Month: December 2018

For my seventh and last time at St. Michael Community School, I focused on interconnection between knowledge, school and society. Honestly, seeing this connection in this school was easy for me. The school is a small community in itself, so people within it the school have had the opportunity to get to know each other. Everyone knows everyone inside the walls of St. Michaels and to me, this school stands out as one much different from my own elementary school. It seems like more of a learning experience for the children, as school is often an escape from problems at home. They are so eager to learn and push each other to continue to grow, I felt a part of something bigger than myself when I came to this school. A good example of this was today, during art, the kids all went with their reading buddies to make box art, which I assumed was for some sort of take-home project. Together, kids from my classroom (grade 1/2) and another (grade 4/5) meshed, and it seemed like they had spent the entire year together. The grade 4’s and 5’s obviously were more mature than the grade 1’s and 2’s, but overall, they were happy to help and ensure that everyone was enjoying themselves and were on task. From what I could remember, in elementary school, older grades seemed foreign, and we never engaged on a level like this at any given point. The sense of belonging that this school gave the children was really amazing, as it gave me the same feeling as well. This school acts as a community center for much of the surrounding area. I found out a few weeks ago that since many kids who go to school here come from low-income families, and with that knowledge, it’s easy to see the innocence in the children’s eyes. Many areas around the world face the same issue of poverty – and with that comes social injustice in communities such as the one in which this school is located. However, the environment and atmosphere that this school creates for the children and their families, in my opinion, shapes it towards a brighter future. I feel as if the grade 1’s and 2’s in my classroom were already getting prepared for struggles that they may encounter as they grow older and this is a direct result from how the teachers teach and how the school as a whole provides them with a safe space. This really resonated with me when I learned about how important it is to truly understand your students, just like how my cooperating teacher does. By actually knowing who you are teaching, and understanding how or why they may be acting a certain way can make such a difference in the classroom environment, for all students. I know from experience that a good environment can produce some amazing people through the elementary schooling system, but a great one like the one at St. Michaels is one that provides every student with everything and more to succeed. I think it also provides the surrounding community with the opportunity the help transition itself, through education and other services it delivers upon for low-income families.

One thing I was anxious to do was actually teach for the first time, which I never actually did get to actually attempt a lesson like some of the others in my group. One thing, I did however was having the opportunity to work one-on-one with many different students. This was very educational for me, because it’s so easy to forget that you are looked at as a figure of authority and assistance. I think over the course of the semester I gained skills and confidence that I would not have without this chance. I think the most important things I need to work on in the future is time-management, confidence in what I am teaching and balance. I think balance may be the most important thing, as I found it very difficult to balance every one of the students’ needs when working with groups. I feel as if this will come in time as I get used to working with children more and fully understand my own expectations I set for myself.

Overall, I was nervous to come to this school, as I was expecting an inner-city school to be the exact opposite of the nurturing school that St. Michaels is. I am incredibly thankful to be put into this school for my field placement, as it really opened my mind into education, as well as trying to help those in need in any way possible.

For my sixth week at St. Michael Community School, I focused on curriculum and instruction, and how teachers and students interact through it. One of the first things I did this week was to ask my teacher if/how she incorporates the curriculum into her lessons in any unique ways. Unsurprisingly, she said that curriculum to her is more of a baseline rather than a true procedure. Her lessons are focused around the kids rather than relaying information. She also stressed how background information is extremely important, especially in a school such as St. Michaels. This is because since lots of the students come from homes where family life can be unsatisfactory, or nutrition and self-care are overlooked, my teacher can see if a student isn’t feeling like themselves. In this case she will talk to the students on a more personal level. For example, she said there is a student who if she making mistakes repeatedly, will get really upset. She feels mistakes are not allowed, as that is what she learns at home. In response, my cooperating teacher will encourage that mistakes happen to everyone, but when this student goes home, mistakes are something that should never happen. I personally feel like knowledge of issues and circumstances such as this will come in time as an educator, but should be a priority. I really respect and understand the reasoning behind my coop teachers practices regarding curriculum, because after spending time with the students and learning about them and their behaviors, I can see just how important this personal connection is to them and their ability to learn.  She also really emphasised how important being flexible for students is, even in well-off communities, as it is significant to both the student and the teacher to maintain balance in personal and educational life.

