Final Reflections:
There were elements of this type of placement that I found challenging. It was a challenge to transition from a demanding workload in my ten week practicum into a much more relaxed pace, both in a professional and personal sense. At first I felt like I was accomplishing much less in my day and that I wasn’t able to have as much of a relationship with the students compared to my practicum. After a few days of adjusting I found a new lens that helped me to observe classes and teachers. Having completed practicum and having a basic understanding, it allowed me a better perspective to observe strategies for instructional and organizational elements that I did not have enough time to reflect on thoroughly before and during my long practicum. While overall the experience did not turn out as I had anticipated, it ended up granting me a unique glimpse at other areas of the educational field. I gained an extreme appreciation for the work that occupational therapists do and saw such inspiring connections between her and her students. I had not anticipated this being an area that I would find so rewarding, but it really left me feeling inspired and excited about the true essence this profession. It is the great relationships forged with students on an individual level that has always been my guiding light towards this profession and it was wonderful to see Sue connecting this same way with her students.
I also look back on this experience with pride in my abilities to self-direct and utilize my strong leadership and communication skills in order to maximize the benefits of being in a rural community, after not being able to work in the schools as planned. I feel that having to take the initiative and create opportunity for myself, especially in a community where I knew very few people, revealed strengths in my character that I had not considered before. It has confirmed that this is definitely the right field for me to be entering and I am so looking forward to getting started.
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[Weekly Posts From Community Based Field Experience in Prince Rupert]
North Pacific Cannery Museum:
Tuesday, we went out to visit the North Pacific Cannery Museum and it was really interesting to visit such a historic site that has had such a tremendous influence on these Northern communities’ economy. We explored the site and went on a tour about the Cannery life. It was fascinating to hear about the discrimination, and hierarchical system for the different racial groups of people working at the cannery. There were primarily Europeans, First Nations, Chinese and Japanese workers at the cannery and all lived and worked in distinctly different sections of the cannery. With my sociology background I found it interesting to see the differences in the living quarters and types of jobs each group of people had. We spoke with the manager, Stephanie, who invited us to create some children’s activities for their special 125th anniversary celebrations on the weekend. It was really an exciting opportunity to be able to be able to create activities with a completely blank slate. We spent most of the rest of the work creating and collecting the materials for our activities. One thing that we learned is that there is a much more limited supply of craft materials in a small community, and that it is much more challenging to transport all these supplies by bike! Overall we had a lot of fun designing various craft activities, a paper boat building station and a children’s photo booth where they could play dress up and pose for pictures.
Metlakatla Trail:
This week began with an incredible 20 kilometer hike that begins in the village of Metlakatla. Kelsey and I took the 15 minute ferry from Prince Rupert and arrived in the village of Metlakatla, population 100, to be greeted by a very friendly trail guide. Since the trail is on Metlakatla territory we had to pay a fee to use the trail, as well as sign a waiver form because the trail is highly secluded and amongst true wilderness. He sent us on our way down the street and 300 meters later we arrived at a gravel path leading us into the woods. It was such a liberating experience to be so far from the world of technology, busy schedules and commitments and just simply enjoy the beautiful natural setting around me for 6 hours. This day of hiking reminded me how important it is to take care of my mind and body, especially when times get stressful, which I have put on the back burner a lot during the duration of my practicum. I also felt a sense of connection with the land and the people who welcomed us there to enjoy their beautiful community for the day, as I hiked along the trails appreciating the trees, ocean and animals. Although we had to cut our hike short at the 8km mark and turn around in order to catch the last ferry home, I returned home Monday feeling invigorated and with a sense of accomplishment for completing an 18 km hike. The weather, the company and the setting allowed for a rare, perfect Monday.
Sensory Room:
Friday I was lucky enough to get to go spend the day with the district’s occupational therapist, named Sue. She showed me the district’s sensory room and allowed me to work with two of the boys that were scheduled to visit the sensory room that day. One of the boys was in grade one and the other was in grade five. The boys visited the sensory room individually, which allowed me to see the differences between the two in terms of their interests and engagement with the materials at the sensory room. It was incredible to see their willingness to accept me into their space and show me their favourite aspects of the sensory room. It was also really inspiring to see such a positive relationship between Sue and these students. Countless times we have discussed in classes at UBC how “every child needs a champion” and that creating safe and positive spaces for children will foster growth and learning. This was highly apparent while watching the students interact with Sue, watching them transform from two equally shy boys leaving class into vibrant and outgoing individuals. For me this made me think of students I have worked with over my years of volunteering and coaching, and even during practicum, and can think of many of them that would benefitted so much from attending a sensory room like this one.
