I am not going to lie. I was the most nervous I have been in a very long time leading up to TOC day. It was the factor of the unknown that was really getting to me. What is the school going to be like? What will the other TC’s S.A. be like? Will the students even listen to me? What if I have no idea how to teach what I’m expected to teach? I am so comfortable in my own class that sometimes I forget all the skills that I have built throughout this 10-week practicum. The anxiety built as the day got closer, however it was comforting talking to my fellow TC’s and realizing that they were feeling the same way. We got our class assignments the afternoon before and as I had suspected all along, I was placed in a grade 6/7 classroom. Ah! What if they trample all over me? A long evening was spent prepping for the other TC to come into our classroom. Which also came with a whole set of learnings. The next day was an earlier start as we wanted to make sure we were there with lots of time to get signed in, familiar with the school, and figure out what our day would look like. Once we got into our classrooms and took a peak at the Shape of the Day, I began to feel a bit more settled in and ready for the exciting day ahead. As I greeted the students at the door and we began with our class meeting, I felt comfortable. There were challenging moments throughout the day, however it was a very positive experience in all. I left feeling more confident about my skills as a teacher and feeling like I can step into almost any classroom as a TOC.
Week Eight
This week saw many challenges regarding student behaviour. One student has been confronting behaviour issues beginning mid-year and escalating throughout this practicum. Last week was a particularly hard week and I was finding my time with my students being eaten up by attempting to calm, please, and figure out this student. It was seeming unfair to the rest of the students because they were quite disruptive outbursts that would basically stop a lesson from continuing. It was helpful having my E.A., being able to take this child for a walk or my S.A. who would pop in every now and then to check on things. However, what I am left wondering is how would I deal with this situation if I didn’t have the support of my E.A., S.A., and child care worker? After discussing these outbursts and challenges with my S.A., she suggested that I talk to the parents about the declining behaviour we are currently seeing in the classroom. There were previous meetings where the parent had seemed open to conversations about their child, yet recently they were closed off. I approached the parent after school one day and voiced my concerns about the behaviour of their child and that it was unfortunately becoming extremely disruptive to the learning of the rest of the classroom. The parent was receptive about this communication which felt like a step in the right direction. It’s a difficult situation to be in, as a teacher, when a child is struggling emotionally in a classroom yet you still have 20-25 other students who depend on you in that moment. We are lucky here at my school because we have so much extra support for students like a counsellor, child care worker, IST, E.A.’s, etc. Yet, those resources are being spread so thin throughout the entire school. How do we make sure all our students’ needs are being tended to in a right and just way?
Week Six
Self-care. It is one of the most vital things I can ever do for myself. At the end of Week 5 I came down with a nasty cough and cold and as much as I “took rest” over the weekend, I still went into Week 6 not feeling 100%. Surrey was lucky enough to have a short week in the classroom as Friday was the Surrey Teacher’s Association Convention and there were workshops running all day at one of the local high schools. I was excited about this day because… professional development! My first workshop was titled Asking the Right Questions. We discussed essential questions, wonder, and student-focused questioning. The second workshop was Teaching with the Heart in Mind, a workshop about Social and Emotional Learning. The presenter opened with something along the lines of “you’re here because you need something for yourself”. I was hooked. We discussed typical SEL lingo like attachment theory, the prefrontal cortex, mindfulness, and the fight-or-flight response. However, what stood out for me the most was the underlying message of self-care. Taking care of ourselves is the most important step to taking care of our students. How in the world could we tend to the needs of 24 tiny humans if we can’t tend to our own needs? I began thinking about how the whole week I had been feeling tired, I had a headache most of the week, coughed whenever I laughed, and had a very very short patience. This workshop was the wake-up call I needed. It also inspired me to infuse for SEL into the classroom in the coming weeks. My last workshop I was attending for the day I had originally chosen for myself. After a day full of professional development, I wanted to go into the weekend feeling refreshed. Laughter Yoga was the last workshop I did and it was incredible. Not only was it just fun to do, I took away so many ideas that I can use for Daily Physical Activity, transitions, Physical Education and Health, and just everyday fun! Heading into Week 7, I am committed to taking care of myself by moving my body every day (for a minimum of 30 minutes), getting enough sleep (between 8-9 hours per night), and eating home-cooked meals 90% of the time.
Week Five
One thing that I value very much in my own life is personal development. I love discovering more about myself and the why behind who I am. I almost always have a personal development book on the go and I have written a 10-year vision of what I want my life to look like, along with 1, 5, and 10 year goals I am working towards. This drive to become the best human being I am capable of stems from wanting to learn. I believe this is partly what has drawn me to teaching. It’s not just our students who are learning every day in the classroom, it is also the teacher. Every day we learn more about certain topics, how we view the world, what did and did not work in a lesson, and we also learn a little more about ourselves every day. What I appreciate about the Surrey School District is that they too feel it’s important to be developing the teachers in a professional domain. You could attend a professional development workshop almost daily at the District Education Centre. Essentially this entire year has been one big professional development workshop. On Wednesday, a fellow Teacher Candidate and I attended a workshop on early literacy and story workshops for students and on Thursday we attended a workshop that was presented by our Faculty Advisor on Indigenous Education and Pedagogy. I took a few minutes at both workshops to look around the room at the other individuals who attended. Yes, many were younger and early in their careers, however there were many faces who have put in decades in the classroom. What I love about those individuals is that they have not become complacent in their teaching. They are striving to be current for their students, facilitating the best learning environment they can. As I reflect on this week, I am reminded about one of my five year goals: by September 2021 I am enrolled in a one-year professional development opportunity per year.