Help Teach

Help Teach: Episode 7 - Things Better Left Said

Mihai Covaser: [00:00:00] Welcome, learners and learned alike, to Help Teach.

Mihai Covaser: Hello and welcome to our community audio project. I am your host, editor, producer, and project co-lead: Mihai Covaser. I am also a youth living with a physical disability. My most formative experiences living with a disability have come in the Canadian public education system. Many students like me, with physical, emotional, or mental challenges, go through their years of schooling lacking the supports and accommodations they need to partake of the same opportunities offered to their peers. The vision of this project is to provide educators in Canadian classrooms, students with disabilities, and members of the general public, with the tools and knowledge that they need to make our institutions more accessible and inclusive for all. Join me and a diverse cast of guests as we explore perspectives on disabilities and education in this podcast series. [00:01:00] One last message for you teachers tuning in: Listen in each episode for our key takeaway that you can implement in your classroom today to help us further this vision.

Mihai Covaser: Hello and welcome back to the show, everybody! If you are new to the show, welcome; if you’ve stuck around from the beginning, welcome back. I would love to give one last big thank you to Every Canadian Counts and their #RisingYouth initiative for helping to lift this project off the ground by funding those first six episodes, and now we are in what you could call season one! Season two? One and a half? Who knows? But where we are now is a continuation of this project that I absolutely am excited to bring to the community, to continue to do for a long time from here on out and to continue to share those stories and that vision for change that I and my peers have for accessible education in our community and beyond. So, with this seventh [00:02:00] episode, I am very excited to bring back one of my co-hosts, who decided to join up with the project and stay as a regular guest from here on out, so you’ll be hearing a lot more from her; you’ll be hearing a lot more from my other co-leads, as well, all fantastic youth leaders and great voices on the mic. But today, I’d love to welcome Alexis Holmgren, back again for another episode. Hi there, Alexis.

Alexis Holmgren: Hi, Mihai. Thanks for having me. It’s really great to be back.

Mihai Covaser: In the future, you can expect, ladies and gentlemen, to hear more from educators in the community, administrators, and members of the public, but for the most part, we’ll continue to have youth leaders and youths who have that experience in the education system, to continue to have that conversation part of–well, the daily discourse that I think we should all be having about accessibility and inclusion in our community. For today’s episode, I’d love to just get started by talking a bit about what’s been going on recently [00:03:00] with the both of us, Alexis, because I know that you and I have both had a very busy summer so far, and you have done a lot of work and research over the last little while that I think would be super interesting for our audience to hear. So yeah, why don’t you tell us a little bit about what’s going on with you?

Alexis Holmgren: Absolutely. So my main project this summer has been a research study looking at the impacts of the pandemic on marginalized populations of youth, and that includes youth with disabilities. And I was actually recruited to be the lead youth facilitator in that role, and so that was something that I had never necessarily envisioned myself being, in a lead role as like the only youth directly at the table with the researchers. It’s been a really incredible experience and something that was certainly not within my comfort zone at the beginning, I will say; it certainly pushed [00:04:00] me to do things that I wouldn’t necessarily have envisioned, but well within my capabilities. It was really, really great to actually receive this email in January asking me if I wanted to take on this role, and then just have that conversation with the research team and hear how much they believed in me, and how they really, really wanted me to come aboard for this project.

Mihai Covaser: Absolutely. That sounds like a great team, that sounds like really supportive individuals that want to have representation and knowledge at the table that fundamentally sort of underpin their research, ‘cause that’s super important, right; when you’re doing any kind of study or research project, you wanna make sure that the knowledge you’re starting with is from the source, right, so that’s really great to hear, that they took that on.

Alexis Holmgren: Absolutely. And it’s been fantastic, that with this study, even the data analysis that we’re just starting to get into [00:05:00] is all going to also be looked over from the youth perspective, of youth who do have these lived experiences and who do have these identities, and so it’s great to know that even the interpretation, the context, the way we’re looking at things, is going to be from the experience of youth who have that lived experience in their lives. And so that’s really something that I think makes it different than other projects that I’ve been a part of, but in a really great way.

Mihai Covaser: Yeah, for sure. So what groups exactly are you analyzing as part of your research?

Alexis Holmgren: For sure. So we are looking at youth in care, indigenous youth, racialized youth, youth with disabilities, rural and remote youth, and LGBTQ youth, and so a wide range of youth who face different challenges from being marginalized in different ways in society. [00:06:00] And then for my position, I was specifically recruited as someone who has experience in more than one of those identities, as well.

Mihai Covaser: Yeah, absolutely. So then this work was based in eastern Canada, am I right?

