It has been another wonderful week up in the Cariboo.  This week I was in 100 Mile House again and I spent a great deal of time at the Youth Zone.  Over the past 2 weeks I have really had the chance to get to know many of the students.  On Wednesday, we had the opportunity to go to a local farm, Seeds, on a field trip with the Youth Zone.  Seeds is a communal garden that anyone can buy into.  We helped weed, pick vegetables, and plant potatoes in the garden.  It was so much fun learning a bit about gardening.  While we were gardening, I couldn’t help but think about how I know absolutely nothing about gardening.  There has never been a time in my life where I learned anything about gardening.  The extent of my knowledge is that plants need water and sunlight.  I thought about how important it is to understand a bit about planting fruits and vegetables for survival.  I obviously know that the fruits and vegetables that I buy in the grocery store come from a farm somewhere but I have never thought about how important the process is.

I think having opportunities for kids to learn about gardening and farming is so important. I know that many schools have “Green Club” where kids have a chance to learn about planting but this is a very small percentage.  Why not all kids?  I feel that gardening should be a life skill that is taught in all schools.  Our schools are very academic heavy and sometimes I think we forget to remember the basic life skills that are key to living.  I am sure not many kids have thought about where the apple they eat every day at lunch comes from.  I hope to learn more about gardening and find a way to integrate this into my teaching every year.

On Friday, I went to the Farmers Market in town and saw the actual spinach I had picked being sold to people.  I felt this instant sense of pride and accomplishment knowing that I had contributed to not only that farm but also someone’s next meal.  I think creating a connection to community and helping others is an even more important part of gardening.

The spinach we picked

A toad we found while gardening

The spinach being sold at the Farmers Market

My favourite part about the North is the amazing outdoors and the wonderful opportunities to do so many activities outside.  This past week we had a chance to walk to a waterfall that is less than a 10-minute walk outside of town.  There are so many wonderful learning experiences for kids right outside their front door! There are many things I will miss about the Cariboo but this is something I will miss the most.

These past three weeks I have learned so much.  I have experienced many different educational opportunities and met so many wonderful people.  But more than anything, I have learned so much about myself and the kind of teacher I want to be.  This has been an unforgettable experience that will influence my teaching for years to come.

Other than being eaten alive by mosquitos (my official mosquito count is 93), it has been another spectacular week up North. On Monday morning I packed up my bags and left the dorm rooms for 100 Mile House.

108 Mile Ranch- where I am staying

This past week I have been working at the Cariboo Family Enrichment Centre. I have been doing a variety of things including working in the daycare with infants and toddlers and the drop in Youth Zone in town. The Youth Zone is a free and safe place where teenagers can go to hang out. It is also a place where they can openly talk about any problems they may be having at home, in school or with friends. It is an absolutely wonderful place for kids. The Youth Zone has a ping-pong table, pool table, air hockey table, computers, Xbox, and tons of games. The inside has a 1960’s diner décor to it that is very fun!

The Youth Zone

While spending time at the Youth Zone, I couldn’t help but wonder if there is something like this in large cities like Vancouver. I think it is such a wonderful place for kids to stay out of trouble and definitely something that could be great in any town or city. A place like Youth Zone provides kids with opportunities to express themselves, meet new people, and reaches children of all different needs, backgrounds, and interests.

I also thought about how this sort of program could be implemented in an after school setting. Most elementary schools have some sort of after school program for parents to put their kids in, but I don’t think there are many secondary schools with similar programs. Often the times when youth are getting into trouble is after school hours when they are unsupervised and have nothing to fill their time. The After School Alliance reported ”on school days, 3-6 PM are the peak hours for teens to commit crimes, be in or cause car crashes, be victims of crime, and smoke, drink and use drugs.” Further, studies have shown that “afterschool programs decrease crime and increase student safety”.   With statistics like these it is hard to believe there are not more programs offered to deter students from participating in unsafe and/or illegal behaviours. A program like Youth Zone provides alternative activities for kids to participate in after school. It would be wonderful if this could be available to all students across the province. Although I think it would be great if this program was offered at all schools, I think part of the success of Youth Zone is having it outside of a school where kids can actually leave school. There is something about leaving school that is appealing to students of this age group. Also having a place where kids from different schools can meet and interact is important.

Over the weekend, I headed back up to the dorm rooms in Williams Lake to spend time with the other student teachers. School District 27 gave us all the opportunity to go horseback riding to add to our Cariboo experience. We had an absolute blast! Check out the pictures from our trail ride.

http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/issue_briefs/issue_crimeib_27.pdf

I remember looking in my rear view mirror as I watched the tall skyscrapers of Vancouver disappear in the distance thinking about how the next 3 weeks would go. As someone who worries about the unknown, hundreds of questions were running through my head; What will I be doing for 3 weeks?  What will the other student teachers be like? What will I do on the weekends when I don’t know anyone?  I can say after being in Williams Lake for the last few days, my worries have been left behind in Vancouver.  So far my experience has been absolutely incredible.

