I believe in student-centred learning, and giving my students choices whenever possible in order to structure interest-driven learning. During my practicum in a grade 5/6 mixed class, I continued with Genius Hour, using it for many Language Arts Prescribed Learning Outcomes. Some students who had struggled to complete written work for the class novel study or who had not contributed to certain discussions were able to demonstrate their strong written and oral abilities when given the chance to express themselves about a topic that interested them.

I also aim to keep students active and engaged in as many lessons and activities as possible by using different forms of kinesthetic learning. After completion of my grade 5/6 practicum, one of the main things students said they’d remember me for were the number of science experiments we completed. The grade 7 classes could always expect to get outside for oral French practice while simultaneously moving around.

The integration of technology is something that I include in my classes. I am open to new ways of doing things or using technology to interest students. However, I do not believe that technology is a saving grace in our schools. If technology can enhance or improve how we do something, I am quick to utilize it. It is important to teach digital citizenship and is an important skill for our students to have in the 21st century. I also recognize that it is not a replacement for students interacting with one another or other kinesthetic manipulatives and materials.

In the class, I do not see myself as the sole teacher. I am there to provide structure and to ensure the safety of my students, but I recognize their strengths and empower them to teach one another. Not only does this build teamwork and leadership skills, it also builds self-confidence. I am always looking for ways to allow shared learning to occur and for ways to more effectively facilitate collaborative learning. While working in grade 1 French immersion as a language assistant, the classroom teacher and I decided to switch from individual desks to round tables. Were we nervous it may have lead to more chaos in one of the most energetic classes she’d ever had? Certainly. However, we took the chance, and it ended up being a very successful change. Students then had an opportunity to collaborate with their table group members and were actually less disruptive than before.

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