I have been teaching full time the last three weeks. It has been challenging, exciting and filled with learning. Some days definitely go smoother than others but all in all this experience has taught me so much.

The students became extremely interested in the crabs found at Dundarave beach which has sparked an inquiry unit focusing on our local environment and ways in which we can have an impact on it. Attempting to teach an inquiry unit to my class has not been a breeze. Reflecting on my teaching and planning has allowed me to see where I can improve as I move forward. Next time, I will start the planning sooner because I recognize the work involved flushing out the process. It is definitely not easy but the challenge has forced me to go beyond my comfort zone and take risks as a new teacher. I appreciate this make me a better teacher.

Last week, I was involved with Irwin Park’s “Welcome to Kindergarten” event for next years K students. Being part of this well organized morning was informative and exciting. I was able to get a small glimpse into the curious young minds who will be enrolled next year.  The Irwin Park staff does a fantastic job making new students and their families feel welcomed and excited about their future years at the school.

I am really enjoying coaching track with the intermediate grades. I took the lead at one of the practices this week and it was fun to work with the older students. I enjoy the conversations and abilities that develop as the students mature. I think getting to know the students through sports and extra curricular activities allows teachers to get a better sense of each student in an authentic way.

It’s hard to believe there are only 3 weeks left of my practicum. I have so much more I want to accomplish in what seems a short amount of time. Hopefully I can write a few more blog post up before it’s over.

It’s been a busy two weeks teaching at 50% but I have enjoyed the ride! With Easter weekend and Student Led Conferences the days seem like a blur looking back.

I decided to bake banana bread with my students, integrating both math and literacy in the lesson.  The banana bread was a success and we were able to share it with their family members during the conferences. The baking lesson not only taught the students about real life measurements but it opened my eyes to the organization, patience and preparation required to bake with 21 kindergarteners. The lesson took longer than I anticipated and I couldn’t please every child at the same time, but seeing their excitement and pride in their baking made it all worthwhile. During the student lead conferences the students were very proud to tell their parents what they baked! It’s something that I would definitely do again in the classroom.

In Art the students painted portraits of their families which were on display for them to showcase. The paintings were incredible and something I think all parents will keep around for years to come. I asked the students to draw and paint their families without restrictions. This allowed the students to incorporate what was important, giving them the opportunity to make it personal and meaningful.

For the next 4 weeks I will be teaching at 100%. It’s exciting and overwhelming but I am ready for the challenge. I hope to keep the students engaged and excited and take risks myself to see what works and what doesn’t. I will embrace the lessons that don’t go as I imagined and seek feedback on ways to improve. I know the importance of being flexible with myself and my students so we can all get the most out of our time together.

Week two was filled with explorations at the beach, staff workshops and enjoyable learning for me and the students. I am sure I will say this every week but I really can’t believe how fast the time is going.

I am inspired by my week in the classroom. The students continued with their Math and Science units and showed great examples of team work and critical thinking. In PE I taught the students Yoga through a Yoga Story that focused on spring and nature. I dimmed the lights in the gym and reminded the students about the importance of quiet voices and calm breaths which are both integral parts of a yoga practice.  I was amazed at their focus and meditation throughout the lesson. I intend to build on this unit and bring our practice outdoors as the weather continues to improve.

After school on Tuesday I attended a district planning meeting with all of the Kindergarten teachers preparing for their “Welcome to Kindergarten” day in May. It was informative and helpful to gain insight with regards to how the schools in West Vancouver plan for their future K entries. My school adviser and I attended an all day training workshop on Wednesday for the program “Lets talk about touching.” This was another opportunity to learn about the program and how it is taught at the kindergarten level.

I feel so lucky to be at Irwin Park and have a beach within a 5 minute walk and on Friday afternoon we went down to the beach to explore. The students were curious and fascinated by their surroundings. Their keen interest at the beach tells me that an inquiry unit must begin focusing on this explorative environment. They found lots of living and non living things that sparked their interest. The possibilities of where this might go seem endless!

Looking forward to the week ahead and all that is to come.

It’s hard to believe that we have already completed the first week of our practicum. Before heading to school on the Monday I was excited and anxious. It was so nice already having built a relationship with my school adviser and all of the students but I knew that these next 10 weeks would be busy and a lot of work.

I taught Math, Science and Gym in the first week and took full advantage of the beautiful spring weather, getting my students outdoors as much as possible. I am pleased with how my first few lessons played out.

In Science we explored motion and movement and looked at the ways our bodies move on the playground. The students were so enthusiastic and showed me many different ways they can move. The swings were a great example of push and pull and the students came up with many different action words that we could use to describe different types of movement.  I used my ipad to document different motions from the students and added those pictures to our word wall in the class so they could easily make connections to the new words.

We started a measurement unit in Math. My first lesson looked at height, we made a measurement wall in the classroom and compared the different heights among each of the students. In my second math lesson we looked at our feet and measured them using non standard measurement units. The students were engaged and enjoyed the lessons that were taught.

I am helping coach Ultimate Frisbee this term. It started this week and we have our first game on Tuesday. It’s so great to connect with the grade 7’s and see the students participating in extra curricular sports at the school. I am very excited about what is to come in the following weeks and look forward to posting my reflections on this blog weekly.