In my 4/5 split class, I decided to go back and share my experiences in my field placement. This is my journal that includes my struggles, my thoughts and my observations.
WEEK ONE:
. I was very nervous, but when I walked into the school it was cozy, warm and welcoming which then made me really excited. The principle was very outgoing. She showed us to our classroom and told us that this is going to be a great opportunity and would show us different perspectives on life. I toured the school with my partner we saw that it was a smaller school and had lots of decorations. Our classroom had 2020 goals on the wall that the children made. On lots of the doors they had signs made that said donut be late or absent, we later found out that is because the attendance there is mandatory and if a child does not show up it is a big deal because of the neighbourhood since lots of them walk to school. If a child is late to class they must go and get a late slip from the office and take it to their teacher. They also post the percentage of attendance on the room door. The school was very divserse, lots of the children had behavioural issues and came from low income homes. I was in a 4/5 split class which included an EA along with the teacher. The teacher helped us get involved with the children with their activities they had to finish that day. The children were aloud to work in the halls which opened up their space, place and boundaries. At recess they had cards that said indoor recess, so if they got one, they were able to work in the library this would help the children that have a hard time going outside. I started building my relationship with the kids in math because lots of them struggle with that subject. When the kid I was helping got the answer right I would congratulate them with a high five this made them smile and want to keep working on there assignment. At the end of the day the kids I had worked with were sad to see me leave and would give me hugs goodbye. It made me happy because that for me was sign of trust and friendship. The parents had to sign their children’s agenda everyday and the teacher and parents could leave notes which keep them involved. In December families would donate food and toys for the children that were in need. They also put on a big supper at the school were staff and family brought in food where they would either cooked it at the school or at homes and in the gym, they put all the food in there, so the community could come and eat. The children, the teachers and surrounding community have a strong relationship with the school.
WEEK TWO:
My second day at the Elementary School was a lot less stressful and nerve wracking as my first day. The children in my 4/5 class were happy to see us back there again. They came and talked to us right when they walked into the class and told me about their week, they were also hoping we were going to stay for the whole day. I find the best way to build relationships with the children is talking about what they are interested in. Some of the kids had hockey tournaments last weekend, so I would ask them how they went and about how they did. The teachers in the classroom would ask the same thing or ask about what they were doing for the weekend. In math my teacher honours the students by putting stickers on their assignments when they get a hundred percent and if they don’t, she calls the student up to her desk and helps every student until they get a hundred percent. My partner and I were also very fortunate because on Thursday the class had a guest speaker, Elder Frank and his Indigenous name is moving rock. He told the amazing story about how he got his name and about how he will give names to his grandchildren. He educated me about how the poplar tree is the tree of life and about how much the polar tree means to their culture, so I added a picture to my post, so everyone knows what a polar tree looks like. He also gave me ideas for my journey to reconciliation assignment. At the end of the presentation the children got to ask questions and the Indigenous children related and also got to share about how they have or going too have their Indigenous name. I am so excited to see what next week has in store! I love my placement it has opened opportunities and my perspectives.
WEEK THREE:
All my learners are different and unique. Some of them love school and some of them hate it. I try to work with the kids that are not as fond of school as the rest, by the end of my placement I want to show the kids that school is important and it is fun, you make memories, friends, and life long skills. I work with one student a lot she reminds me of me when I was her age, we also have lots in common. She loves how I help her with her math homework and gets super excited when she gets a whole assignment right on the first try. She struggles with doing assignments, she is easily distracted and needs constant reminding, but if you just sit with her or tell her she can talk and play when the assignment is done she can get it done right away. The learning environment is suitable to ages 9-10 because if you go into a younger aged classroom their desks are smaller. They can to be outside at recess and explore the nature around the school. They are also able to use technology for an open- ended play. The classroom environment I find is messy, the student’s desks are full of random things, so when it is time for the students to pay attention to the teacher at the front of the class, the kids are playing and getting distracted by their messy desks. The desks are aligned in rows and that reminds me of when I was a student, but our desks were not aloud to be messy and I felt when I was student things were stricter and more organized. This space is much more then just in the classroom the students are aloud to work out in the halls and during recess they go outside and for some classes they go to different classrooms where a different teacher teaches them. The space is comfy, but I feel it should not be so cluttered because I feel that affects their impede learning.
WEEK FOUR:
Week four at the Elementary School was great, no day is the same. I am furthering my learning and experiences being in my placement. The classroom is very unique as the other teachers say. There is a lot of diversity and behavioural issues. This 4/5 grade class is very busy, children are always moving and walking around. I learnt that most of the children in this classroom are from reserves and low-income families. Lots of the desks have bars that swing on them for the children that need to fidget. I was asking the French teacher about how they accommodate children with special needs and I was surprised to find out that they do not have any kind of special ed room. There is a teacher, that is there only in the morning and the children that need extra help go to her room. From observing I saw that my teacher has a U-shaped desk at the back of the classroom and when the students get an assignment and need help, they go to the desk at the back where the teacher will help them. Our classroom also has an EA that is there all day helping the children as well. One student I find that she works really well one on one so, every math she asks me to go to her desk to sit with her while she does her assignments. I find this helps her feel comfortable, happy and less distracted. On my week four they also had a school assembly where a Saskatchewan Roughrider, Jorgan Hus came in and did a bullying presentation. He talked about the importance of recognizing bullying and how to help prevent it. Also, at Walker School they switch between an English and Cree speaking O’ Canada every morning. My favourite part about the placement is how excited the students are to see us there every Thursday and are sad to see us leave, it makes me want to be there everyday. I can not wait for next week!
WEEK FIVE:
Week five at the Elementary School, I was able to explore the school some more. I got the opportunity to go into a different classroom. I worked and observed in a 1/2 grade class. The teacher has a special VIP desk at the back of the classroom that includes a special pencil, eraser, and some fun glasses that the VIP student gets to use. The student that gets to sit there for the whole day has to show excellent listening skills the previous day. Also, in the 1/2 class they had different types of chairs they had ones of wheels, ones that rock and exercise balls that the students were able to sit on. While I was observing the school, I learnt that they have a GSA and that the children that were in the club did not have to tell their parents. In the GSA they provide a safe and supportive club for children that are or curious about their sexual identity. The students meet to talk about issues, do projects, and to support each other. While walking around the school I saw that they have on the wall welcome to the elementary school in a bunch of different languages that are associated with the students that go there. The Elementary honors their diversity by having students do projects on different parts of the world, having an Aboriginal O’canada and the posters that are around the school. They have encouraging messages all around the school as well, in the women’s bathroom they have messages saying “you are beautiful” and “you got this”. I find at Walker they encourage students to be kind and welcoming to diversity everyday and includes it in their lessons.
