Emily Dodd e-Portfolio

This practicum provided perhaps the biggest opportunity for learning yet. I grew so much as an educator. I was nervous at first, having never been in a kindergarten class before and after struggling in the last practicum, particularly with classroom management. As such, that was my focus for much of the practicum. There was a learning curve, as kindergarten students have different needs than grade 4 students. They can not concentrate for as long, so lessons must be shorter, and have action breaks often. However, students were far more receptive to my warnings without me using an overly stern tone. With all students being gathered on a carpet for lessons, it was also much easier for me to observe student behaviour during lessons. I also improved in my ability to give warnings and then follow through.

As I have implied previously, much of my improvement in classroom management had less to do with my own direct growth in this area and more the difference in class layout and student disposition. That being said, the fact that it continued to develop over the course of the practicum does mean that not all of it was due to the change of grade. I found my rhythm and ways that worked for me in the class. I found ways that worked with my softer tone. I was able to do hands-on activities such as cooking and science experiments without the classroom descending into disastrous chaos.

It was not until about halfway through the practicum that I felt comfortable enough to focus on other aspects of teaching. I did not abandon the development of my classroom management, but I did lessen my single-minded focus on it. I started to develop my assessment and other aspects of teaching.

In kindergarten, front loading and modelling are also key aspects of teaching, more so than in older grades. As such, my abilities in these areas grew. My coaching teacher gave me some strategies that helped me to ensure that I remembered to touch on all the things necessary, something I struggled with in 490. I did learn that I did not often have time to properly front load and then do a detailed closing activity. As such, we would often revisit the lesson while the students were eating, especially when doing lessons that required lots of activity. When the lesson permitted it, I did find the use of a talking circle as an effective closing activity. Overall, I am quite happy with how this practicum went. I found a grade that I love to teach, and one that I am perhaps suited for. My confidence grew, as did my ability, and I feel far more ready to be a teacher than I did prior. I am very grateful to have had this experience, and to have met my coaching teacher. I am looking forward to my continued growth as an educator.

My word for 2021 is GROWTH. This word is meant to represent personal and professional improvement, and having a growth mindset. I chose growth partly because it is kind of all encompassing; I still have much to learn and many skills to practice, and picking one seemed restrictive. Teachers always need to be “growing” and improving as professionals, but as a student there just seems to be more to do. I am not where I want to be, but I probably never will be. As a professional and an individual, I have some habits I want to work on, behaviours I want to develop and ones I want to cease. One of the habits I need to cultivate is having a growth mindset. I reflect on my days with little effort, it is easy to analyze what went wrong, but spending time in the discomfort it brings is harder. I need to take time to look for the actual learning that happened, rather than dwell on the failures. I should approach what I learned from a positive angle as well, it is a challenge rather than an inadequacy. Related to positivity, I need to recognize and acknowledge when and how I have grown. I have learned and changed much in the past year, even in the past semester. I have taken steps to where I wanted to go, and I have improved, even if it is not in all areas or the area I think I need to the most. If I do not recognize these improvements when they happen then I feel stagnant and discouraged. So, as a personal challenge to myself that is related to my word I am going to have myself sit in the uncomfortable moments and look for the positives and the growth, as well as the areas that need more attention, more fertilizer if you will.

I learned so much from my 490 practicum, much of it revolving around classroom management. My main take away was probably my “teacher voice” as my coaching teacher and practicum evaluator called it; it is an assertive tone used to indicate to students that they needed to listen. I also learned to be more assertive in general. It was only the beginning steps, as I need to develop the style I use and make my tone sound less annoyed and more serious. I also need to learn to use it more consistently, as it currently comes from a place of false irritation, in that I was frequently not annoyed in any way but had more control when I sounded as though I was, and I believe I need to workshop it to be a kind of firm patience, because I am truly not irritated at the students or even mildly annoyed. I understand why their behaviour is unacceptable, but it was at the very least related to, if not directly caused by, my own. Related to this, I also developed more of an ability to follow through. I stopped talking over students and instead waited for them to listen before I gave instructions or the information. I was patient and paused until I had everyone’s attention before I started talking. I need to work on proximity as a method of gaining that attention if they are not responding to me, however.

Without effective classroom management students will not learn, or if they do it will be in spite of the classroom environment. If students do not feel they have to listen to you, they will then choose not to, and then most of the lesson is spent getting their attention and reminding people of what the instructions were. Alternatively, if I made sure they were all paying attention while I gave instructions, and those instructions were clear, I could spend more time drawing additional ideas from them. It could also be a safety issue potentially, for if I am not able to gather and hold students’ attention in an emergency situation or even in a slightly less controlled environment, students could get hurt.

In 491, I will continue to work on all that was discussed above. My style of lesson also needs improvement, with more modeling and front loading to include more specific goals. This, again, allows for me to do more than “put out fires” during a lesson. Altering the way that I give instructions is also necessary. Modelling is related to this, but so is adapting them to only have 3 parts and for these parts to be repeatable to students. This is not a comprehensive list of goals, but to name any more starts to feel unattainable, so I will start with this next practicum and move towards being a successful teacher by adding more as necessary.

One of the First People’s Principals of Learning is “[l]earning ultimately supports the well-being of the self, the family, the community, the land, the spirits, and the ancestors,” (FNESC). This was touched upon by 2^nd keynote speaker, Dr. Sinclair, and is linked to reconciliation. Teaching is about teaching students to be good world citizens, which will cause the betterment of areas outside of their selves. By teaching them empathy, cooperation, work ethic, etcetera, they will improve their communities, the country, and the world. This global presence is part of the reason that reconciliation needs to be taught, and taught well. As Dr. Louie, another keynote speaker said, it is not a one-time apology made for past misdeeds (2020). It is about changing the present to improve both it and the future. Indigenous principals need to be woven into the fabric of teaching- it will not just be the books you use, the speakers you bring in, but it will be the way you teach, the way you assess, and what you value. The process is as, if not more, important than the product and there are more ways of thinking than your own. Many of my future students will be Indigenous and they need see themselves reflected in not only the content, but also in the classroom culture. As their teacher, they will need me to be reflective and honest about myself. I will also need to continue to learn about the area where I live. I will never stop this process either. As an educator I will constantly be learning and adapting, but this area is potentially the most important one where that will need to happen.

As an educator who is white, teaching Indigenous content can be tricky. I have not been raised in the culture, and even when in my own area my knowledge of customs is limited. This, however, is my issue to correct. I need to learn and, essentially, move beyond any awkwardness; it can not be an excuse to simply not have it in the classroom. My momentary discomfort or apprehension is not a reason for students to be permanently uncomfortable in the class.

Reflection

First Nations Education Steering Committee. First Peoples Principals of Learning [poster]. http://www.fnesc.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/PUB-LFP-POSTER-Principles-of-Learning-First-Peoples-poster-11×17.pdf

Louie, D. (2020, September 25). Indigenous Day Pro-D.

Sinclair, N. (2020, September 25). Indigenous Day Pro-D.

Teaching is like a potted plant. The care of the plant represents the act of teaching students: it is individual and based on the needs of the particular plant. The roots are the connections that you need to develop first, before any teaching can be done. As the year goes on, you can watch your students grow and develop, as a plant does. To make sure the plant is healthy, however, you need to monitor it and your actions; if the plant is not thriving, then you need to change your behaviour. The plant can also be a metaphor for your own journey as a teacher. Teachers are always growing, and they are constantly developing their practice. The roots are, then, the reasons why you became a teacher, but the monitoring is still your reflexiveness.