Being ‘smart’ in the best way: Al Fricker and Indigenous education
Last year, Dr Aleryk (Al) Fricker’s seminar Decolonising the Classroom was rated the highlight of the IEU/AEU Student Teacher Conference. We spoke to Al to find out why early career teachers react so strongly to his teachings.
Al Fricker, a proud Dja Dja Wurrung (central Victorian goldfields) man, is a passionate educator and researcher, and a highly respected initial teacher educator. He is currently employed at RMIT University as a lecturer in the School of Education and he previously taught in primary and secondary school settings. But as a student, he may not have expected a future career as an educator – Al says his own experiences at school were ‘a near constant struggle against what I perceived as rules for the sake of rules’.
And there was worse.
‘I still have vivid memories of my Year 7 history teacher proclaiming that Australia was discovered in 1770 by Captain Cook, and the humiliation I felt when I was removed from the class for asking about my Aboriginal ancestors and being ‘smart’. This is an experience that I never want another First Nations student to experience.’
Outside such formative traumas, Al’s views on education were shaped by his interactions with teachers.
‘My journey as a teacher was largely inspired by a desire to be like the teachers that I loved so that I could encourage my students to enjoy their time as learners in the classroom, the same ways that I had with the few teachers who had supported me. I also wanted to ensure that I did not repeat the same errors that the teachers
I loathed had done.’
Al says he felt a ‘fierce loyalty’ to teachers who earned his respect. And this informed his future career as a teacher educator. He wanted to help teachers ensure that they ‘increase the visibility of First Nations contexts in their classrooms’.
Al worked for a major metropolitan newspaper in Melbourne while studying for his undergraduate degree. He says this work honed his writing skills for broader audiences than university assessors and still helps make his research and
teaching ‘as accessible as possible’.
‘This period also gave me great insight into the dark machinations within the private media industry and the power that they had to shape national discourse on issues related to racism and First Nations rights. On a practical level, this has provided me with much material to support the learning of my students’.
Al’s stint as a classroom teacher gave him ‘a far greater understanding’ of
the limitations of First Nations content
within the curriculum.
‘I also gained great insight into the challenges around the implementation of Indigenous education policy in schools, as well as the great need to better integrate First Nations pedagogical practices and increase teacher training to focus on these aspects within the classroom.’
He says teaching in a remote school in the Aboriginal community of Papunya as part of his PhD research taught him about the challenges ‘still inherent
within the Australian education system’ and highlighted that decolonising the classroom has important outcomes for all students ‘regardless of their cultural contexts’.
Al’s teaching now focuses on practical ways that teachers and schools can modify their day-to-day business to achieve better outcomes for First Nations communities.
He says new teachers have a huge appetite for better First Nations education.
‘Even today, when I’m working with my post-graduate students, I will usually get several who are disgusted about how little they learned about First Nations people in their schooling and undergraduate years.’
His students say working with First Nations pedagogies is ‘transformative’ and they want to share such experiences with their future students.
‘They also comment about how engaging with this content provides an opportunity to demystify the whole process and allow them to engage with it with confidence.’
Al says he often finds teachers are intimidated by the challenge of teaching First Nations history.
‘The vast majority of teachers know that engagement with First Nations contexts in the classroom are currently not good enough, and know that they should be doing more, but struggle to figure out where to begin and where to find appropriate resources. Part of my job is to address their discomfort and build their skills and confidence to be able to find and use appropriate resources.
‘My golden rule is always, if you’re not sure, ask.’
He says the first step for teachers is usually a ‘focus on self-reflection’.
‘Before we can begin the process of decolonisation, we need to consider our own inherent biases and assumptions. The next step is to seek out appropriate information that can challenge these biases and assumptions.’
‘I have had the privilege of working with Matilda Education on their Good Humanities series of textbooks and these are excellent resources to use in the classroom and are full of important information for students and teachers. I have also been working with Australians Together as a cultural consultant and they are completing a project creating teacher resources that link directly to the Australian Curriculum for all year levels and disciplines.’
Al also encourages teachers to engage with local community events like marches, community celebrations, sporting carnivals, galleries, exhibitions, and plays.
‘These are great ways to get to know the community and for them to get to know you.’
Al’s work is so popular that he’s now working with several schools to provide follow-up professional development after delivering his initial courses.
‘This has been limited by Covid, but this is certainly something that I am seeking to expand for 2022 and beyond. Anyone who attends my seminar is welcome to contact me should they have any follow up questions or requests.’
From The Point: V12 No1