Day 1 (June 8):

The beginning of my three weeks in Gold River starts with the ferry terminal.  In order to get to Gold River I need to take the ferry to Nanaimo.  From Nanaimo I drove to Campbell River and then on to Gold River.  I met two of the other teacher candidates in the ferry line up and we chatted about the different activities and adventures we wished to have while in Gold River.

Unfortunately one of the girls I was waiting in line with missed the ferry; therefore, the other one waited in Nanaimo for her (they were carpooling) while I continued on.  I met up with another teacher candidate in Courtney where we finished our drive to Gold River together.  It was nice to share the experience with multiple people.

 

Day 2 (June 9):

The day started off with our orientation with the district.  All 8 of us were in attendance as well as the principals of the district, the superintendent and other district staff.  We were given the low down of the district and had plenty of time to engage in conversation.  After lunch we went our separate ways.  6 of the teacher candidates had additional driving to do so they went on their way.

Camille and I went down to the elementary school and spent the afternoon checking out the school and looking in on different classrooms.  I am very excited for the opportunity to expand my experience working with special needs children as Vancouver Island West has a large amount of special needs students.  I will be able to sit in on more of the paperwork side of things, which I did not have the experience with during my practicum.  I will probably stay in the primary classrooms but bounce around a lot and check out the various grade levels.  I have been invited to go on a track and field event about 3.5 hours away on Wednesday.  I am still up in the air about it, but it should be a great experience.

I am excited about what is to come over the next little while.

Day 3 (June 10):

Today was my first full day at the elementary school. I spent the morning in the Kindergarten classroom.  Today was the final day of their “PALS program,” which was a program that invited 4-year olds and their parents to the school.  This was an opportunity for the children and their parents to become familiar with the school, the teachers, and other students.  I thought it was a great introduction for the students.

After recess I joined the ESD teacher and worked through some performance standards and reports.  It was very interesting to see the paperwork side of teaching.  I didn’t get to see too much of it in my long-practicum because I was right at the wrong time for reports.  In the afternoon I went with the grade 2’s to the public library and finished off my day back with the ESD teacher.

In the afternoon the other teacher candidate took me around Gold River.  We went down to the docks where the logs get shipped out and we went to the river, which is a popular hang out in the summer.  It was very interesting to see the different parts of Gold River.

For dinner we went to a CUPE appreciation BBQ.  It was very nice to be invited and included in community activities already.

Tomorrow I am going to a track meet up in the north eastern side of the island.  It will be very interesting to be able to compare the track meet I went to during my long practicum to this one.

Day 4 (June 11):

Today was an early start.  We left for a track and field meet in Port McNeill.  We had to leave at 6:30 AM in order to be there for 10:00 AM.  It was a long drive but we made it on time. Me and the other teacher candidate were quickly put to work.  She marshalled the students to the different start positions for track, and I was one of the timers.  I timed the students along with students from the secondary school.  It was very interesting to compare this track and field meet to the one I helped with in North Vancouver.  The meets ran very similarly but there were slight differences.  One difference was that there was a lot less children to rally and place into races.

After the track meet we continued on to Port Hardy.  Here we had dinner and set up camp.  We stayed in a campground just outside of Port Hardy.

Day 5 (June 12):

Today we had the opportunity to explore the north of Vancouver Island.  We started in Port Hardy, went to Telegraph Cove and then back to Gold River.  It was a nice day to be able to explore more of the island and get a sense of life here on the island.

Day 6 (June 13):

Today was my first day back after our road trip up the coast of Vancouver Island.  Unfortunately it was also the last day of school because the province-wide strike starts on Monday.  I spent the entire day in the kindergarten classroom.  I didn’t get to experience a kindergarten classroom during my long practicum so I took this opportunity.  It was a bit of an abnormal day; therefore, I didn’t get to see the typical routines of a kindergarten classroom, but rather what the end of the year looks like.

We had a school-wide dance party, did centres, did art, had a scavenger hunt and watched a video capping up their year.  It was a lovely day!

