My top 6 highlights & learnings:
- A return to multiage classrooms – Having done my practicum in a Montessori school with a class of grade 4/5/6 students, multiage classes are very much the norm for me. Spending this week at FRESreally reminded me how much I love them! Having students of different ages and abilities really facilities student-to-student learning, and gives older students the opportunity to be leaders in their classrooms.
- Monday’s butterfly release – The K/1/2s were so excited about finally letting their butterfly friends free! They have had them since they were caterpillars, and I got to help them write the final page in their butterfly books.
- Wednesday’s Big House performance – This has really been a highlight of my CFE so far. Being invited to the Big House and able to see students from schools across the district perform cultural dances was incredibly moving. The building itself was really awe inspiring – a huge cedar frame with an opening in the roof for smoke to escape and large totem poles at either ends of the building. Iwasalso able to help dress the FRES K/1/2s for their Salmon Dance and learned how to put on the button blankets, aprons and headpieces. Coming from Toronto (where indigenous culture is unfortunately not very visible), this was such a memorable experience.
- Thursday’s play-doh kitchen – I spend Thursday with the 3/4 class and in the afternoon the teacher
brought out tons of homemade play-doh for them to play with. They spend an hour making me myfavourite foods to ‘nibble’ on. - Yoga in an old school – On Thursday SM took us to do a restorative yoga class (which was excellent!). The class took place in an old school that shut down because of declining enrollment numbers. After learning more about the history and economy of Port Hardy, it is understandable that the population of the town has decreased. Many rural places, like Port Hardy, rely heavily on industries like mining and forestry and their economies are intricately tied to these resources.
- Discovering a new place – LC and I discovered a really cute cafe called Guido’s this week. We were both pretty excited to find a local place to hang out in andwork after school. At the end of the day we are both city girls and really enjoy having a cute place to catch up in!
jonesrox
June 19, 2017 — 12:12 pm
This sounds like another wonderful week filled with activities and multi-age groupings! Every day brought new, activity and joy filled experiences for you and your students!
It is wonderful how involved the students are in the community and how much hands on learning they do! Practicing and presenting their dances in a long house would have been so exciting and rewarding for them and all of those watching! Letting butterflies free after watching and recording their growth is such a special time for young students! Having a three/four class use and create with play dough and socially interact with you and each other is a good way to build creative and social skills!
It is wonderful that you are working and collaborating with LC and enjoying that time in a place you both enjoy! This is a lovely part of the profession that you have begun already!
Enjoy your third week! It sounds like there are plenty of new experiences and opportunities waiting!