My role as a teacher is similar to the role of a coach. My future classroom will facilitate a feeling of safety, support, and competence for my students. I will act with honesty and professionalism, while providing support to each of my students as I am the coach and leader of their learning. Forming an inclusive atmosphere, while developing educated citizens are two major goals of mine as an educator. Throughout this section of my ePortoflio, you will learn how I provide quality learning experiences through a credo in which I endeavour to hold true throughout my career.
Teaching Elements
Leadership
The leadership style that I will implement in the classroom will be similar to how a coach works with his/her players. Outside of the classroom, I have worked for the Boys & Girls Club of Central Vancouver Island (BGCCVI) with kids and youth aged 5-18 years old. I have also volunteered as a youth baseball coach which has provided me with additional experiences and opportunities of creating an effective leadership style that works for me. One leadership style that I have found to be effective is described as the 'coaching approach.' According to6 Leadership Styles And When You Should Use Them, this is how this style of leadership is performed: "The coaching leader develops people for the future. If this style were summed up in one phrase, it would be “Try this.” The coaching style works best when the leader wants to help teammates build lasting personal strengths that make them more successful overall. It is least effective when teammates are defiant and unwilling to change or learn, or if the leader lacks proficiency" (Benincasa, 2012). An example of how I have utilized this leadership style is derived from my youth baseball coaching experiences. I organize and run baseball camps through my work with the BGCCVI and we not only work on developing our players' baseball skills, but also building upon life skills such as leadership, teamwork, collaboration, and problem solving with our participants. The activities and drills that we take part in at our baseball camps include these life skills, which allows our participants to gain experience through play.
The second leadership style that I have found to also be beneficial for the kids that I have worked with is described as a 'democratic approach.' 6 Leadership Styles And When You Should Use Them provides a definition of a democratic leader: "The democratic leader builds consensus through participation. If this style were summed up in one phrase, it would be “What do you think?” The democratic style is most effective when the leader needs the team to buy into or have ownership of a decision, plan, or goal, or if he or she is uncertain and needs fresh ideas from qualified teammates. It is not the best choice in an emergency situation, when time is of the essence for another reason or when teammates are not informed enough to offer sufficient guidance to the leader" (Benincasa, 2012). I find this leadership style to be productive in the manner of providing my learners with a voice. As a teacher, I want my students to have their voices and opinions heard and to have a say in their learning. Through participating together, I believe that this leadership style promotes learning through empowerment. Throughout previous teaching and practicum experiences, I have always allowed for my students to have a voice and say in their learning. BC's New Curriculum creates so much freedom for us as educators and learners, and it allows for our students to inquire and learn about different subjects and topics that are meaningful to them. I make a consistent effort in getting to know my learners through relationship building and finding common interests or individual strengths that I can best utilize in my planning and preparation for my teachings.
Teamwork
Working as a team is vital for teachers in many ways. By using teamwork as a part of my teaching style, I'd like to not only incorporate teamwork in my classroom with the students, but also as a tool to build strong rapports with other professionals that I will be working with, and throughout the community that our school resides in.
As I have previously emphasized in the 'leadership' section, teamwork is an extremely important life skill for kids to grasp early on in life. I will teach my students how to work as a team through collaboration exercises, activities, and lessons in the classroom. Some examples of the diverse types of collaborating activities could include group discussions, research projects, group inquiries, and group presentations. To have an ongoing teamwork theme in my classroom, I plan to have my students grouped together in pairs, pods, and other small groups at all times throughout the school year. These pairs and groups will be altered as the year progresses; therefore, allowing the students to learn how to work together with all of their peers, and not just their closest friends. On the other hand, I plan to collaborate and work together with my colleagues in order to be the most effective educator that I can be. I am well aware that this is a learning profession; therefore, I will seek out advice and help from other experienced teachers so that I can be the best possible leader and facilitator of learning for my students. Through forming and establishing strong relationships with my colleagues, I feel that we will be able to engage in career long learning while contributing to the profession by offering my expertise in certain areas. Teaching truly is a learning profession in which we, as educators, will never stop developing and growing as professionals in our field. I believe that creating these professional and strong relationships with others in the education field enables us to always search for and offer support when necessary - fully engaging in career long learning.
