End of First Year as a Teacher Candidate

Throughout my first year, I have learned how important it is to stay organized and on top of everything because the day passes quickly. It is always important to communicate with the parents and the students to see how they are doing. Often, I found students acted out because something happened the night before or in the morning before school. As educators, if we learn more about our students, we will be able to gain their trust, thus leading to better focus and learning in school. Through the standards of practice, I will continue to work towards becoming a leader in my community. In addition, I can increase my professional knowledge by researching and gathering useful resources from those who have been in this profession.

As an adaptive expert, I have been learning to find ways to adapt during the lesson when it is not going as planned. For example, something as simple as removing a distracting chair can improve the lesson. Throughout this program and my practicum, I have realized how important reflecting is in terms of growth as a teacher. If one does not decide to try new techniques, they will not know what works best for that class. For example, I have tried many different classroom management techniques, such as count downs, claps, rhymes etc. I have also tried different activities for transitions and ways for students to focus on me. For example, reminding my students of my expectations from them before I begin and using mindful yoga has helped. My associate teacher and I co-planned what units I would cover, and she helped generate ideas if I was stuck. I had moved onto mostly independent practice as she allowed me to take over transitions and my lesson while she observed the whole time. At the end of the day, we would discuss how it went. My associate teacher would still lead guided practices for new topics, such as guided reading and assessments. Thus, giving me a chance to observe and learn what needed to be accomplished.

Through the Community of Inquiry, I have learned that even if a lesson goes poorly, it can be improved for next time. I have also learned that when a student does not understand basic concepts, there is no point in moving forward because they will not be able to succeed. For example, if one does not have a strong sense of number sense, addition and subtraction will be very difficult to comprehend. Thus, as an educator, I will always be committed to student learning, so I must be able to adapt to all my students’ needs.

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, I was unable to complete my five weeks of practicum and continue to grow as a teacher candidate. I had already prepared many lesson plans before March break to get ready for my five-week block. I am unable to use them now, however, it was good practice and lessons I can use in the future. COVID-19 has made many stressed out, including students, teachers and parents. For the two weeks before e-learning began, many parents were struggling to try to teach their child and keep them focused. I think the most important part is for students to learn in a fun way, whether it is through puzzles, reading, math colouring or science games. This moment will be memorable, so it is a great time to create a good bond with students and children.

I look forward to my next practicum in a junior classroom and continuing to learn from more amazing teachers and community members.