Upon reflection, I am very happy I introduced the talking circle to my students in the first week of my practicum. I made clear the importance of talking circles in indigenous cultures as well as their utility in giving us all a chance to routinely use our own voices. As the weeks went on, the talking circle was a chance to reflect on what we had accomplished, what we were feeling, and what we were looking forward to. The teacher and EA also have a voice in the talking circle, and we all celebrated the equality of our voices.
Something that makes me feel proud as a teacher is to celebrate the various cultures of the world. Specifically, I think that giving students an introduction to cultural celebrations and points of interest opens their imaginations to different and interesting ways that people give meaning to their lives. For example, I enjoyed presenting Diwali, an Indian holiday; the Canadian Arctic (Iqaluit, Nunavut); the Sunshine Coast of Australia (surfing); and Hanukkah, a Jewish celebration. I loved the organization and collaboration involved with bringing in guest speakers, and I felt the students were given great learning experiences.
I integrated indigenous ways of knowing and thinking throughout my practicum. In addition to the talking circle and circle activities, I practiced Dakleh, the local Carrier language and brought it into the classroom. I made a strong effort to communicate with First Nations groups that visited the school as well as the Aboriginal Educator. Although our school was without an AE for part of my practicum, I used the Resource Teacher and community contacts to learn and promote indigenous culture in the classroom.
I am also proud of the parent connections I have made. Before my first day of teaching, I sent home a letter to parents introducing myself. Many parents send me private messages to tell me that their child is loving going to school. This warms my heart. I truly want to ignite each child’s natural curiosity for learning. After school, I made a point to chat with parents, answer questions, and generally be a positive member of the school community. Several parents communicated with me that they enjoyed the open conversation. I feel that I have made several strong connections with parents, and I value the trust they give me in teaching their children.
One way that I earn trust is by working hard to prepare for each lesson. I come to school each day with my day carefully prepared. I spend a lot of time making sure my lessons are meeting the objectives of the unit, and I try hard to integrate creativity. During class, I make mental notes about what is going well and what could be improved, and I make these notes in my lesson plans. Before leaving school, I always make sure I am ready for the next day. I do my marking and photocopying. I make sure that I have enough material for assessments. I am organized, and I use my readiness to help other teachers. For example, during this practicum, I worked closely with the other grade 2 teacher, who used my prepared materials. I feel good when I can help out the school community. I believe my organizational skills and preparation strategies are highly effective.
I enjoyed teaching all of the subject areas, and I found cross-curricular teaching to be of great benefit to the students. For example, by reinforcing “I can” statements across subject areas, I found that I was able to be creative and deepen learning. On Remembrance Day, for example, I taught “In Flanders Field,” and I used a version read by Leonard Cohen, the Canadian poet and singer. I showed the students how the poppy is a symbol for Remembrance Day. In the next lesson, students used coloured chalk to draw and colour poppies. I also enjoyed the variety of teaching all lessons, even physical education. I enjoyed the preparation and teaching of lessons, especially in context to igniting the natural curiosity of the students.
I am proud of my creative approaches to learning. I love lessons that involve hands-on activities and art. For example, my Picasso lesson integrated self-discovery which attaches to Personal Core Competencies. I think the students loved the lesson, and I feel they were learning on multiple levels. I feel good when I see the students learning. I am passionate about making and studying art, and I love brining young minds into the wonders of the art world.
I take all of the feedback and recommendations I receive from my CT and PE to heart. I think deeply about how I can be a better teacher. I know that I have an accent, and I think a lot about how I can minimize it to ensure that students understand me. I try and slow down, repeat myself, use visual aids, and always remain open to asking for help. I know that being overtired hurts my oral performance, so I try hard to stay rested. I am also keen to take the advice I get and turn it into learning opportunities. I spend a lot of time reading and listening to different educational materials to try and get the best strategies for helping students learn. I have set up an appointment with my school’s Resource Room teacher to learn more phonics. As I speak multiple languages, I take meaning and understanding seriously. I take time and effort to make sure that every student understands me and the class intentions and “I can” statements.
I believe that every child matters, and I am dedicated to making the classroom a safe, welcoming, and inspiring place. I meet every student with a smile at the start of the day. Throughout the day, I try and make comments to support each student’s learning. At the end of the day, I do my best to make sure every student is excited about coming back tomorrow. It is a privilege to lead a classroom. I am lucky to have the chance to teach such wonderful students.Â