It is also important for students to understand that they have a role in the community in which we live in. As a teacher and active community member myself, I endeavour to have my students take part in community activities that allow for my learners to gain an understanding of what it feels like to contribute positively to the community. As an Education student at Vancouver Island University, we worked on a Community Action Plan in pods which allowed us to complete a project that contributed positively and directly to our community. I found this experience to be extremely enriching and fulfilling as a citizen. I will include these types of projects in my curriculum so that students can enjoy these learning experiences of contributing to our community - and gaining an understanding of the power that we hold as educated citizens.
Inclusion
Creating an inclusive classroom is a vital role for us as educators.. Each student needs to feel supported and understand that they are an important part of the classroom culture. By establishing an inclusive learning atmosphere, I will never exclude any students in their learning and I won't segregate my students; instead, we will work together in our learning to accomplish individual learner goals, as well as team-based classroom goals. Team-based goals will further enhance the inclusion in my classroom. An example of this type of goal includes working together to fundraise for a school wide food drive. I have been a part of these as a student in the past and have found them to be extremely beneficial for classroom culture - as this type of learning environment creates a feeling of inclusion for each student. Providing experiences of working together towards a common goal is a great way to build inclusion in the classroom because it allows each student to take part in the goal-setting process, and a feeling of success as that goal is worked toward and eventually accomplished.
In past teaching experiences, my students and I have created learning goals in which we as a whole, have set out to accomplish. An example of this can be derived from teaching Core French to my grade 5 class during a practicum experience. My students and I were learning the alphabet in French, and trying to be as accomplished as we could as a whole in this learning topic. As we worked through activities and games which helped us learn how to say the alphabet in French together, we eventually challenged ourselves to go through the alphabet as fast as we could. This challenge involved us going through the alphabet, letter by letter through each student in the class - we would have a student start with the letter 'A', and I would point at the student that would say the proceeding letters that led us all the way to 'Z'. After a couple of practice rounds, we came up with the goal to go through the entire alphabet successfully in only 30 seconds or less. It took us a few tries, but we eventually reached our goal. The joy that came out of each student in the class was a real learning moment for me as a teacher. I saw each student feel accomplished individually, but also as a whole as they worked as a team to successfully accomplish the goal that we had set out for ourselves. An inclusive feeling was had by each of my learners through that lesson, and I have and will continue to provide experiences of classroom inclusion for my learners as I progress through my career.
Classroom Management
Building Relationships
Building positive and professional teacher-student relationships is key to establishing successful classroom management. Through my experience of working with children and youth, I have found that building effective relationships with each individual creates a strong culture where everyone involved feels respected and appreciated.
One skill that I have found to be useful when trying to form new relationships is a "Listen First, Tell Later" technique. John F. Eller and Sheila A. Eller emphasize the importance of this relationship building strategy in their book, Thriving as New Teacher: Tools and Strategies for Your First Year: "When you wait to hear what students have to say before sharing your own opinion, you let them know that they are important and you are interested in understanding them and their thoughts." I have found through my own teaching experiences that this allows the student(s) to feel cared for and heard.
Forming relationships with students is a vital part of a teacher's job; therefore, in order to build these lasting relationships, I will bring energy into my classroom as I work with my students. I have found through experiences of running baseball camps that the more energy that I bring to the camp and with my players, the more engaged they are in the task at hand. Through this engagement, I have found that this is the optimal time for building positive relationships as the kids are more open and prepared to interact. Aside from coaching experiences, I have also found that energy helps develop relationships through teaching a lesson. Bringing energy and excitement to the classroom allows for my students to have the same feelings of joy as we learn together. This has been extremely noticeable to me over my teaching experiences thus far. I have experienced firsthand that the energy I bring to the classroom is directly transferable to my students feelings and experiences towards education. During a math class on fractions for my grade 6/7 class, I noticed that my students were feeling a little unhappy that we were moving on to Math after a PE lesson. Instead of joining my students in this feeling of dread, I chose to do the opposite and use my personal strength of humour to lift my learners' moods. As I moved through the lesson and continued to bring more and more energy to my teaching style, I saw my students' facial expressions and moods start to shift. Instead of sitting at their desks and lacking motivation, I got the students out of their desks and conversing with their classmates as we went through sample questions. Through my positive energy and teaching style, my students experienced a complete shift in their motivation to learn - and this resulted in a successful lesson and remainder of our afternoon. This experience has further solidified my belief on the importance of bringing energy to the classroom.
