Our cultural identity shapes who we are and how we experience our world. Every student comes with their own unique path. Our students come to us with experience, knowledge, values, beliefs. Culture, and worldviews. Identity shapes how you see the and understand the world around you. With so many diverse cultural identities how we as educators can ensure all our students feel safe and accepted in the classroom. Dr. Jessie King emphasised the important of cultural safety, humility and promoting respect. So how can we create a framework for cultural safety and humility. Cultural safety means to be safe in our interactions, respectful and meaningful engagement. Cultural humility pushes us educators and individuals to look and reflect at our own power and privilege, “cultural humility involves humbly acknowledging oneself as a learner when it comes to understanding another’s experience” (Creating a Climate for Change). Personal reflection is evident in fostering cultural humility. It is important for both teacher and students to develop self-awareness of their own culture, identity, and biases.
Creating a cultural safe community within a classroom allows students entire being to feel at ease and not alienated, it allows students to feel free to embrace their cultural identity. Dr. Jessie king discussed how we as teachers can incorporating the for Rs of Indigenous Education to Indigenize and decolonize school. The four R’s include respect, relevance, reciprocity, and responsibility. Teaching through the 4 Rs can help aid in reconciliation. 

            Kirkness & Barnhard teach us that educators and schools can begin to Indigenize and decolonize schooling using the Four Rs: Respect First Nations cultural integrity, provide education that is relevant to First Nations perspectives and experience, foster reciprocal relationships, and demonstrate responsibility through participation (2001). 

To Indigenize the classroom educators needs to incorporate authentic Indigenous worldviews, culture, and values. To decolonize we need to take control and educate ourselves. Unlearning decolonizing practices and learning collaborative and respectful practices is essential in order to engage in meaningful and respectful relationships.