Unlike many of my fellow classmates, I was placed, for my Community-Based Field Experience, in a classroom setting. The experience for me was to see how a faith-based school community compared to a public school setting in order to find my calling and seek out possibilities and opportunities.
My First Week as a Catholic Educator
June 13, 2014
As I leave my practicum behind, I am amazed by how much each of my students meant to me and how much I learned from each and every one of them. Monday, it was a Professional Development Day at my Community Field Experience placement and I was given the day off. I used this day to reflect on my experience and complete the overwhelming task of finishing my report cards. I also was given the great pleasure of returning to my practicum classroom and visiting my students who were as emotional as I was.
After an emotional day of transitions, I was ready, albeit apprehensive for a new experience. Unlike some students in this program, I was not entering uncharted waters, but rather returning home. I grew up in Chilliwack and attended the school I am currently placed at. I was overwhelmed at how much things had changed, but also how some things never seem to. Now, in a familiar environment, I was apprehensive and rather nervous to enter the staffroom and worried about being seen as an equal. I was no longer a student looking for approval from my teachers, but now a colleague, forced to set aside the memories of yesteryear and approach the environment as a professional. Looking back it made my practicum easy, no one knew me there and it was simple to be a staff member, part of a team of peers. Now, I think about how I know some of the staff (many have retired) and how I grew up in this school. Many of my students have relatives who were friends of mine or at least people I have encountered over time. It also overwhelmed me to think that had my sister not moved, my nephew would be in this class, these were his friends. It was in this environment I discovered what it truly meant to be a professional.
Tuesday began with a rush of activities. I spent some time working one-on-one with several students and was able to quickly assess the students’ ability and recognize struggles and successes. I jumped right in and got my feet wet, willing and eager to teach research skills. Heather had proposed this to be my “project” for the duration of my time and I was excited for the opportunity to get started and share my knowledge. The students were very excited and had their topics already chosen. The project was meant to be Science-based and the students were given the opportunity to make their own choice in terms of topic. The first day we began by discussing how we could narrow our topics and the students came up with their own questions. What do you want to know about this topic? Many students struggled to narrow their topic or simply didn’t want to. One student insisted that they wanted their topic to be dinosaurs, a very big topic for a project to be completed in such a short time. It was a mutual decision to let the students explore their research and come to this conclusion through their own process, while keeping a close eye on each students’ progress. The accomplishment for the assignment will come through the process, not the end result.
Wednesday was an interesting change of pace as there is a job-share and a different teacher comes in on Wednesdays. She is a wonderful, vibrant teacher who teaches music at the school on Mondays and Tuesdays. The students look forward to her art lessons. Wednesday I participated actively in the art activity, making my own Father’s Day card, whilst helping students with theirs. Time was also slotted for me to work on Math fractions with the students using Froot Loops. Using bags of 30 Froot Loops, the students explored what it meant to be a “whole” and were able to sort and explain what fraction of the bag was red, orange, green, etc. The hardest part was not teaching fractions, arguably a new concept for many, but rather making sure the students didn’t eat their Math!
Thursday we went bowling and I watched the intricacies of getting 20 students to and from the field trip location, getting shoes on the students, and ensuring we didn’t get kicked out due to their aggressive bowling styles. Some students insisted on slow bowling, on more than one occasion the ball simply stopped in the middle of the alley, while others tossed the ball to a complete thud on the wood. The students were all eager and participated actively, with only one exception. One student insisted their shoes did not fit and there were no more of that size. I had a chance to think about the planning of such outings and think this might be something I would check beforehand. Or perhaps make sure the grades I brought were not so close in shoe size. In any case, the students had a blast and I was able to get caught up in the excitement with each strike. Some students, while shy and quiet in class, were excitable and able to express this as they bowled. That afternoon the students made “My Dad Rocks,” an interesting art activity in which students decorated rocks to look like their dads.
Friday! The day the students had been waiting for, as it was to be Sports Day. But alas, the rain persisted and Sports Day was postponed. It was meant to be an early dismissal, with many parents ready and present to take part in the festivities. As a result of its cancellation, many parents opted to take their children home with them. With a smaller class, activities were rather light and after recess the school travelled to the gym to watch a “mystery movie” which turned out to be Toy Story 2. The students seemed to enjoy the movie, but were rather disappointed by the lack of Sports Day. A quick staff meeting after school resolved that Sports Day would be held on the last Monday of the month, so students would still be able to enjoy it, provided the rain holds off.
The week, as a whole, was rather pleasant and I am quickly learning that each environment is different, but that’s a good thing, we just have to navigate the waters first. What I need now is some rest and to prepare for another adventurous week as an educator.
Looking to the Future, Reflecting on the Past
June 27, 2014
I remember my first day of the Education Program, soaking in information while trying to hide my anxiety and nervousness towards the task at-hand. We were told so much in such a short amount of time, vital details that would affect our future, but it seemed almost overwhelming, like I might drown if I didn’t take meticulous notes on everything and anything that was said. Throughout the year though, one thing has stood present in my mind: “Treat this like a job interview.”
During my practicum, this was an ever-present thought; I wrestled with lessons that had failed wondering whether they were lessons to learn from or mistakes that might cost me a future job. I have to admit that I was very excited for the Community Field Experience prior to my practicum, but as I began this latest journey, I once more felt anxious about fitting in and finding my place. Three weeks is not a very long time to connect students, staff, and a school community. To be honest, I was also exhausted; entering into this field experience after just completing my practicum left little time to catch my breath.
I can recall my last day of practicum, almost feeling ripped from my students with the suddenness that it seemed to come with, knowing I may never see them again. For me, in my field experience, I suddenly had a new group of children who depended on me and who I had the pleasure of developing relationships with. The last day of school came as suddenly as my last day or practicum. This week was a blur, sports day, awards ceremonies, field trips, and classroom cleanup distracted me from the end.
When it came, no tears were shed, but rather I felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. I was surely sad to see them go, but it felt natural to see them grow in that short time and move forward to another year, another grade, another teacher. Perhaps it is because I know I will see them again. It is with great pleasure that I share that I have been asked to return next year as a TTOC for the school. Turns out it was a job interview after all.