Preparation & Organization
A teacher needs to be prepared for each day. I have found through work experience and my early teaching experience that being prepared can help make or break a day for both the students and the leader.
For each day of teaching, I come early to school and stay late afterwards. I have found that by giving myself this additional time at the school, I am able to better prepare for future lessons and teachings, while also reflecting on the previous successes and challenges of the day. My early experience as an educator has allowed me to understand how important it is to come prepared and be organized for each day. My teaching experiences thus far have also taught me not to put all of my chips into one lesson. This meaning that as educators, we can't just put all of our faith in one lesson, and hope that it goes exactly the way we want it to. Each day at school is extremely different, and unique obstacles can get in the way of a good lesson. A master teacher is someone that comes into each day of teaching organized, and prepared to adapt or be flexible when these obstacles get in the way of a lesson.
I come to school each day with a backup plan, and a growth mindset that allows me to persevere through challenges in order to provide optimal learning experiences for my students.
Establishing Classroom Rules
In my opinion, students should be involved in the process of establishing classroom rules and boundaries. My grade 5 practicum classroom allowed the students to have a say and voice in how the classroom is policed as a whole. Personally, I find that writing down these rules on a poster and having the students decorate and sign it individually allows for a strong classroom visual for the students and teacher to look back on throughout the year when faced with classroom management challenges.
In my own classroom, this process of creating the rules and boundaries will be done early on in the school year - I believe that it is a great activity to do on the first day of school as it allows the teacher to see what students value and which students are comfortable with leading. This activity is also a great way to build classroom community right away at the beginning of the school year - as it allows the students to come together and work as a team in order to create a set of rules that they are all willing to follow over the course of the year.
I will post these rules in the classroom with visuals for the students to see.; therefore, students have a clear set of rules that they will see each day. In the case of the students presenting challenging behaviour, I can easily remind the students of the rules that we established together. I believe that this is a great way for students to keep each other accountable throughout the year, and understand when their behaviour is outside of the classroom rules in order to regulate themselves.
I will also utilize the Bumping Model, designed by Barrie Bennett and Peter Smilanich. I have found this model to be extremely effective in my early experience as an educator. When faced with challenging behaviour, the model begins with a low-key response such as saying the student's name or using proximity as a way to effectively reduce the behaviour. In the case of the challenging behaviour continuously progressing, the model exhibits other methods that I will use in order to help the student regulate his/her emotions or behaviour.
BC's New Curriculum allows for personalized learning to occur in today's classrooms. Rather than teaching our students as if each individual learns at the same rate, in the same way, and has the same learning interests - our curriculum allows us to tailor towards our students needs and interests, allowing us as educators to support each student's diverse learning needs.
BC's New Curriculum states that, "Personalized learning focuses on enhancing student engagement in learning and giving students choices — more of a say in what and how they learn — leading to lifelong, self-directed learning" (BC's New Curriculum, 2014). One example of how I have implemented this type of learning in my own classroom is through carrying on the Genius Hour projects that my previous sponsor teachers have implemented in their classes in the past. Genius hour is defined as, "A movement that allows students to explore their own passions and encourages creativity in the classroom. It provides students a choice in what they learn during a set period of time during school (Genius Hour, 2018). In my previous practicum experiences, Genius Hour has been a main theme in our classrooms. These projects allow students to inquire about topics that they are interested in. Through this process, students practice their researching skills, and enjoy a great educational experience which allows students to present their findings and topics to their peers; therefore, practicing their presenting and public speaking skills. Genius Hour relates directly to personalized learning and allowing students to focus on learning exactly what they want to learn.
