Acknowledgement of Country
I would like to acknowledge the Bundjalung people as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which I live and work. I pay my respects to Elders past and present, and recognise that teaching and learning has been occurring on these lands for many thousands of years.
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The image represented here was created by Sarah Richards, a Ngiyampaa woman. Entitled Pathway To Growth, Sarah selected it for my Acknowledgement of Country because of its fit with teaching and learning.
She wrote:
“The path to growth is not a straight line” (Valerie Costello).
When I reflect on my own journey, I can see that it is because of the strong foundations that I laid and the detours I have taken, and take, that shape my pathway to growth. I rarely knew (or know) where my path will lead but on reflection, I can see that all the stops I have made along the way are connected and contribute to my ongoing journey and my greatest learning is to trust, and enjoy, the pathway to growth.
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- Sarah Richards
- Pathway to Growth -
When I read Sarah's words I thought this was a wonderful message for all of the students we, as a community of educators, engage with. We shouldn't expect the pathway to (or through) learning to be a straight line. Education isn’t a single moment in time – it’s something that builds from the rich journeys of the teachers and learners who have gone before, and our role is to nurture and support today’s learners, while creating fertile ground for tomorrow’s educators.
You can see more of Sarah’s inspiring artwork here.
Her platform, Marrawuy Journeys, has a vision of healing as individuals so that we can heal as a country.