Week One
My first field experience was on Thursday, February.6th at George Lee Elementary School. I was with Ms. Kerster’s class with 17 students in Grade. 2 and 9 students in Grade. 3. When I arrived she showed me around the school and introduced me to most of the staff there. They were all so welcoming and friendly to me which made it a lot easier to feel more comfortable. The school was very clean and had lots of fun stickers on the floor in the hall and colorful posters in the classrooms. I noticed that every classroom was very unique and they were all decorated differently. Every teacher had their own creative way of making it a fun, exciting environment for the kids to learn. I was able to observe her teaching at the back of the classroom while taking notes and was able to have the chance to help the students with their work when they needed it. I am already getting to know the kids and beginning to form strong relationships with them.
The parents are very actively inclusive through what’s going on in the students class and in the school. Every student has an agenda that their parents have to sign everyday so they know what is going on and what their kid is learning/needs to improve on. This is also where the parents can write any concerns they might have in there as well. I noticed that the staff works to the best of their ability to make it the best place for the students to learn, have fun, and for it to be inclusive for all. Observing the kids you could tell how comfortable, happy, and respectful they were. It is very noticeable how much the students care for their peers and for their teacher. The kids have a strong bond with Ms. Kerster and along with the rest of the staff as well. Ms. Kerster explained to me that the SSST is fairly involved with the students in her classroom. Having good communication skills with not only the students but also the other teachers in the school is so important. When we have caring, inclusive, parents and teachers, the kids are able to fully achieve. I am so excited to go back next week!
Week Two
My second experience at George Lee Elementary School was on Tuesday, February 11th. It was the 100th day of school which the kids were pumped about. They all dressed up and acted like old people. To celebrate, they had a wall where they pinned up pencils, popcorn kernels, jelly beans that were in a plastic bag that added up to 100. This morning I had the privilege to go work with two other teachers in a different classroom playing ‘blitz’. This is where students who need more support with their reading can go play games so they can become more confident with their pronunciations. I did this for half of the morning and it was such an awesome experience to be able to help the students and to observe different teaching techniques. There were around 25 kids, grades 2 and 3, and 6 of them were from Ms. Kersters class. After I was back in Ms. Kersters class the kids were working on “if I had 100 dollars I would..” statements. Most of the students said they were going to buy a pet. There was one girl who said that she would donate the money to the homeless people because she said that there are people that need it more than she does. It was so nice to see that the first thing that came to her mind on what to do with 100 dollars was to help others with it.
The way I can tell teachers honor different ways of teaching and learning is how they always have a variety of activities going on for each subject. For example, when the students are working on ‘writers workshop’, they are split up into five groups and they are all learning in different ways. Either reading to themselves, writing, drawing, playing an education game, or working with the teacher. They rotate through these activities and even though they are all different, they all have the same end goal. Another thing that Ms. Kerster said today that I thought was great was that “teachers need support and help just as much as the students do’. Which is why it is so important to ask for help/advice from the staff when needed in order to be the best teacher that you can be.
There are students from all different religions and beliefs, and I think what forms a sense of community in the classroom is acknowledging and celebrating those different holidays together as a class. I believe that students don’t need to do things the same way, but they need to feel accepted and comfortable being themselves. In order for students to have a healthy relationship with the teacher, they need to be able to trust the teacher by feeling welcomed and heard. I believe that we never stop learning. Since our society is constantly changing, we can always learn a new, better way of teaching. For example, the history of residential schools was something that was never taught in classrooms but now it has become a very important subject educating students on.
Week Three
After returning from the break, the students were so excited to see us back in the classroom. The teacher let us greet the children today with their choice of either giving us a high five, saying hello or a hug. Almost all of them chose to give us a hug- what a good way to start the morning! We continued with our regular schedule, bell work and morning meeting. I focused on observing the surroundings and being conscious of the environment the children are in. The teacher has a lot of teaching posters hung which helps them with their writing. They can view or reflect on what they have completed, and what needs to be done in the near future.
