Week 2 Reflection

Week 2 was another short week due to the long weekend. The energy Tuesday morning

was rambunctious to say the least. Thankfully we had gym in the morning so they could get out

their energy before the day began. Then came LA and my turn to start teaching for the week.

This lesson did not go as smoothly as some of the previous lessons I taught. Between the

higher level reading and some inexperience about teaching, I was happy to let my TA takeover

when the students had trouble trying to answer some of the response questions. And I struggled

to help them to understand. After watching my TA take over I was happy to sit and observe and

watch ways I could have improved the lesson. As well as understanding I could have prepared

myself a little more for teaching this as well. Art that day at the end went very well and the

students love the lesson Ian and I have been collaborating on. Wednesday was a sub day in

which Leta observed me. The day and the lesson she taught me went very well. In the afternoon

the kids were going crazy so a stern side of Mr. Lindseth had which these kids haven’t seen

before, so that was an interesting experience to have. Thursday was one of my favourite, if not

the favourite day of my practicum so far. My students responded very positively to my LA lesson

plan. Talking about our bucket lists. Here is where I had totally flipped from the day before. I

used the previous lesson to prepare more for this one and my TA said that it had shown. We

finished off the chunk of the day going back to the art project we have been working on which

the kids respond to very well. As I was preparing to take the last block of the day for art with the

kids, I noticed they all came in with different varieties of candy. Thus I thought it would spark a

short fun debate. What I did not know is that it would turn into the entire block of chaos. We had

speakers defending and arguing for their respective candies, I turned into a social lesson. It had

voting, debates, and cheering and disappointment. The artifact for week 2 displays the chaos

that unfolded. As seen in the picture I am yelling “ORDER, ORDER” to which the class did not

give any order. Overall week two was an absolute blast and continues to strengthen my belief in

wanting this as a career.

In terms of the TQS, specifically #1 I believe I am excelling in fostering relationships with

the students. Students saying hello to me in hallways, chatting with me when they come in from

recess. This comes from getting to know them and interacting on a daily basis. This impacts

students' learning because it helps them stay engaged with me. It helps because they begin to

trust me as an adult, and with trust comes their attention, and willingness to learn what I am

teaching. Looking at TQS #2 I believe I am achieving success. This is in regards to the lesson I

mentioned above, that did not go quite as I had planned, and let my TA step in. This sparked a

good discussion between the two of us, in which I realized that I really need to prepare for each

and every lesson. Also that each one is different, it can be the same idea as last week, but one

small switch can affect the whole lesson. Which I had to prepare more for. Another way I use

career long learning, specifically with collaboration, is how I collaborated with Ian on art. This

allowed me to learn about a concept I would never have thought about without the collaboration.

All of these influence students' learning because when a teacher is knowledgeable and

continues to seek knowledge, they are able to deliver meaningful lessons. As well as deliver the

same lesson in multiple ways. It opens opportunities to teach different subjects which I am

currently doing right now, opening up to the idea of social and LA. In terms of #3 I believe I am

demonstrating it successfully. In each lesson that I am planning and delivering, and in being

able to do it with confidence. Shows that I am competent in my knowledge of what I am

teaching, but I am always willing to learn more in order to achieve success in the classroom.

Why this impacts student learning, showing up prepared with the knowledge you need for the

students to succeed is important. It will help students stay engaged in your class, but it will also

help set up your students for success, which is ultimately the goal of teaching. In terms of TQS

#4 and creating an inclusive classroom. I believe I am doing this by creating the relationships

that I have created. In creating these relationships I believe I have been able to learn about

students' situations and limitations, which has allowed me to alter the way I approach these

students. Understanding these needs of students is important in teaching because it allows

them to feel safe and welcomed. Feeling safe and welcomed in a classroom setting can allow

students to do their best work and stay engaged. In terms of TQS #5, I believe I can be more

purposeful in talking about FNMI in my lessons. Some of my lessons never fully mention

indigenous perspectives, but that does not mean I can’t incorporate them. For example, my

bucket list, where one dreams big, then we can talk about indigenous dreams and how dreams

catchers help them achieve them. This is important for student learning because understanding

another culture is always important. As well as the peoples who walked the land before use. In

terms of the last TQS I believe I am achieving it.

In regards to my goals, the first one with teaching out of my major, it has gone very well.

The more I browse the curriculum and the resources my TA has for me, the more I am

beginning to be comfortable being outside of physed. Prepapring for lessons has gone

smoothly, and being able to answer students questions has gone well. There is still a lot more to

learn in LA and social, but I am excited.

In regards to my second goal, classroom management, it has gone better than I had

hoped. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get control of the classroom and wouldn’t be able get

their attention. Each class has their own quirks and I know how I can get once classes attention

versus the other. It is an ongoing learning process which I am learning lots, but the goal is

slowly bein