Karolyn sat quietly in front of the room, the eyes of educators fixed upon her. The silence was thick, filled with a mix of curiosity and a hint of apprehension. Today’s workshop was centered around the First Peoples Principles of Learning. As a First Nation Pedagogist, Karolyn had developed this workshop with a singular vision: to create a space where educators could comfortably engage with Indigenous perspectives through open, genuine conversations.

"Coyote’s Eyes," a Cree story bcy Tafoya from Joanne Archibald's Indigenous Storywork was read, and each educator interpreted the story's meaning in their own way in a sharing circle. Yet, as she looked around, she sensed an unspoken tension—the educators' desire for concrete tools and definite answers, expecting Karolyn to be the expert in the room who would simplify and package Indigenous knowledge for easy consumption.

"Obviously," she thought, "they want me to be someone I'm not—a provider of quick fixes and answers.” She realized that the unfamiliarity and the pressure to teach content they did not fully grasp weighed heavily on them. Determined to shift this mindset, Karolyn expanded the workshop into a series of sessions focused on dialogue and self-regulation during difficult conversations, with a goal to not simply fill them up with knowledge, but equip them with the skills to engage meaningfully and respectfully with Indigenous content—and, by extension, with their students.

One day, as Karolyn wrapped up one of these workshop sessions, feeling overwhelmed with the need to have an outcome while seeing very little impact on the educators. “What is the point?” Why was I trying to do this? Who was I doing this for……?” She wondered, the echoes of polite applause fading behind her…

While Karolyn grappled with her purpose, elsewhere in the city, Bryant sat alone at his cluttered desk, the soft glow of his computer screen highlighting the tiredness in his eyes. He was drafting a blog post recounting his recent experience at S.P.A. Learning Center, a workplace spoiled by toxicity and oppressive micro-management.

“That is not good enough. I don’t see any progress. You are lower than 3 out of 10…”

The scars from that period were still fresh, these depreciating words invisibly chipped away at his confidence, pride, and self-worth. Despite Bryant’s dedication and extra hours spent with his students—often unpaid—the lack of support and constant belittlement had immobilized him with self-doubt as an Early Childhood educator.

"Why are you still here?" a coworker had once asked him. "You're off shift."

"I still have documentation of the children's work to put up," he had replied.

"But it's already way past your scheduled hours. You don't get paid for staying extra."

"Yeah, but... I'm doing this for the kids."

As he continued typing on, every terrible memory flooded back—the late nights spent making lesson plans to meet unreasonable demands; the lack of basic classroom necessities forcing him to purchase materials out of his own pockets; any attempts to create a nurturing learning environment were consistently undermined by a boss who valued profit over people. At S.P.A., Bryant had witnessed not only his own suffering but also the detrimental effects on his families, friends, and most heartbreakingly, the children he taught.

Pausing momentarily, Bryant gazed out the window at the street lights glimmering against the night sky. "Maybe," he thought, "by sharing my story, I can help someone else find the courage to stand up for themselves?” He took a deep breath, then continued to pour his heart into the words on the screen. Each keystroke was a step toward healing, a way to shed light on the injustices he and others had faced. That night, Bryant took control of his narrative; he was not alone in his reflection.

‘DING,’ a notification on Karolyn’s phone sounded. Picking up her phone to look at the phone notification, “Text Message from Bryant S.P.A Learning Center.”

She opened the text message from Bryant, telling her about his current employment situation and his concerns about his impending unemployment in the next two weeks. “Hey Karolyn, I know I copied you in my email detailing my resignation from S.P.A Learning Center. The boss just counter-offered me with a whole new set of promises to keep me in the company. I have had enough of these promises, which seem to stay true for a while, but they fade away completely, and everything just goes back to how it originally was. I don’t want to continue with this boss, and I am so done. I’m not going back under any circumstances. Even if I get offered a higher salary, I won’t take it. I am done with that place. The reality is, by the end of my 2 week notice, I will be unemployed and I would have to start worrying about paying rent and my daily life expenses.”

Karolyn’s heart sank. She had left the place herself a while ago but she remembered all too well the oppressive environment at S.P.A – the suffocating micro-management, the lack of support, and the way it drained the passion out of teaching. She quickly typed back, “I’m sorry to hear that, Bryant. But you know what, it’s good that you’re recognizing the rat race you’ve been caught in and are willing to put a stop to it. It takes so much courage to talk away from a toxic environment, especially when the future is uncertain.

He replied almost instantly. “Thanks Karolyn. It’s just scary, you know? Not knowing what’s next.”

“Absolutely, it’s unsettling.” She took a deep breath before responding. “But this could also be a perfect chance to find something that aligns with your values and passions.”

This simple exchange opened the floodgates. They continued texting late into night, the conversation flowing effortlessly as they delved deep into their philosophies on education. They reminisced about their days in early childhood training, discovering that they shared not only similar experiences but also the same vision for what education could and should be. Their dialogues were eclectic, each message building on the last. As the weeks went by, their conversations shifted from texts to zoom calls, and eventually to in-person meetings at the cafeteria at IKEA.

“I’ve always believed that early child education should be something about more than just imparting knowledge,” Bryant looked across the table at Karolyn. “Children learn best when they are engaged, but back at S.P.A., they didn’t care about the joy of learning, it was frustrating.”

Karolyn nodded with her mouth full of meatballs. "Exactly! And it's not just the children—we need to create supportive environments for educators too. That's been a big part of my work lately actually. Bryant, I've been thinking," she began cautiously. "I was preparing to start a new venture—Building Stewardship Spirit (B.S.S.). It would be grounded in research, humanities, and social sciences. I was aiming to address workplace oppression and foster authentic relationships in educational settings."