My coop teacher also does a good job in representing the curriculum in her lessons too. During my field day, the students were reviewing the concept of more/less in math. To do this, the first thing my teacher did was work with a number line to refresh the student’s memory. Next, she played a Kermit the frog video to engage them in the topic further. After, she would have a discussion with the class and ask what the relationship is between two numbers (i.e. what is four less than 7). I noticed that whenever she talks about numbers, she tends to use money as the main counter (where applicable). I brought it up in our meeting at the end of the day, where she said that since many students come from poor families, stressing money and the concept to them is important for their life outside of school. I really liked how she did this, as she implicitly teaches them other skills while not reaching outside of the curriculum. Another implicit way she teaches students is that, even though students are only grade one and two, she encourages self-direction. In her lesson today, she did this through a worksheet in which the students had to work through using a number line, but could not ask for help, only to see if they were right or not. I feel like teaching self-direction through solving like this is a way to develop independent learning at a young age.

Students in the classroom also seem to be aware of what they are learning. On the wall by the teacher’s desk, they have a bulletin board, which has “I can” statements that the students create alongside the teacher. They act as outcomes that the students are learning from their lessons, and through this, can summarize their learning.

          After my fifth week at St. Michaels Community school, I feel as if the students are starting to really get to know me, as I am with them. This week, I focused on inclusive education and diversity. Although this week there wasn’t a ton of observable ways this could be expressed, as my half day was spent at Jack Staples Ice Arena. There, I was helping prepare grade ones, twos and threes for an afternoon of learning to skate. I tied skates for about 30-45 minutes, then got mine on and went skating with the kids. I helped kids learn to get up after falling down, as for many, it was their first time on the ice. The kids seemed ecstatic to spend the day out of the classroom and even though they had trouble skating, they tried hard to learn. Overall, it was a really fulfilling day for me.

            Inclusiveness may not have been a large factor in my half day, excluding that all kids were able-bodied to skate. In terms of equity and human rights, all kids were permitted and there weren’t any activities that could limit one’s time on the ice.

In conclusion, my fifth half day was very enjoyable and I had a great time! The only negative I had was the fact that I was not faced with many opportunities to further my interpretation of the school honoring diversity, equity and human rights.

For my fourth field, I focused on inclusive education and diversity within the school. Today was Halloween, so looking for inclusion was easy to spot. Almost all kids dressed up, as did the teachers, so I knew that the kids and teachers felt included within the building. Personally, I felt like this is very important to the children because they are comfortable around their peers and teachers to do so. The wide demographic range my school has didn’t play a part either, as no one was excluded due to belief or religion. Some kids didn’t dress up, but that was due to either religion or belief (for the most part). Something else I noticed that no one was picked on because of their costume. One, in particular, was a larger boy who was wearing a rainbow zebra suit. From my own experience as a kid around his age, this would have been a really negative time. I know my peers would make fun of me but for him, people asked what he was and he said, and then they said it was cool or something along those lines. I felt like this was really heartwarming because I never thought the mindset of kids would have changed so quickly. When I hear that people are bombarded with information regarding inclusion or diversity I understand how they feel in terms of how much it is, but at the same time, I can see the importance of it. As society becomes more socially inclusive, individually, people become more understanding and aware as well.

One other aspect of inclusive education in the school I noticed was a little less desirable. In the picture, I included below is a magnet that was up on the staff room refrigerator. As you can see it incentivizes inclusive education for the purpose of money, not out of social justice. I feel like this is the wrong approach, but I also understand why it is this way. For many, I feel like social justice is secondary or less of a priority for people, so having a pay raise is a motivation. Even on our first day, people in the school asked about how knowledgeable we were about teacher salary, so I can see the reason for others to see this and have it be the reason they get involved.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed today. It wasn’t exactly what I had imagined, but it was really good to see how kind and accepting all the kids were. The atmosphere in my school felt really inclusive and personally, I felt as if this was a great day for me to reflect on my school’s diversity and inclusive education.

