We usually associate the months of June and July with vacation and relaxation. However, for a large number of Inuit teachers in Nunavik, it is actually a busy time focused on professional development.
The Summer Institute, a time-honoured tradition
Once school is finished, it’s the teachers’ turn to sit in classrooms as students. Every year, over 70 teachers make their way to one of Nunavik’s villages to take part in the Summer Institute courses, offered through McGill University in partnership with Kativik Ilisarniliriniq.
This year, the courses were held in Kangiqsujuaq—with a decrease in the number of courses and participants due to bad weather. People felt as though they were among family in the hallways of Arsaniq School. The atmosphere was alive with energy, and laughter was bursting out of the classrooms.
The courses given during this two-week period offered the students the opportunity to obtain credits towards a certificate or a BA in Education from McGill University.
“For starters, you have to be hired by Kativik Ilisarniliriniq to access the teacher training program. We have an ongoing intake of students because hiring happens all the time. This means that historically, students are coming into the program at different times, and that they’re also graduating at different times,” says Dr. Stephen Peters, Director of the Office of First Nations and Inuit Education at McGill University.
The objective of the teacher training program is to empower teachers from the Inuktitut sector, who are often recruited with no previous experience. “Through the training sessions, their professional confidence increases, and their sense of belonging to a professional community becomes stronger as well,” says Audrée Pépin-Houle, Assistant Director of Training Development, Kativik Ilisarniliriniq. This program aims to help these teachers become legally qualified, while also encouraging their retention. “When you feel supported and guided, it makes you want to stay,” she adds.
I learned so much with the teacher training. I was privileged to be taught by experienced Inuit instructors. The courses even helped me with my parenting skills. People should not be afraid to try a teaching job. Come! We need you, and we’ll help you!
Inuit trainers from Nunavik: the heart of the program
This program would not exist without the expertise and commitment of the Inuit teachers who, over the years, have volunteered to design and present these university courses in Inuktitut.
“It needs to be emphasized. We can’t replicate any of these courses with instructors from McGill. It’s just not possible […]. It’s not a question of language, it’s much more than that. We absolutely need them. Their knowledge of the Nunavik school system, of the Inuit students, is something essential. But beyond that, what they bring to the course is exceptional.” – Dr. Stephen Peters, Director of the Office of First Nations and Inuit Education, McGill University.
The teachers who accept to become trainers for a university course are making a real decision to give back to the community. During the time they are teaching, they are not able to take a course they might need in order to obtain enough credits for their BA, for example.
In fact, our trainers often prioritize the advancement of their peers and community over their own advancement.
Courses on the McGill campus
Barely two weeks after the Summer Institute, a smaller group of teachers were again packing their suitcases to fly down to McGill University in Montreal, where two courses were to be given.
By being on campus, these students become fully aware of their status as university students. “Practically all of our courses are given in Nunavik, so McGill is an abstract and distant concept for them. When they get there, they are proud. They can get their photo ID, go to the library, and absorb the atmosphere of places that represent a whole period in the history of Canada,” Audrée Pépin-Houle explains.
And this summer, the art course was given entirely in Inuktitut, right in the university.
It’s something that is very rare and something that we can be extremely proud of. To hear Inuktitut spoken in the halls this week, and even in the lecture rooms, to hear the trainers addressing the students in Inuktitut, that’s very special. Not just for McGill, but for all the universities in North America in general! Our partners’ programs are probably some of the only ones in North America being conducted entirely in Indigenous languages.
Teaching is a rewarding and stimulating career.
If you’re considering it, get in touch with your village’s school!
Teachers who are new to the profession have a whole team supporting them. They may also have access to university training programs.
We offer very attractive benefits!