My first week at my placement school was a great experience. As I arrived at the school I was immediately greeted by the principal and he welcomed my peers and me. Going into the school I was nervous and unsure of what to expect. However, I felt extremely comfortable and my nerves calmed down quickly as the principal toured us around and introduced us to the other staff at the school. Everyone was super inviting and we’re just as excited as all of us were when coming into the school. After getting a rundown of the school the eight of us and the principal sat down in the staff room and had an open discussion. This made everyone feel more comfortable and gave us a chance to ask any questions we had going into the field.
When we toured the school and had the chance to walk around I observed the school’s values that were posted on the walls. The word HOWL was explained to be their school’s SWPBIS. Which stands for “Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports.” Which is there to support positive behaviors in the school. The word HOWL was split up into four expectations; H- Honesty and Accountability, O- Outstanding Effort, W- Working together, and L- Living responsibly. As this was the school’s expectations it ensured that the school built a sense of community.
Teachers at this school built a great sense of community in the classroom. When I walked into my assigned 7/8 class I could immediately sense trust between the teacher and students. The class was engaged in their work and often were able to ask their peers around them to problem solve and figure out the next question. The teacher ensured that everyone was comfortable and cared for in the class. For example, when a student was wrong she did not ignore their answer but rather built off of it and acknowledged them for putting their hand up to answer. Words such as “well done” and “that is a well-written answer” were shown throughout the class.