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.

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

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