Monthly Archives: November 2015

Weekly Visit Post Practicum

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Going back to my little students after a week since my two week practicum was very exciting. I had really missed the students and was really looking forward to seeing them again. I was welcomed back with open arms and it was a very heart-warming feeling. When I came in the morning, the teacher was not there and the students were starting to flow in. I looked on the board and usually there are morning instructions written such as “Read quietly” or “Doodle in your doodle booklets” but there was no instructions written today. It seemed like the board hadn’t been touched since the previous day considering the date was not changed. I thought about all the chaos that was potentially going to occur if I did not somehow get the students to have something to work on. Since it seemed like the teacher was still not coming and half of the students were hanging their bags and coats, I quickly responded to my gut feeling and wrote on the board “Read or draw on your doodle books.” As soon as the students began sitting down they looked on the board and started taking out their books or doodle booklets from their desks. Some students were questioning why their teacher wasn’t there but after looking at the board for the instructions, which is what they are used to, they settled down and went on following the instructions. I was relieved when the teacher walked in but I am sure I could have played a brain builder with them had she not showed up. It was definitely a teacher’s moment and I am glad I got the opportunity to be in that situation where I had to think on the spot.

The students had gymnastics and we went with them because sometimes the instructor has a difficult time managing some students so extra help is always welcome. The students were doing an obstacle course and I chose to help the group in which I thought needed the most help. Physical Education has always been a passion of mine, and I am always tempted to join the kids in their activities. I even asked the gym teacher once if she is allowed to join the grade sevens when they are having volleyball games and as I suspected she said no. The closest thing I was able to do was help them run the course which is what I did. I held some students hands if they were afraid of walking on the bench, and repeated the instructions for them. I wanted all the kids to be able to enjoy the game, especially those students who needed the extra reminder. Physical Education or DPA is super important for all students and I strongly believe it can make a tremendous difference in their health, well-being, and academic success. I always enjoy having an opportunity to watch the students running around and using up all their energy.

The rest of the day went on as any other day, and I enjoyed building crafts with the students, helping them with creating sentences and thinking of ideas, observing them and most importantly, learning more about each and every one of them.  I am looking forward to the next time I see them where I will be teaching a lesson. I hope it goes as well as it did during my practicum and I hope I can implement all the new strategies I had learned during those two weeks. As I continue on my teaching journey, I am excited for what’s to come as this is only the beginning.

Practicum Week Two

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For my last week of practicum, I was to teach four lessons for my School Adviser of which one would be observed. Considering how my first lesson went, I was incontestably nervous and somewhat fearful of how my next lessons would follow through. I planned a little talk, a new signal, and some new strategies for my upcoming lessons in order to prepare for what was to come. It’s amazing how understandable kids could be sometimes and just how considerably behaviors could change with a little bit of alteration from the educator’s part. My little discussion on respect and feelings went a long way because the students seemed to completely understand what I was feeling that day, and exactly what they did to make me feel that way. I didn’t even have to tell them anything because they were fully aware of my feelings. My new signal also seemed to really grab their attention. I used a tambourine and they were all fascinated by it. I think it was an instant source of excitement for the kids and most importantly, it worked! Consequently, my first lesson for my School Adviser was a success and went much more smoothly than I expected. The next three lessons followed were just as successful and only improved by day. I was so pleased with how the students were behaving and my confidence boosted which helped my lesson become more engaging and allowed me to be more firm without fearing chaos. I was happy with all the great feedback I was receiving from my School Adviser and she was impressed by the behavioural changes of the students towards me. I would hope that their change of behaviour was not because the teacher was still behind her desk but because of the changes I had implemented in my teaching and in my rules. I am hoping for the latter but I can’t ever be too sure until I come back for my next practicum. That’s probably my only concern with how smoothly the lessons were going. I would still be nervous up until my last lesson but it was obvious how much it decreased day by day. I was able to feel the joy and passion for teaching as I had before I started the practicum and it was definitely a great feeling.

It was saddening to end my two week practicum and I am going to miss seeing the student’s everyday but fortunately I will be visiting weekly which I am looking forward to. In such a short amount of time, I felt like a part of the classroom community and felt a deep connection with all the students. It’s a bittersweet feeling as I continue my teaching journey and share my experiences with all my wonderful classmates and teachers. I am looking forward to what’s next and what fascinating things we will be learning.