Day 7 (June 14):

Today was the start of my first weekend in Gold River.  I decided to brave the trip to Tahsis alone.  It is a ~65km drive, most of which is on a gravel road.  I managed to see one black bear on my trip – and that was on the way up.  It was nice and calming to have the trip alone.

Once I got up to Tahsis I met the two other teacher candidates at their basement suite.  We decided to go find a bouldering trail.  It was a quick (less than 30 minute) trail, but it was absolutely beautiful.  Then we found another trail that took us to a lookout over the ocean.  We ended the night by playing bowling and card games.

It was very interesting to see Tahsis and compare it to Gold River.  The elementary school holds only 30 students, from kindergarten all the way up to grade 12.  It is something completely different than what I am used to in Vancouver, and it makes Gold River look huge!

Day 8 ( June 15):

Today we had a nice sleep in because we had planned a trip out on a boat to do a wildlife tour at noon.  It was an easy start to the day.  At about 11:30 we started out towards the marina.  The girls showed me an abandoned building down on the docks.  It was extremely creepy because everything was still there, such as chairs and paperwork.  We made it to the boat launch for 12 and we headed out.

We unfortunately didn’t see any bears but we did see a BUNCH of sea otters.  We also went along the beach and found oysters.  We, of course, put them all back!  It was extremely relaxing and refreshing to get out into nature.

Day 9 (June 16):

Today was my first day at the daycare here in Gold River.  It was very interesting to go to a daycare and see what some one with an ECE degree could do. We started the day with free play.  We made letters for the students to mail at the post office.  At about 10AM we took a trip to the mail office.  I think it was very educational for the children to see how mail comes into Gold River and how it gets put into their mailboxes.  Then we headed back to the daycare.

The students were given time for snack and then free play outside.  The children have such amazing creative and imaginative play.  They were pretending they were kings and queens of a castle and they created a restaurant were they served “mud stew.”  It was refreshing to see the amount of imaginative play, especially since this was something I had worked hard on with my students in my practicum school.

After lunch the children had a quiet time.  We started by having one of the children lead a story time.  After a couple stories we watched “The Pirate Fairy,” which is a Tinkerbell film.  It was a lovely way for the children to calm themselves down before the end of the day.  After all the children left I helped clean up before I left.

Day 10 (June 17):

Today was my second day at the daycare in Gold River.  We started the day by free play.  I engaged some students in the kitchen center as well as playing play dough with multiple students.

At 10AM we left to walk to the RCMP office.  One of the grade 1 students’, at the elementary school, father is a RCMP officer.  The children were able to go through the entire RCMP office, including the interview room and the jail cell.  The children thought it very engaging and exciting.  They asked many questions and were extremely excited to go in the police car and turn on the siren.

After exploring the office we walked back to daycare and had outside play.  Similar to yesterday, the children continued with their elaborate imaginative play.  After lunch, the children had free play/art.  The children wanted to make polar bears so their teacher created polar bear cut-outs for them to decorate.  After this the children had their quiet time and we watched “Toy Story.”

 

Day 11 (June 18):

Today was our last field trip of the week.  We went to the fire hall to visit the fireman and Sparky the fire dog.  It was another walking trip that took place at 10AM.  We had an increase in children come on this trip due to great enthusiasm.  When we got to the firehall we were given a safety talk by the firefighters.  Then we got to go outside and look inside the firetruck.  After see the truck we got to meet Sparky, the fire dog.  Most of the children were extremely excited to meet Sparky, but there were a few who were scared.  As we left the firehall, a firefighter turned on the lights and sirens of the firetruck as a farewell.

Once we got back the children had snack and then were given free play outside.  It is lucky they took advantage of this because the next day poured rain.  The afternoon ran similar to the other days, quiet time (a movie) and then outside play.

Day 12 (June 19):

Our final field trip was supposed to take place today; however, it was pouring rain so we had to cancel it.  We were supposed to go see the ambulances, it was the furthest walk and was not doable in the pouring rain.  Instead I got to see what a typical day at the daycare looked like.  The children had free play until 10Am, then we had circle time.  At circle time the children sing songs, do calendar, and read a book.

