10 week practicum is over! The last day was Sports Day, which couldn’t have been better. What a way to end it all.

The Pink team (my team) came third

The Green Turtles are victorious in the Tug O War

On to my CFE!

The track meet on Tuesday was easily the most fun I’ve had at practicum so far. I always knew I was a competitive person, but I was REALLY getting into it at the track meet. In hindsight I hope I didn’t embarrass myself by screaming too much. I’ve never been more proud of my students too. I was the sprint coach, and we placed first or second in EVERY relay event. Obviously I didn’t have too much to do with this, but I like to think I helped. The kids in my grade 7 class did really well, and it was nice to see the girls participating in something athletic. It’s often a challenge to get them to make an effort in PE, and it was nice to see them trying their best ‘for the team’. I am a true believer in the power of team sports to build confidence and help teach kids the importance of working together and cooperation. I was able to see this in action on Tuesday.

It’s been a strange week with the ProD on Monday, the job action, and track meet. I actually only had 2 real teaching days at the school this week, and in reality, I think I only taught 2 lessons. We’ve been spending almost all of our time preparing for sports day, rehearsing our parent appreciation tea song, working on yearbooks, or various other school activities. I’ve been trying to finish up my math and socials units, but it sure has been difficult to find time in the day. Next week is even worse, because we have another day of job action, sports day, the parent tea, school photos, caricature drawing (?), and probably a million other things. The kids are pretty restless at the moment, and who can blame them? They feel the end of the year is coming, they’ve worked hard all year, and most of the day is taken up by small tasks that need to be done for various grad or school events. If all of a sudden someone expected me to buckle down and write poetry, I wouldn’t exactly be too into it either.

I was thinking that it would have been better to have this practicum at another time of year when I could have actually had more time to TEACH, rather than manage all the stuff that the grade 7s are doing at the end of the year. But now, I’m starting to realize that this is all part of the job and that I’m probably learning a lot of valuable lessons right now. Today I got a sense of just how much preparation and organization goes into sports day each year. I know it’s supposed to be the grade 7s planning it, but really, the grade 7s plan what each station activity is, but the teachers are the ones planning the logistics of the event, coordinating with the PAC, buying the materials, organizing the teams, making the schedule, etc. etc. Having never been in charge of a grade 7 class, and never planned a sports day, I’m feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment with the amount of work there still is to do. I’m sure it will all work out- it always seems to. I just need to remember to buy 150 water balloons this weekend…

Yesterday was… difficult. There were disruptions all morning for class and team photos, which also meant the gym was occupied. Of course there were monsoon rains outside, so we missed our PE time. This was a bad start to the day. Lately I have had to schedule a lot of time for working on yearbooks, sports day planning, sports day cheers, parent tea rehearsal, etc. I learned the hard way yesterday, that trying to do all of this in one day, when we miss PE, and when there are constant disruptions, is a bad idea. Half the class was seemingly always somewhere else, so getting any group work done was not really possible. In the end there was too much idle time, which led to too much bouncing off the walls. These kids bounce off the walls on the best of days; yesterday was a whole new level.

When the rain cleared up around 2 pm I sent the kids outside for a run. This didn’t really help at all. What I should have done is cancel my plans for the rest of the day and done an outside activity. The students could not focus and were not being productive in the classroom at all, yet I continued trying to push them to do work. By the end I felt like I was herding a bunch of cats. Cats who were bouncing off the walls. Next time I should know better on a Friday afternoon.

We had 2 TOCs this week, which was interesting for me. One was a teacher just back from Mat leave, who has her own grade 7 class. She gave me a few ideas and had a lot of good information to share. One of them was to start a homework club at recess for students with outstanding work. It was getting ridiculous with the amount of work people owed me, and going after them one by one was really not working (and taking a lot of time). So at class meeting I brought up the new system: Anyone with their name on the board under homework club owes me work and will stay in at recess to finish it until they hand it in. This was motivating for almost all of them, and sure enough, but the end of the week I had almost everything in. There is still one student who does not seem to be motivated by this, or by the idea of falling behind in high school. She is someone I will spend more one on one time with. Now that I have established homework club, I should have more time to do this.

Track meet is next week, which I’m impossibly excited for. It’s been a lot of work selecting the team- trying to pick the best and fasted kids, while still accommodating others that give their best and really want to go. In the end I think we made fair decisions. I’m also leading a ProD session with another TC on Monday at the school. I have a few things to do to prepare for that (ie- dusting off some workshop materials from earlier this year). Only 2 weeks left in practicum, but still so much to do!