Williams Lake is located north of Vancouver in the Cariboo region. The town is situated in a breathtaking valley surrounded by lush green trees and the mighty Fraser River running straight through town. I arrived at the dorm rooms Sunday night around 7:00.  The school district has placed all of the student teachers in dorm rooms for the three weeks.  We each have a room with a single bed and there is a shared kitchen and communal area.  For the next week this is where I will call home. As I was the last to arrive, I didn’t have much choice as far as rooms go.  The only ones left were the ones without wifi.  My first thought was, what am I going to do for 3 weeks without wifi?  My worries were soon set aside as I went downstairs to hang out with the other student teachers.  For the last few days we have played nightly board games, fuseball, cards and shared stories and many laughs.

For this week, I am working for two programs: Making Connections and Making Transitions.  The Making Transitions program is a partnership between the school district and community that provides support for the most at risk elementary and secondary students in the district.  The Making Connections program is an alternative to suspension program.  The goal of the program is to create a safe and supportive environment for students to feel a sense of belonging.

Monday, June 9, 2014

On Monday, all of the student teachers met with the superintendent and other community partners for an introduction.  Everyone shared their stories of how they got to where they are and as I listened to everyone, I was inspired by many of the experiences people had. After the meeting, the principal of Skyline Alternate School took us on a tour of the town and other schools in Williams Lake. I was able to meet and hear other teacher’s stories.  I saw the many different educational roles teachers take on other than just being a classroom teacher.  One thing I instantly noticed about Williams Lake was how incredibly friendly and kind everyone is. We have been welcomed into this community with open arms.  On our first day, after 5 minutes of meeting us, we were invited by a local teacher to go on a field trip with him and his students the next day.  What an awesome opportunity to get out into the community!
Tuesday, June 10, 2014

On Tuesday we hiked to Farewell Canyon with some of the students at Skyline Alternative School and Lake City Secondary School. We drove about 25 minutes down a dirt road and hiked for about an hour. The views were beautiful. When we reached the top, there was this massive sand dune and below was the Fraser River. It was a really great experience being able to see the kids outside of school and in nature.  These programs provide kids with wonderful opportunities that they may not otherwise have.

A rock split perfectly

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

On Wednesday, I spent the day with kids that are home schooled 3 days a week and attend the local elementary school 2 days a week. The 2 days of the week that they are in a classroom, the kids are all together, 20 kids from kindergarten to grade 7. It’s a very unique experience in which the kids are able to have social interactions and experience a school environment while still being home schooled.  The kids started the day with some discussion groups about a project they had done earlier in the week. During this time, we (the student teachers) were able to plan cooperative games to teach the students and pick out books to read during snack time. Afterwards we went back to the classroom and split into age groupings with the students. I was with the 2/3 students and read Strega Nona. The kids absolutely loved the book and were engaged the entire time.  Afterwards, we took the kids downstairs to play cooperative games in the gym. During my practicum I did an entire cooperative games unit with my K/1/2 students so I had lots of fun game ideas. We taught them 21 and alligator crossing (my personal favourite).  Afterwards we headed out for our walk and picnic, where the real fun began.  We walked down the street to the river and we were instantly surrounded by wilderness.  That’s one of the many things I love about Williams Lake. We followed a trail and traveled across the “bouncy bridge” as the kids refer to it. Along our adventure we found a birds nest, a dead snake, an ant hill, caterpillars, butterflies, and many other wonders.

Aphiad Eggs

The “bouncy bridge”

Lake River Trail

A dead snake the kids found

We sat and had lunch along the river and played games afterwards. We were given the task of setting up the “Spider Web” game. This is a team building activity in which ropes are strung across trees creating a spider web. The kids were split into teams and had the task of getting all of their team members through the spider web without touching the ropes. Each Student could only go through a hole once. The kids had a BLAST! It was so awesome to see them all working together with the older students helping the younger students. At the end, we student teachers were even able to try it ourselves. Definitely was harder than it looks.  During this activity there was one thing that caught my attention and really made me think.  One of the groups had tried to put one of their members through a hole multiple times but every time her shoulders would hit the ropes.  The students kept wondering why they were having so many issues. The teacher knelt down and asked them if they had ever seen a calf born before.  A couple of the girls in the group had.  He then asked them what the hardest part of the calf’s body is for the mother to push out.  He then went on to explain that the shoulders are the most difficult because it is the widest part of the calf.  I was just amazed by this comparison.  I would never think to compare their experience to that of a cow giving birth.  In that moment I thought how different some of these kids experiences are because of the area they live in.  I thought about how much the place around us affects not only how we as teachers teach but also the experiences and opportunities students have to learn.  It really brought me back to my research on place-based learning and the connection of place to learning.  Many of these kids have such an interest and physical connection to nature that I think is often missed in kids that grow up within the confinements of a large city.  One little girl walked with me most of the way and she taught me a lot about the local plants and animals. It was incredible the knowledge she had.

“Spider Web”

“Spider Web”