- A scanned image of the final practicum report from my Faculty Advisor (p.1)
- A scanned image of the final practicum report from my Faculty Advisor (p.2)
These are scanned images of the final practicum report from my Faculty Advisor (FA) which I received at the end of the extended practicum on June 21st, 2011.
I think this third standard of competency encompasses the entire teaching practice, because not only do teachers need to have the theoretical knowledge on how to educate students, the ability to implement theory into practice is also crucial toward the growth and development of students. Before the extended practicum started, I was worried about how I would implement these theories when I teach. When the teaching load started to increase between 40 to 50 percent, I realized how glad I was to have had the theoretical knowledge to guide my practice. With my School Advisor, I was also able to discuss with her whether or not such and such approach would work. Having a professional to discuss my ideas with was a tremendous help in achieving this standard. As my FA indicates in the report, “James is a reflective practitioner; this quality plus a commendable work ethic, and his openness to the mentoring of his advisors have resulted in his growth from a novice teacher to one who has become knowledgeable, prepared and comfortable in his role as teacher/facilitator.”
One important thing I always had in mind when I taught during the practicum was to make sure that the kids were able to achieve the lesson objectives through various mediums. An effective way to do this was by scaffolding the learning experience of all the students. Alternating between individual, peer and group work became an essential part of my teaching strategy, and I think the students responded very well to this approach.
In the future, I will continue to explore the possibilities of how other teachers have successfully engaged their students in learning by participating in professional development sessions and through literature, so that my method of teaching will always reflect the one that is most suitable to help my students achieve their goals.