The First Day
The weeks before starting the teaching program I was incredibly nervous. I had just spent 2 and a half months traveling Asia where I was spent a lot of travel time reflecting on my undergrad and looking forward to the teaching program. I didn't think I had what it takes to be a teacher, much less look like one.
Then, the first day arrived, and it was time to face my fears. Immediately, it was apparent how different this program would be compared to my undergrad. I found out that we would have four instructors for a single class, this was something I had never seen - collaborative teaching. This new style of teaching became apparent as a major theme we would explore in the weeks to follow.
Building community was one of the main focuses in the first weeks of school. Several activities we did were ice breaking exercises which I came to realize were very important, and something that I would consider invaluable in my own classroom. One of my major concerns coming into teaching was public speaking. Luckily, through these exercises a safe community was built which made speaking in a group a lot easier.
Then, the first day arrived, and it was time to face my fears. Immediately, it was apparent how different this program would be compared to my undergrad. I found out that we would have four instructors for a single class, this was something I had never seen - collaborative teaching. This new style of teaching became apparent as a major theme we would explore in the weeks to follow.
Building community was one of the main focuses in the first weeks of school. Several activities we did were ice breaking exercises which I came to realize were very important, and something that I would consider invaluable in my own classroom. One of my major concerns coming into teaching was public speaking. Luckily, through these exercises a safe community was built which made speaking in a group a lot easier.
Taelor, Kayla, and Blake
We had the privilege of experiencing some wonderful guest speakers. They were 3 middle school aged children from Vernon all of which had spent time in Ms. O's classroom. Immediately, I was floored by how knowledgeable, and smart these young kids were.
Their stories were so eye-opening. Specifically, Blake's story really resonated with me. I have always worn a hat but was taught it was disrespectful to wear it in certain places, so I would always take it off accordingly. As well, my mom would kill me if I ever had it on during supper, therefore, I've always accepted it as the it way it is. But to Blake it was part of his identity and without it he felt exposed, and not himself.
Taelor's story was the tip of the iceberg and foreshadowed a large theme in the program. This was to be real with your students, form a personal relationship with them. This way you better understand where they are coming from, and therefore can be a much more effective teacher to them. Her story made something like homework so minimal in the grand scheme of things.
Finally, Kayla's story was on of alienation, and served as a warning, of how easy it can be to leaving a child feeling left out.
Their stories were so eye-opening. Specifically, Blake's story really resonated with me. I have always worn a hat but was taught it was disrespectful to wear it in certain places, so I would always take it off accordingly. As well, my mom would kill me if I ever had it on during supper, therefore, I've always accepted it as the it way it is. But to Blake it was part of his identity and without it he felt exposed, and not himself.
Taelor's story was the tip of the iceberg and foreshadowed a large theme in the program. This was to be real with your students, form a personal relationship with them. This way you better understand where they are coming from, and therefore can be a much more effective teacher to them. Her story made something like homework so minimal in the grand scheme of things.
Finally, Kayla's story was on of alienation, and served as a warning, of how easy it can be to leaving a child feeling left out.
Artifact Day
We were asked to bring in an artifact that personified our passion for teaching. For myself I brought in a picture of a teacher that changed my outlook on education, and schooling. His name was Mr. Seward. Prior to having him, school was so dull for me. Instead of teaching from the text book, he started an amazing program. Every student in grade 10 went to the town's cenotaph, grabbed a name from WWI, then researched that soldier. We then went to the national archives to view all of their documents. This project really engaged me.
The other artifacts that were shared with me, were so interesting, and diverse.
The other artifacts that were shared with me, were so interesting, and diverse.
Case 1: Adolescent Development in Context
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When I first read Liam's case I related with him. Some of how Liam was described ran parallel with my experience at his age. This led me to believe it was 'normal.' After speaking with a fellow classmate about it, I had a totally new perspective. This really opened my mind, to respect and accept others' opinions. My classmate believed that bully was central to the case, while I felt it had nothing to do with it. This experience was echoed in a quote that Dr. Cherkowski told us about in our seminar group.
My group, and I believed that Liam lacked engagement. This may be one reason that Liam is disconnected during classes.
This is a time when students are traversing adolescence, trying to forge their own identity. This is also a time of a transition of attachments. Students are becoming themselves are therefore are trying to ditch their attachment with parents. Often children will attach themselves to their peers, which can be dangerous. Without attachment to an adult, development will be arrested. This keeps them from successfully making it through the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). This is possibly what happened with Liam, in the case it emphasized that he only spent time with his friends, and was distant from his parents, and teachers.
This is a time when students are traversing adolescence, trying to forge their own identity. This is also a time of a transition of attachments. Students are becoming themselves are therefore are trying to ditch their attachment with parents. Often children will attach themselves to their peers, which can be dangerous. Without attachment to an adult, development will be arrested. This keeps them from successfully making it through the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). This is possibly what happened with Liam, in the case it emphasized that he only spent time with his friends, and was distant from his parents, and teachers.
My New Family
We soon found ourselves in 'mentor groups' which enabled us to get a better sense of community by quartering the program. I had the good fortune of finding myself with Dr. Cherkowski (Sabre) as my mentor. In this group of 18 we halved into two 'teams', Team Awesome (my team), and The Fellowship of Cherkowski. I feel so lucky to have the seven people I do in my group. We have all gotten along so well, which is quite a feat considering it's 8 different personalities, working on a single topic, coming from different specializations. Not only have my immediate family been great, but the extended, (The Fellowship) has also been unreal.
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This is a list that, with Sabre we composed together as a group. It has made life as a student much easier.