As I continue to progress throughout my teaching career, I will include personalized learning in my classroom by allowing students to have a say in what and how we learn. I will also continue to acknowledge that each learner is different and has diverse needs that need to be supported in order for them to experience optimal learning. As an educator, I understand the importance of being flexible and having the ability to make adjustments to my own teaching style in order to reach each learner's diverse and personalized learning needs.
Educated Citizens
One of the goals of BC's New Curriculum is to create educated citizens. This is a vital piece of the new curriculum along with it's core competencies. We are not just focused on shoving content into our students' heads and expecting them to regurgitate it on paper for a reward of a letter anymore; instead, we are focused on created educated citizens that leave our classrooms with a variety of different skills and abilities. As educators, BC's New Curriculum is now giving us the important responsibility of having our students be able to communicate and exchange ideas and information with others, think both critically and creatively, and be personally and socially responsible for our actions as human beings and the way we conduct our behaviour on a daily basis.
In the process of creating educated citizens, there are plenty of soft skills for students to develop along their learning journey. I will establish a classroom community that promotes work ethic, a positive attitude/growth mindset, and teamwork. In my opinion, an individual that contains these three attributes along with other skills will have success in a learning environment, along with their lives as educated citizens.
Assessment Connections & Strategies
Throughout my early experience as a teacher, I have learned that the Curricular Competencies can play a large role in how students' are assessed. In relation to creating educated citizens that hopefully develop an assortment of life skills over their time in school, I believe that our students can be assessed in a manner that promotes the development of soft skills derived from learning experiences.
I will utilize summative assessment in my teaching style; however, not directly in the way of grading tests or assignments. Instead, I will design rubrics that relate to and focus on the Curricular Competencies that vary from subject to subject. Part of my assessment will focus on whether or not the student(s) were able to grasp on to the content that was delivered; but, I will be mainly focused on whether or not my students are developing other important skills, such as the ability to work individually and/or in a group environment successfully, or learning how to problem solve and persevere through challenges and barriers that they may face throughout their learning.
Aside from that, I want to assess whether or not my students are participating and putting in the needed effort to succeed as learners. In direct relation to BC's New Curriculum and how we are now focusing on "encouraging a sense of wonder and curiosity among students" (2014), I will look at how my students are developing a sense of curiosity and ability to inquire beyond the content in which is being delivered. I hope to help my students unlock a desire in what we are learning about, and develop inquiries that will support their interests in becoming more informed learners.
I have attached a science rubric as an example of how I will connect the Curricular Competencies to how I assess my students. This rubric has been used as a learning snapshot for grade 5 students:
One learning theory that I value is Humanism. Humanism "emerged in the 1960's", and the "key proponents of humanism include Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow" (David L., 2015).
This theory agrees with BC's New Curriculum and providing personalized, individual learning experiences for students. Along with that, it also supports the act of creating educated citizens where the "learning is student centered and personalized, and the educator’s role is that of a facilitator" (David L., 2015).
My role as a facilitator of learning allows students to have choice and freedom in their learning, while remaining in a structured learning environment. The students in my class are well aware of who is in charge; however, just as a coach, I seek out ways to have my students' voices heard so that I can create a learning atmosphere which best supports each individual's needs. I strongly believe in creating a positive, safe environment that allows each learner to feel a sense of belonging, while understanding that their views and opinion on how they learn is appreciated and recognized by myself.
This learning theory "focuses on the human freedom, dignity, and potential" (David L., 2015). It takes a master teacher to help each learner reach their learning potential. In the past and still currently, I provide learning experiences for my students that allow them to use their creativity and own personal interests to their strengths. When assigning culminating activities or projects, I allow students to present their findings or knowledge in a manner that best supports their own strengths and interests. An example of this is letting students choose how to present final projects - whether it be by poster board, video, song, skit, or another method of their choosing. This allows for a personalized approach to learning, that supports the learning theory of Humanism.
Flow
"Flow is an optimal psychological state that people experience when engaged in an activity that is both appropriately challenging to one’s skill level, often resulting in immersion and concentrated focus on a task. This can result in deep learning and high levels of personal and work satisfaction" (2014). The flow theory is derived from psychologist, Mihály Csíkszentmihályi.
