learning

The First Lesson is the Most Important One

/ Dave Eberwein / 2 Comments

Before we teach content, we teach belonging — about the importance of children seeing themselves reflected in relationships, culture and words in our schools. Every September when students arrive — some for the first time, some returning for their 13th year — we ask ourselves a question:

Do students feel like they belong?

The research is clear — when students experience belonging — engagement rises, absenteeism falls, and achievement nudges ahead. Studies show that while a school district can help shape the overall sense of community, it is the adults who have daily contact with students that make them feel like they belong. And it is mostly teachers who provide those personal conditions necessary for the positive feelings of belonging at school.

Teachers make it all work.

It Begins in Kindergarten

Kindergarten — that place where the magic begins. One of the early lessons for our newest students is also one of the most important — and our newest students learn the lesson through their play:

How do we interact with others? How do we learn to accept our differences and celebrate our uniqueness? How do we see our worth and value?

It begins by finding ways to honour all people — including those who have been here on this land for thousands of years. For me as Superintendent, the work we do on understanding and incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing is paramount to the mission we have in public education. The local W̱SÁNEĆ First Nation community has a fabulously rich culture, language and traditions that helps our district to ground our work — from Indigenizing the curriculum, building cultural competencies in our staff, introducing all K-students to the local language, and most importantly, building understanding, belonging and trust on a daily basis.

The Land, The History, The Ways of Being

In Saanich, teaching about belonging often begins with teaching about place — about the ancestral territory of the W̱SÁNEĆ people — stewards of these lands and waters since time immemorial. We are fortunate to have a strong, respectful and collaborative working relationship with the local First Nation which builds a broad community understanding about the history and culture of those who have been here for thousands of years. We are helping to reinvigorate the local and unique SENĆOŦEN language — from district‑wide Kindergarten lessons to programs at a number of our schools. School‑based Indigenous Education teachers support cultural and academic learning, and this past year, community partners celebrated a new, locally developed, district course on W̱SÁNEĆ culture and history — born from student voice and designed with significant contributions from local elders and knowledge keepers.

We also learn through story on the land — using local W̱SÁNEĆ stories and place‑based learning to strengthen oral language and connection. The Indigenous Education page on our district website is filled with links to a wide variety of items including local art that can be loaned, learning resource kits, online virtual resources and a host of other items that provide a rich fabric of opportunities to truly embed Indigenous ways of knowing and being into classroom lessons. The monthly Indigenous Education bulletin highlights new and timely resources for teachers at all levels and subject areas in our system.

Celebrating the History and Contributions of Indigenous Peoples Across Canada

Belonging Isn’t a Program

Belonging isn’t a program or a class — it’s a practice. When we know names, notice strengths, honour identities, and communicate clearly, students show up with courage, engagement and excitement.

And, when we recognize the people who have been here for thousands of years, we help build a community that is respectful and inclusive.

We build belonging.

Happy National Indigenous History Month everyone!

Public Education – What A Journey!

/ Dave Eberwein / 2 Comments

When I look back over almost forty years in public education, what strikes me most is not simply what has changed … but why.

Education has steadily moved away from being a place where we simply impart content, toward a broader and more human-centered vision — one that recognizes learning as deeply connected to a person’s identity, well-being, and belonging. The story of education in BC is no longer just about mastering the core mandates of reading, writing, and arithmetic — it is about preparing young people for a complex, uncertain, and interconnected world that incorporates these important skills.

Public Education – A Place of Belonging

For much of the late twentieth century, schooling was measured by coverage — how much content could be delivered in 13 years and how efficiently it could be assessed. Rote memorization and standardized testing were the norm and were used to measure school success. Knowledge was something students received, often passively, and success was frequently defined by one-size-fits-all benchmarks.

Over time, however, we began asking better questions.

  • What does it mean to understand rather than memorize?
  • How does student learning lead to future readiness?

These shifts laid the foundation for today’s competency-based approach — one focused on meaningful application of content and knowledge rather than just the sheer volume of information being taught.

BC Curriculum – Know; Do; Understand

The reinvigorated BC curriculum represents this shift.

While content still matters — it is no longer the end goal. Instead, content serves as the vehicle through which students develop the capacities they need for life beyond school — things like critical and creative thinking, communication, collaboration, and personal and social responsibility. The curriculum’s emphasis on knowing, doing, and understanding reflects a recognition that education must prepare learners not just to recall information, but to navigate ambiguity, solve problems, and contribute thoughtfully to their communities.

Alongside this curricular shift has come a growing respect for student voice, choice, and personalized pathways.

There is now greater acknowledgment that learners arrive with different strengths, interests, cultures, and aspirations. Student-centered learning is not about lowering expectations — it is about raising relevance. When young people see themselves in their learning — and have agency in shaping it — they are far more likely to engage deeply and persist through the inevitable challenges that come along with it.

Perhaps one of the most profound changes over the past four decades has been the expansion of inclusion. There is greater awareness of diverse learning needs, disabilities, neurodiversity, cultural backgrounds, and systemic inequities. While the work is far from complete, the moral center of the system has shifted toward equity, dignity, and access — recognizing that fairness does not mean sameness.

