Week 1: June 9, 2014
Today we arrived for our first day at J.A. Laird Elementary School in Invermere, BC. The principal Jill Jensen greeted us and enthusiastically gave us a tour of the school. My first impression of the classrooms was that they were all quite clean, airy, bright, uncluttered, yet a little sparse. This was fairly different from my experience in Vancouver. Upon deeper reflection I have realized that I actually appreciate this simplified environment. Everything has a purpose, and therefore there are less distractions for students and teachers alike. The focus is on the students, their learning, and it is evident that “stuff” does not make the classroom, the students do.
My impression of rural schools has very much so changed over the course of this week. I heard that these schools are very underfunded, but was surprised to find all classrooms set up with digital document cameras and projectors. This was particularily not the case in my practicum school located in the Vancouver School Board.
Contrary to the differences there were also many similarities found in my practicum and rural placement. J.A. Laird is is an “Arts Infused” school that works with local artists, in a similar way to Nootka Elementary’s fine arts streamed students in Vancouver. At J.A. Laird there was a presentation created for the students by many local artists: glass blowers, a clay artisan, a metal artisan, a painter, and a recycled materials birdhouse maker. These presentations were interactive and very empowering for the students. You could really see that students were being encouraged to be creative and to not be afraid to do things “wrong”. I wish that something had been organized like this for my students in Vancouver because it brought a real life connection to the arts and offered students inspiration towards possible future careers. This was something really lacking at Nootka, and I believe that by having the art community more involved, the entire arts education program would have been able to come full circle for many of the students.
Another surprise at J.A. Laird was the school and districts commitment to sustainable and green practices within their community. This was much more imminent here than at my Vancouver practicum placement. J.A. Laird has a compost for their school garden, solar energy is used for their water heater and air system, and schools are idle free zones. This community has a very strong connection to its natural environment and promotes sustainability.
Solar Energy Plan – J.A. Laird has solar panels
Glass Water Bottle – I have never seen this before.
The staff and students in the Rocky Mountain School District have been very welcoming. The people here are very friendly and genuine, and this is a positive attribute that students have here as well. This week we assisted a grade 6 class on a field trip to a wave pool located in Cranbrook.
The Students were having a blast on outdoor fitness machines – Who knew these even existed? I was surprised that they were enjoying themselves and being so active, especially after we had just finished swimming. I wonder if this is something more akin to students from a rural setting?
The students were very well behaved and truly grateful for the opportunity to go on this trip. Students said “This is the best field trip we have taken this year!” and students were very candid about how much they had appreciated when Jessie and I had played volleyball with them in the pool. You could really tell that it had made their day! Their happiness was contagious. This is particularily noticeable to me because I have often taken large groups of kids of the same age on excursions with the Girl Guides Canada and also on a few field trips with my practicum class in Vancouver. I wonder if being in a city and having access to many amenities affects students in a way where they forget to appreciate the small things? This is something that I have often pondered when considering the difference between living in rural vs. metro areas. After these types of outings in Vancouver I often felt drained and tired, and I am now left wondering whether the attitudes of the students/children make a difference in how I ultimately feel at the end of the day? I have now become very curious and wonder if experiences like this will ultimately guide me to become an educator in a more rural community.