Alexis Holmgren: It was a joint project between Bishops University and Brock University, which are, of course, in eastern Canada; and then the Students Commission of Canada, which is a national organization of youth-led initiatives and youth-centered projects, things like that. And so…Yeah, it’s actually a national study and it’s been really awesome to also have that like geographical diversity and bring in those different perspectives, as well.

Mihai Covaser: Yeah, absolutely. So what do you hope to achieve through this project? I know we’ve talked before off-mic, or off-camera, as you will, about the project and how it’s going and what kind of data you’re collecting, but what do you hope to achieve from it? What kind of data [00:07:00] are you getting and where do you want to put it to use, once the project’s over?

Alexis Holmgren: Yeah, that’s a great question. So the main focus here is to gather youth voices, especially those that ordinarily aren’t heard. A lot of times, youth from any of these communities have a really hard time being heard by people in positions of power, because it is just not seen as the majority, it’s often not prioritized, and so we’re looking to collect large numbers of those voices and then uplift those and then bring their recommendations to people in decision-making roles and policy-makers, so that then this research paper and their recommendations can actually hopefully be implemented and considered in future policies, and emergencies in the future.

Mihai Covaser: Wow, that’s a really impactful vision to have, and I think–Well, I’m very excited to see where that takes you, because, [00:08:00] you know, to be able to take direct data and sort of integrate it into policy-making decisions and work from the top down like that is not the easiest thing to do, right, and opportunities are few, I think, for us to be directly involved in doing that, so…Well, first of all, congratulations, and second of all, I do look forward to seeing where that takes you.

Alexis Holmgren: Thank you so much.

Mihai Covaser: You know, one thing that I kinda wanna grab onto from this and talk about for the remainder of the episode is: You were talking about the fact that you were working on a research team, right, and the fact that, as part of research, you have a variety of voices at the table, you have a wide demographic scope, you have a lot of individuals to sort of coordinate and to gather this data, and then to compile it. I imagine that that can be tough to make sure that that all runs smoothly and to communicate with everybody at once, so I guess what I’m trying to say is: why don’t you tell us a bit about how effective communication has helped [00:09:00] in that process?

Alexis Holmgren: For sure. Effective communication has been huge, and from the beginning, the lead investigator or the lead researcher on this study has been really open with us and has said, “Okay, if something isn’t working, let me know.” And when she asks for our feedback, she honestly wants like the real opinions; if she’s asking me to pass on youth voice, she wants to hear what the youth actually said, not like what she wants to hear or what sounds good, and so–It’s even affected change. Like from the beginning, we had a different way of like giving out the survey, and then I did an in-person data collection session in Prince Edward Island, in a rural community, and the youth there were very helpful with expressing their voices and letting us know, like, where we could improve on things, where things weren’t necessarily [00:10:00] resonating, where they weren’t really sure what was going on with some of the questions. And so we took that and we revised it. We did some edits, we changed the process, we added activities and workshops; and so we totally revamped things after that and that has been really awesome, like being able to have that communication–I think in my role–is really cool, because I have a direct tie to the researchers, I have a direct tie to the youth advisors that I work with who give their voice on the data and research, and then I also have a direct tie to other members of the team, as well, like we have staff from the Students Commission who have all sorts of different experience in analysis and university students, too, who are helping out on this project. So it really is that wide range of voices at the table.

Mihai Covaser: I think that’s a great place to take a little pause, but audience members, [00:11:00] don’t go anywhere. When we come back, I’ll be talking to Alexis about clear communication in the public education system and how openmindedness can really make a big difference for students in the system, so don’t go anywhere; we’ll be right back.

Mihai Covaser: Welcome back. You’re listening to Help Teach. I am here talking to Alexis. We’re on a bit of a subject about your research and your work, and how communication is really important for that work to run smoothly, and I kind of want to take that in the direction of our experiences in education, because I don’t imagine that it was always so smooth for you, moving from school into the workforce and into research opportunities, and that communication wasn’t always that good.

