Cannot believe it is over

Well this is our final week, it feels as if it has been a long practicum but at the same time it has really passed quickly. Having the March break divide our time here into two definitely played a part in this. 4 weeks were really 5 and with the extra observation days this time around, I feel as if it has been more like a 3-month practicum.

The closer we get to the end of the year, the closer I can see myself sitting behind a desk in my own classroom with my own students. As much as I have learnt and benefitted from my time in another persons classroom, I am more than ready to be the one that the students know to be their teacher. To take a group of students from the start of the year to the end, with them knowing you are their one and only teacher, is an experience I cannot wait to happen.

That being said, I have to remind myself not too look to far forward because I am getting the best of both world right now. I get to interact with the students as if I was their teacher, without the added responsibility of being their teacher. I am of course ready for that duty, but at the same time it is nice to just see the good parts. It’s almost like an aunt or an uncle with their nephew or niece. When the child starts crying they can be passed to their parents.

week 3

Well in coming back from March break it is definitely a challenge to get the students back on track. It took most of the day on Monday to round up the excitement that the students were bringing back to the classroom. It was great to spend some quality time chatting with the students about what they did over their break. Again, this is a great chance to create a connection that extends beyond the classroom and more into their real life.

In sharing my own personal experience, the students get a little bit of insight into my own personal light and allow them to see me in a different light. This connection is crucial if a teacher wants to connect to their students. I know personally, that the type of teacher I wish to be is one that teaches students as much about the curriculum as I do about life. At the end of the day, we as educators are given the duty of preparing students for survival in our society. This can be accomplished through the curriculum, but the best chance is in sharing your own personal experiences with the students. From your own mistakes and success’ the students can gain some valuable insight into their own lives.

At this point of our school year, I can say that my own personal identity is slowly shifting to that of an educator. They way I look at things or interact with people is definitely leaning from the lens of an educator and this shift in my focus can only benefit my future students.

Week 2

Well, a week in and I can already feel the difference between a rotary setting to a core class. I feel as if I already know these students better than I knew the 160 students I worked with in my first practicum. One main reason for this is the fact that we have had 2 skating days since I have been at Humewood.

There is something to be said for getting to know students in the classroom setting, but it is a much deeper connection when it is out of the school and in a more day-to-day setting. It allows the students to see you as a person and for you to see them as people. It tears down the student-teacher dynamic to some degree. This is the type of teacher I want to be. I want to talk to the students like they are people first and students second. Too many times I overhear teachers talking to students as if they were children, which they are, but they are people first. If you talk to students like they are people, then we can slowly break down the pedestal that teachers are placed on and meet the students on an equal footing.

Along with the skating trip, I was fortunate enough to see a mini opera with them at the Wynchwood Barns called, “Sanctuary Song”. Again taking them out of the classroom provided this opportunity for a connection that wouldn’t have been available in the traditional classroom setting.

Week two down, two more to go.

Hello Humewood

Well it is hard to believe that our second practicum is underway. It is no real surprise, but this year really has flown by. It really is amazing how in such a short amount of time, your outlook on things can change. At the beginning of this year I was attempting to change my mindset to that of a student. Now, at this point, my mindset has changed once again from a student to that of an educator.

With the start of this second practicum, I can only imagine how I will once again change by the months end. But that is life, if we are not constantly changing who me are, than the world will pass us by. To be an educator you must first have a love of knowledge. You can’t tell students to get excited about something if it doesn’t excite you first.

This practicum will be a challenge in that it is in a core class, with subject areas out of my comfort zone. However, to be the educator that I foresee myself being, I must work on my weaknesses and turn them into my strengths. At the end of the day, it is the kids who matter, and if I haven’t given it my all not only have I sold myself short, but more importantly the students will suffer.

We shall see what this month has in store.