Classroom space & motivation

For my inquiry project, I focused my efforts on researching classroom organizational techniques to best facilitate a wide variety of activities. My interest in the subject began with asking students how they preferred to be taught and how they are motivated to learn throughout the day.

The students all demonstrated a desire to be taught in a variety of methods (kinetic, visual, auditory, tactile) 

My main concern with providing for students’ learning needs is to create a flexible space that can be easily manipulated to serve a wide variety of needs.

Class Organization Inquiry – Janika Lambeck

Field experience

During the Spring of 2014 I was involved in a three week Community Field Experience at O.U.R. Ecovillage. The Ecovillage is a demonstration site that focuses on permaculture and natural building methods. The Ecovillage welcomes all learners whether they are in kindergarten, or a PhD program, as well as the general public who wish to gain knowledge about sustainability.

  My time was divided into teaching, lesson planning, and participating in the building and permaculture activities. My particular interest was in the gardens and green houses where I learnt about methods of growing, harvesting, and tending to both annuals and perennials. I hope to incorporate my new found love into my role as an educator in the future.

This Field Experience was important to me because I believe in experiential learning, where students can connect with the environment. When learning is taken beyond the textbook, students have been shown to demonstrate more motivation and enthusiasm towards the subject matter. I want to bring activities into my teaching practice that students can be proud to accomplish.

Strengths and Weaknesses

organization vs. FLEXIBILITY

One of my skills is my organizational ability, which has helped me succeed in during my education and practicum. Naturally, I tend to make checklists, color coordinate, create functional spaces, and create concise worksheets. Since I spend so much time organizing, I can find it difficult to make major changes to my plans. I have come to realize the value in flexibility within the classroom and I have been putting forth more effort to notice when something isn’t working and needs to be revised. Focusing on the students’ learning needs has helped me to remember my objective as a teacher.

student-teacher connection vs. professionalism

I have always found it very easy to connect well with children and gain their trust. I genuinely enjoy getting to know my students on an individual level and find out what makes them unique. During my practicum, there were times when I would find it difficult to stay within the role of the teacher, and not shift into the role of a friend. I discovered that in order to maintain the level of respect necessary for classroom management, I need to maintain a certain level of professionalism. Luckily for me, the teacher I was working with during my practicum taught me by example how to be fair with a good sense of humor, while upholding the highest level of respect from the students.

perfectionism vs. time management

I have always been a bit of a perfectionist, especially when it comes to presentation and artistic endeavors. I can find it very difficult to hand in, or present something I do not feel is up to my standards. As a teacher, I faced so many tasks it became increasingly difficult to do everything flawlessly. As a teacher, you can not be late or put off a lesson that needs to be taught. My experience in my practicum class taught me to manage my time and not worry so much about the insignificant details. Rather, focus on the aspects that are more influential to my students’ academic success.

Future Goals

professional

My goals as an educator are to contribute deeply to my local educational community. I want to be active in increasing the academic success of my students and bringing skills and resources to be shared with other educators. I also want to use the enthusiasm I have of Students Leadership, gardening, Restorative Justice, architecture and design, and art to add to the extracurricular aspect of my profession.

I want to continuously learn and I know the ever changing landscape of education will always provide me with opportunities for self-improvement. I hope to return to University after experiencing the profession to learn more. For now, I am hoping to find work at a school that has a great group of colleagues to learn from, along with professional development courses and seminars.

personal

I want to continue traveling and to gaining insight into the world through experience. In the past, whether it is a backpacking trip from Copenhagen to Istanbul, or a road trip to Vancouver Island, the places I go continue to shape me and my worldviews. I hope I can make the most of my time between instructional time to reflect and grow during my travels.

I want to continue to volunteer and become more involved in my community. I want to make connections with people who will bring new insight into the way I teach. I hope to make connections with people who can make community service for my future students a possibility. I am also very interested in developing my skills as a gardener and I want to learn more about how I can use my passion to benefit my future students. I am also interested in focusing my time to healthy eating and living an active, positive lifestyle.