EDI practices as she moves through her career with Regina Public Schools.
is simply done through love.... I became a teacher to change the world and ignite more love."