Jacqueline Tabios believes culture belongs in the classroom every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Meadows West School learning support teacher has spent 21 years with the Winnipeg School Division creating spaces where students feel \u201cseen, heard and valued,\u201d while helping them celebrate their identities and learn from one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a Filipino Canadian educator, Tabios said that growing up, she only had one Filipino teacher. That teacher also introduced students to cultures from around the world through multicultural events and dance performances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHaving her as my teacher provided me with a powerful sense of being represented and a feeling of belonging,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen students see their cultures, identities, languages, and experiences reflected in teachers, books, and lessons, it affirms that they matter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, she brings those same values into her classroom by building relationships and encouraging students to share their identities, languages and lived experiences. \u201cIt is through these relationships that students are able to bring their authentic selves into the classroom,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd as an educator, it is for me to recognize opportunities to share those experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of those opportunities was reading the book Cora Cooks Pancit<\/em> by Dorina Lazo Gilmore, about a Filipino girl who gets to cook pancit with her mom, using her grandma\u2019s recipe. The story sparked discussions about food, family and cultural traditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Students shared recipes, wrote poems and celebrated with a multicultural potluck where families contributed dishes from home. \u201cYou can feel the excitement when they see similarities between the different cultural foods. A student from Syria was excited to discover that the food they eat is similar to food Filipinos and Spanish eat. It’s not just about food\u2026. it\u2019s about the stories they tell that are hidden gems.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meadows West School has a large Filipino student population and offers a Filipino Bilingual Program. One of the school\u2019s largest cultural celebrations is its Philippine Independence Day assembly, held each spring. Tabios said the idea began when she noticed students struggling to share their cultural history during a heritage project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI noticed that the Filipino students could not share much about their cultural history,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd when I did my own reflecting, this was something I realized too. I\u2019m a first-generation Canadian, just like my students.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That realization inspired Tabios and her colleagues to learn alongside their students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe wanted to create opportunities for students to learn more about their cultural identity,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While preparing for the event, students explore topics that interest them, including Filipino history, language, folklore, music and dance. Families and staff also take part in performances and presentations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne of the best parts of the assembly is seeing the families\u2019 sense of pride, belonging and validation,\u201d Tabios said. \u201cFor many, it is like bringing them back home to the Philippines.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She added that the goal is not only celebration, but connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cStudents just want to belong and connect, and by having representations of different cultures, it creates empathy and understanding, where students learn about different perspectives,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is a reminder that all cultures are equally valuable. We are all contributing to the rich diversity here at Meadows West.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n