Alexis Holmgren: For sure. So I spent the first seven years of my education in the public school system, [00:12:00] and communication there was a bit more challenging. When I was in grade seven, my mom had a medical emergency and was in the hospital for the first several months of that school year, and that was really, really challenging, and that meant that things in my life were suddenly turned upside down; things were very different than how they used to be, and communication with teachers, with administration was challenging. I had been in band the year before, for example, and I loved it; it was great, like I loved playing the tuba. But I just couldn’t commit the hours to being at school very early in the morning all the time, when I needed to be spending that time either at home helping taking care of my younger brother, or like at the hospital with my mom, once she was finally moved to our local hospital. So I just couldn’t commit the time, so I thought I was doing the right thing [00:13:00] by like talking to my band teacher, talking to the principal; my dad came in with me, explained the situation, we discussed why I was stopping. We thought it was a good conversation, and then later, unfortunately, this teacher would talk about me in the hallway, where I could hear, and would say, like, “I don’t understand why she quit, she could’ve just done better if she put in the effort,” or things like that, and it just… I think that really, really hurt, especially with the circumstances that were going on, and because I had thought that it was like a clear communication, I really had thought that was something that we had looked at. And then moving to online school, things were a bit challenging at first in some respects, like for example, one of the classes that I needed to take, just because of the type of school I went to, required four assignments that you drew multiple pictures by hand [00:14:00] to kind of explain vocabulary words, and for me, with my disabilities, writing is something that is really physically difficult for me and something that some days I can’t do at all, because of pain. And so that was something that we talked about at parent-teacher interviews, we had that discussion, and then–I think it was kind of having that in-person discussion, explaining the situation, and really like having the teacher understand that I wasn’t looking for like a way to just not do the schoolwork. All I wanted was a different way to approach the assignment that didn’t mean that I was gonna be in like severe pain or just not be able to do it. And so we modified it, and then I was able to either like pull pictures online that were abstract and I could explain the meaning of, or I could just explain the meaning in words, using like my speech-to-text program.

Mihai Covaser: Yeah, yeah.

Alexis Holmgren: [00:15:00] And so it helped a lot, and that was really great as well.

Mihai Covaser: Yeah, absolutely. And you know, that kind of–those kind of accommodations, they aren’t easy to come by, but it all starts with that conversation, right. I don’t think that it could happen without clear communication. I think we all have some stories in the back pocket, but I think, you know, the one that I refer to fairly often comes from my middle school experiences, as well, where there was a trip that was supposed to happen to Quebec for–it was sort of a merit-based application program, whereby it was not only a trip for fun, but it was for education, and you had to prove, you know, that you were responsible, that you were able to and willing to take on the work associated and to be part of that group, right. And I thought that this would be a great opportunity to sort of explore. I knew that it would be difficult, because at the time, I was less independent when it comes to mobility; I didn’t quite have the same confidence that I do now, but I thought, “Hey, worth a shot!”, right? [00:16:00] And as it turns out, without any kind of line of communication, one of the instructors on the review committee pulled my application from that pool, so… Just without notice, without talking to my family, to myself, or even to the other people on the committee, my application was simply pulled from the group and it wasn’t reviewed, just on that one teacher’s consideration, right. And, I mean, I think for any kind of experience that people might have in the workforce or anything, that sounds ridiculous, let alone for students in education, and I think–Again, had that line of communication been accepted, to talk about what are the options, what are the–what can we do to adapt this; could’ve ended up a lot more, you know, a lot more appropriate than that. I think I–who knows?–could’ve ended up going, right, so…And that sparked a lot of discussion, [00:17:00] and I think it continues to be a driving factor today for me, to make sure those conversations happen.

Alexis Holmgren: Absolutely. That really reminds me of an extracurricular experience that I had, where I had applied to go on a trip with Girl Guides to the Yukon. I’ve always had an interest in the Arctic; it’s something that I find really fascinating from a lot of different perspectives.

Mihai Covaser: Yeah, for sure.

Alexis Holmgren: And so it meant a lot to me, and I decided, “Okay, I’ll put myself out there, I will put in this application.” And at the back of my application, there’s always that debate: Do you disclose your disability? Do you not disclose your disability? Will this hurt me? Will this help me? And I realized that because it was such a big part of my story. I put in some information about my heart condition.

Mihai Covaser: Mhm.

Alexis Holmgren: And then I ended up needing surgery eight days before the trip, to have an implanted heart [00:18:00] monitor put in, so it was quite a chaotic situation. And I never expected that I would get into this; I just thought that it would be good to put it out there, because I figured that, by then, I was so used to people seeing me as “the girl with the heart condition”, but I didn’t think I’d make it past the first review. But then I got the email that I had been chosen as one of the five to go on this trip, to represent Alberta. And I cried, like it was so meaningful to me, and that was the first trip I had taken, as well, since both my mom had her cardiac arrest and since I had received my heart condition diagnosis. And so it meant the world to me that they also communicated with me afterwards and followed up about it, and asked me, like, “Is there anything we can do? What can we do to help with this?” And even during the camp, it was constant communication with [00:19:00] me about what I needed; they set aside a little area in the cabin where I could plug in my remote monitor, which is a device that connects through Wi-Fi or cell towers to my implanted heart monitor, and I could send transmissions back home to my doctor to check up on how I was doing.

