Australians Together in an organisation that I have championed many times in the past. Their mission is to develop confidence and competence in teachers to effectively embed and teach Indigenous perspectives to students as part of the Australian Curriculum. Their mission is to build confidence in teachers to engage with our complicated history.
To teach how history impacts our Australian culture today, so that students can make meaningful responses, have a deep understanding about worldview and act with empathy and understanding as they navigate their lives as Australian citizens.
To understand how worldview shaped behaviours which evolved into policies that impact lives. To move students from asking what can I do? To asking Who can I be? And this is a mission that aligns well with who we are as Lutheran schools and our aspirations for how our students will act as change agents, living out God’s love in their world.
In this 3-hour workshop the group which gathered people from a range of organisations across the country we investigated how examining the conceptual understanding of culture can be an incredibly powerful launchpad for developing empathy for all Australians by undertaking activities to better understand ourselves.
The powerful stories and message of the Australians Together mission meant that even in a Monday morning zoom based virtual professional learning session people were inspired and moved to tears by the impact of the discussion. As educators we have such a vital role to play in teaching an authentic version of Australian History and developing an inclusive heart and mindset of each of our students. If you want to learn about how to begin this conversation in your school, then please contact me.
I was excited to share this learning experience with three staff from GNLC, who have all left inspired to take a range of actions in their school.
Australians Together have been working hard over the last couple of years to develop robust curriculum resources to support teachers to meet expectations of the Australian Curriculum to embed Indigenous Perspectives within significant targeted learning for their students across a range of subjects and year levels.
