As you know, teachers regularly have the opportunity for professional development, the goal of which is to improve and expand our teaching and the learning we are able to provide UA Students. Recently, I experienced such an incredible learning opportunity that will directly impact how I teach my senior humanities courses, and I wanted to share it with you.
In October, I had the pleasure of participating in the annual 4-day B.C. Teachers’ Institute on Parliamentary Democracy, at the B.C. Legislative Assembly in Victoria. This opportunity allows teachers to gain an enhanced understanding of parliamentary democracy and the political process in B.C. I had unparalleled access to the legislature, including meeting the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, the Honourable Raj Chouhan, as well as numerous important officers of the Legislative Assembly involved in the parliamentary process. The institute is a non-partisan initiative sponsored by the Speaker’s office that helps participating teachers of all backgrounds sharpen their skills and understanding of our parliamentary system.
Each day was jam-packed with sessions run by officers from all aspects of the Legislature. On the first day, we had the privilege of having our morning session actually in the Legislative Chamber, complete with the mace of the Legislative Assembly in its position in front of the Speaker’s Chair! Later that day, we saw the cut-and-thrust of parliamentary debate when we were in the public gallery for Question Period, an intense 30-minute period of rapid-fire questions and answers directed at the Cabinet, asking what the government is doing and why it is doing it. We also had sessions run by a myriad of groups and individuals such as the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, the Treasury Board, the Sergeant-at-Arms, Private Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor Jerymy Brownridge, and The Honourable Justice Renée Cochard—Provincial Court Judge of B.C. There were so many sessions of such high quality, it is actually very difficult to do justice to the amount of learning that I did. The days were also long, starting at 7:15 am each morning, and finishing into the night!
A couple of highlights included the opportunity to meet a number of Members of the Legislative Assembly. In particular, I had a conversation with The Honourable Jennifer Whiteside, MLA for New Westminster-Coquitlam (the riding that Urban Academy is in). She had clearly read my bio on the UA website, as she made a joke about me integrating Star Wars references into my lessons! There was also an MLA panel Q&A, in which Members Lynne Block (Con.), Amna Shah (NDP), Elenore Sturko (Ind.) and Jeremy Valeriote (Green) spoke about the work that Members do, including Parliamentary Committees. These committees are non-partisan, and this discussion was interesting as it illuminated some of the work done by the Legislature that is perhaps not so widely known. I also got the chance to stand in the basement studio where the Legislative Assembly makes public announcements from!
Overall, this was an impressive and highly informative professional development opportunity. There were clear links between what I learned and the Grade 10 Social Studies curriculum, and many others besides. My task now is to integrate what I learned into my subsequent teaching practice and to share my insights with my colleagues. I hope that this short passage gives you some understanding of what Pro D actually means and why it is so important for teachers to continually update their skills and knowledge with such important courses and conferences.
Kieran Forry
Senior School Teacher, Humanities