One thing that I really enjoyed that was hung up on the white board, is a poster of ‘Our Classroom Agreements”. The teacher has written out “I will” statements, such as “I will be kind and respectful” or “I will use my appropriate voice”. Every student has their own signature at the bottom of the poster. I thought this was such a good, important strategy to use since they are reminded everyday of the classroom rules and how they should act toward others or in certain environments. The teacher has also put the desks in pairs, which automatically gives it a more comfortable setting and gives the students the ability to help their partner, or learn from their partner when doing a task.
The classroom is very diverse, as there are students of many different ethnic backgrounds. All of the students can speak English quite fluently so students struggling with not understanding the lesson or instructions is not a serious problem in the class. When I compare this classroom to the one that I had in elementary school, there are a lot of similarities on how it is decorated and the rules that are required to be followed by each student.
During recess I had the privilege to join one of the students with the indoor games that take place in the school. This is where the students who struggle socializing with their peers can go during recess. This gives them the chance to get a break from the classroom while doing something they enjoy and it allows them to socialize in a comfortable setting. I had the chance to play the game of chess with a boy from the Grade One class and found out that he used to take Taekwondo classes in Moose Jaw last year, (which is my home town). It was nice to not only bond with the students in my assigned classroom but also with the students from other classrooms in the school as well. This week I’ve noticed how much I’ve connected and formed relationships with the students. I cannot wait to continue and grow in this journey. I look forward to spending more time in the classroom with the students!!
Week Four
I was very lucky to be able to not only observe the class but to be included with helping the students with their worksheet and helping plan activities as well. Today, Miss Kerster sent Brooklyn and I out to the gym to set up four activities for the students. We decided to put out jump ropes, hula hoops with bean bags, foam balls, and pickle ball all in their own corners. The students were split up into four groups and alternated between the activities. The students had so much fun doing this; I noticed having a variety of activities for them allowed them to stay focused the entire time. It was a lot of fun!
After discussing diversity and inclusiveness with the teacher, I learned that there are more practices being used within the individual classrooms instead of the school as a whole. Miss Kerster honors other cultures and practices by teaching and celebrating other holidays in her lessons. For example, one of the students participates in the ED fast, so their way of supporting the student was to educate and talk about it within the class. Another great thing they do between the staff is by helping one another with their teachings on different cultures. The librarian will often purchase textbooks about different cultures and will show the teachers the books so they can include it in their teachings. So far in Miss Kersters class, they have covered the Indigenous 7 teachings. The students are put into working groups and are given a reflection worksheet afterward. Miss. Kerster also showed us the book ‘Truth and Reconciliation in Canadian Schools’ that was really useful for her first year of teaching. It has lesson plans and games that are very enjoyable for the students while also acknowledging the Indigenous history.
I added an image of the textbook in case any of you were interested!
Week 5
My field experiences are flying by! Week five has been an awesome one. Seeing how excited the students are to see you is so rewarding. Today the teacher has put in more time to look over which students need more support in their reading. She has changed their reading groups so that the students are in more of an appropriate group that is at their level. For example, she realized that there were some students that were a lot further ahead than some in one group so she switched the students so that they could be more at their own pace.
Forming a strong and healthy relationship with the students is so important in giving a safe environment for them. If they feel like their voice is heard and they have a sense of belonging in the classroom, their chances of succeeding increases. In my grade 2/3 classroom acknowledging other traditions and culture is very important. When it comes to celebrating holidays, the teacher avoids only focusing on North American traditions. By getting to know her students, she realizes that there are a lot of students that have their different practices, so her way of giving an inclusive environment for them is to learn new ways and teachings she can bring into their subjects.
In order to have an inclusive environment for all students, we need to be able to support their needs. If we look at why Saskatchewan teachers are going on strike, it is not mainly based around salary increases, but for special education supports. Teachers are not getting the help they need for the complexity in the classroom they have to handle. When government cutbacks take place, EAL services and counselling supports get withdrawn. How can we give a safe, successful environment for the students if we cannot acknowledge their needs. If we can make a change for our special education and reduce the size of classes, it benefits the teacher and students drastically. Education is so important for every individual but also for our future. The teachers are fighting not only for themselves but equity for the students. Hopefully this strike creates some positive changes in our schooling.