Today was another eventful day in the classroom, it felt like I was back at home after a weekend away. It was so nice to be back with all the students and teachers, however the way the students reacted was by far the best! Some of them asked me if I had a nice vacation or asked if I went on holidays, I attempted to explain to them that I was back at university some of them understood others just looked more confused. Every time I am in the class I see new things but most importantly I get to know students on a deeper level whether it be their academic abilities, peer relationships or interests. Today was the first time I taught my class an art lesson it was challenging at times but overall it went well and every student was able to complete the art project (which were little Christmas reindeers). During this lesson many different things came to my mind but one that was a recurring theme was the stark contrast of art abilities in my class, or more specifically creativity or fine motor skills. Students that often struggle academically in subjects such as math and language arts excelled during the art lesson, this surprised me at first but once I really thought about it all made sense. These students are not given as many opportunities to learn in a way that works for them, which can be kinetically or visually. Art is a subject that gets pushed aside as math, science and language arts take priority as they prepare students with the fundamental skills to succeed in our school systems. I am thankful that my school adviser understands the diversity among her class and makes adaptations for students and scaffolds her teaching in many ways. My observation of the students who succeeded during my art lesson can be directly tied to my inquiry question which is, how can I meet the diverse needs of my students in an effective, inclusive and supportive manner? As mentioned my class is full of diversity and it is my own personal goal to teach in a way that meets all the needs of my students, however this is not an easy task. One thing I do know is that if my class is full of diversity I need to accommodate by diversifying my teaching and give students choice in their learning. I look forward to learning more about my students and various ways I can diversify my teaching and my own learning through my inquiry question. Lastly I watched a ted talk that connects with my observation during my art lesson, my inquiry question and the concept of education as a whole. Ken Robinson spoke about the role schools play in fostering creativity among students, and he argues that if change does not occur then students will continue to be educated out of it, “We don’t grow into creativity, we grow out of it. Or rather, we get educated out of it”.

I am officially done my two week practicum, and it was so much more than I expected! I am excited to be back at UBC this week so I can see and connect with all my peers however it will take some getting used to. I will definitely miss all the students in my class and all the daily routines but it will be really nice to compare and share my experiences with my cohort. This week started off a little different as I had my formal observation Monday afternoon, I was extremely nervous and didn’t know what to expect. I was being observed during my SEL lesson on the book the dot, I had planned it weeks in advance and felt confident with the material I was going to present. However I made some last minute changes and one of my students wasn’t having the best day. As one can imagine this made for a very interesting lesson and had both successes and challenges. The students enjoyed the story and the video they watched, most were engaged and attentive. The activity that followed the read aloud also went well especially because I shared with them my example and a little bit about me, the final dots turned out nicely and most students completed the activity on time. Some of the challenges were connecting my video with the overall theme of the lesson and asking the “right” connecting questions. I also struggled with one student’s behaviour and the use of my language and direction with him. I was very patient and offered him choice both of which didn’t resolve the issues fully. As a result of this experience I now have some new tools and strategies that I can try with this student, I look forward to trying them in the future as well as building a stronger connection with this student. Overall the lesson was a learning experience and that is what the two week practicum is all about so in my eyes it was a success, things are never going to be perfect and I need to come to terms with that. Attending the pro d day at the inquiry hub was also lots of fun and full of inspiration and intrigue. I found one of the speakers particularly inspiring, he spoke about the teaching profession with great respect and dignity and reminded all of us of our responsibilities as future teachers. He shared a personal experience about his son that reinforced the idea that each student we will teach is an individual and has particular strengths, challenges, interests and personalities. In order for me to be the best teacher I can be I need to remember that each student is different and that’s what makes my future career so special I will have the opportunity to learn, teach and connect with so many unique and inspiring individuals. I know this is not an easy task but I am in for the challenge, it is my own personal responsibility to be an equitable teacher and one that embraces difference, one quote that I feel says this best is “every child is a different kind of flower and all together, make this world a beautiful garden”.