Bryant leaned in. “That sounds interesting, you have to tell me more.”

Karolyn smiled. “I envisioned B.S.S. as a place and space to live our best lives together, leaving behind the isolation of survival mode. I wanted to develop programs and workshops that would actually help educators and professionals like us cultivate meaningful connections, grow together, and possibly challenge oppressive systems. I think your stories, Bryant, both positive and negative, could bring in invaluable insights.”

“Are… are you offering me a job?” Bryant was stunned for a few seconds.

“Yes,” Karolyn replied. “But more than that – I’m inviting you to be part of something that could make a real difference, together.”

Emotion welled up inside him. “Thank you Karolyn, I don’t know what to say… After everything happened at S.P.A., I didn’t know where to turn. I appreciate you trusting me and giving me the opportunity.”

A New Beginning

Over the next few weeks, Bryant joined Karolyn into his new role at Building Stewardship Spirit. The position was remote, allowing him the flexibility to work from the comfort of his own home. However, his healing from a place of toxicity and trauma was far from complete. In the quiet of his home office, Bryant often found himself overworking, stressing that he wasn’t doing enough, and doubting his contributions. Work habits formed over time at S.P.A Learning Center manifested themselves from time to time, and it took much facilitation, assurance, and guidance from Karolyn to help him undo that toxicity.

One particularly hectic evening in late August, Bryant was preparing snacks and slicing fruits for an upcoming outdoor session the next day, exhausted yet determined. In his fatigue, he accidentally sliced a chunk of flesh off his left index finger while cutting strawberries.

“Ah Shoot!” he cried, quickly wrapped it in a towel and applied pressure to try to stop the bleeding. Pain immediately shot through his head, “I can still finish prepping for tomorrow”, he said to himself.

The next morning, with his left hand bandaged, Bryant showed up at the outdoor class location in Terra Nova, arms full of materials.

“Oh my god Bryant, what happened to your hand?” Karolyn was shocked.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just a small cut while prepping last night. I’m ready to go.” Bryant replied while walking to set up the materials.

Frowned with concern. “That doesn’t look like a nothing to me, you should be resting at home with such an injury”. Karolyn grabbed all the materials from his hands.

“I’m fine, really, it stopped bleeding already.” He insisted. “We have a class to run!”

Karolyn paused and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Bryant, listen. I appreciate your dedication, but I need you to take care of yourself first. Accidents happen, and your well-being is way more important than any class. We are not at S.P.A. anymore alright? Just take a week off and rest. We’ll manage, and we’ll pick up from wherever we left off when you’re healed.”

“Are you sure…?” Bryant stared at her, the weight of tiredness evident in his eyes. “I just don’t want to let the team down.” Feeling hesitated and frustrated.

Overwhelmed with empathy. “Yes. And remember, we are building something different – a place where we always got each other’s back. It’s okay to take the time and slow down, you know.”

“Thank you, Karolyn…” He finally nodded.

Bryant took the week off as Karolyn suggested. During that time, he reflected on the toxic work habits and realized that those patterns were all lingering scars of his days at S.P.A., and that it was time to put a magic band-aid on them. At the end of the week, Bryant and Karolyn met up in the Waves Coffee beside Richmond Center. The autumn sunlight casted a soft glow on the table around them.

“How are you feeling?” Karolyn asked.

“Much better,” he admitted. “I’ve got some time to think it through.”

Karolyn sipped her pumpkin chai latte. “Care to share?”

“I realized that I’ve been carrying so much weight from the previous workplace– the relentless drive to overwork, the fear of disappointing others, and the neglect of my own mental well-being.” Bryant smiled, relief mingling with gratitude. “I appreciate you looking out for me.”

Karolyn nodded. “Toxic environments can leave deep scars, but we’re in this together this time. And don’t forget, part of our mission at B.S.S. is to create a healthier way of working and living.”

Building Stewardship Spirit

There, the concept of Building Stewardship Spirit was officially born – a community-benefit organization dedicated to addressing workplace oppression and the injustices experienced by professionals, children, and families. Their goal was to empower individuals to build authentic relationships, embrace diversity, and challenge oppressive systems.

The name itself was a deliberate choice– a provocation to co-create an understanding of the meaning behind it. It was about creating opportunities for collective growth, where everyone contributed to and benefited from the shared journey.

“We get to know who we are and start taking care of ourselves and each other,” Karolyn often explained it in this way. “We are building ways to cultivate our spirits to live authentically in a world that reimages acts of kindness, generosity, and unconditional love as foundational to our roles and responsibilities as people.”

Together, Karolyn and Bryant started designing programs that emphasized the importance of self-care, mutual respect, and authentic connections. They also included children in their vision-making, exploring community spaces, and bringing humanities and care back to life for educators. As more members joined B.S.S., they discovered a place where they could explore unfamiliar topics without fear– a space where they recover, rejuvenate, and get back to what they love. Most importantly, they learned to appreciate the importance of being their authentic selves.

Karolyn and Bryant’s paths, once marked by doubt and isolation, had converged into a shared mission of empowerment and change. Through Building Stewardship Spirit, they cultivated a community where diversity is pedagogy, and authenticity is priority. As they look toward the future, they both know there is still so much work to be done, but they are no longer alone in their efforts as they have each other and a growing community of like-minded individuals ready to make meaningful changes.

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