Tag Archives: grade 3

Weekly Practicum Visits..

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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”

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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..

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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..

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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..

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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

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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!

 

Observation Week Three:

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Today I spent the entire day at a grade three class which will also be the class that I will be teaching for my practicum. Although they are difficult to manage, I really enjoyed observing that class and I look forward to getting to know the students and learning more about the classroom community. We went to the computer lab in the morning and the students were playing a game to help them learn currency for math. The students really enjoyed the game and I felt useful going around and helping the students with their work instead of just observing. I think the students are starting to realize that I am going to be with them for a while as a teacher and are beginning to see me as an authority figure. A few students asked me if they could be given permission to use the washroom or drink water instead of asking their regular teacher. To be honest, that was the highlight of my day because I was afraid that the students wouldn’t see me as a teacher and would not treat me like one so I felt a sense of relief after being treated in that manner.

We went down to the library after recess. Before students were allowed to look for library books, I was very impressed at how the librarian/educator was able to teach the students about appropriate behavior in the library through inquiry. At first she mentioned that she was really proud of how the class had behaved during their last visit in the library but however, some important behaviors were still missing. Then she asked if the students could tell her what those behaviors were and they responded with “being more quieter” or “not running around” or “sitting down in a line after borrowing a book as to not disrupt other people who are still searching for books” which were all true and honest responses. The educator was able to make the students think about their own behaviors rather than telling them herself so that they could understand it, internalize it and perhaps change it on their own. After she discussed this, she asked if the students think they could use those behaviors during this visit. She asked them to raise their thumbs if they are going to do that this time so that they could all be well prepared for lunch. To my amazement, all the students raised one or two thumbs in order to portray their approval of the behaviors that were discussed.

I think classroom management is crucial for any primary grades. It will be very difficult I witnessed to help students learn if they are not able to pay attention due to distraction and other factors. It’s very important to make sure they are attentive and listening respectfully while a lesson is being taught if an educator intends for them to obtain information. While the students were participating in show and tell, the educator thought it would be a good idea to allow the students to pass around the object that their classmate just presented so that everyone got a chance to look at it up close. However, soon after the first object was being passed around, all of us realized that it was a very bad idea. They were so intrigued by that one item, and would not stop talking about it with their classmate next to them that it was impossible to get them to listen to the next presenter or pay attention at all. One student had to restart his presentation three times before anyone actually payed attention. The teacher decided to get all the presenters to put their objects away as soon as they were done so that the class could respectfully listen to the next presenter. Although we did not know what to expect the first time, it was nice to see how the educator was able to handle and transform that chaotic situation into a calmer one by being flexible and changing up the rules. Many of the signals, words, and gestures that we had learned in our inquiry and practicum class were used to get the students attention. It was amazing to see it in practice and witness its magic. The educator used the clapping hand gesture, where she would clap a rhythm and the students would clap the same rhythm back while simultaneously settling down. The “pregnant pause” was also implemented quite a few times when it was nearly impossible to get the students’ attention. This was usually done when the educator was standing in front of the class and waiting patiently for the students to notice her and settle down. This was most common while the educator was trying to transition from one lesson to another which is sometimes difficult for primary students. Using “ssshhh” and “quiet down everybody” were also other ways to grab their attention.