February is here!

A new month brings promise of an early spring, new Superbowl champion and lots of reading days! It is nice to have these days off to work on applications and getting references together. I have also had a chance to go visit the students from my first teaching block. It is amazing how much you can miss a group of students that you have only taught for one month. I can't even imagine the feeling of spending 10 months with a similar group of students and the emotions that a teacher would encounter when it is time for summer break, other than joy that is...I also get the feeling that it must be really nice for my associate teacher to have another person in the classroom. It seems like having a teacher candidate would give a teacher a nice sidekick to help them mark, teach, and vent to about the daily occurences in the classroom. I certainly enjoyed my first block, but look forward to meeting a whole new crop of students in the coming weeks.

New Term

I have always enjoyed starting a new semester or term in school. New courses offer the possibilities of broadening my horizons and hopefully meeting another experienced and knowledgable teacher that will share their unique worldview with the class. It is also nice to be having some down time around the holidays. With these reading days and a few less hours of class for the con-ed bunch it feels like Christmas break has already begun. This has given me a chance to relax and do some of the little things that are difficult to get to with a heavy schedule that teacher's college has provided. It will be nice to return to my Block One school this week for a visit. I am also looking to get involved with a local Public schools basketball team to make good use of my newfound free time. It was also great to spend an hour this morning shovelling a few driveways on my street and helping the more courageous souls that were attempting to navigate their cars down my unplowed crescent!

Only 9 days until Christmas!

Social Issues Day

Today I had the opportunity to attend a Social Issues day at the Quality that was presented by several members of the Native community, some of which are affiliated with the Tecumseh centre and Brock University. The day was opened with a ceremony known to the Native community as a 'smudge' to cleanse the spirit and body. There was also a drumming group called 'Yellowbird' that perfromed different chant songs that are used at gatherings and conferences. It was an interesting way to begin a full day of workshops that I think should be copied by others that put on convention and workshops. The speakers and performers were able to get the audience involved and do something different to capture our attention early in the morning.

The theme of the social issues day was an introduction to various contemporary Native issues. The purpose was to inform the teacher candidates of various issues so that we may better understand Natives that we may have in our classroom to meet their needs more effectively. The reason why we need to be informed about Natives and their history is so that we are able to help stop the wave of Natives that are dropping out of schools.

The morning session provided some general Native history included small lesson on Residency schools to inform all of the type of hurt that was created in the Native population in these schools. There were a few strategies shared for new teachers when dealing with Native students. For example, Natives are usually visual and physical learners. Therefore to offer more opportunities for your class to do and explore would likely increase a Native student's level of interest in schooling. Also it would be beneficial to add Native themes to spark student interest.

Just being introduced to a few Native people and some of their customs was a great experience and made me feel more comfortable if I were to be put into a situation where I had a Native child or chidren in my classroom. I am a long way off from being an expert but feel as though this morning session gave me some basic information that I can carry with me. I feel better knowing that I have spoken to some Native people and started to gain a sense of understanding their worldview and perspective on education. I am not sure where in the world I will be teaching, but it is nice to know that I have some basic understanding of an important portion of the Canandian population.

Supply Teacher

Today, my associate was off in the afternoon. A supply teacher came in and the we discussed the timetable for the afternoon. i explained that I had been teaching the social studies unit and the I could teach the lessons. So after our spelling test, I began a lesson on different mapping skills. The supply teacher stood at the front of the class with me, which I found a little uncomfortable to begin with. Then after beginning my explanation of the first part of a worksheet, while pausing for students to read over the instructions, the supply teacher began to echo what I had said to the class and further explain. I was angry that she had the audactiy to interupt someone while they are trying to teach. So I walked over to my desk and sat down. At this point the students wer busy working on the activity. When the spply walked over, I asked her, "Are you going to explain this? Or do you want me to?" She said, "OH, go aead." So I walked back infront of the class and went on with my planned lesson.

Later on in the afternoon I was using some classroom management techniques that have been effective and dont involve me raising my voice. The teacher boldly raised her voice with the class telling htem to be quiet and listen. I could not help but feel angry with a fellow teacher feeling that she was more capable of controlling the classroom than I was. Especially after I explained that I had been teaching on my own for over two weeks with this group of students. I bit my tongue and tried to ignore her interruptions.