Shakiba

 

Practicum Week One:

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This week was the week that I presented my very first Social and Emotional Learning lesson where my faculty adviser came and observed my teaching. I was very nervous as anyone would be but it was exciting that I could finally apply my knowledge and learning into practical use. When I observed how the students were with their teacher, I was somewhat hopeful that they would be the same towards me when I teach my lesson. Although many students have various behavioral and social issues, they were very well behaved and respectful towards their teacher. However, as soon as their teacher would leave, they acted out and were not the same students whom I thought I knew. The teacher on call was also having a difficult time with these students and although I tried to help the TOC as much as I can, negative reinforcement had to be enforced in order get their attention. There was a TOC for the first three days of my practicum.  Spending time with a recent graduate from UBC was a refreshing experience. It was nice to have someone understand where I am coming from and help me feel a little less nervous. She provided great advice and tips on class management and really made me feel comfortable. She also let me initiate some activities and brain breaks for the students in order to help me practice and prepare for the real lessons that I will instruct next week.

As the day to my first lesson was approaching, I was feeling more and more nervous. I went through my lesson with both my School Advisers, and the TOC and they all approved. Subsequently, I was content with the lesson content. Little did I know that my lesson was incomplete without proper class management. No matter how prepared and well planned the lesson content is, it will not follow through without the students being attentive and motivated. It had not gone nearly as well as I expected. Right from the beginning, the Education Assistant had gone to her break and I was left alone with the students which was instantly a bad sign. Soon after, the Education Assistant practicum student came and joined me.  Therefore, two practicum students were trying to manage an already difficult class together. It was chaotic, stressful, and tremendously overwhelming. There was one student with severe behavioral problems who was provoking the rest of the class. I knew that I had to somehow take care of him in order to manage the entire class. I was a little afraid to get him to leave the classroom but I am well aware that it is definitely a step I have to learn to take in order to move forward. Sometimes, severe steps have to be taken in severe circumstances such as during my lesson. To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure how to handle him or how to ask him to leave. I was so overwhelmed that I couldn’t get myself to think strategically. I was feeling warm and I could feel my face turning red. As soon as the Education Assistance walked in, thankfully, she took care of certain students and was a big help. I managed to get through my lesson and all the activities I had planned. I was quite shocked that every single student was able to finish the assessment portion of the lesson which I thought would be the most difficult. Lunch was approaching as the students were working on their coloring, and I was relieved that their teacher would be coming soon to take control. I was more than happy to give her that position again and be over with my lesson.

Although this was a good experience for me as I move forward into the last week of my practicum with four lessons left to teach, I am still working on finding useful strategies for class management. I hope the upcoming week goes much smoother than this week. I look forward to what I lay ahead as I continue my teaching journey.

Shakiba

 

Questions to explore:

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As I observed the class this week, many questions came to mind. After recess, two friends began to cry over a sweater. One thought the other person had stolen her sweater after seeing her wear it and demanded that she give it back. The person wearing it refused to take it off because she fully believed it was hers. However, the other girl believed she left it at her house after a sleepover. As it turns out they both had the same sweater. I observed the teacher handle the situation and I wondered if it was possible to prevent this type of situation from happening again. The teacher had to skip her lunch break to call the parents of the students to find out if they each had the sweater or not. She also had to take the student out one at a time and speak with them. Would it be possible to speak to them at the same time even though they were both very sensitive at that time? Is there a way that we can help students step away from forming assumptions and accusations?  At this age, students are beginning to form accusations and don’t fully grasp the idea of perspective taking. Although this is important for all age groups, this class in particular is in desperate need of understanding others point of view. This is a topic that I would love to further explore and find new and creative ways to help students with these issues. This ties in greatly with SEL as well as it helps them manage their emotions and have respect for others.

There is this one student who has a very difficult time following instructions or paying attention. He is a bright student who enjoys participating in class discussions and always has a brilliant idea to share with the class. He can read, write and spell accurately and in accordance to his grade level, but when it comes to following instructions and doing work, he has a difficult time following through. He does have an Education Assistant that sometimes helps him stay focused but I wonder what other ways we can motivate him and other students with similar difficulties to do their work and stay on task. I was trying really hard to get his attention during a library session and I stood beside him and called out his name approximately 10 times or more and he did not reply or even look towards me. He continued talking to his group members and pretended that I was not there. It was hard to believe that he wouldn’t respond to me calling his name even though I was 10 centimetres away from him. I am hoping to get to know him better and find different strategies to get his attention. He is very talkative and very good at expressing his emotions through words—so it’s difficult to know how to motivate him.

Another question I have involves how to be more inclusive of students who have learning disabilities or are antisocial in the classroom. How can we ensure their voices are being heard and their presence is being appreciated and welcomed in the classroom? When students are at such a young age and are still learning about empathy, how can we ensure that they respect every student in the class regardless of culture, ability, and colour? Although many strategies are being implemented on a daily basis for students, I find that one or two students are continuously being isolated and usually work with their Education Assistant while others are working in partners. This student with an EA is fully capable of working with other students (with supervision from their EA) but for some reason, the student is not allowed to participate in cooperative learning like their peers.

I am looking forward to developing more questions as I further observe the classroom during the next two weeks!