Idil Abdulkadir, Educator
I am a S.T.E.M. educator (mostly M, rarely E) with over a decade of experience as a classroom educator, instructional coach, and curriculum developer. I think, speak, and write about designing classrooms that center student well-being and aim towards thriving. The foundation of my work is that classrooms are communities; a union of the communities that we create in them and the communities we bring to them.
In addition to my work in K-12 schooling with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, I completed a Master of Arts in Education in which I studied the experience of first-generation university students. This work explored issues of belonging, identity, and well-being to answer the question of how youth from marginalized communities form student identities.
Did I mention that I love technology? I love technology and the possibilities for play and exploration that it can create in the classroom. In 2019, this love of technology and good pedagogy led me to a Desmos Fellowship, which became a full-time Curriculum Developer position at Desmos Classroom (at Amplify Education).
My philosophy of education…
Classrooms
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Communities
Classrooms AND Communities: I believe that schools are always in conversations with the communities they are located in and the communities that they serve. Classrooms and schools should work with families and communities because we all want the best for students.
Classrooms AS Communities: I believe that creating a sense of safety, belonging, and community in our classrooms is central to our work as educators. Students learn best when they feel safe, when they are valued, and when they have strong relationships with their teachers and peers. Community building is a pedagogical skill.
Classrooms IN Communities: I believe that our classroom content and norms should reflect the communities that our students belong to. Curriculum does not exist in a vacuum - it should be culturally and contextually appropriate because schools exist in communities.