This paper is set in the context of my educational experience in the Masters of Education program and as an educator. I was born into the upper middle class, am a Caucasian woman, and am part of the privileged culture, which has greatly influenced my social location and identity. My education experience comes from working as a teacher in Elementary and Middle schools. I hear comments from my colleagues like, “I am not my student’s friend” and “If they are scared of you, you are doing something right.” even though they deeply care about their students. There is a gap in knowledge on how to create a reciprocal caring relationship that needs to be filled. Teachers are burning out, and students don’t feel cared for. If education were based on caring, students would be more engaged in their learning and have better mental health (Noddings, 2005). I have found that connecting with students on a deeper level makes students enjoy coming to school and want to learn. The experience we want to create and what the students experience is vastly different. Research shows that only one-third of students feel like an adult at school
cares for them. This statistic is unacceptable and embodies the need to switch to a pedagogy of caring. If tangible steps down this path are taken, students can increase their capacity to care in all aspects of their life, their drive to learn, and their mental health. A pedagogy of caring is also a tangible way for educators to work towards reconciliation and meet some of the calls to action for Indigenous youth.
