Throughout my field experiences, I always tried to take what was given to me each day and learn from it, while also keeping the focus question in the back of my mind so that I could see how things relate. Multiple weeks focused on the school community, something that I do not think I had really ever thought much about before. My school was so community-oriented and every teacher seemed to have a connection with every student. All the students came to school smiling and genuinely appeared as though they wanted to be there and enjoyed being there. I did not realize it at first, but I realize it now, that this has so much in relation with the lectures on space, place, and boundaries and on invitation and hospitality. The school that I was placed in is a welcoming place and each classroom space is unique yet inviting in every way. Upon realizing this, it is no surprise to me that the students at my school love being there and can feel safe in the entire school.

This experience also made me realize how interconnected knowledge, schooling, and society are. Society in Regina is learning more and more about reconciliation every day, and schools like the one I was placed at are really taking big steps. My school has a First Nation Curriculum and places high importance on teaching students the seven sacred teachings of First Nations people. The school incorporates different knowledge and ways of knowing because of the students who make up the school community and because of society. Something big that I took away from this is that every student has their own way of knowing. In my classroom there was a variety of different ethnicities and cultures represented and as a teacher it is my job to recognize this and to honour each student through the way I interact with them. For example, the one little boy talked about grandma and grandpa but the other girl corrected anyone who called her kookum “grandma.” It is important that we respect each student and show them that they are valued just as they are. 

This field experience truly was my best university experience to date. I went into it uncertain if I was going to stay on the path of teaching and I came out of it more sure than ever that this is where I want to be. The students all have so much to offer and I want to have an impact in students’ lives some day. The thirteen students in my class each had their own impact on me and I am so grateful to have been invited into their classroom and to have been treated by the school with such welcoming hospitality. I learned so much and had so much fun, whether it was one student telling me “Come make music with us, it’s awesome!” or the amount of hugs I got during each experience, I cannot wait to be back in a school.