My Goals

It felt like a very full week - 4 long days of classes followed by a day at school today (Friday), however, it was so worth it. This day to reconnect with the class at my host school was really great. I chatted with my AT and she is just throwing me right into it. I'm going to be teaching 3 units (WOW): Fractions and Decimals, New France and Creative Writing / A novel study in English. I am really excited and really looking forward to having this week off to start my planning...and getting all those projects out of the way so when I am in practicum I can focus solely on that.

I wrote these goals down (thanks lululemon!) even before I had started this practicum, but I think this is a good place to share them. Here is what I wrote down:

- Journal / Blog every day (or nearly everyday) about the teaching experience.
- Be involved with a sports team or an extra-curricular activity
- Start either an after school reading program, a math club, a drama club or a yoga group depending on what the interest is.
- Invite the prinipal to one of my lessons for feedback.
- Have all my lesson plans finished before day 1 of the practicum block.
- Learn all the students' names before the end of the observation week.

Now that I have met the students, learned a bit more about the school and the culture of the group, I think I have a few more that I want to add:

- Include DPA in my lessons (in an integrated manner) at least 3x / week.
- See my friends at least once / week outside of school.
- Go to the gym or yoga at least 3 times / weekday.
- Create new methods of assessment for me and for the students, which is interesting and dynamic.

This is obviously just a working list, but I think it is a good start.

The Gift

This past week with my students and this present week while in classes, I have been doing quite a bit of thinking about this idea of "the gifted class". There seems to be something wrapped up in that label that I haven't quite been able to unpack. This entry is my attempt at understanding what that label means and could mean, in relation to my class.

For starters, teachers and the students themselves seem to use that label as a threat or as some kind of an expectation. In the short 5 days that I was with my group, I heard more than one supply teacher say "You are the gifted students. You should get this no problem" - what if a student were in this class because she was gifted in language and verbal communication, but she struggled in math. If that comment were made to her while she was struggling with a math problem, I wonder what that might do to her developing sense of self.

Deena (her name has been changed) is a student in this classroom who is very much a leader, has a very subtle mean streak to her and is often rude and outspoken. Observing in this classroom, I saw her say the odd mean comment to another student, give "skunk eye" (as I like to call it) to another student and in general just act like not a very nice young adult. While she was leaving the class, she said to the supply teacher "aren't we a nice bunch of kids" to which the supply answered "Oh yes. Oh yes, you are a nice bunch of kids" - now, I'm not disagreeing with the fact that this is a nice bunch of kids, but hearing Deena say this made me assume that this is something that this class must be hearing often...often enough that the class can act however they want, always knowing that the teachers like us, so it is okay.

The other point that I've been left to ponder is that the students in this class are gifted when it comes to numeracy and language. Where are the students who are gifted musicians, gifted painters, students who are beyond average when it comes to bodily / kinaesthetic knowledge? These students are smart in one or two areas - I would not say that they are all well rounded or socially well adjusted. How do we decide students are "gifted"? Shouldn't we treat all students as the wonderful, "good", and gifted students that they are?

Resolutions

I've also had the opportunity to watch other teachers (mainly supply teachers), besides my really fabulous AT, and make some decisions about things I want to do and will never do as a teacher. Here are my thoughts below:

1.I will never talk down to a student or make them feel dumb, bad, stupid or inadequate.
2.I will never publicly embarrass a student.
3.If I ever become a supply teacher, I will be the kind who engages students, makes their classroom interesting, tries to get to know who the students are and ensures that they still learn in the absence of their teacher.
4.I will never use a textbook as a teaching tool, only as a resource. A textbook, no matter how well written it is, can never replace good teaching.
5.I will never say that a subject that students learn about is “boring” regardless of how I personally feel about the topic.
6.I will strive to make all subjects interesting for my students and give them the opportunity to see adventure, magic and wonder (no matter how old they are) in every subject.

I hate to get all dogmatic about the teaching profession, but this role is so crucial to our society and it can really make or break an entire generation of young people. Like parenting, it is such a delicate art that cannot have enough written about and something that you can be learning about for a lifetime. I am proud to be a profession of lifelong learning.

Welcome To...

I like to use the analogy of travel when coming in to a new class for the first time. You are the outsider. You must learn the new customs and routines of the people you are visiting in order to thrive. You have to be open and flexible to your new situation. And, like many other (or maybe all other) life situations, you have to have a healthy sense of humour to make light of all that happens.

I feel like I am in a new country.

And that doesn't mean to say that this new country is better or worse than the other places I have visited, but it is different and needless to say there is a degree of culture shock involved with this week. I am forever grateful to the creation of the observation week. This is why I love it:

So rarely before you begin a new job do you get to come and just watch what is happening and be witness to the people, the routines, the culture and the norms so you will be more successful when you do start your “work”.
It gives you a chance to warm up to the students and the students a chance to warm up to you.
When you leave the school and go back to classes, knowing who your students and your teacher is, you can more effectively plan and prepare your lessons.
You get used to waking up at the wee morning hours and getting yourself to school on time.

This all being said, I have to admit that 5 full days of observing is tough. Even for the keenest observers out there (so maybe this is me, I am a people watcher, what can I say?) - I often feel like I should be doing something. Like sitting, taking notes, and generating ideas is not enough. My last placement the observation time was cut down to 2 and a half days. God bless the independent school system. All kidding aside, 5 days is a long time and I look forward to second year when observation time is a little shorter...or so I've been told.

A Successful Start

This long day was pleasantly filled with many happy moments, hopefully an indicator of times to come at my second practicum school.

The differences between this school and my first are almost as similar as night and day. Coming out of a predominantly homogeneous group, this new class is diversity itself. I'm excited to see how that changes teaching and what new things I get to learn in this role.

I met the Principal, Vice Principal, the secretary and the librarian today - all key figures in the school, who all actually seem lovely and very friendly. That really makes a huge difference.