After calendar the children had snack and then crafts.  They made lanterns out of construction paper and tissue paper.  Almost all of the children participated in the craft.  The daycare is extremely flexible and children are allowed to participate or not participate in certain activities.  It is refreshing to see this atmosphere because children are so structured outside of this environment, and when they enter school it will continue to be extremely structured.

The afternoon was filled with a movie, books and a dance party.  It was another successful day.

 

Day 13 (June 20):

Today was my first Friday at the daycare.  It was a calm and quiet day.  The day ran very similarly to yesterday.  The only difference was in the afternoon the staff member and I cleaned and bleached some of the toys.  They do this regularly (every Friday) in order to maintain a clean environment for the children.

Day 15 (June 22):

Today I had the opportunity to go caving in the Upana caves just outside of Gold River.  I met up with the two other teacher candidates staying in Tahsis and one teacher candidate from Zaballos.  It was a short hike, shorter than we intended, but we were able to spending a couple hours exploring different caves.  This was definitely out of my comfort zone, so I am proud that I stuck with it and enjoyed the whole experience.  I was able to take some amazing photographs and, unfortunately, I got some bruises along the way.

Day 16 (June 23):

Today I was back at the daycare.  We had a busy morning with the preschoolers.  There was about 13 children this morning, which meant everyone was everywhere!  Debbie, the lady who runs the daycare, gave me her recipe for play dough.  I am super excited to have it because it works fantastic, and it is no bake!

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Instructions for Kool-Aid Play Dough

1. Mix Together:

•  2 cups flour
• 1 cup salt
• 2 packages Kool-Aid

2. Make a well in the centre of the mixture

• Add 6 TBSP of vegetable oil
• Add 2 cups of boiling water

3. Mix together and add more flour if needed.

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As usual we started with free play until about 10AM.  I read a book to some of the children, The Berenstain Bears Tell the Truth. There are quite a few children who love the reading and I am more than happy to encourage this love by read alouds.

After circle time we had snack and then art.  The children made beautiful butterflies that attached to straws so they could swirl them around.

After art we played outside, ate lunch outside, and played more outside.  Unfortunately I was feeling ill so I came home to rest.

Day 17 (June 24):

Today was a much quieter day than yesterday.  There were only six children present during the preschool hours.  This led to a very calm morning.  As usual the day started with free play followed with circle time and snack.  After snack we made watermelons for art.

After art we had more free play until lunchtime.  I ended up reading a lovely book, Some Smug Slug by Pamela Duncan Edwards.   It was a perfect book for alliteration! It is definitely something I will keep my eye out for in the future.

The daycare had a board meeting at 1:30PM so we waited a little longer to have our quiet time.  We ended up watching We’re Back: A Dinosaur Story.  One of the children found parts scary so I helped to calm him down.  Overall it was a successful day.

Day 18 (June 25):

Today was my last full day at the daycare.  It was a jam packed day because it was graduation for all the preschoolers! The day started off with free play.  There were so many children that we needed extra chairs in the lunchroom.  After free play we had a snack.  There were cupcakes, cookies, watermelon and other fruits.  The children dug in and ate a lot! After all of that there was a dance party.  For about half an hour the children danced and danced!  Only one child was too shy to dance.

After all the preschoolers went home and the daycare kids remained we went outside and played for an hour.  It was a lovely hot day that made a perfect late morning.  However, we had time for a little story time! This time we read The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Pressure. We had quiet time quite quickly after lunch because some of the children were starting to crash.  We watched The Lego Movie.  I had heard all about it during my practicum so it was good to finally understand what the children were talking about.

After I left I got myself a strawberry and sundae and set out around Gold River.  I was determined to see as much as I could before I left.  I managed to see every street, which really gave me a sense of how big Gold River actually is.  I will be sad to leave tomorrow but I am very excited about going home!

 

Day 19 (June 26):

Today was my last and final day in Gold River.  I spent the morning with the preschool and then I headed home.  It was a lovely experience and it really opened my eyes to what life is like in a rural community.  I am now ready to get home and finish up my degree at UBC and become a fully certified teacher.