A master teacher should strive to create as many learning experiences that include flow as possible for his/her students. When one experiences flow, "this creates an opportunity for learning and intense focus, where learners can even feel that they lose track of time because they are so immersed in the task" (2014). Through creating learning opportunities that allow students to experience flow, we are providing our learners with activities that are appropriately challenging for them, as well as linked towards their interests and/or strengths; therefore, providing optimal learning experiences.
It is vital for educators to understand that each individual learns at a different pace, and in different ways. We cannot expect all of our students to have the same desire or interest level in the learning activities and tasks that we provide for them. Keeping this in mind, striving to create learning tasks that allow for flow to occur ties in directly with creating an inclusive learning environment. I work towards creating positive relationships with my students, that allows for us to share our interests with each other, and for me to discover their strengths and interests that I can best utilize to create optimal learning situations for each individual. While understanding that each student learns differently and has different interests and strengths, I strive to create an inclusive learning atmosphere which supports the unique learning needs of my students. I provide learning tasks that are appropriate challenging, while relating directly to that student(s) strengths and best interests; ultimately in an effort to allow for flow to occur.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Abraham Maslow came up with this theory on human behaviour and motivation. "Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs has often been represented in a hierarchical pyramid with five levels. The four levels (lower-order needs) are considered physiological needs, while the top level of the pyramid is considered growth needs. The lower level needs must be satisfied before higher-order needs can influence behaviour" (David L., 2014).
The diagram that Maslow has created, which I included in this section, displays a pyramid made up of five different levels: Physiological, Safety, Love/Belonging, Esteem, & Self-Actualization. Maslow believes that an individual cannot advance to the next step in the pyramid until the previous step is fully met. Meaning that someone cannot start to feel safe until their physiological needs are met. As we make our way up the pyramid, our behaviour will start to be able to adapt and change - resulting in motivation.
I believe that this diagram and theory can relate directly to the classroom and our students. If we want our students to be motivated to learn, or if we need to help our students adjust their behaviour in order to be successful learners, their needs must be met. Classrooms are made up of students that come from all different walks of life. Some of our students will be from families that experience socio-economical challenges, and may struggle to put food on the table for their children. In this case, a prepared and aware teacher has food within the classroom that he or she can share or provide for students that are in need. As we help our students meet their physiological needs, we can then start to address their safety needs, and help them believe that they are in a safe and trusting environment - allowing for a sense of belonging built through positive relationships, and eventually self-esteem and confidence can be created, further resulting in a motivated, self-actualized human being.
This process can take time, depending on where our learners are at in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. As an educator, I have a responsibility to tend to these needs in order to support my students and allow for them to become self-actualized individuals with a motivation to learn and lead successful lives.
A common theme throughout my credo is my desire and effort to create a strong classroom community that involves my class acting as a team. As a coach, I work hard to make sure that all of my players route for each other and learn what it means to be a good teammate . My role is the same as an educator, as I make a conscious effort to establish a classroom community that enables all of my learners to feel like they are a part of a team.
Throughout my early teaching experience, I have used different methods and tasks that help me accomplish this goal of creating a strong classroom community. I often plan activities and lessons that ask my students to work together in order to be successful as a group. An example of this can be derived from past PE and Core French lessons. I have used tag games such as Sharks & Barracudas, Canada, and other classroom games such as the Flyswatter activity that tasks the students with forming together and playing against me. I find that these type of activities allow for inclusive experiences that enables students to come together as a team, and work towards a common goal. This helps my learners further strengthen their relationships with each other, and learn how to cooperate as a team.
'We' Language
Along with working as a team and taking part in activities that require the use of teamwork, I utilize inclusive language in our classroom as well. As a facilitator of learning and believer in the power of teamwork, it is my job to create a classroom community that understands the importance of working together and caring about others' success. My classroom is a place where students care about their peers' success as much as they care about their own. My students strive to not only succeed in their own learning, but also enjoy and have a desire to help others in the class succeed as well.
