Author: Meegan Svedahl

Resources

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U of T Indigenous Education

https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/abed101/a-short-history-of-indigenous-education-in-canada/

Prek- 12 Education, Early Leaning, and Schools ‘

-information and resources on many different subjects.

https://www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/education-and-learning/prek-12-education-early-learning-and-schools

Truth and Reconciliation Commission

http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/index.php?p=3

Project of Heart

-Blog with lots of great posts about seeking the truth of Aboriginal peoples in Canada.

http://projectofheart.ca/sk/

 We Were so far away

-“the Inuit experience of residential schools”

http://weweresofaraway.ca

10 books about residential schools to read your kids

https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/10-books-about-residential-schools-to-read-with-your-kids-1.3208021

Office of the treaty commissioner -> teachers resource

http://www.otc.ca/resource.html

Treaty Ed Outcomes

https://urcourses.uregina.ca/pluginfile.php/1074269/mod_resource/content/1/Treaty%20Education%20Outcomes%20and%20Indicators.pdf

Volunteer Work

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Over the years I have done a variety of volunteer work at the food bank, numerous elementary schools, Mother Teresa Middle School (MTMS), and North Central Family Centre (NCFC). I have gained a lot of valuable knowledge through my volunteering that has been able to benefit me throughout my university career. My time at MTMS and NCFC had a beneficial impact on my education due to the relationship I was able to build with the students. I was able to connect with the students, and off additional support. This really showed me the diversity a school can have, and allowed me to gain experience working with a variety of children, who have a wide variety of knowledge skills.

I believe…

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-All students should have equal opportunity and resources.

-Incorporating all modes of perception into a lesson is important.

-There’s no right way to do something, new ideas are always good.

-Everyone learns and thinks different.

-Not everyone has the same background knowledge, so certain knowledge cannot be assumed.

– Safety and kindness come before all else.

-There is no such thing as a bad question.

-It is important to incorporate different teaching styles (ie. Not just lecturing).

-It is important as a teacher to know what your students need to be successful.

-It is important to reflect on your teaching and teaching methods, and always be looking for ways in to improve.

-It is important to look after the mental health of your students, not just physical.

-As a teacher you should be looking for signs of struggle, or complications in your students and offering help where able to do.

-As a teacher you should be a reflective practitioner.

-You should design lessons for L2 learners, what benefits L2 learners will benefit everyone.

What Teaching is to Me

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In class we were asked to write about what it means to be a teacher to us. I think it is really important to think about this as a future teacher to understand the importance of why your becoming a teacher in the first place. My response was as follows:

“To me being a teacher is about helping your students learn and succeed to the best of their abilities. Education is always changing and there are always so many new resources open to teachers. It is important as a teacher to recognize these tools open to us, and how to use those in the interest of your students. This is done by the idea of reflective practice, and reflecting on past lessons you have taught and the outcomes of those teachings. Chapter 1 of Educational Foundations in Canada talks about reflective practice in terms of diversity in teachers, and teaching styles, as well as students and learning styles. This chapter talks about how no two teachers will teach the same, and no two people that learn the exact same way. This is why reflective practice is so important as a teacher, because everyone is so different, and learns so different one plan cant possibly work for two different groups of kids if everyone is truly learning to the best of their ability. With this in mind teachers always have to adapt, change, or rearrange their plans to suit the needs of their students. Teachers can reflect on what worked well in the past, and what didn’t work well, and how those can be changed or altered to improve the outcome for the learners. There are no two teachers that teach the same, and the textbook talks about teachers learning from each other. If every teacher uses reflective practice and sees what challenges are being faced in class settings, collaboration of each other’s ideas and experiences can lead to more positive learning environments with more successful outcomes. Teaching with reflective practice is important to ensure your students have the best resources available to them, and as a teacher you have to turn to every resource you have to ensure you are giving your students all they need to succeed.”

My Journey

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My name is Meegan Svedahl, I am 20 years old and was born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan. My parents are both from small towns. My brother and I spent a lot of time in the countryside with my grandparents learning many valuable life lessons. My grandpa was a carpenter, I remember always being eager to help him, and thankful for his patience and willingness to teach me.

I went to Jack Mackenzie elementary school where my passion for teaching began. I was a big buddy, and loved helping out in the kindergarten classroom. I jumped at every opportunity I had to assist any teacher and always looked forward to it. I remember using ideas from the kindergarten class I helped in, and used them to play school at home with my friends and cousins.

My passion for teaching continued throughout High School. I volunteered a lot of time at Mother Theresa Middle School, helping students with school work. I assisted with all subjects including math, art, science, health and reading/ ELA. From my experience working with students on ELA topics I developed a strong interest in second language acquisition, and began looking into schooling options for my future.

Halfway through high school I began working as a swim instructor and my love for teaching continued to grow. I taught all ages, but had a strong passion for teaching pre-school aged students. I saw a relatable connection between this age group, and language learning which further sparked my interest.

I began taking classes at the University of Regina , unsure of the exact path I wanted to follow. After taking a linguistics class that I thoroughly enjoyed I set a goal to obtain my masters in Speech Pathology. I have so far completed two years of classes at the University of Regina focusing on Psychology and Linguistics to develop a strong understanding for Speech Pathology in the future. This fall I set out to follow my dreams of becoming a teacher as well, starting at the Faculty of Education at the U of R. I have decided to continue with all my schooling in hopes to better benefit my future as a Speech Pathologist.

Lifeguard/Instructor

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A major part of my identity is being a lifeguard/ Instructor. I started my journey as a lifeguard when I was 10 years old, finishing all my Red Cross swim levels. I then went on to complete my First aid, Lifeguarding, and Instructor certificates. After working as a lifeguard/ instructor for 2 years I obtained my Assistant Lifeguard Instructor award, as well as my Water Safety Instructor Trainer Award.

The awards I have, and maintain for my current job are:

First Aid CPR/AED C

Red Cross Lifeguard Certificate

Red Cross Assistant Lifeguard Instructor Certificate

Water Safety Instructor Certificate

Water Safety Instructor Trainer Certificate

City of Regain Lead Guard course Certificate

Pool Operators Certificate