Wildflowers and Weeds

Who Gets to Belong?

"They tried to bury us. They didn’t know we were seeds.”

- Mexican proverb, originated from Dinos Christianopoulos

Look around any field, any garden, any stretch of wild earth, and you’ll see a “battle.”

A battle between what we call “wildflowers” and what we call “weeds.”

One is celebrated, admired, and carefully cultivated.

The other (or “Other”)?

Pulled out, discarded, labeled as something unwanted.

But here’s the thing…

The difference between a wildflower and a weed is not biology, it is perception.

Who gets to bloom freely and who gets uprooted? Who is nurtured and who is seen as a problem to be removed? These questions don’t just belong to the garden — they belong in our schools, our workplaces, our communities.

Whether we realize it or not, we have all been taught, explicitly or subtly, who is meant to belong and who is meant to be weeded out.

Who Decides What Grows?

A dandelion cracks through the pavement, defiant and golden, only to be labeled an intruder. Meanwhile, a carefully planted flower bed is praised for its beauty, its order, its place in the world. The difference? One was expected. The other was not.

This is how systemic exclusion works. It isn’t about who can thrive — it’s about who is allowed to thrive.

Schools, workplaces, and institutions often claim to value diversity, but many still uphold systems designed to pluck out what they deem too disruptive, too different, too much.

And yet, the so-called weeds are often the strongest. They survive where others won’t. They regenerate, adapt, and persist even in the most inhospitable conditions. The problem was never the weed, it was the system that refused to see its worth.

When we think of a “successful” student, what qualities come to mind? Who does that description reflect and who does it leave out? It is important to interrogate these types of questions in ourselves so that we can recognize the possibility in every student who enters our educational ecosystem. Other questions to consider could also include:

• In what ways do I (even unintentionally) reward conformity over authenticity in my classroom?

• Are there students who are “thriving” in my space while others struggle? What systems, rules, or biases might be contributing to that gap?

If we begin to expand the definition of success and move beyond the traditional markers of achievement, recognizing multiple forms of intelligence, leadership, and creativity, we will find our garden expanded. We have to challenge deficit-thinking and notice when language such as “difficult,” “disruptive, “ “subversive,” or “defiant” are being used to describe others — are those students actually problematic or are they just resisting systems that weren’t built for them? By affirming different ways of being and making space for students to express themselves authentically, whether in the way they dress, speak, or engage with learning, we are letting every student know that they are not an intruder, they belong here with us.

Rooted in Bias: Who Gets Labeled a “Weed”?

Bias, both implicit and explicit, decides who is seen as a “wildflower” and who is dismissed as a “weed.” It shows up when certain students are labeled as “gifted” while others with the same potential are told they require “discipline” or “grit.” We know from evidence, research, and data that Black and Indigenous students face higher rates of suspension for the same behaviour their white-presenting peers are excused for. Marginalized communities are told to “assimilate” in order to succeed rather than being valued as they are.

We need to flip the script!

These patterns are not just accidental, they’re the result of centuries of social conditioning, colonial erasure, and oppressive systemic exclusion. If we don’t disrupt them, they will continue to dictate who gets to belong. We have to interrogate the implicit biases we hold about who is “naturally gifted” and who is “at risk.” Where did those beliefs come from? Go to the root source and see what you find deep inside of yourself.

When we consider the environment we are educators in, how do our policies (whether in the classroom or school-wide) such as dress codes, participation expectations, and behaviour management, reflect dominant cultural norms? Who do they unfairly discipline or exclude? Go to the root source and see what you find deep inside of your institution.

When we think of our interactions with our students and one another, do we approach with the assumption that the other person belongs here? Or do we subconsciously expect some to struggle more than others? Go to the root source of your perceived capacity for empathy and see what you find deep inside your heart.

If we were to implement actionable strategies in our schools and learning environments to disrupt these biases, it could look like asking the following:

Disciplinary and Participation Audits

What are the patterns? Are certain students disproportionately called out, corrected, or excluded from opportunities? Track your own responses and adjust when needed.

De-Centre Whiteness and Dominant Norms

Acknowledge that “professionalism,” “good behaviour,” and “engagement” often reflect Eurocentric, middle-class standards. Redefine what participation looks like in ways that include all students.

Co-Create Classroom Norms

Instead of imposing top-down expectations, involve students in shaping the culture of the space. What helps them feel safe and seen? They will let you know!

Reclaiming Space: The Power of Wild Growth

Here’s one truth (of many that are out there): wild things grow with or without permission.

They push through cracks, take root in forgotten places, stretch towards the sun even when they were never meant to make it. The question isn’t whether the so-called “weeds” will survive. They always have. The question is whether we will stop treating them as something to be removed, whether we will stop trying to tame what is meant to be wild.

Because in reality, a thriving ecosystem is not made of just one kind of flower. It is diverse, untamed, and deeply interconnected. The strongest landscapes are the ones that embrace every kind of growth — where wildflowers and so-called “weeds” stand side by side, knowing that the soil is richer when no one is left out.

When we begin to see a student’s unique way of learning, speaking, or leading as a strength instead of a problem, when we allow for organic, student-led learning and expression where we release our attachment to control, when we create opportunities for students to see themselves as agents of change and not just recipients of education — our garden grows beautifully, the landscape deepens, the horizon expands.

We must remember that not every lesson needs to be tightly controlled. We can allow time for discussion, reflection, and student-led learning because creating unstructured space for student voices can provide the most beautiful gifts of all. When we model for our students that they can take up space unapologetically, showing our students that their identities, experiences, and voices are not just “allowed” but necessary in the learning process, we see them rise.

We need to move beyond inclusion into liberation.

Inclusion asks: How do we fit students into this existing system?

Liberation asks: How do we change the system so that every student thrives?

For the sake of our students, ourselves, our schools, and our society — we must choose the latter. Every time.

Tending a More Just World

If we truly care about equity, we need to uproot the systems that decide who belongs and who doesn’t. We need to rethink which voices we amplify, whose stories we centre, and what structures we protect. Are we truly making space for all students, or are we asking them to shrink themselves to fit into our expectations without interrogating where those expectations rooted from and who planted them in us? How can we use our role as educators to challenge exclusionary systems, not just within our classrooms but beyond the walls? When I would start every year, I would write at the top of my calendar for September:

What is one small but radical shift I can make this year to nurture wild growth in my students, colleagues, or community?

We have to interrupt exclusion when we see it, whether it is a biased policy, an exclusionary behaviour or so-called “microaggression,” or an opportunity gap. We need to speak up, disrupt, and advocate. When we invest in relationships and not just rules, we begin to understand that systems change when people change. We need to build trust with students so they know they belong, no matter what.

And lastly, we need to keep learning and keep unlearning. By challenging our own assumptions regularly, we are honouring another truth: growth is constant, just like the wild things that refuse to be tamed.

The beauty of this world — just like the beauty of the wild — is not in its order. It is in its resistance. Its persistence. Its refusal to be anything other than fully alive. Like Tupac Shakur wrote:

Did you hear about the rose that grew
from a crack in the concrete?
Proving nature's law is wrong it
learned to walk with out having feet.
Funny it seems, but by keeping its dreams,
it learned to breathe fresh air.
Long live the rose that grew from concrete
when no one else ever cared.

Let’s build a world where no one is weeded out. Where the soil is rich enough for every kind of growth. Where wildflowers and so-called weeds stand together, not fighting for space, but expanding it.

Real justice isn’t only about pulling up what doesn’t fit, it’s about planting something better.

The question is:

Are we making room for all that is meant to grow?

Stay wild,

Ms. K