After 10 weeks, I am about to finish up my final week of my EDUC 491 practicum placement. These 10 weeks have gone by so fast, and I cannot believe my time in the program has almost come to an end. This practicum experience has taught me so much and I can finally say I have gained the confidence to say that I am ready to become a full-time teacher in my own classroom.
Coming into this practicum, I was both excited and nervous. I was looking forward to the opportunities which would lead me to becoming a certified teacher but also knew that it was going to take some good days and difficult days to get to where I wanted to be as an educator. This practicum was our first experience at full time teaching every day for approximately 8 weeks. It seemed daunting but I knew how fulfilling it was going to be. My coaching teacher was extremely knowledgeable and offered many resources, gave advice, shared tips and tricks, and offered support when I needed it. It took a couple of weeks to get into the grove of entering a new classroom, with learning the routines and making connections with the students. My coaching teacher also admitted she was having a difficult tie giving up her classroom, not because she was worried about my teaching, but because her whole life and passion was teaching. After week 2, I was finally full-time teaching and my coaching teacher gave full support in this new adjustment. During my ten weeks as a student teacher in my final practicum, I knew I wanted to challenge myself and try new things. I expressed that I wanted to learn as much as I could to my coaching teacher and we both agreed that I would get as much as possible out of this learning experience. I taught a variety of units, including: math, which focused on patterns, numbers 11-20, and how to skip count. I also lead, marked, and submitted grades for SNAP assessments. For science I was able to complete two units which focused on hibernation, migration, and adaptation, as well as the life cycle and parts of a pumpkin. For social studies the nit I covered was what is a community and focused on community helpers and neighbourhoods. I was also able to complete, create, and submit all of the report cards for this term, which was very rewarding and a challenge that I am very grateful for. It was so rewarding and fulfilling planning and organizing my own units and being creative with the many lessons I taught. Some of my favorite lessons that I taught include: making a parts of a pumpkin 3D diagram after bring in a pumpkin to show the students a realistic various of the various parts. I also enjoyed doing a lesson before Halloween, where we as a class made Halloween shaped crystal figurine. The students loved this experiment! There were also many fun and creative art projects, which were displayed in our pod hallways for the school to see, such as crazy candy corn, hand-print penguins, and teen number visuals.
During my 10 weeks, I have been able to understand and acknowledge my own pedagogy as a teacher. I experienced many “ah ha” moments and gained a lot from my placement. My coaching teacher supported me throughout my journey and offered assistance and advice, resources, and allowed me to become the teacher I aspire to be. It was interesting and inspiring to watch our relationship as coaching teach and student teacher become colleagues. I am grateful for the opportunities I was given throughout my practicum, having such a supportive work environment working alongside supportive teachers and admin. I am so proud of myself for all that I accomplished during my final practicum, and I have gained such a deep love and passion for my career.
