Aboriginal students are unique individuals. This report’s resources give examples of cultural world views, home language, protocols, prior knowledge and experiences to assist teachers with issues that they may encounter in their classrooms (Hanlen, 2009). Dialect differences can create learning issues for teachers and Aboriginal students. These difficulties have contributed to the inequitable outcomes gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students. Teachers must consider teaching Standard Australian English (SAE) as a second …show more content…
This will allow educators to implement academic programs that address the needs and perspectives of Indigenous peoples. Teachers must be mindful of resources which may contain photos of people who are deceased. Teachers should also be aware of texts that use words such as “was, were” and “lived”. As these terms are in the past tense, they might give a negative message to students that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are of the past and not recognized in the present. Teachers should discuss lessons addressing Aboriginal perspectives with elders, community leaders and parents prior to implementing them in the classroom. Craven (2011) states that the more people that are involved in this educational process, the greater the success will be for all involved.
For example, the documentary “Strong and Smart” includes a scene where the storytelling-based lesson plan is implemented by means of a narrative told through a dance. Viewers see the students engaged in and enjoying this experience while showing respect to their elders who support the lesson. Another scene shows students engaged in a bushwalk outside the classroom. This class discusses Dreamtime stories and local plant life based on historical information given by their community elders (Department of Education,