Public Education is a Key Player in Building Understanding and Enacting Change

As part of this shift to greater inclusion, there has also been a powerful and necessary re-centering of Indigenous perspectives, reconciliation, and local context. Schools are moving away from a singular, colonial narrative toward a more honest and inclusive understanding of history, land, and relationships. This work challenges educators and students to think beyond a western, colonial narrative to one that honours the significant knowledge and history of local First Nations communities and other Indigenous groups.

Schools today also attend far more deliberately to mental health, well-being, and social-emotional learning than in the past — a nod to a greater sense of inclusion as well. We now understand that learning cannot be separated from how students feel, the relationships they experience, and the sense of safety they carry with them. Supporting the whole child is no longer seen as a distraction from academic learning, but as the foundation that makes it possible.

Technology, once a peripheral add-on, now sits at the heart of learning, communication, and administration. From digital literacy and online collaboration to data-informed decision-making, technology has reshaped how schools function and how students learn. Artificial Intelligence is the next thing in technology — a tool so powerful, it has the potential to reshape not only the learning side of what we do, but the business side of how we do it. Importantly, this technology shift has reinforced the need to maintain and focus on students’ critical thinking — not just how to use tools, but how to evaluate information, question sources, and engage responsibly in digital spaces. Technology is amplifying the why behind learning rather than replacing it.

Public education in BC has come a long way over the past four decades.

Its mandate has expanded, its values have deepened, and its purpose has become clearer. The enduring question — the real Power of Why — is not whether schools should focus on basics or broader skills, but how they can hold both in balance. In doing so, education remains what it was always meant to be — a promise to young people that they will be seen, supported, and prepared for the lives they are yet to imagine.

The Why of public education is stronger than it’s ever been — more relevant in a world that needs compassion, understanding and inclusion.

The Neuroscience of Nostalgia: Why Familiar Stories Feel So Good

/ Dave Eberwein / 5 Comments

I’m fascinated by the exploration of brain function and, specifically, how it relates to education and student success. Neuroscience continues to be a great source of information for building an even better education system.

Before I begin my post on The Neuroscience of Nostalgia, let’s begin with talking about one of my favourite TV shows – M*A*S*H. I’ve watched the series at least 10 times over — probably more.

Why do I watch the same episodes again and again and again?

My ongoing commitment to this 1970s wartime sitcom is not because I’m bored or because I’m too lazy to watch something new — I watch them because they’re familiar. I can predict what’s coming — even knowing many of the script lines. There are no surprise endings. No plot twists. Just dry humour, heartfelt moments, and a sense of comfort in knowing everyone on the TV screen.

And, as it turns out, there’s strong neuroscience behind the importance of this familiarity.

When we rewatch a familiar show, listen to a favourite song, or read a treasured bedtime story to our children, our brains breathe a sigh of relief. The amygdala — the part of the brain that scans for danger like a hypervigilant squirrel — gets to take a break. It recognizes the storyline, the characters, the music. There’s no threat. Just Corporal Radar O’Reilly trying to keep the M*A*S*H camp running smoothly. 

This is what neuroscientists call comfort-watching — something that reduces one’s cognitive load. Your prefrontal cortex — the part of your brain responsible for planning and decision-making gets to rest. When you comfort-watch (or comfort-listen or comfort-read) you already know what happens next. There’s no need to analyze, predict, or problem solve — you just relax and take it all in.

Science has shown that there is a fundamental need for our brains to find that ‘relax mode’ — to not worry about what might be coming next.

A 2012 study found that rewatching familiar shows helps people feel soothed, restored, and emotionally grounded. It’s not about entertainment—it’s about emotional safety. Another study showed that people turn to familiar media when they’re emotionally drained because it provides a sense of control and predictability.

So, how does comfort-watching, or comfort-listening or comfort-reading relate to the classroom? Think about why children insist on hearing the same story over and over again.

Why do Kindergarten students want to sing the same song every morning? It’s not because they lack imagination. It’s because their developing brains crave predictability. Neuroscience shows that repetition strengthens neural pathways, helping children process language, emotions, and cause-and-effect relationships.

Star Wars – My Movies of Choice

There were reports that during the 2020 pandemic that large numbers of people turned to their childhood TV shows and movies. When surrounded by the unknowns of the pandemic, people found themselves surfing to find series or movies that were familiar. When the world feels chaotic, our nervous system reaches for what’s known. Predictable stories act like a buffer between us and the unknown. They bring order to chaos.

And for our students — especially those navigating big emotions, new environments, or transitions — familiarity is a powerful form of regulation.

This is why school routines matter.

Morning circle time on the carpet for Kindergarten students, consistent classroom expectations, emotionally safe spaces where a dysregulated child can surround themselves with familiarity — and, yes, even Pizza Fridays — all help students feel grounded. When we create predictable environments, we’re not just managing behaviour — we’re supporting brain development.

Radar and Hawkeye from M*A*S*H

So, don’t despair when a child seeks familiarity. Think of it as their brain ‘taking a breath’ to become centered. Their brains are doing exactly what they’re wired to do — seek safety through familiarity.

And if you find yourself rewatching M*A*S*H, Friends or Star Wars after a long day, know that you’re not being lazy.

You’re self-regulating. Neuroscience says so.