Rather than focusing too much on themselves, my students use the term "we" and "our" instead of "I" or "my". We are focused on our success as a whole, rather than only our individual learning performances. I understand that a classroom is full of diverse learners, with students that experience success regularly in their learning and others that deal with challenges and require extra support and/or individualized instruction. I find that when I am using "we" language and making it clear that I care about all students in our class, the learners pick up on this and realize that they should care about their peers' learning as well. This helps us establish a strong classroom community.
One way that I implement this approach in the classroom is by having our early-finishers help those that are in need of support. Often times, it can be difficult for a teacher to reach all of the students that are needing support in the short time period of a lesson; therefore, I believe that it is beneficial to allow the stronger students to act on these moments and provide assistance to those in need and wanting this type of help. The other benefits derived from doing this includes the soft skills that students develop through these experiences: leadership, teamwork, and providing/accepting help from others.
Diverse Learners
Understanding that each learner is different and has unique needs in order to be successful, I use a variety of strategies in my classroom that supports the diverse needs of each student.
Using visuals is an excellent tool that I utilize often in my classroom. Students have a clear expectation of how the day will be carried out through the visuals and order of subjects or events on the whiteboard each day. Another visual that I use is something as simple as written instructions on the whiteboard. Students may sometimes not have the attention span required to understand verbal instructions for a task; therefore, I often use the whiteboard or posters to write down expectations or instructions for students to see. This allows for the student(s) to see firsthand what they are required to be doing, and reduces the chance of there being any confusion.
Manipulatives is another tool that I like to use in the classroom. Particularly for subjects such as Math. I find that using manipulatives or other classroom tools can help students learn certain concepts. An experience derived from my final practicum while teaching grade 5 reaffirmed my believe on the importance and power of using manipulatives. We were learning about factors, and I was allowing each student to follow along in the lesson by using individual whiteboards. For the majority of students, they were understanding what factors were and how to find factors for a number; however, others were not experiencing the same success. I brought out Math counters part way through the lesson as students were working on an assortment of practice questions. I provided some of these counters for students that were finding this lesson to be challenging, and this helped these students immensely in figuring out how to find factors in numbers through creating arrays. After the lesson, I asked the class if any of them found that using the Math counters helped them in their learning of factors - we had several students put up their hand and express their gratitude for being able to use the counters and how it helped them understand how to find factors in the practice questions we were working on.
Another successful method that I use for students that require additional support in their learning is goal setting. Sometimes when we are working through a worksheet or activity, students that are finding the task to be too challenging will start to burnout and become uninterested in carrying on in their learning. In this circumstance, I have found that goal setting can really help these students continue to be motivated and put in the necessary effort to do their best in these activities. For example, if we are working on a worksheet that has twenty questions, I will task some students to complete ten of these questions. I find that this still can challenge the students, and allows them to feel like they are completing their work and enjoying the sensation of accomplishing a task.
On the other end of things, it is also extremely important that we support our stronger students and make sure that we are providing them with challenges that will enhance their learning experiences as well. For students who are constantly finishing tasks or activities early, I always have a plan for afterwards, so that they will have an additional activity that will continue to enhance their learning. I believe that it is important to allow for freedom and flexibility for our students; however, I think there is a time and place for when we should allow our students to have free time after completing a task early. Often times, I will ask students to come up with questions of their own which relate to the topic or subject that we are working on. I will also ask these students to come up with inquiries about the subject that they can look into and discuss with the class. An example of this can be derived from another Math lesson, where I provided the students with a "ticket out the door" question in our multiplication unit. Once students finished this question, I asked them come up with their own questions that they can try to solve before the bell rang - I encourage my students to challenge themselves in order to optimize their own learning experiences.
When it comes to working with the diverse learners in our classroom, a master teacher understands that we are responsible with supporting the needs of all of our students - those who are experiencing challenging in their learning, and others that are requiring additional challenges.