I learned that I am quite lucky that my associate teacher allows me the freedom to continue on with my lessons independently even when the students are being loud. It was great preparation for situations that may arise like this in the remainder of this teaching block or with associates in other blocks. It is important to communicate with supply teachers prior to teaching to make sure that you are both on the same page. It is a difficult situations and ironically similar to the one case that we discussed in class.

Learning Through the Arts

I have had the priviledge to become involved in a program called "Learning through the arts". A local artist met with my associate teacher and I to discuss which curriculum we wanted to be integrated into the Drama, Dance and Physical Education components that the program is based around. We chose to have the artist integrate grade 2 Mapping skills concepts into the program. She comes into the class during the final two periods every Tuesday afternoon.

The first lesson that was taught involved he artist coming into the classroom role playing with my associate and I about being late and needing directions. She eventually had the students use their bodies to display different symbols for the route she woud take to her destination. This involved students grouping up and becoming a river, cafe', forest and other landmarks.

The students then helped the artist make a map of the route that they just helped to act out. The students created their own maps by copying the large one on the board. This lesson integrated the curriculum expectations of social studies, art and health/physical education. The goal of the program is to give teachers ideas for integration of arts curriculum with other subjects. This allows teachers to be more pro-active in their implementation of regular opportunities for their students to be involved in the arts.

The children are enjoying these sessions. It is also a great opportunity for teachers to have DPA time for their students.

Halloween is quickly approaching....

I have been asked by my associate teacher to plan the day for our grade 2 class. So I have been digging around and brainstorming some ideas this afternoon. I found a great song for primary and junior grades on a website called http://www.eslcafe.com/. I partnered the song with actions and designed a really fancy sheet that I could give out to my students. I have posted the file in the file section of our group seven discussion group(http://groups.google.com/group/brockugroup7). So here are the lyrics with the actions I came up with underneath. I figured that it may come in handy as we will all be involved in some type of planning for Halloween. Feel free to use it and put your own twist on things, if you have any ideas on extending or modifying let me know.


Halloween Wish Song by Karin Abell

(Lyrics, Actions)
Oh I wish I were a crazy scary witch
Witch actions
Yes I wish I were a crazy scary witch
Witch actions
I would have a broom to ride
Imaginary broom ride
I would cast spells all the time
Point with finger
Oh I wish I were a crazy scary witch
Witch actions
I wish I were a dancing skeleton
Dance Creatively

Oh I wish I were a dancing skeleton
Dance Creatively
Wouldn't have to wear my clothes
Brush off shoulder
No skin or hair, just bones
Point to elbow
I wish I were a dancing skeleton
Dance Creatively

I wish I were an eerie spooky ghost
Wave hands above head
Yeah, I wish I were an eerie spooky ghost
Wave hands above head
I would run and yell BOO!
Yell Boo!
Scaring people just like you
Point at peers
Oh I wish I were an eerie spooky ghost
Wave hands above head

I wish I were a vampire bat
Hiss!
Yeah, I wish I were a vampire bat
Hiss!
I would fly around all night
Wave arms (wings)
Looking for someone to bite
Biting action
Oh I wish I were a vampire bat
Hiss!
I wish that every day were Halloween
Witch
Oh I wish that every day were Halloween
Skeleton
I'd be scary, weird or gross
Ghost
As a witch or bat or ghost
Bat
Oh I wish that every day were Halloween!
Yell Boo!

Friday's Micro-Teaching

This past Friday, I had the opportunity to observe a few peers perform their 20-minute micro-teaching lessons with students from their associates' classes. It was a very educational experience because I learned so much from watching other people's triumphs and mistakes as teachers. Their are so many subtleties in teaching that I never even realized existed prior to this experience. It seems as though it will take a teacher many successes and failures to even begin to perfect the art of teaching because it is so complex. I guess the good news is that we are all on our way with these opportunities to watch ourselves on tape and also watch veteran teachers in our internships/placements.
It was a positive experience to see myself on video for the mini-microteach and I am aiming to improve on a few major faults for the micro-teaching. I hope that by focusing on just a few improvements I will not overwhelm myself with thoughts during my lesson.