My name is Alex Peterson and I am currently a teacher candidate within the Elementary Education Program at Thompson Rivers University. To preface a bit about myself I want to start with my background growing up in a rural setting. I have had the benefit of being immersed in an education that has provided lots of opportunities for place-based learning with an experiential focus. I hope to blend this methodology into my teachings as a future, licensed educator in the heart of British Columbia that provides ample opportunities for students to flourish.
I have grown up with most of my knowledge being acquired from asking questions about the world around me. My fascination with how the natural world around us has come to be and how it functions has been a leading interest in my pursuit of knowledge. I am a firm believer that students should have a rounded knowledge that not only gives them a function in future careers but also gives a comprehensive understanding of social responsibility. I reflect on my experiences in my youth and think it is so vital to encourage students to retain their inquisitive nature of asking the “why” and “how” and pursuing an answer. With that in mind, I am aware of the changing landscape of pursuing knowledge and think that the search for reliable and proven information is now such an important topic amid all of the misinformation spread by the influx of social media. Shaping students that can find the answers to their questions reliably is a main focus of mine that I hope to implement in my classroom.
Throughout my studies, I have continued my passion for the sciences despite my work within a Bachelor of Arts. My course focuses have been on Geography and Earth Sciences within my undergraduate work before the Bachelor of Education. Previous to that I was enrolled in Fisheries/Aquatic sciences at Vancouver Island University where I pursued my passion for biology. All of this experience has fuelled my appreciation for minute details and processes in our world that we take for granted or might not even be aware about. This translates to my ideology of taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture. For my role as a teacher this looks like not getting wrapped up in the stressors and minor details that may seem like daunting obstacles but in reality just need to be broken down into manageable goals.
Currently, my hobbies include outdoor activities like kayaking and hiking that always allow for experiences that are never exactly the same. I think that this is applicable to students in the classroom when attempting to take care of themselves while juggling school and personal life. I think that there has to be a work-life balance and this applies with schooling as well. I have struggled and grown as a person in an attempt to do this as a full time student with part time work and I think that the coping mechanisms that I have developed are something that can be passed onto my future students!