Karen Mackenzie
Northern News Services
Published Monday, December 10, 2007

ARCTIC BAY - A group of Inuujaq school students are learning through teaching as part of their all-Inuktitut life skills class.

While enrolled in the Allaajaaqtut course, five Grade 11 students will have a chance to pass on some newfound wisdom to their younger peers.

"The students have to come up with a plan to teach younger kids about healthy relationships and feelings," said teacher Audrey Qamanirq.

The class encourages students to explore topics like healthy relationships, helping others and building on one's strengths, with a big emphasis on developing communication skills, she said.

"It was really hard in the beginning for them to express their feelings. They were shy, now they're able to work in groups more openly," Qamanirq explained. "Most of them are in relationships themselves, whether between their family members or a boyfriend or girlfriend, and it really helps them."

When it comes time for them to pass on their learning to others, students identify a topic, choose a grade level and then formulate their own lesson plan.

"I was kind of shy but it wasn't really that hard," said student Lorraine Kilabuk.

The 16-year-old chose to focus on the issue of bullying for her presentation, which was offered to a Grade 7 class.

Her six-point project on "fighting fair" outlined the value of listening with an open mind, rather than reacting with blame or violence.

"It was kind of important," she said.

So far the response from both the younger students and the Allaajaaqtut "teachers" has been great, Qamarniq said.

"I think it's nice for them to see a young person coming in to do a presentation," she added.

Its success might be due to the fact that this is the first time the class has been taught by an aboriginal teacher in Inuktitut, "and it is really making a difference," Qamarniq pointed out.

"I have one student who is taking it for the third time, and she said she understands parts of it for the first time this year," she said. "It really helps, being a bilingual teacher and teaching this unit in our own language."