Blog Post #1: Focus Question 1: Teachers, Knowledge, Building Relationships: Invitation & Hospitality:
This week I had a grade 4/5 split, it has only been a few days that the teacher had this specific group of students in her classroom because fo the fact that they needed to bring in new teachers to the school. She was still trying to rebuild a sense of community within the classroom and for everyone to be comfortable with her however certain statements and thing she called them certainly build more comfort. For instance when get g their attention she would say “ welcome friends” or when talking to them individually she would call them “honey”. She also took her time to make sure that she knew how to properly pronounce each students name, which in itself creates a feeling of comfort and welcomeness for the students. I found taking the time to learn how to pronounce the names very important, because as a mixed students myself many never actually took the time to learn how to pronounce my name correctly and would give me nicknames which in time just made me feel less important that an educator didn’t even care to learn how to say my name. So her taking the time to learn how to say it really created a sense of comfort for them.
In the morning we had tree classes, science, gym, and them math. She stood at the front of the classroom and while she spoke she would write at the bored and make diagrams. When asking questions for the children to answer she would make sure that she is given multiple kids the chance to speak, so if she called on one fo the students the next time she would call on the other. Other times when the students would be stuck she would try to guid them to the answer by braking it down on the bored with them. She later on had an activity where they where able to get up and move around more. In math she had them continue working on a little booklet they had, they would help each other out when struggling and she if any kid needed help they could sit with her at her desk and they would go through the work together. Throughout the day a few kids would get pulled out the classroom specifically those who where in grade 5 would get taken out for a higher level math or sciences with a different teacher, or even thought who where not quite at the levels they should be in in a specific subject would get pulled pout for additional help.
Blog Post #2: Focus Question 2: Students & Learning Environment: Focus on places, spaces, and boundaries:
In this week I had a grade 1/2 split. Immediately when I walked in I saw many posters all around the classroom for instance, “more than a student, more than a teacher, more than a classroom, class family is everything” there where many posters like that that where highlighting the idea that their classroom is a family and should always feel like that. The classroom was set up in about 5 rows, each row had about 4-6 students, her half circled desk was in the top left corner in the classroom so the children would see her at all times and can even sit with her if they wanted. Half of the from wall and going around the corner to the side wall was shelves filled with buckets of books that the kids picked out from the library. The way she had everything set up really allowed room for movement for all, the rows where in a way where there would be spaces between the desks for her to get to everyone easy
She definitely had complete control of the classroom and it really showed when she had to deal with some student who had behaviour issues. For instance one of the students had bad anger issues and might lash out in violence at times, whenever that happened the kids know that they need to go to the classroom or get out of the classroom and she would calm him down. Another student was extremely hyper active and would not stay still and she sat him with her at her desk to keep an eye and talk to him whenever it is getting too much.She encouraged a lot of team work and helping one another out. For instance in math they where learning about pattered, she handed out different coloured animals and shapes and had them work together in pairs to help each other create different patterns. Many fo the times before they come and ask her for help they would ask each other or try to explain things differently to each other this was they where able to create a family that helps each other which its what her role for the classroom environment to be.
Post #3: Focus Question 3: Truth & Reconciliation:
Coming to Canada I heard a lot of talk about truth and reconciliation and indigenous history. However it felt like I was hearing and getting taught the same things year after year and not much was getting changed or added on details. I always knew about residential schools and have watched multiple movies about what the children went taught, and it wasn’t till grade 12 history class where I was taught about the bills a reserves in a bit more detail. In many ways it felt like the only reason we where getting taught the same thing year after year was because the teachers themselves didn’t know more or didn’t care to educate themselves more. It wasn’t till covid when I started to learn more about Indigenous history and their cultures, I remember when I first started seeing all the posts in May 2021 about the unmarked grave found in BC where they found the remains of 215 children. This topic blew up all over the internetbecause we where all still in the mids of corvid the internet was the only way we all felt connected. There where thousands of videos, pictures, articles that I have read and seen that taught me the majority of what I know about Indigenous history now. It is saddening enough that I had to find out more about this topic over the internet instead of getting taught about it properly in schools.