At the end of the day we helped to clean out the ball pit – who knew that 4000 plastic balls could be so heavy!
It was really exciting to see that strategies for self regulation are being so readily used in the Prince Rupert school district! I noticed in several of the classes I was visiting, as well as throughout the schools, language about self-regulation is everywhere! After seeing in practicum how important of an issue promoting and teaching self-regulation is for students, I think that having it become integrated into everyday routine is crucial. For example, using language regarding the zones of regulation during instructions and having all staff be consistent with this language. It was really interesting to see how teachers have integrated it so naturally into the way that they instruct and it has become embedded into the classroom climate.
Port Interpretative Center:
Port Interpretive Center:
Wednesday Kelsey (fellow TC) and I went to visit the Port Interpretative Center and learned about the Port of Prince Rupert. We learned about its incredible significance to both the local and global community. The centre had various information presented about the types of vessels used for transporting goods, the history of the port, types of goods the port transports and unique features about the port itself. The picture above shows a really interesting interactive piece that was at the centre. It allowed you to select a type of export and then watch to see the process of how that good would be exported on the screen. For example, it would show a train going into the prairies to collect grain, then bringing it back to the port which would then be loaded onto a particular type of vessel and then shipped across the world. It was a fun way to present the transportation process of these goods and it allowed you to compare the different types of vessels and shipping times of various goods.
Another interactive piece at the Port Interpretive Center allowed us to engage with a timeline of the construction and development of the Port of Prince Rupert. This was presented on a touch screen timeline so that you could select any year that you were interested in and it would show you what the port looked like at that time and gave you some information about how it was running at that point. This was a really engaging way to show the incredible development of the port over time and gain a better understanding of how deeply rooted the port has become in the community.
First day at Pineridge
Today was my first day in my placement at Pineridge Elementary School. The staff welcomed me with open arms, some literally. In my first few days in Prince Rupert it has become abundantly clear that it is comprised of some of the kindest people I have ever met. It really is true what they say about small town people being friendly! Today I got to help in Ms. Russel’s kindergarten/grade one split class to help prepare for their father’s days crafts. Also, all the teacher candidates were able to attend a lunch at Wap Sigatgyet, which is the main office for the Aboriginal Education Department. We had the chance to meet Sandra Jones, the superintendent of the district, and many other staff members over lunch. They informed us about many of the opportunities that will be available to us while we are here, both in the schools and in the community. Overall my first day of the community field experience has left me feeling excited and inspired to maximize the opportunities that they are so graciously presenting to us! I am especially excited at the opportunity to see how social and emotional learning strategies are being put into practice in some of the classrooms at Pineridge Elementary.
Day One/Two: First Impression – Trees!
Trees, trees and more trees! I landed after a quick and easy flight from Vancouver. I unloaded from the plane to find the quaint Prince Rupert Airport (YPR) and the most trees I could have ever imagined. I loaded onto a bus that would take me to the ferry, and then into Prince Rupert. As I looked out the window of the ten-minute ride to the ferry, I watched the endless stream of trees whiz by my window and I felt myself relax. After a whirlwind ten-week practicum, it felt like the first time I had just sat still with nowhere to rush off to and no endless list of errands to get through. After racing through the past few weeks, having the opportunity to slow down my pace and enjoy my surroundings has been incredibly rejuvenating. I had the opportunity to catch up on some much needed rest and then spend the afternoon getting accustomed to the ever-changing Prince Rupert climate as I explored some of town. On my explorations I met up with a fellow teacher candidate, Kelsey, in a part of town called Cow Bay to peruse the touristy shops and enjoy lunch beside the ocean. Unfortunately we have already fallen in love with way more art, wooden carvings and jewelry than our suitcases can hold. Luckily we have twenty more days to ponder which ones we love the most.
Goodbye’s Were Never My Thing:
Practicum was fast and furious, and tumultuous at times. I learned so much so fast about the importance of developing a variety of strong classroom management skills to suit the many different challenging behaviours in my class. I expected to learn an enormous amount from my school advisor and the other staff members who have become experts in this field. I expected to be frantically prepping lessons and spending far too many hours figuring out the best Mother’s day crafts for the kids to make. In fact, I had alot of expectations, however I did not expect to form such good relationships with my students in such a short time. I did not expect to get to know and love each of their personalities so fully in that short of a time. So for me, when my grade two students gave me a goodbye book of advice for “a future super teacher” I did not expect to be so emotional. I can’t remember experiencing anything so bittersweet before. I feel proud that I’ve accomplished this phase of the program, and am a little closer to entering the profession, but I am so sad to have to say goodbye to my first class of amazing students.