Weekly Practicum: Never give up..

1 Reply

During this week’s practicum, I was being formally observed so I was quite nervous especially because I was stepping outside my comfort zone by teaching a different subject for the first time. I was getting very comfortable with teaching Second Step so I decided to take a risk and try something new. I am glad I did because I need to start preparing for my long practicum and what better way to do that then experiment on all subject areas.

I was disappointed with how my lesson went because I was finally starting to feel like my students were seeing me as a teacher, and I was beginning to feel more in control of management issues until this lesson which made me feel like I was back in square one. Although I was a little upset at myself for not being able to implement more of the strategies that I had learned with regards to class management, I felt better when I finished up the lesson later that afternoon. I decided that I really wanted the students to grasp the content that I was teaching for that math lesson so my SA made room in her schedule to allow me to finish off the lesson. Perhaps it was the time of day, and students were feeling more tired than earlier, or perhaps I did not want to make the same mistakes of allowing chaotic behaviour reoccur but either way, the follow up lesson went much smoother and there was a great decrease in interferences and disrespectful behaviour. Students were on task, our class discussions were engaging, and majority of the students finished their work on time. It was no doubt a much shorter lesson, but the outcome was much more successful. I was much more hopeful and less disappointed following this lesson.

I am aware of the weaknesses of the lesson this week, but I hope that for the next few weeks, I can continue to improve and grow from this experience. I am looking forward to teaching new subjects, learning new strategies, and enriching my teaching experience as I continue my journey.

Thank you Shelley Moore..

1 Reply

As we were sharing our inquiry resources to other colleagues last week, one of my colleagues shared a blog that was very relevant to my inquiry project. I went home and visited this blog, and was amazed and shocked at how brilliantly put together it was and how much useful ideas and information was presented. This blog is created by an inspiring inclusion consultant, Shelley Moore, who consults locally, provincially and beyond. She runs workshops and professional development all over the country and presents on inclusion, special needs and technology. It would be an honor to attend one of her workshops or presentations. The best part is, she resides right here in Vancouver. She has many different links to her blog, including a link specifically for curriculum ideas and activities that promote inclusivity in the classroom. She provides free activity ideas and resources for every grade and all subject areas so that all teachers could benefit.

Do you remember the game “GUESS WHO?” It was a board game that I remember playing as a child and enjoyed it very much. In her blog, Shelley uses this game with some modifications as an activity for the beginning of the year to help students get to know each other. She suggests to change all the people in the card into students and teachers in the classroom. What an amazing idea! This creates a fun and authentic way for students to learn about each other and creates classroom community. This is something so simple that can be easily done within all classrooms and could be inclusive of everyone in the class. In her blogs, she provides many more activities that foster inclusion and are fun and relevant. I have only begun looking at her blog and I look forward to see what other great ideas and activities will be available as I continue surfing through her websites.

I am fortunate to have found many practical ideas that could be implemented in the classroom which promotes and encourages inclusion especially for those with special needs which is the main focus of my inquiry project.

Weekly Practicum Visits..

1 Reply

During this week’s practicum, I did yet another second step lesson about being respectful listeners. This was my last second step because I really want to start trying different subjects as I prepare for my ten week practicum. I started the morning right after they put their bags away, and they usually doodle or do a puzzle to start their morning, but I decided to change it up a little bit. I had them do an activity that I was taught during a workshop, where the students greet three different classmates and are only allowed to respond to the greetings with certain words on the overhead that I had put together. They really enjoyed the activity because some of the responds were funny and exaggerated and it allowed students to move around which they always enjoy. After this activity, I had them close their eyes and deep breathe before taking a seat and starting my lesson. The lesson went very well overall and I am really starting to feel like a teacher because the students are starting to treat me like one. They are becoming more aware of my position and are realizing that I am a teacher and I will be teaching atleast once a week to them. Since the students already have two different teachers, I think it’s much easier for them accept the idea of having one more teacher.

