We did it! It has been a very busy (and slightly crazy) couple of weeks, but we have reached the end of our 10 week practicum. One word: Wow. I feel like I have learned more in the past 10 weeks than during my 4 year History degree. I began my 10 week practicum as a scared and nervous student teacher and now I have blossomed into a confident soon-to-be teacher. I have reached the end of my practicum, having learned how to handle a variety of different (and sometimes difficult) situations. I have learned how students best learn, which is through hands-on, inquiry based learning. There were some tough days and weeks, but perseverance and determination helped me to get through those bumps along the road. Overall, I made some great connections with many of my students. Yesterday was a bittersweet moment. I was proud that I had come so far in my practicum, but sad that I had to say good-bye to all of my students and the staff. I feel so fortunate to have had this great opportunity to teach at my school and in my particular classroom. It has been a whirlwind of emotions and of learning. Now, it’s time to recap what we did during my final weeks in the classroom.

We ended our Tomatosphere project this week. Unfortunately, not many seeds were able to germinate from either group. 10 seeds germinated from Group D and 4 seeds germinated from Group F. I submitted the results and we found out that the seeds from Group D were the ones that were sent to space for 5 weeks! I had originally thought it would be the other way around. My students were smarter than me with most of them guessing the right group. They commented that they think that normal tomato seeds wouldn’t grow as fast as the seeds that were sent to space. Some great thinking by the Grade 1 students!

We finally finished building our community model yesterday. The students were so involved and engaged in making the model. They problem solved and collaborated well together as they tried to figure out which buildings should go where and how the roads should be built. Some students even built 3D models of buildings! Overall, the project was very successful and I am so proud of the hard work that the Grade 1s did!

Finally, the class gave me a parting gift yesterday. They arranged a basket full of useful resources such as books, stamps, pencils, and notebooks – all useful things that any beginning teacher can use! It was very difficult to say good bye to my students. I may or may not have cried. But like what I always say, it’s not good bye but see you later – and I have a good feeling that I will be seeing all of them again soon.

Now, it’s time for the next adventure: Community Field Experience! I will be heading up north to Vanderhoof to teach at an elementary school. I will continue to post weekly reflections on my experience of teaching in a rural school, so continue to follow this blog for all the continued fun and learning!