Week 1: June 12, 2014
Today we visited the primary school (pre-K to 3) up the street called Eileen Madson Primary School (EMP). This was a wonderful experience and I am so glad we did this. Today I felt very useful and seized the opportunity to help out as much as I could. I offered my assistance in three kindergarten classes and was left to supervise the classrooms while each teacher worked to complete their year end math and reading assessments. Due to the strike teachers needed this additional support in order to make sure each student was able to be assessed before years end. While I supervised I was able to lead the classroom calendar, with the help of the classroom helper. I also assisted in helping students finish up math work and art projects and facilitated centres activities at the end of the day. Compared to the busy weeks we all had at the end of our practicums, this week has been pretty slow in comparison. It has been a really odd feeling, so today was a welcome challenge. It felt really good to be needed, especially since I got to step into the roll of a teacher again. I noticed a huge difference in the growth that I have made since first beginning to teach. I felt more confident and was more easily able to connect with students and they bonded with me much sooner than they have in the past. I had many students asking me if I was coming back tomorrow and if I would be working at the school next year. They gave me hugs, and there were many who really took a genuine interest in me. Moments like this are something that I can be really proud of and make me LOVE being an educator! If I can make a positive impression on students in one day, and I am excited to discover the many ways that I can build on this type of connection with students.