The school had an assembly during the afternoon and as part of the assembly, one of the education assistants had put together a presentation for “Zones of Regulation” which I thought was a great idea. It introduced the basic emotions associated with each zone and a brief overview of which zone we always want to be in etc. Some parents also attended the assembly, so it allowed them to get an idea of the zones which is very beneficial because they could implement it at home for their children. At the end of the assembly, the principle played the school song that was created a while back from a band and it was so amazing to see the entire school singing the song together. One song had so much power, and it was inspiring to see everyone at every grade level come together the way they did.

I will be teaching a math lesson next week for the first time. I am very nervous yet excited to try something new.  I look forward to whats coming as I continue my teaching journey.

“Pick a Book, Any Book”

1 Reply

As I was doing some research on different strategies that teachers could implement to be more inclusive in the classroom, I came across a variety of different ideas. However, one in particular that stood out to me was the use of picture books as a way to build classroom community and allow students to think about special need students in a different light. This article (reference provided below) provided an excellent starting point in addressing an important topic like special needs to primary students who might not have much awareness of it.

Through book reading and discussions, teachers can promote special needs awareness in a manner that will lead to greater understanding about individuals with special needs, and provide vocabulary that is current, appropriate, and relevant to all children in the class (Ostrosky, Mouzourou, Dorsey, Favazza & Leboeuf, 2015). This could include providing books depicting pictures and stories of children with special needs, introducing children to sign language, or using visual supports to increase understanding and participation of all children. However, choosing appropriate books and using the books effectively to facilitate understanding of children with special needs can be difficult.

Attitudes about individuals with special needs are complex, multi-component constructs learned from direct experiences (encounters with an individual with special needs) and indirect experiences (such as books, media, and conversations about individuals with special needs), and are highly influenced by the child’s primary social group (Ostrosky et al., 2015). It’s important as future teachers to be aware of these influences in approaching this sensitive topic. Recognizing this complexity when attempting to promote certain attitudes, educators should consider the fundamental influences on attitude formation and the key role that teachers play in mediating the social acceptance of young children with special needs.

This article also provides readers with specific discussion questions following reading a children’s book and explains the importance of discussion for children’s learning and understanding.  The focus of a guided discussion was to point out similarities between children with and without special needs rather than to highlight differences (Ostrosky et al., 2015).

Most importantly, I love this article because it provides readers with a page length list of children’s books associated with special needs which can be very useful for teachers! This is beneficial for new teachers who are looking for some ideas and relevant books with lots of options to choose from depending on what you want students to learn or focus on. “All Kinds of Friends, Even Green” by Ellen B. Senisi is an example of a picture book that the authors frequently used throughout the article.

Ostrosky, M. M., Mouzourou, C., Dorsey, E. A., Favazza, P. C., & Leboeuf, L. M. (2015). Pick a book, any book: Using children’s books to support positive attitudes toward peers with disabilities. Young Exceptional Children, 18(1), 30.

 

Inclusion, Inclusion, Inclusion..

1 Reply

 

What a simple yet powerful word. I have witnessed the lack of inclusion in many different contexts, and have had personal experiences with it growing up. I am motivated to delve deeper into this inquiry of how educators could be more inclusive in the classroom especially towards those with special needs because it resonates with all my beliefs of the role of an educator. Our role as an educator is to teach children, and there is no specific category in which the term children falls into therefore, we do not educate any specific type of children, but all of them in all their shapes and sizes. Children should not be labeled, or categorized or distinguished from one another in any aspect. Children should feel safe, belonged, capable, and powerful.

In my opinion, in taking steps towards inclusion, of most importance is to remember that you as a teacher are a role model to the students. If the teacher shows unacceptance of the student with special needs, the other students won’t accept them either. Consequently, if the classroom teacher feels good about inclusion, the student with special needs will thrive. If the teacher feels resentful about the extra work, the student will likely suffer. Moreover, inclusion works better when the professionals in the school collaborate. However, not all professionals are available or are willing to collaborate. The regular classroom teacher must be prepared to continue teaching their student with special needs with or without collaboration. It is up to us future educators to not let the traditional ways of practice define our strategies for including students with special needs. We must work collaboratively to change the policies and create a more just education system for all learners.

I look forward in exploring this issue further throughout my education program and I am eager to learn more about it, implement and integrate it into my teaching.

