This third and final week at Fraser Academy was exceptional. The level of rapport I have developed with students over these short three weeks is tremendous. I know I am a very personable individual and my ability to socialize to get to know people is something that comes natural to me, however I believe the true credit to why such relationships have been formed is the immense sense of community that exists here at Fraser Academy. I know I have said this before, but it reminds me so much of the classic small rural schools that I grew up in where every student knows each other regardless of grade or age. Teachers and students are so close and the feeling of community is contagious. I can’t think of a better or more enjoyable environment to work in, especially when dealing with students who have a wide range of language based learning challenges. It has been interesting talking with people outside of Fraser Academy and their perception of what the student population is like here. For starters this is not a school that deals with ‘special education’ the kids here are very normal for lack of a better word, it’s just that words or numbers on a page may become jumbled in their minds, or charts or figures won’t make sense at all, or they may only be able to communicate effectively via conversation or strictly through writing. My personal perceptions of Fraser Academy prior to arriving was that I would be dealing with students who experience a range of down-syndrome to autism. But really that isn’t what the focus is. Rather we work with a large population of dyslexics or those suffering from dyscalcula in addition to a range of other behavioural and ADS like challenges. There is a unique population of students here, each with something exceptional to bring to the classroom. It has been such a joy getting to know each and everyone of them in this short but impactful time. Furthermore this experience has been greatly impacted by the caring and wonderful guidance of Suzanne Huopalainen my ‘SA’ of sorts for these 3 weeks. Here patience, careful consideration and meaningful effort to understand and adapt her way of teaching to each of her students struggles is tremendous and deserves to be noted and applauded. I have learned so much from her and I wish I could spend another 3 weeks working alongside her soaking up the immense wisdom she has to offer. Thanks Fraser Academy it has been a hootenanny

This past week brought just as many new opportunities as the last. I was fortunate to substitute for a wide variety of classes ranging from math to english. Having the opportunity to interact with a range of students was really enjoyable and allowed me to take on the challenge of entering a classroom, reading over the lesson plan and doing my best to deliver a meaningful lesson. I’m developed excellent rapport with many students throughout the school, which makes for a warm and welcoming atmosphere to be apart of it. However I think the credit should go towards the students and staff who place such an emphasis on community and friendship here at Fraser Academy. On Tuesday I was given the opportunity to help out with the senior track meet, however this time around I was given the challenging role of marshalling. Essentially it was my job to organize heats for over 10 different events and roughly 300 students. Needless to say it was a busy 8 hours, but overall a very rewarding experience. Once again it was such a joy to watch students push themselves and strive to do their best in the extra curricular events. In addition to this phenomenal track and field event I was privileged to watch the secondary students perform on Wednesday night in the schools various bands. Now these bands are far from the norm, we’re not talking trumpets, violins and tubas; no we’re talking about electric and bass guitars, drums, keyboard and unreal vocals. There were 10 performances ranging from grade 8-12 and a teachers band. The performances were exceptional, I was seriously blown away by the talent that these students possess. It was one of the best 2 hours of music I have witnessed in a while. There is something so special about seeing students outside the school environment, doing what the love and work so hard on in their free time. Really helps put into perspective that these are young incredible minds and their potential and talent is tremendous. Throughout the week I also have had the opportunity to teach earth sciences, a subject outside my area of expertise. It has been a great little challenge and has been really enjoyable to teach. The students are so polite and eager, we got our hands on some rocks and dove into the subject head first. I’m eagerly looking forward to my last week and the many opportunities and challenges it will present.

My first week at Fraser Academy has been extremely positive and filled with many memorable moments. It all started off with a warm welcome from my sponsor teacher Suzanne, who introduced me to the fellow staff and the overall school lay out. Fraser Academy is a quaint school, which has a very warm community like feel. It reminds me of my elementary school back in rural Alberta with the small classrooms and close relationships between staff and students. The first day I spent much of time doing observations and getting a feel for the school. The general pace is a little slower, but it many regards it is a lot more authentic. Ample time is taken to insure that each student is cared for and engaged, this makes for an extremely positive and engaging environment in each and every class. The next three days were essentially field trips! It’s that time of year and any spare help is greatly appreciated by the staff here and I was more than willing to oblige. The first day I joined the criminology and law classes on a trip to the local courthouses. It was a great experience and gave me a wonderful opportunity to get to know students and witness law in action. We observed a variety of cases including a young man on trial for the riot incident in 2012 and we saw a major drug leader on trial from the Surrey 6 case… quite spooky and nerve racking to say the least. The second day was spent at a Junior track and field meet, where I was given the privilege to work alongside and motivate a number of students in their events. Two moments were exceptionally meaningful, one helping a young boy with OCD overcome his fear to run in the 300m and see his immense joy and relief after finishing. The second was witnessing a shyer but incredibly strong young boy win first place in the shot put, after he quote on quote “Just got angry at the ball…” epic. This was a memorable day and allowed me to bond with a variety of students. The final field trip was taking a group of grade 9s to Granville island to watch a play on Rip Van Winkle. It was an interesting play and was yet again a great chance to get to know students outside the classroom setting. The final day gave me a great opportunity to teach 6 classes as I substituted for my sponsor teacher. It was wonderful being given a chance to teach a wide variety of subjects I have yet to teach: grade 9 math, grade 11 earth sciences, grade 10 science and grade 12 criminology . I’m already developing great rapport with the students and this is making for extremely meaningful teaching experiences and learning. The more time I spend here the more I realize that the various challenges these students face are but a hurdle or obstacle, each can be overcome and worked around with thoughtful consideration and effort from the teachers standpoint and the students. I’m looking forward to these next two weeks where I will be teaching Earth Sciences and subbing in for a variety of classes. I hope by the end of this CFE I will gain a deeper understanding of each students struggles and the efforts that need to be made to find a solution that progresses forward in a positive and meaningful way.

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