What a week! I am having a great time up in the Cariboo. This relaxing but exhausting week has been full of new experiences. Before I can talk about my experiences, I first need to acknowledge how welcomed I feel. Everyone up here is really nice, and has been incredibly accommodating. Just now, Jessica locked herself out of her dorm room, so we called the superintendent of the district, and he showed up 5 minutes later. I am having a tough time imaging that would happen in the Lower Mainland. We mentioned we wanted to go canoeing, so they dropped lifejackets off at our dorm.

This past week I was at Skyline Alternate School in Williams Lake. It was a fantastic experience. The alternate set up is an entirely new experience for me. It really opened my eyes to differentiated learning, and integrating memorable life experiences into school. This week was very exciting. While at Skyline I was exposed to a number of experiences I don’t think would normally happen at a “regular” high school. I went to see the work site where the show the Timber Kings is filmed. We met one of the owners of Pioneer Log Homes and got to wear hard hats and walk around the giant log houses they are building. I met some of the guys who are on the show. The principal at Skyline is trying to establish a relationship with Pioneer Log Homes, so that some of his students can work there. I also got to take a few students outside for a P.E. class to play around on some mountain bikes. That was really fun. Yesterday, I went with a teacher and a few students to an equestrian centre where I got to ride a horse. Pretty awesome! After school yesterday the principal took us all (the CFE-ers) mountain biking. It was so much fun, and also a bit terrifying. It might be my new summer hobby.

This week was great, but the alternate high school system does have its challenges. I found it very difficult to connect with certain students. I also had difficulty feeling useful sometimes. I felt like I was floating around without doing very much. I did help students with their work, but it felt very strange in comparison to full on teaching during practicum. I don’t think this is an alternate issue, but rather just me being used to full-time teaching. Emotionally, it was challenging to establish a balance with the students. I wanted to be supportive and caring, but also felt like they were trying to manipulate me at times (a few, not all of the students). I tried to be compassionate and supportive, without being naïve.

This past week was very different from my practicum experience. For my long practicum, I was at a very large school, with almost 2,000 students. At Skyline, there were usually only about 50 kids at school each day. I really enjoyed the close-knit community feel, where everyone knew each other by their first names. Even the kids addressed their teachers by their first names. This experience has broadened my mindset about teaching high school. I realize now that the alternate setting is not just for kids who flunked out of “regular high school”. Skyline has quite a few students who are strong academically, but did not find “regular high school” to be a good fit for them. I also enjoy the high level of differentiation. Each student is working at his or her own pace, and the teachers adapt to help each student succeed. Self-directed studies are the norm. There is also a large emphasis on real life applications. Teachers spend a lot of time helping students with their resumes, and getting them ready for the workforce.

The alternate setting for high school, much to my surprise, actually fits in with my personal philosophy about teaching. I believe that the classroom is just a starting point for education. Most learning happens outside the classroom. There is more to life that just studying and doing homework, and Skyline has supported that view. They believe in getting kids outside, and getting them connected with potential employers. Education is more than PLOs and IRPs.

My final thought from this week is; can I teach at an alternate high school (and be more than a 1 week floater)?