Some days have been great, and others not so much. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say I don’t especially want to teach grade 7 anytime in the near future. As a group, they can be awful. Other teachers in the school keep telling me, “well at least your having this experience in your practicum so you’ll be prepared later”, and, “it’s a challenging group, but some of them aren’t so bad”. I’m trying not to have a grass is greener mentality, but I keep thinking how wonderful it would be to have a lovely grade 6 class right about now.

But there have been some nice moments. On Friday I taught a poetry lesson that they found really engaging, about slam poetry, music lyrics and hip hop (I took some ideas from this lesson I found online). After playing the ‘Hip hop or Shakespeare game’, one boy actually said, “can we go back to the beginning and play again? Maybe we will have forgotten the answers”. This was also the first time we were actually able to have a class discussion about a ‘real’ topic where students were contributing thoughtful and insightful comments. Several students had interesting things to say about consumerism and equality, and the rest of the class actually listened to them. This is a big deal for us. I think the lesson here is to engage them with topics that are relevant to their own lives. Embed music, fashion, pop culture as much as possible. If only I could think of a way to do this for spelling or math, I think this would happen more often. As their assignment, they have to choose a song, and then write a rationale as to why they think the lyrics should be considered poetry. I’m very excited to read what they wrote.

Now for what didn’t go so well this week. Shotput/Discus was not my best PE lesson. I didn’t organize the groups well enough, so there were too many students standing around with nothing to do too often. My math lesson for an observation with my FA did not go too smoothly. The technology failed and the activity I planned did not work exactly as I thought. I have to review a few of the concepts, because many students didn’t understand. Writing mothers day poems was difficult for the students- I had to do a lot of handholding, despite giving them lots of ideas and templates to work with. There are probably more, but those were the major problems. We also had 3 TOCs, and I even had to teach band one day because the band TOC was at the wrong school. Yes. Me. I taught band (it was actually really fun, there’s something thrilling about standing at the front of an ‘orchestra’ and commanding them to play for you).

Next week is going to be busy. We are going to Playland on Tuesday, which could be really fun or a complete nightmare. I’m hoping for the former.

Here are a couple pictures I took of some students mothers day cards they made using screen-printing techniques. I thought some of them turned out quite well.

First week of 100% is behind me. It’s Saturday after a 10 hour sleep, but I’m still feeling the effects of it. I’ve been battling a cold all week, which has come at just the right time. We’ve also had above 30 degree weather, which has wound up the kids and made them extra hyper. It’s like they can smell summer coming, and have decided that they don’t need to do any more work. At this point it is getting close to the end of the year, and they are in grade 7, so I can hardly blame them for wanting a bit of slack. Unfortunately I do have some work planned for the last 5 weeks, so they won’t be getting off that easy.

So what did I learn this week? 1) kids like QR codes (or any technology really), 2) they don’t like analyzing poetry very much, 3) It would take years of creative drama to get this class to a place where they can concentrate silently on a group exercise for more than three seconds,  4) I will still continue to try,  5) grade 7s like learning about gladiators, 6) many grade 7 girls are embarrassed to try high jump in front of the class, and finally, 7) hands on science labs are fun and a lot of work.

We had two TOCs this week as well. It’s been good for me to talk to different teachers and get ‘the scoop’ on what it’s like to be a TOC in Surrey. I’ve also seen a few different classroom management strategies, which has been a good learning experience. For the most part, the TOCs tell me that this class is incredibly talkative, but they generally seem like nice kids (not exactly news to me). Thursday morning a few of the more ‘talkative’ members of the class were away- what an amazing morning we had! I can only dream of what class would be like if it was always like that. I could see that a few of the kids are actually really hard workers and not naturally disruptive, they just get riled up by the instigators. On Thursday I changed the seats in class again, in the hopes of creating more harmonious groups and less talking. Time will tell if this will make any difference. I’m not holding my breath.

The biggest learning experience I had this week was in PE class. The first jumprope lesson was a disaster- it could not have gone worse. Almost no one was on task, they weren’t interested in the youtube videos I found, some kids were using the equipment improperly, they weren’t staying in their assigned groups, I had students talking back and arguing with my decisions, some students snuck out of the gym before dismissal, and the goal of raising our heartrates with skipping was definitely not achieved.