 

Weekly School Visits..

1 Reply

It was so great to come back to my practicum school after almost a month. I began the morning with my H.A.C.E lesson that approached the concept of how feelings are associated with the brain and body. After completing my lesson, my SA decided that I continue with introducing their next lesson with journal writing. While students were cleaning up, my SA gave me a quick overview of the journal writing and I had them clean up and begin a new activity. In the midst of trying to transition the students to journal writing, it had completely slipped my mind that the students had been sitting for a long time, and a brain break would have been appropriate before beginning journals. I was upset that I had forgotten to do a brain break, but my SA had assured me that the rest of the morning had gone very well. This was very comforting because I have been very nervous for my ten week practicum unsure of how I would be able to teach more than one lesson, let alone an entire day! It was a big step for me to transition from one lesson to another with very little preparation and I am very glad that I was able to accomplish it.

The rest of the day went as usual except my afternoon SA had been away, so the morning SA filled in for her. This meant that there was no library in the afternoon, and science had replaced it. I think the day was very heavy for a grade 3 class. The day schedule was as follows: H.A.C.E, Journal Writing, Recess, Math (review test), Lunch, Science, Arts and Music (which there was no time for). Even just looking at the schedule written on the chalk board made me feel overwhelmed so I can’t imagine how the students were feeling. This was evidenced when the teacher was trying to sing a song with them about the solar system before beginning the science lesson, and the students could not concentrate and just giggled their way through the first line of the song. It was becoming so chaotic that the SA decided to cut it short and continue with the lesson. My SA was aware of the energy level of the students and she had planned to take a quick break to go outside, but the weather just did not cooperate. Moreover, music was going to the enjoyable part of the day for the students, but there was not enough time for it.

It was a long day, but definitely a learning experience as are all the other days I have spent in that classroom.  I look forward to the upcoming weeks as I continue my teaching journey.

Continuing School Visits..

1 Reply

This week was a normal school visit but my SA and I decided that I continue doing lessons for the next two visits so that the students could still recognize me as a teacher. The students were going on a field trip in the afternoon so I decided to do my lesson after recess right before the field trip. The lesson was a continuum of all the other lessons that I had taught during my practicum, therefore, I wasn’t too nervous. However, it’s difficult to know what will arise and how the students will behave during that particular day, so in terms of class management, I was a little worried. I tried to go over all the possible techniques that I had learned in my head and make scenarios that could potentially be reality. Having many students with behavioral issues, it is impossible to predict what will be thrown at you during your lesson so it’s advisable to be as prepared as you can be which is what I was trying to do. My lesson went pretty well I suppose. Although the SA was behind her desk, she was occupied in her own work which really made me feel in control. I was not constantly looking at her for assurance or silently pleading for help when a student decided to act out. I knew I had to take care of everything on my own just as a teacher would. There were some bumpy moments as expected, but overall it went well and I was pleased with how much my confidence has grown. I am looking forward to teaching another lesson next week and getting as much practice as I possibly can. My love for teaching continues to grow each time I visit the students which is heartwarming feeling.

Experiencing my very first field-trip with the students was a good experience. I did not realize how difficult it is and by the end of it, both my SA and I had a throbbing headache from it. During this field-trip-which may be different for other field-trips of course-student’s energy levels increased tenfold, therefore, class management skills had to be increased by that much as well. It’s inspiring to see students excited and bursting with so much energy and motivation, but being in a building where noise level is asked to be minimized makes it difficult to suppress that energy level. We had an EA, a teacher, three parents, and myself and it was surprisingly still challenging to get the students to be quiet and respectful as the tour guide spoke. Overall, it was just another day with a primary class, and it’s amazing how much ones perspective changes when we expect certain outcomes from students. I anticipated a somewhat chaotic day, and since that’s what I received, I was not as stressed as I would have been had I not expected that. I am saddened that this week will be my last school visit before the break, but knowing that I will seem them again in the New Year makes me smile inside.

Shakiba

Weekly Visit Post Practicum

1 Reply

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

1 Reply

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:

1 Reply

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