In my field placement I am placed in a community school in the north end of the city where the majority of the children are Indigenous. The school really cared about teaching children about Indigenous history in different ways. The way that stood out to me the most was when the principle made an announcement about their walking goal of 600km as the school in whole. Later on I found out they where talking about Wanjack who was put in a residential school 600km away from his family, where he later on ran away from the school and tried to walk that 600km home, unfortunately passing away through the journey. The schools goal of walking the distance he was away from his family was extremely powerful to see and gives them the chance to really understand how far away the children where taken.
Blog Post #4: Focus Question 4: Changing Landscape: Inclusive Education-Diversity & Difference:
For this week I had a grade 7/8 split, this was definitely the most mixed classroom I have been in. The teacher allowed many of the muslim girls to fir together, not because to keep them separated but because she knew they where friends and being around someone who understands you just makes one feel comfortable. The first thing we did was gym where they played tag as a warm up them they had the opportunity to choose what game they wanted. In this case the kids wanted to play the version of volleyball that they made easier. volleyball was hard for a few of them to grasp so they modified not where they can throw it across the met and the other team had to catch it and if the closest person the the ball on the other side didn’t catch it they would be out. I loved that idea cause a lot of the time when kids at that age can’t play a certain game they will just sit out but in they case they can all catch and throw and all could join in playing the game.
After gym class they had a zoom RCMP talk where the officer was teaching them about the safeties of the internet, what their rights are, and how to use their phones and the internet in a safe and appropriate way. He knew that for the most part many of the children would not listen to him much because4 he is older and an officer, so they had a second guy come in who has a podcast where he talks about all those things and would create different affects too where the students could be more engaged. At times he would make refrains to Ticktock or Snapchat and shared how bode cost account for the kids to follow and continue learning.
Blog Post #5: Final Field Experience Reflections: Interconnectedness of Knowledge, Schooling and Society Reflect on your overall experience:
In this field experience I was placed in Coronation Park community school, where I spend four half days in. Every week I was placed in a different classroom, I was in a 4/5 split, 1/2 split, 2/3 split, and 7/8 split. This experience was absolutely amazing, being in a different classroom every week getting to be around different age groups really opened my eyes to new things. I always thought that I wanted the younger ones like pre-k -2 however that first week with the grade 4/5 split was definitely much better then I expected. Seeing the different classroom environment and how the teachers took control of the classroom yet still had a good connection with the kids, how different learning techniques where incorporated, and how the teachers dealt with having children with learning and behaviour issues was incredible to witness. The principle and vice principles where are very involved with not only the classrooms but with each individual kid swell, this extended to the teachers as well, every teacher knew the children in their class and the children in other classes. The entire school itself felt like a little intertwined community. From. Day one I felt like I was welcomed and that feeling only grew as the weeks went on and I could only imagine how the students feel.
I saw how important a classroom setting is and how speaking to your students as a teacher was. All the kids warmed up to me really quickly and I spend most of my time being hands on with what they are doing instead of just sitting back and observing. I watched how teachers intertwined different learning styles, for instance how they would verbally speak on the topic while physically showing it, or getting others to help those who are struggling, or going hands on with a student while explaining it out loud. I realized the importance of making the classroom and the school itself into a family, many children do not have a stable family lives. They are spending so much time in school surrounded by the same teachers and peers getting closer and closer to them on a daily basis. Creating a family setting from that allows the children to feel comfortable to be who they are, it gives them the understanding that blood dose not mean family but rather you choose who your family is. Not only will I be taking how everything was taught in this experience, but also how it felt being there and how the environment was like. Because to me being an educator is more then just about what and how you are teaching, but how you made each and every child feel when they step into your classroom.