So why did this happen? I went over the lesson and came up with several reasons. Firstly, it wasn’t my lesson to begin with (I was doing this because we had Jump Rope 4 Heart this week and my SA indicated we needed to do a couple days of skipping). I took my SA’s suggestions of setting up stations and having the video playing and music, etc. But in reality, I didn’t know enough about chinese skipping or the Jump Rope for Heart program to effectively fake it. I think the students could sense that they knew more about skipping than me, and pounced on this opportunity to assert their authority. Reason two: on Wednesdays we have the grade 7s from the other class with us, so I was teaching 6 extra students that I don’t have a relationship with at all, one of whom tends to ‘stir up trouble’. Reason the third: I didn’t outline clear expectations for behavior and for the skipping skills I expected to see. In the classroom I explained the logistics for how the stations would be set up and how the rotations would work, but I didn’t tell them exactly what I was looking for in terms of performance. This was a major error, because the students were not intrinsically interested in the activity, and so had no reason to be accountable to me.

The next day I taught jump rope again. The difference was night and day. The students were completely on task, stayed in their groups, were showing me their skipping skills and techniques, and were not using equipment improperly or fooling around on the mats, etc. After the terrible lesson on Wednesday, I ‘lectured’ the students on appropriate gym behaviour, and made each of them write me list of expectations teachers have of students in PE. The next day, I reminded them of this list, and set clear expectations of them. Students were told they had to stay in their teams, demonstrate or attempt to demonstrate each of the skills on the posters, and remain on task. Any student who was fooling around on the mats or doing other off task behaviour would sit out and receive a zero. I brought my clip board to the gym and made notations on each student as they rotated the stations. I also gave the students a choice, if they worked well and showed me they could act appropriately, once we finished the station rotations we could play Stop Ball. In all, it was a great learning experience, one that I know I will continue to reference in future lessons.

The end of this week was a treat. Jump Rope for Heart, a circus presentation in the gym, and Kindergarten buddy time. Does it get more fun than that?

Week 3’s theme was all about listening, something these grade 7s really need to work on. At the beginning of the week I set a goal for the class to work on listening to each other better so we could carry out a whole class discussion. At the end of this week, I wouldn’t exactly say we’ve accomplished this goal… Overall, I would say that the students are more respectful toward me, but in terms of listening to each other, they still have a long way to go.

I had the students self evaluate their own behaviour and listening on the rubric they created at the end of the week. Most of the students answered honestly, but 2 students (who are the usual culprits) were way off on their reflections. I’m going to talk to these students next week and see if I can get them to realize the discrepancy between the behaviour I notice during the day, and the self assessment they completed.

My poetry lesson went fairly well this week, although I learned a little bit about who works well in a group together and who doesn’t. The students prepared a choral dramatic reading in groups for the class, once again getting the students to listen to each other ‘respectfully’ was the biggest challenge. Even though the students knew that they had to perform these poems and wanted their classmates to listen, they didn’t remember this themselves once they were part of the audience. I’m going to continue reminding students and drawing their attention to their own behaviour when it happens; more creative solutions may be needed in the coming weeks.

This week was a short week, and so is the next. There have also been track rotations, meetings with the highschool articulation committee, a field trip, and prep for student conferences. Next week it seems that we have almost no teaching time, as there is more track, conferences, a trip to the high school, jump rope for heart, and a presentation in the gym of some sort. I feel like I have been doing more handing out and collecting of notices (playland, gr 7 camp trip, highschool math challenge, sex ed speaker, fun night PAC notices) and general admin work than actual teaching this week. Hopefully this will change in the next couple of weeks, but I’m certainly not expecting to get through as many lessons as I have prepared. I’ve already decided to change my final project for social studies as there is not enough time to complete it. Being flexible and going with the flow is definitely something I’m getting practice at.

This week has been full of ups and downs. I continue to enjoy the dynamic and always changing role a teacher plays in the school. The day goes by so quickly with so many different joys and challenges faced. At times it is so much fun, I can hardly believe that people get paid to do it. At other times it can be so infuriating that no amount of money seems worth it.

I taught a very successful dance lesson this week (even the boys were into it), followed by an utter failure dance lesson the following day (note to self, grade 7 boys don’t enjoy dancing to “Happy” by Pharrell). My math lessons mostly went well this week, I think most students are enjoying probabilities.

My poetry lesson observed by my FA did not go as smoothly however. The students appear to be testing the limits of my patience by acting out, especially when they know I’m being observed. I’ve received feedback that I need to ‘come down hard’ on several of the students, and essentially, stop being so nice. This should be relatively easy for most people, but for me, it doesn’t seem so simple. I find it difficult to ‘act’ in a certain way that doesn’t feel genuine, or discipline students with punishment that someone else has determined. People have said to me that a lot of teaching is about ‘acting’ and asserting authority, which is hard for me to digest. By nature, I prefer to be more of a supportive colleague than an authoritative figure. Practicum is a difficult balance, because one has to assume the role of teacher in someone else’s classroom, which may mean having to ‘act’ in a certain way that doesn’t necessarily align with one’s personality. If the students in the class are used to a certain type of discipline or certain classroom management style, then the student teacher has to work within that style, while still trying to remain true to him or herself. In our first term at UBC I read an article which really sums up how I’m feeling at this point.