The link will take you to a website that my Ed Expo partner and I designed on Inclusive Education:
Throughout my early teaching experience, I have seen a number of teachers bring in different forms of Aboriginal Education into their teaching. Aboriginal Education is a program that districts offer for teachers to utilize in their classrooms. These programs offer a variety of different First Peoples Learning resources. One example of a resource is the Hul'q'umi'num' activities that are available for teachers to use in the classroom. One of the ways that I would like to include First Peoples Learning in my classroom is by utilizing these Hul'q'umi'num' resources and making time during each week to include Aboriginal Education as a weekly subject. This is something that I can do myself in the classroom, and it will be my way of introducing First Peoples culture to my learners on a consistent basis. Through including First Peoples Learning in my teaching regularly, students will be naturally influenced by this content and we can work towards our journey to reconciliation together.
Elders in the Classroom
Aside from me introducing First Peoples content to my learners on my own, I will continue to utilize Aboriginal Education resources and bring Elders into our classroom. Aboriginal Education offers opportunities for teachers to bring Elders into the classroom and utilize their expertise in the area of First Peoples Learning.
Bringing in cultural presenters to introduce content on themes and topics such as the art and history of the Coast Salish, or Metis culture and music/dance is extremely beneficial for the students. To learn from Elders about First Peoples history and culture is a great experience for the students and myself. That way, I know that the information being delivered is being taught in a respectful manner and is authentic.
One way that a previous practicum class of mine brought in Aboriginal Education was through sewing. My sponsor teacher asked three Elders to join the class for two lessons a week, for five weeks straight. These Elders worked in pods with our students and taught them how to knit using real sheep wool. This experience related directly to the First Peoples Principles of Learning, as the learning involved in this Aboriginal Education opportunity included "learning {that} recognizes the role of Indigenous knowledge" (FNESC, n.d.). Many students found the art of knitting to be very difficult at the beginning of this unit. Many of our students struggled with this skill, and were close to giving up after the first day. However, the Elders continued to work closely with our students, and help them persevere through the challenges that came along with this unit. This resulted in some wonderful pieces of art, along with a tremendous life skill gained. This relates to another principle of learning in FNESC's First Peoples Principles of Learning document: "Learning involves patience and time" (n.d.).
In my own classroom, I will invite Elders to join us in our learning in order to help create these authentic learning experiences for our students.
"British Columbia has long had the goal of improving school success for all Aboriginal students. Achieving this goal will require that the voice of Aboriginal people be heard in all aspects of the education system; the presence of Aboriginal languages, cultures, and histories be increased in provincial curricula; and leadership and informed practice be provided" (BC's New Curriculum, 2014).
Throughout my teaching career, I endeavour to be a part of the change in our country, and do my part as an educator by including First Peoples Learning in my teaching. By doing so, I will include the voice of Indigenous people in the way that my curriculum is designed, and I will include the languages, culture, and history of the First Peoples.
My personal and professional goal of helping us break the educational barrier between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people cannot be done alone. However, through recognizing the history and culture in my classroom and including First Peoples content, my students and I can be a part of the change that helps bring our country to reconciliation. It is our responsibility as educated citizens to recognize the past of First Peoples, and help bring our nations to reconciliation through breaking the barriers.
Assessment
Self-Assessment
I believe that by having students consistently involved in assessing their own performance, the more involved they are in their learning. Here is a definition of self-assessment from the article, The Terminology of Assessment: "Student self-assessment is the process by which the student gathers information about and reflects on his or her own learning … [it] is the student’s own assessment of personal progress in knowledge, skills, processes, or attitudes. Self-assessment leads a student to a greater awareness and understanding of himself or herself as a learner" (The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, n.d.).
As proven in the previous quote, self-assessment is a tremendous way for learners to observe and assess their learning as it progresses over time. By allowing students to assess their own learning, this will help them build competence in their ability as successful learners. Throughout a year of consistently looking at their own learning performances and honestly assessing themselves, students will be able to witness their personal growth as they develop as successful learners over time.
Formative Assessment
"The goal of formative assessment is to monitor student learning to provide ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors to improve their teaching and by students to improve their learning" (The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, n.d.).
This form of assessment is a great way to help the students identify their strengths and weaknesses as learners. One way that I will facilitate formative assessment in my classroom is by doing "Ticket Out the Door"activities. An example of this activity is getting each student to write down what they learned from a lesson on a piece of paper that they will hand in by the end of the school day. By implementing this assessment technique, I am able to see what and how the students are learning, and how I can alter or improve upon my teaching style to help my students reach their full learning potential.
