My personal connection to British Columbia’s school system:
Practicum Reflections from R.L. Cleminson
Alex Peterson, TM: Jacquie Strom, Gr. 6/7, Practicum Reflection Journal, Entry #1
The experience of being in an intermediate classroom has been an eye-opening one that has led to a lot of reflection and consideration of student background as well as the variation in class structure by grade.
A primary example of a variable that I wouldn’t have accounted for prior to my days in practicum was that attending school and just being physically present for class is a struggle for some students. A student in the Gr. 6/7 class I have been observing has a lot of social anxiety and anger management issues. This has led to the constant gravitation towards using ‘being sick’ as an evasion tactic for class. Without prior context, an educator would assume that this was a behavioural issue that could be remedied with better integration. However, I learned that just showing up to school for a solid week had been a struggle for the student and that even having that student in the classroom setting was a huge step forward. I also learned that incrementally increasing the students’ involvement with classwork was the more effective way than ‘throwing them into the deep end’ to encourage learning. This involved setting small goals like requiring that the student do 5 minutes of a subject a day and slowly increasing the workload over time. Another strategy that was implemented was the staff accommodations/concessions surrounding what made the student feel comfortable and more willing to attend. This included allowing the student to sit by themselves sometimes, wear their hood in class, and not be called upon directly for class discussion.
This was a unique case where knowing about the student’s background helped me understand the classroom dynamic better and think of ways that I adapt and strategize around unique cases in my future classrooms. My number one takeaway from this scenario that as a teacher I need to remain fluid in my practice and constantly be asking myself how I can better my students’ association with school and learning in general.
My previous experience in SD73’s schools was gained mostly in the primary age group and I became used to the pace and class layout of those classrooms. Participating in the intermediate grades has made me realize how differently the lesson structures were organized. The primary classrooms are high paced and there is always a student that needs something at any given time. I think that the classroom management skills are implemented in a more rapid-fire method because there is always an unforeseen circumstance that completely disassembles any preconceived plans. What I observed in this intermediate class is that the class structures and expectations are learned much quicker than in primary and that makes the flow of class time slightly more predictable.
Another observation of mine is that there seems to be more ‘dead time’ in intermediate classes that correlates to student work being more independent. Personally, I am unsure of how this aligns with how I want my teaching to look like. In this case, I feel like the constant involvement and movement with primary students keeps me more engaged as an instructor and that might be where my teaching interests lie. I believe this opinion will definitely evolve as I gain a more comprehensive background with all of the age groups.
Alex Peterson, TM: Jacquie Strom, Gr. 6/7, Practicum Journal Reflection Entry #2
Within the span of the last two weeks I have been immersed in a multitude of situations with many students and all of them have been unique. However, the moments that prudently remain in my mind are the opportunity to witness and eventually organize inquiry circles and a field trip to another school for a presentation about 2SLGBTQ and gender identity.
I was first introduced to Inquiry Circles when allowed to sit in on one with Colleen Smails’ Grade 4/5 Class. The students had the opportunity to work with a literary resource from the Henry Grube center for about 4 weeks. This resource consisted of 5 sets of books based on pertinent topics that were selected to present relevant information as well as inspire critical thinking. Accompanying these books was a handout with reactions to text that students could create/write on sticky notes for expanding their reactions according to how they interpreted the text. As I participated as an active listener in one of these inquiry circles based around these readings and led by Mrs. Smails, I realized that this particular age group had very profound ideas. In this structure of turn-based sharing through a ‘talking stick,’ every student had a chance to participate without being talked over by a peer. This confirmed for me that students truly thrive on structure whether it is instruction based or peer to peer communication. Not only did this methodology increase the uptake of new information but it also allowed for students to share constructively with substantially less pressure than a full class presentation. I believe Inquiry Circles also increase social skills that revolve around the acknowledgement and importance around opinions and their ability to change perspective.
I had the opportunity to follow Mrs. Strom and the Gr. 6/7s’ to a presentation at another school on the topics of the 2SLGBTQ community and gender identity. Having an incredible amount of information presented in such a short period of time made me realize how many facets are included under the subject. It also made me realize how easily the students adapted to new ideas due to their lack of biases and preconceptions of societal norms. As an educator in a workplace, this was a reminder that not only do we have to be accommodating to the diversity of our students but our colleagues as well. For me, this is a reminder that as a public school system it is important for educators to be as inclusive as possible to best serve the public. This event was an important reinforcement for the ideology that teachers are always students. I think that the practice of constantly adapting is something that is becoming increasingly valued as our society rapidly changes and continues to work towards better represent the minorities within.
Alex Peterson, TM: Jacquie Strom, Gr. 6/7, Practicum Journal Reflection Entry #3
Throughout this short Practica, exploring the structures of an intermediate classroom has been an interesting journey. Getting to know the personalities of individual students and their learning styles has enabled me to connect the content I have learned in my program to the school setting in a variety of ways. An explicit detail I have learned is the variety of capabilities that are present in any given classroom. I find this particularly interesting because not only does this affect how you teach but also how the student perceives it. In this case, the behaviour of the student is being affected by many factors that are often out of my control as an educator. Recognizing this has made me more cognisant of how flexible and accommodating I have to be to those ‘off’ days and plan students’ learning around it.
I have also learned that the shift in behaviour within the class truly impacts the effectiveness of classroom management strategies. This connects to the idea that you can not predict future events unfolding but can do your best to build a personal knowledge base on how your students react and what can trigger certain individuals. This learning experience has also brought to my attention the areas I need to improve upon within conducting my lessons. I have learned that I do not manage my students by speaking over them and therefore need to wait for complete attention before I proceed. Being consistent with that expectation will not only benefit how I impart new information but also provide a clear structure in how I run my classroom.
Also providing clear expectations for student work is such an integral part of open communication between the teacher and student that keeps them engaged and ready to learn.
Being introduced to the formatting of planning lessons has been a critical tool in determining the results of how an envisioned process unravels in the classroom. I found that the lesson template helped me break down my intentions thoroughly enough that I could do a better job of recognizing any shortcomings. That being said, if this planning alone was to be labelled as a 100 percent guaranteed recipe for educational success, I would have to disagree. It has the potential for recognizing the implications with pre-planned material but does not give you the tools to deal with the sudden changes and deviations that often occur within the lesson. For me, this has been an important factor for visualizing different outcomes as well as being comfortable enough with the material beforehand to not be lost if the lesson changed mid-way through. I think it is very important considering that a lot of value comes from student inquiry and this in itself can redirect any lesson albeit, often in favour of the students’ learning.
With creating a focus on developing an organization and flow to lessons I have noticed how rigid I am in my lessons. I can see that because I am new to managing a class, I stick to a rigid plan that doesn’t create the best environment for student-led discussion. However, I do realize that this ability to offer more student-led lessons will develop as I gain more experience and have a longer time period than 1 day a week devoted to building a relationship with my students that makes me more comfortable.
Reflection
Looking back on these journals I can see that there was a clear growth in my mindset even throughout the span of my short time in the classroom. Something that I can identify is the age-old expression that “the students have just as much to offer you as you do them”. I recognize that some skills can only be developed through experience and time in the school environment. As a working professional, I can also see that building connections with students and other staff takes time and effort. Within my time in the educational system, I have also had the opportunity to see when the effort is gone and how it affects the other people in the environment. Knowing this, I aim to try my best to work against becoming that individual.