This week’s practicum day was eventful and memorable. I started the morning teaching a math lesson per usual up until recess time. This particular math lesson was different from the other ones I’ve been teaching because I decided to personalize the lesson and not follow everything from the teacher’s guide. Most importantly, I did not have the students use their heavy and distracting textbooks!  I used the teacher’s guide for some of its valuable content and main ideas and of course topic but I decided to change the activities to make it more appealing for the students and for myself since I had to teach it. I was very pleased with how the lesson went and the atmosphere of the classroom was calm and quite positive. I had the students work in pairs and be able to use the classroom for their learning activity. My SA’s feedback was very positive as well. I really like how she doesn’t interfere with my lessons and even if she is in the classroom watching my lesson, she allows me to take care of the behaviors of the students unless it is dangerous or extremely disrespectful. For the afternoon we had a field trip to an Alice in Wonderland play in a nearby high school. I hadn’t anticipated much because I was never a huge fan of plays but I was completely blown away. It was the most fascinating, engaging and well done play I have ever seen. I was so grateful I had the opportunity to experience that and the students had absolutely loved it and I witnessed smiles and laughter throughout the entire play. All the actors were singers, acrobats, and dancers and there was so much talent in the room which was inspiring and thrilling to watch.

It was interesting to hear all the conversation that was going on among all the elementary students who were inside a big high school. They were discussing how one day they will get to attend this high school or another one, and they were giggling throughout the conversation. When we are younger we all want to be grown up yet when we become older, we wish to be younger. Some students watched a few high school students walking in a particular way and automatically labelled them as the “cool students.” I asked the kids why they had made that particular association and they said because of the way they walked. With baggy jeans and shoulders leaning back. I wasn’t shocked that even young grade 3 kids would make a connection like that because of what society has ingrained in them. I told the students that everyone is “cool” in their own way and that the way a person walks or dresses does not determine their status and they just nodded and agreed.

I look forward to continuing teaching math and learning new ideas and strategies along the way.