I compare this assessment form to a sport's scenario - practicing and training (learning - formative assessment) in order to successfully perform at the big game (quiz or test - summative assessment). Using this analogy for my own learning has helped me progress as a student; therefore, I will also bring this analogy into my classroom as a teacher in hopes that it will motivate my students' learning as well. This analogy can also be altered in order to gear towards each individual learner's interests.
Summative Assessment
In the same article, What is the difference between formative and summative assessment? - summative assessment is described as having a different objective: "The goal of summative assessment is toevaluate student learningat the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against some standard or benchmark" (The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, n.d.). While formative assessment is more informal and casual, summative assessment has more at stake for the students which can often cause test anxiety and stress.
Even though this form of assessment can be stressful for the students, I still believe that it is an important part of assessing our students' learning, and I will implement this type of assessment in my classroom. I compare summative assessment to the "big game", where students are able to show off and demonstrate the learning that they have accomplished in and out of the classroom. It is important to introduce and prepare students for moderate to high-stress situations as these are circumstances that students cannot avoid as they progress through school and life.
In an effort to reduce feelings of test anxiety or nervousness, I have implemented a way to use summative assessment with my students in a more informal manner and relaxed environment. In my grade 5 practicum class, each Friday we have Math Centres which lasts for 40-50 minutes. I set up 3-4 stations around the class which involve the mathematical topic in which we are learning. For example, if we are working on multiplication, I set up two stations that are game based, one station that is more geared towards individual work, and the remaining station is the "challenge" station. Each station (game or work based) revolves around the content in which we learned over the week. The non-challenge stations help prepare students for the challenge station in which I assess my learners. The class is split up into groups, and are given 10-15 minutes per station. As each group rotates around the classroom, they will eventually have a turn at the "challenge" station in which I provide students with a small assortment of questions that involve the content that we learned throughout the week. The students will go through each question, and leave me with their work before moving on to the next station. One important aspect of running the "challenge" station is making sure that I don't overload the students with too many questions in not enough time. I want to make sure that my students have enough time, and aren't feeling too stressed or anxious about the time frame in which they are provided with. At the end of the day, I go through the how each student did in this "challenge" station, and assess my learners' ability in order to make a decision on how Math will go for the proceeding week. If necessary, I may provide some students with different work than others in order to support their needs or further challenge them. If we are all doing very well and learning at the same pace, then I know we can move forward next week and work on new, more challenging content.
Conclusion
Adaptation and Flexibility
My personal Frame of Reference revolves around creating a classroom culture that is inclusive, active, safe, and helps build life skills that will enable a positive, successful future for my students.
As I am still very early on in my career, I understand and appreciate that my credo will be changing with each day, week, month, and year as a teacher. I have my core values in which my classroom will revolve around; however, I will remain flexible with a growth mindset that will enable my Frame of Reference to adapt as I develop as an educator. I will always seek out advice from others in order to become the most informed professional that I can be. Additionally, I will consistently provide support for others in the field, and give advice when it is asked for in order to contribute to the profession.
References
Bellis, R. (2018, January 8). 6 Leadership Styles And When You Should Use Them. Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/1838481/6-leadership-styles-and-when-you-should-use-them
Carnegie Mellon University. (2016). Formative vs Summative Assessment. Retrieved from https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/basics/formative-summative.html
Eller, J. F., & Eller, S. A. (2016). Building Relationships with Students. InThriving as a new teacher: Tools and strategies for your first year(pp. 59-76). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
FNESC. (n.d.). First Peoples Principles of Learning. Retrieved from http://www.fnesc.ca
Genius Hour. (2018). What is Genius Hour? Retrieved from http://geniushour.com/what-is-genius-hour/
Ministry of Education. (2012, January). Standards for Education, Competence and Professional Conduct of Educators in British Columbia. Retrieved from https://www.bcteacherregulation.ca/documents/AboutUs/Standards/edu_stds.pdf
The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat - Capacity Building Series. (n.d.). Terminology of Assessment. Retrieved February 12, 2018, from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/studentselfassessment.pdf
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