Week One: School & Community
There are many types of people in the school. The teachers all seem to have a very close connection with each other, creating a home feeling for the students. The students range from being shy to very outgoing. The school itself is on the smaller side. The cooperating teacher said there were a total of roughly 200 students at the school, which was close to exceeding the limit based on the building size. The school seemed to be a bit old, but the classrooms were so decorated that it was hard to notice how old it was. The school community was welcoming and made me feel like I belonged. The surrounding community faces some issues within the families and it is clear to see that the children value being with their siblings at school. Teaching in this classroom is a reality of what teaching will be like, but I enjoyed it. I enjoyed being placed in a school where the community faces some issues so I am able to understand how to cope with the children and make school their safe place.
Week Three: Students & Learning Environment
Watching the students in the math lesson allowed me to understand the learners in the room. As the students rotated through the centers, I would stay at one of the centers to help as well as see what their learning level is at. It was made clear that some of the children excel in math and soon enough will be able to solve questions using larger numbers. Yet, other students needed extra help and I would help by showing them what to do. There are a few students in the classroom that should have EA’s with them during the day, but the school does not have enough EA’s to do so. Due to this, these children often need small breaks to calm down throughout the day, but then they are ready to learn after the break. Despite the learning levels and their situations at home, these children are always so excited to learn. I feel that the classroom containing vibrant colours and exciting objects, for example the guinea pigs, allows for the children to want to be there.
My grade one teacher had a lot in her room, but this teacher seems to have a lot more helpful papers posted onto the walls. On one side of the wall, she posts activities that the class did for each subject so that the students are able to remember what they learned the last day. As well, the cooperating teacher is always adding new things to her room, such as the recently added bean bag chairs. This space makes me feel incredibly welcomed. Whenever I walk into the room, I want to learn. I hope that when I have a classroom, hopefully also with a grade one class, it will look this exciting and welcoming.
Week Five: Diversity & Difference
Week five was a bit different than usual. Instead of staying with the cooperating teacher during her prep first thing in the afternoon, we attended the student’s art class as she needed time to do some planning because of sanctions. In art class, the students played drums on what seemed to be old large paint pails. They even tried to play some catchy tunes on a beat while following a video of her playing. After art, the students had a library time which was very different compared to our typical Thursday afternoon.