I can tell it’s going to be an interesting couple of months. I’m going to have to find a balance between doing what needs to be done in the short term, and staying true to myself and not trying to emulate someone else’s teaching style. After the lesson on Friday I did take the feedback and have a ‘chat’ with the class. In keeping with my own style, I chose to talk to the students personally about how they made me feel, rather than scold and lecture them about proper conduct. We’ll see how things go next week.

I did have one bright spot come out of that poetry lesson. I happened to collect one student’s notes where she had written some personal questions at the bottom of her paper. She showed me she really was thinking on that deeper level I was trying to get to. Something I’d like to continue doing with all of my students.

This week passed in a blink- I can already tell that this practicum is going to fly by. I can also already tell that I’m not going to accomplish nearly the amount of things I’d planned. The school calendar for the next 10 weeks includes: early dismissal, student conferences, track rotations, track meet, field trips, two Pro-D days, Jump Rope for Heart, sports day, assemblies, dance day… This is on top of the regular ‘interruptions’ in grade 7: recycling, school clean up, monitoring, announcements, sports day planning, library help, etc. I’m beginning to see how there is a lot more to working in a school than just planning and delivering lessons. I’m looking forward to all of it though.

Reflecting on my lessons this week, I’ve definitely had some valuable learning experiences.

#1: Exit slips really do work to assess student learning. I was teaching a math end of chapter review lesson for positive and negative integers. Aside from a small handful of students, everyone said they were already finished the practice quiz, had checked their answers, and were doing well. I had gone over a few more example questions at the front, but the students were mostly working independently and didn’t ask me many questions. The general response I got from them was, “we get it, no need to review anymore”. However, at the end of class after circulating I was getting a slightly different impression.  I decided to do an impromptu exit slip, so I created a few sample questions (adapted from the practice test) and had students complete the questions at the end of class. The results were very informative- only a handful of students got the questions right! Overall, they were NOT understanding the concept, and definitely needed more time before the test. I talked to my SA, and we have since pushed the test a few days and have decided to hold 2 early morning review sessions before school.  This experience really taught me the value in assessment for learning, and also that you can’t always rely on students self-reporting their own understanding.

#2: Check your technology at least a day before the lesson. I’ve heard this about a million times, but until it happens to you, you never think that anything could go wrong. In my case I was planning to show a short video that was hosted online by a somewhat obscure site (not YouTube). Of course, when I tried to cue up the video before the lesson, the site was blocked or inaccessible through the browser the school computer uses. Fortunately in this case the whole lesson wasn’t dependent on the video and we were able to carry on with something else. Now I’ve had first hand experience with a ‘technology fail’, which will hopefully serve as a reminder in the future.

#3: Student’s will put in as much effort as you expect of them. There are a few students in my class who are usually disengaged and don’t put in a lot of effort (if they do the work at all). I’m trying to work on connecting with these students and making sure they know that I think they are capable, intelligent people who are valuable members of the class. I’ve made an effort to call on them during lessons and show them that I expect their participation and contributions.  I wouldn’t say that I’ve made a lot of progress so far, but my SA has mentioned she noticed these students ‘perking up’ a little when I acknowledged them or gave them individual time.  I am sure that throughout my teaching career I will continually be trying to find ways to engage these students. So far, letting these students know that they are not invisible in the class is one strategy I’ve found.

As I near the start of long practicum, I have ambivalent feelings. On the one hand I am so excited and cannot wait to get in the classroom, and on the other I am hoping Monday might not ever come so I can live in limbo just a little bit longer. This is essentially the big moment. It’s make it or break it time (or fake it ’til you make it time). Everything I need to remember is living on various to-do lists, word docs, post-it notes, and in my over-tired brain. All of the important goals for practicum are also living somewhere in my brain too, waiting to be realized. Create meaningful relationships with my students, engage them with interesting and active learning, build critical thinking skills, plan awesome field trips, meet their parents, collaborate with other teachers, incorporate technology in a ‘real’ way, use assessment as learning… and that’s only a few. 10 weeks just doesn’t seem like it will be long enough. I keep having to remind myself that I don’t have to carry out absolutely every idea I have in this 10 weeks. Someday I will have a class of my own, and all the time in the world (hardly). For now though, it’s crunch time, and these units aren’t going to finish themselves.