Week #1
My first week of field placement was amazing! The school was very welcoming of me and my partners, we instantly felt like we belonged there. The teacher we are with Mr. F is always full of energy and also very enthusiastic, the students love him. The classroom looks like any other ones I have seen back when I was also in elementary, so I was very nostalgic all throughout the day since it reminded me of my childhood. The chairs are in rows, board at the front, shelves on the sides, and lockers at the back. The teacher’s desk are also on the right side of the classroom. I got to know a few wonderful students like Shane from Singapore, Nate from Regina, Allan from China, Sage from India, and Ray from Mexico, as you could see the diversity in this classroom is visible. The students are grade 6 and I am very happy with them, they also enjoy having us around since we do our best to help them, when they need it.
During a work period at the library one of the students asked me a math question that I could not figure out so that really frustrated me since I really wanted to help, I also felt like I should have known but I was clueless. I simply just said that I did not know the answer since it had been so long since I did Grade 6 Math. I am also going to be a Science major so I am glad I do not have to deal with that. During recess I got to know more students in depth since I also told them about me and shared about what I am doing at their school. Overall I think that the environment of the school is just fantastic since it was easy for me to talk to the principal, teachers, other staff, and students.
Week #4
This week there was a school assembly, and it was that time where teachers award two students from each grade (class) a certificate for leadership, kindness, helpfulness, and excellence in academy. It took place in their two gyms, K-3 in one and 4-8 in the other. I joined the class that I usually go with which is in grade 6, throughout the assembly I have noticed diversity, I don’t know how else to say it but there were visible minorities from different nations in the crowd. The parents of the students who were getting an award were also present, they were told about their children’s accomplishment beforehand and was invited to come. I like how the parents were invited to celebrate their children’s success since it is really important for parents to be as involved as they can in their children’s accomplishments and development. Also throughout the assembly Mr. F told me and my partners in private to always try and keep students who need more attention or special treatment closer to you during assemblies to keep them in check or at least keep an eye on them just in case something happens and sure enough one of those students acted out by hitting one of his classmates on his arm. Mr. F and another teacher noticed it right away and stopped him by separating them from each other before it escalated.
In Mr. F’s classroom the group was also quite diverse, like what I mentioned from my earlier blogs I talked to students that came from Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Iran, Ukraine, and also local students that grew up here. In the classroom there are a few students as well that have special needs that rely on accommodations to foster their learning and development, while some students just simply needed more attention. Mr. F never singled out anybody in his class including the ones that had special needs, and he also made sure that his other students were made aware of how special needs students are not the same when it comes to learning and he did this near the beginning of the school year by showing them videos and by doing this no one gets hurt or singled out. Lastly, it was also diverse since it was a French Immersion school and I saw students interacting in both the English and French language vice-versa which I thought was really cool. This school couldn’t be anymore diverse and it is definitely a place where I would want to be in anytime.
Final Week
Before I started my field experience I had mixed feelings about going to an elementary school since I have already decided that I only wanted to pursue secondary but to my surprise I ended up loving the experience. I am now open to teach any age groups once I finish my studies here at the UofR like how I am as a swimming instructor. My time in the field also made me see diversity in schools whether it was their different ways of learning, skills, pace, and understanding. Also the children come from different social classes, ethnic backgrounds, religion, beliefs, and way of life.
The way Mr. F structured his class was also something that I really admired. I really liked his ‘Genius hour’ idea where students get to present topics that interests them in front of the class. I also like the points system that he implemented where students get the opportunity to earn them and use them for things such as chosen activities, free time, etc. Mr. F also had his way with keeping the children on task despite all the distractions such as technology. I noticed that he was really good with keeping them on track even with the tech since he did say that if they were not being used productively they would be taken away.
I am grateful for having the teacher I have at Hawrylak since he really did make me see what it is like to be an amazing teacher like how he is. He was well liked by his peers and students, I have not heard nothing but good things about him and from him. Mr. F gave me an idea of how I could appropriately deal with children that have special needs and from my experience he dealt with them proficiently. I am just glad and thankful for all the opportunities that ECS 100 Field Experience gave me, I am looking forward to more experiences in the future.