For my third field experience, I was to focus on how teachers honor different ways of teaching, how teachers promote knowledge, key supports that they rely on and how teachers build their professional growth. For my cooperating teacher, I noticed how she relies on her vocal cues for her students. Through doing so, she can get their attention and can react to misbehavior. When doing so, she reinforces how her students are in grade one. By doing this, she reminds them that they are getting older and have more responsibility. This, in turn, makes them react to their behavior, as they want to act more mature and adjust themselves. Other resources she uses are interactive posters and diagrams on the wall. The students like being able to use different objects and tools to express their learning, and are eager to do so. I also find that she uses a collective approach to teaching. She addresses all the students at the same time rather than focusing on individual students for her lessons. One more tool I saw her using is the repetition of keywords, such as objectives in questions. She also uses a reward system for students who do their work, such as candies for students that complete their agenda. I think these ways of promoting knowledge for these young students are great incentives to education and seem to work well as students are enthusiastic to learn.

As for her own professional growth, her best advice was to “fake it ‘til you make it.” Essentially, she said to get your foot in the door and explore as many opportunities as you can. One example she had was in her first year, she used many lesson plans and a growth plan of other teachers. She had plans for hers but felt as if other lesson plans were more developed, so she incorporated them into her own lessons. I feel like this is similar to other things that we have been taught in ECS 100. Like how new teachers should try and reach out for support if they are struggling, in this case, she did so in order to improve her own teaching.

For incorporating different ways of teaching, the teacher and the school are very proactive. My cooperating teacher herself is Dene and Plains Cree in descent, and she ties in her teachings she was taught. For example, she integrates the Cree language into her lessons subtly and teaches the children some phrases as well. Also, at the school, although not there when we’re there, they had the Winter Count Buffalo Robe. This was very culturally relevant, as indigenous studies are apart from the curriculum. This Buffalo Robe also travels around to different places, as she said it will reach the pope at the Vatican City.

During my second visit to St. Michael community school, I had the opportunity to meet other members of the school. To do this, my partner and I went around and interviewed other people and teachers in the school.

The first person we interviewed, named Denise, was the community school coordinator for St. Michael. She works at this school for 3 days a week and travels to St. Gregory for two. Denise told us how she is in charge of donations, which are most often given from non-profit organizations. She also works with individual families for interviews about care for the students and will even help out with taking care of the kids. For example, she told us how if a kid has an appointment and the family doesn’t have a means of transportation, Denise will drive the kids to where they need to go. She also helps kids get involved with extracurricular programs and does regular check-ins with kids and families. Denise told us how she got into her line of work because it is something close to her. One of the goals she has for her job is to help improve the graduating rate of first-nation students. Further, she also has assist training, in which she can help council (with another counselor) students at risk for suicide, in which they can get in touch with professional agencies. She said she has had other university students shadow her in the past, such as psych. and justice study students.

The second person we talked to was the grade 5/6 teacher, Whitney Sayer. She told us how this was her 7^thyear teaching and 6^thyear at St. Michael. We asked her how she could describe her job, in which she answered “impactful, challenging and emotional, but rewarding.” She exclaimed how your first year may be challenging, as you don’t have the resources other experienced teachers have. However, she says it gets easier as you gain confidence and find ways to improve yourself as an educator. Ms. Sayer also talked about countering bad lessons, in which she said you have two choices; move on or reflect and continue. Lastly, she said how rewarding it was to get involved with extracurricular activities in the school, as students can connect with you more easily.

