In the classroom

Practicum week #1

My first two weeks of practicum were both challenging and enlightening. One experience in particular really clarified my desire to be a teacher. There is one student in the classroom who seems to always be calling out, saying inappropriate comments, and often distracting others. I found myself feeling frustrated with this student from the first day because I was not sure how to approach his behaviour. I don’t know his background, home life, or insecurities and therefore felt like I didn’t know how to communicate with him. My TM had briefly talked about this student and how she chooses to approach him, but I still didn’t feel comfortable because I don’t have that relationship with him like she does. Our TM suggested that we don’t nag at him, but rather just mention to him “if you don’t want to do your work that’s ok, but it will be homework,” while not giving him a reaction. 

On our first day, this student was kicked out of music for socializing, moving around too much, and talking back to the teacher while Rachel and I were observing the music prep activity. This child didn’t seem to care that he was asked to leave and went back to the classroom to catch up on unfinished work. The day went by and this student seemed to continue in his behavior while the teacher would talk to him every now and then. Unfortunately, I believe I had judged this student based on his behavior and wasn’t as inclined to build a relationship with him. 

On the second day, the student seemed to be more focused and relaxed which was interesting to see, but he was still disrupting others during the teacher’s introduction of lessons and calling out. Towards the end of the day, the teacher gave students the option to play some math-related games until the end-of-day bell rang. I was circulating the room and I heard a very polite voice ask if I wanted to play with him. It was the student who I had hardened myself towards. This was an incredible eye-opening experience for me because as I played the math game with him, he was opening up to me about how he has an older brother, that he loves hockey etc. I also noticed how gifted he was in math as he rolled the dice and added them sometimes faster than I could. I got to connect with this student and realize that his behavior does not define him as a child or a student. It caused me to look at the whole classroom differently because each student is different, has different obstacles in life, and they all respond to these things differently as well. I think it is so important for teachers not to write off a student based on a first impression or issue, but rather dive deeper into why they behave a certain way and learn how you can be a caring adult for them so they can learn in a safe environment.

 

Practicum Week #2

As I reflect over these past two weeks of practicum, I have come to the realization that I have learned more than I ever have in such a short period of time. Through watching my Teacher Mentor, and learning from my mistakes, the phrase, “learning is teaching” has become so real to me. 

I have taught two lessons within these last two weeks which have over all gone quite smoothly. I based my first lesson on a Halloween theme and did a choral reading activity followed by a drawing of the poem and a self-reflection. I was nervous and forgot to explain some of the instructions while the students were still at the carpet, so I had to regain their attention while they were starting the activity. This was a great learning experience as I realized how important it is to explain instructions clearly and in order to minimize chaos during the lesson. My next lesson was during a math block, so I decided to do a language arts/math lesson which was out of my comfort zone but was my first experience creating a lesson that integrated two subjects. I won’t go into too much detail about how my lessons went, instead I will reflect on my experiences with the students themselves. 

During the third week of practicum, there was one student who I was struggling to work with. The first two weeks of getting to know her, I knew that she was sensitive, but she seemed to work hard on her assignments in class and have a great attitude towards school and learning. On my third day of practicum I was standing at the door to greet the students and this same student blew past me and threw her agenda in the box and sat at her desk with her head down. My teacher informed me to just let her cool down by herself. Her attitude seemed to pick up after recess, but she refused to pick up her pencil or sit in her chair. As soon as you would ask her to sit down, she would either cry or make an excuse to sharpen her pencil or go to the washroom. She didn’t finish any of her work and the teacher had asked her to stay in at recess and lunch, and even then, she wouldn’t touch her work. I found myself becoming frustrated with her because she was constantly distracted and distracting other students and I felt like I was nagging her all day. I finally asked the teacher for some advice on how to guide this student and how to work with her because no matter what I did, it wasn’t working. My Teacher Mentor informed me that this student’s mother only gets visiting rights for one day of the month, which was the previous day. My Teacher Mentor continued to tell me that she usually tries not to push this student too much when she is acting like this because she knows that she will eventually have a breakdown.

After hearing this, I instantly felt so much compassion for this child and also had a moment of realization in my own teaching practices. Of course, as a teacher you should be motivating your students to learn and discipline when appropriate, but more importantly, you need to know your students and communicate with them accordingly.

 

Final week of practicum

Reflecting upon these last two weeks of practicum I realize that I have significantly grown in my confidence as both a teacher and a person. I remember at the beginning of the semester I had asked myself the daunting question of, “how am I supposed to be a teacher?”. I have looked up to teachers my whole life and to know that I would be in that same position for children was exciting, but I was also fearful of the unknown. After observing and practicing under my TM, I have been able to put myself in a realistic teaching position and know that I will be equipped to hold such a reputable career. I can confidently say that I have grown in the areas of effective classroom management, as well as planning and executing a successful lesson. Upon these areas of growth, I also wish to expand on my knowledge of appropriate reinforcements/punishment in the classroom. 

In the back of my mind I have always wondered how I was going to be as a figure of authority in a classroom. I quickly learned that this position requires effective classroom and behavioral management. I have grown in this area from learning certain techniques such as, flicking the lights, clapping a rhythm for response, counting down, or saying, “1, 2, 3, eyes on me” and waiting for the students’ response of, “1, 2 eyes on you”. For example, in my second lesson, I had students measuring objects around the room and the volume of the classroom was becoming too loud and I knew I had to regain their attention. I clapped for their attention and everyone stopped and had their eyes on me. This may seem like an insignificant moment for some, but it was the first moment that I realized I am capable of leading a group of people. 

The phrase, “practice makes perfect” does not reflect writing lesson plans. I’ve realized how important it is to include flexibility in a lesson plan because there are things that aren’t going to work the way you’d like sometimes. I have grown immensely in becoming more detailed in my lessons as I’m able to “imagine the chaos I’m about to create” (Beverly Ruberg). For example, I’ve learned that something as simple as using colorful paper clips, because I didn’t have a stapler at the time, can throw your entire lesson out of whack. There were some students who refused to start their work because they didn’t get their desired color of paper clip, and some were using them as toys. This scenario caused an unnecessary interruption in my lesson and encouraged me to closely imagine any possible distractions in my lessons. 

One area that I am looking forward to growing in is effective reinforcement/punishment of behaviour. In saying this, I am not suggesting that I want punishment to be a focus in my career, but I am still uncomfortable in enforcing consequences to my rules. I know myself enough to know that I have a relaxed personality and I tend to steer away from confrontation. When a student is misbehaving, I want to be equipped to approach them in a firm but calm manner. I also know that a part of being a teacher is communicating with the students’ parents. I have witnessed confrontation between a teacher and parent previous to this program and I froze when I thought of how I would have handled the situation. 

Overall, I have been able to realistically imagine myself as a teacher, which I wouldn’t have been able to 3 months ago. I have found management strategies that work for me and my teaching style, while also being able to successfully transfer my thoughts from a formal document to real-life experiences in the classroom. More importantly, I have found confidence in a career path that I find myself more and more passionate about as I build relationships with students and other teachers.