Mihai Covaser: Yeah.

Alexis Holmgren: It was great. Like, it was completely different to other experiences I’d had up to that point.

Mihai Covaser: Yeah, and not only can that communication and that openmindedness help in the world and out on these trips and with these other communities, but it can help in the classroom, too, you know. And I think that’s where I wanna transition a little bit and offer our key takeaway for this episode, because I think we–for our audience listening at home, we will continue to do this, because that is the purpose and the vision of this project, is to supply educators and students with those tools and those ideas they can carry with them. And I think what you mentioned there that I want to [00:20:00] really hone in on is: consistency. You mentioned that it was a consistent line of communication before, during, and after, and so what we wanna offer to educators in this key takeaway is a check-in system that you can use to keep in touch with your students, especially those with disabilities in the classroom, and keep track of their needs. So Alexis, why don’t you tell us a bit about what options exist for that.

Alexis Holmgren: So, being in online school, it was great because different teachers used different approaches, and so one approach that was used was: My biology teacher offered a one-on-one online meeting for any students who wanted to come, and then you could ask for help, you could discuss personal things, you could ask for like a one-to-one meeting as well; and it was honestly just a really casual place to actually have these conversations. It didn’t feel really formal, it didn’t feel [00:21:00] like you were going to the principal’s office or anything; it just was a chat, and you could also ask for a one-on-one meeting, of course. And then another way that people did this was: Our class used Moodle as a platform, which allowed teachers to send messages to students, or vice versa, and so every week, some of my teachers would send messages with, like, the deadlines of where you should approximately be in the course, but also asking how we were doing in the course or if there was anything that they could do to help, because it was an invitation, as well, like to communicate. Because it can be really scary as a student, trying to strike up a conversation with a teacher, especially if you have something like anxiety or even social anxiety, like I do. It was terrifying! But it was great that they were actually reaching out to me and asking, and I actually ended up building a really positive relationship, especially with two of my teachers, who [00:22:00] I still keep in contact with, actually. They asked me to keep them updated on my adventures, because I apparently have quite an atypical, interesting life, and so I send them kind of what I’m up to every now and then, and one was actually my guest–one of my five guests recently, for my Mayor’s Recognition Award ceremony. And that was really special, having her there for that moment, because she was a big part of getting me there, as well. When other people told me that I wouldn’t even graduate, she was there believing in me and just cheering me on, and that meant the world to me.

Mihai Covaser: Yeah. That’s heartwarming and that’s exactly the kind of relationships we would love to encourage in the education system. So to summarize there for you, audience, we have a couple of tools that we’ll pop into the episode notes for this episode, that you can use. Moodle is one of them, as Alexis mentioned, [00:23:00] that you can use to keep in touch with students; even setting up an email system or using Google Classroom, which a lot of teachers have transitioned to. Just adding that invitation of communication to your usual check-ins and your assignments that you post really opens the door to clear, open, consistent lines of communication between you and your students, or if you’re a student listening, between you and your teacher. Again, we’ll put those tools into the episode description, and what we recommend? Just open that door on a weekly basis or on some kind of regular basis; open that door and see where it takes you.

Mihai Covaser: Well, thank you very much for joining me today, Alexis. It was great to talk to you, hear about what you’ve been up to, and to share this thought and this idea about communication, so thanks a lot for coming on.

Alexis Holmgren: Thank you so much. I look forward to being back, hopefully.

Mihai Covaser: I look forward to having you back. Will happen, for sure.

Mihai Covaser: You’ve just heard [00:24:00] another episode of the community audio project, Help Teach. I’d love to give a huge thank you to my other co-leads on this project, Payton Given, Maggie Manning, Élise Doucet, and Alexis Holmgren, all youth leaders at the Rick Hansen Foundation, who I’d also like to thank for their continued support in this initiative and others. I’d like to give a huge shout-out to our community mentor for this project, Charl Coetzee, and to our professional contact helping in the editing process, Chester Hull. My name is Mihai Covaser. I am your host, editor, and producer for this podcast series. As promised, you can now find all transcripts, episode notes, and links to other resources on Transistor.fm, or listen to us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. If you have any questions about the show, if you’d like to offer suggestions or you would like to be connected as a guest, you can now get in touch at helpteachpodcast@gmail.com. That’s helpteachpodcast@gmail.com. Please send in any questions you might have [00:25:00] regarding our episodes, and we would love to address them in future ones. Tune in next time for more great conversations and key takeaways that you educators can implement in the classroom today, to make it a more accessible and inclusive place for all. Thank you for listening, and I’ll see you next time.