Reflective Biography

Fariha Akond

Lakehead University

EDUC-4034-YDU: C&I Social Studies (P&J)

Jason Wilton

Date: September 24, 2021

 The Ontario Curriculum (2018) refers to social studies as, “an interdisciplinary subject

that draws upon economics, geography, history, law, and politics, as well as some of the subjects

in the social sciences and humanities” (p. 10). The social studies program is an integral element

of the curriculum as it “enables students to investigate various ideas, concepts, and issues using

an interdisciplinary approach, giving students an integrated learning experience and leading to a

deeper understanding of the interconnections between social, political, economic, and

environmental ideas and issues” (The Ontario Curriculum, 2018, p. 11). It is instrumental in

developing children’s critical thinking skills and allowing them to draw connections between the

curriculum and real-world experiences. The Ontario Curriculum incorporates a rich social studies

program in K-8 schools to promote students’ optimal development, which is something I am sure

many of my peers are familiar with. I, however, moved to Canada in the middle of grade 9 and as

such was not fortunate enough to experience it. I suspect my experience with the social studies in

K-8 was vastly different than the majority of peers. In this paper, I will be discussing my own

personal unique experience, my current understanding of the goals and aims of the program and

my personal goals as a prospective teacher of the social studies as well as my areas of strength

and improvement.

I was born and raised in a little country called Bangladesh in South Asia. Growing up,

social studies wasn’t something that was hugely emphasized. We had history and geography and

that was the extent of it. Even then, the courses were limited to only the history and geography of

Bangladesh rather than the world as a whole. To be quite frank, I do not remember most of it.

What I do remember, though, is that I had to memorize a lot of dates and learn how to draw

maps. It was all memorizing and repeating the lessons; nothing like what is outlined in the

Ontario Curriculum.
 The Ontario Curriculum (2018) states that the vision and goal of social studies is to

“enable students to become responsible, active citizens within the diverse communities to which

they belong” (p. 6). Developing a sense of who they are, where they come from, where makes

them belong, and how they can contribute to society allows them to be responsible active citizens

in the community of the classroom as well as the diverse communities to which they belong,

both in and out of the school environment (The Ontario Curriculum, 2018). Ultimately,

promoting civic engagement through the social studies is what enables students to realize the

significance of their roles as global citizens. Baytas & Schroeder (2021) encourages us to look at

children as citizens, beyond its usual legal definition. They state that citizenship, in this context,

is focused on “patriotism, ‘obedience, conformity, and individualism” (Baytas & Schroeder,

2021, p. 3). Rather, we ought to use the term ‘citizen’ to refer to a person who “solves problems,

takes responsibility for building communities, and believes in democracy” (Baytas & Schroeder,

2021, p. 3).

As a future teacher of Social Studies, my personal goals are entirely relevant to the

experiences I myself lacked as a child. I want to make sure that each student of mine understands

the important role they play in the classroom, in the immediate community, and in the global

community. The Ontario Curriculum (2018) mentions the Citizenship Framework, which is

something I will be emphasizing in my own classroom in the future. The framework combines

the core elements of citizenship education to provide students with “ways in which young people

are prepared and consequently ready and able to undertake their roles as citizens” (p. 9). As

teachers, we also have a solemn duty to be culturally responsive, meaning that we are not only

incorporating culturally diverse elements into the curriculum but also making sure that these

elements accurately reflect the cultures portrayed. I think one of my strengths, in this case, would
be utmost sense of duty be culturally aware and responsive. I am a member of a visually minority

group, and after I had moved to Canada, I did not often see culturally incorporated class content

that was an accurate reflection of my home culture. I will use age-appropriate and

developmentally-appropriate instructional strategies so that my students can understand the

social studies better. I have some experience working at a childcare and one of the things I

always loved to do was family engagement. We would invite family members to come in and

share something of their own culture or family traditions. I think it would be a valuable strategy

in the school setting as well, as it will create a sense of community and allow parents to be a part

of it as well. On the other hand, an area of improvement for me would have to be not losing sight

of my goals. I tend to get carried away once I’m interested in something and that can prolong the

longevity of each lesson plan. When I have a teacher, I have to be mindful of my students’

interests as well and make sure that they are all reflected in the curriculum accurately. In addition

to providing them with descriptive feedback, I will also actively seek it from them.

Overall, I think the Social Studies is an instrument part of the curriculum that should not

be overlooked. It teaches children the importance of critical thinking and enables them to

problem-solve and be a responsible citizen of the classroom and the global community. Working

on this assignment has allowed me to reflect on my own relationship with the Social Studies as

well. I think not having an extensive background in Social Studies makes me want to be a better

teacher. In a sense, it is almost as if my previous teachers have provided me with a blueprint and

I will be building upon that by drawing from my own knowledge and experiences.
 References

 Baytas, M. O., & Schroeder, S. (2021). Cultivating Civic Engagement in the Early

Grades with Culturally Appropriate Children’s Literature. Social Studies and the Young

Learner, 33(4), 3-8.

 Ontario. (2004). The Ontario curriculum: Social studies, grades 1 to 6, history and

geography, grades 7 and 8. Toronto: Ontario, Ministry of Education.