After that, we were going to talk to the principal, but as she wasn’t there, the office manager offered to be interviewed. Marcia Appleyard had worked there for 8 years, and could retire if she wanted, but continues to work as a service to the community. We talked about the connection the school has to the community and the importance of the school. For me, I had no idea the impact a school like St. Michael had on a community. Mrs. Appleyard exclaimed how when she arrived, the population of the school was only 107 students with an attendance rate of 60%, and the school was in the works to be shut down. However, due to support from the community, the school was saved from fundraisers put on by parents. Now, the school has almost maxed out at 170 students and has an attendance rate of 95% This revival and support is due to the provision the school provides. The teachers and other influential people take on this responsibility. Mrs. Appleyard told us how the school makes it easier for the students to get to school by encouraging parents. They want the kids to enjoy coming to school and make them want to come rather than having to or not coming at all. The last point she made was how trust within the school is huge, and Mrs. Appleyard herself takes it upon herself to ensure the kids are where they need to be and are safe.

Other than interviewing, I had the opportunity to work with a student who had trouble with fine motor skills, such as writing. My first job was to teach him how to properly hold a pencil properly. I noticed how he had trouble differentiating which hand he was comfortable writing with, so I decided to see which had he used to throw and from there we found which hand he liked to write with. After that, we practiced writing zeros. He had a very tough time at the start and was very inconsistent, but with lots of reminders, he got the hang of it. To me, this was the most rewarding part of the day.

In my own opinion, this school is an embodiment of character and passion for education, students and teachers alike. I see students eager to learn new things, and as I am in a grade one classroom, the students seem attentive and prepared. From the demographics around, this is something I wouldn’t have expected, as when I was arriving, there were four police cars in the neighborhood and an ambulance blocking my main route to the school. The people in the school classify themselves as an inner-city school, but the area around as “transitional.” The entire community and school personnel seem to work together to link the two together, as some of the people I talked to would like the school to act as a ‘hub’ for the community.

This second experience was very humbling and a great learning experience for me.

For my field experience, I was put into St. Michael Community School. My partner and I met at the school and we walked into the school together. One of the first things I noticed is that the St. Michaels is connected to another school, Mother Theresa, and is separated at the front entrance. St. Michael was up the separating stairs, while Mother Theresa was down. Since the two schools share a building, St. Michael was awfully small compared to the elementary school I attended as a child. As I checked in and handed in my paperwork, my partner and I were escorted to the staff room, where I met my coordinating teacher, Amanda Norton. Ms. Norton is the grade 1/2 teacher at St. Michael. She took us on a tour of the school, which consisted of one hallway, a gymnasium, and had a small room downstairs. The hallways were decorated with student work, as well as having an interactive poster that students could write what they were thankful for (as it was just Thanksgiving). Overall, I felt very welcomed in the school.

The class I was in for the entire session was Ms. Norton’s 1/2 split. The children seemed eager and full of energy. As we were with the class, we watched as they learned about patterns in math, read a story as a class in language arts and learned about absorption in science. However, something I didn’t expect was what Ms. Norton called brain breaks. To my understanding, these are ways to get the children more hands-on with what they are learning and/or to burn some energy as since they only are grade 1, they have a lot of it. For example, after the lesson of seeing and constructing patterns, the children got to go to stations around the room to construct patterns of their own. My partner and I were both designated our own station, and I was given X’s and O’s, while she was given beads and string. Other stations included stamps and felt stickers. Another brain break was a short program of a little dance the children participated in or short cartoons around 5-7 minutes each.

After not being in an elementary school for so long, I was quickly reminded of how it felt. Although similar, this school did not have the same impression that mine did growing up. During our tour of the school, Ms. Norton told us how many of the children come from low-income homes, in which many parents struggle to provide things for children beyond the necessities. She then exclaimed how, because St. Michael is a community school, they receive donations that they can use to supply children in need. I felt like this is an amazing way the school can help these families who are struggling, as their kids could receive stuff such as new winter jackets or school supplies that their family might not be able to afford.

In conclusion, the school community and my cooperating teacher made me feel comfortable in the atmosphere they have, and I can say I am happy to be a part of it too. I feel as if a school like St. Michael will have much to offer me in terms of experience and education.