In today’s EDCI 336 class we had the chance to do a mock version of an Ed Camp. Ed Camp is a teacher-created discussion session, formed by the interests of the people in the room. In Ed Camp, there everyone is one the same level and there is no main presenter, and no slide shows. These group discussions are meant to be learner driven by those in the room who share their experience and expertise on the discussed topics.

Here’s a link to the Ed Camp website —> https://www.edcamp.org/

Our Mock Ed Camp
Our group discussed who our favourite teacher was in high school and why. There was a common thread amongst our group; that our favourite instructors were those who…

1) did things differently/weren’t afraid to break out of the traditional mold of teaching
2) were kind and genuinely believed and supported our growth and success as both a student and an individual

Personal Thoughts
These two attributes were things that brought us closer to ourselves and our teachers, which in turn created a more inclusive and diverse learning environment. For myself, school was a struggle. I didn’t enjoy the day to day routine, long days, and never ending homework load. Added on top of that was, for the most part, boring class time caused by teachers who didn’t include creativity or unconventionality in their classrooms. Being a creative and slightly unconventional person, I felt unsupported and crushed by my high school environment. The teachers that stood out to me were those who brought elements of theatre in their classrooms and weren’t afraid to think outside the box and encourage their students to do so, too. This made me feel like I was welcome somewhere; that my different way of thinking and being was accepted by at least someone in the school environment. It made me feel less alone and awkward, especially when I saw how well received the teacher’s teaching was taken by other classmates. It gave me the self esteem I needed to fell comfortable in my own skin.