Stories of My Short Term Practicum

1.
I had the opportunity to observe a variety of classes- as I am sure many of my peers also had done. However, it was very interesting to note down all the different strategies seen in the various classes, different management strategies and teaching strategies that one can incorporate perhaps into their own teaching style.

In one English course, the teacher had incorporated various teaching strategies that were engaging as well as relevant to the topic. They had worked in groups of four to discuss the topic at hand, with one person being the "recorder". After, each group had a presenter where they represented their group, went up in front of the classroom to speak into a "mic". It gave the students an opportunity to realize how there are various way of communicating. As well, it made me realize the IMPORTANCE in giving students the chance to have an outlet to explore the subject in different manners and to present information in other modes than merely note taking.

In another class, there were three different levels of Japanese in the room- grades 11a, 11b, and grades 12. Though they were learning different material, they had the ONE teacher in the same room. It made me realize the importance of staying on TOP of things, being really organized, and able to be multitask as a teacher.

I had also attended two Social Studies courses, and had realized how teaching styles and management can be different- yet, both teachers had a good control of the classroom. One teacher, a relatively petite lady, had really rowdy kids- however, when they were in HER class, not a peep was heard from them other than when she asked for participation. They were all on task and it was evident that the class as a whole was learning. In the other class, it was the polar opposite- it was a total RUCKUS! However, it was evident that the students knew where the teacher's boundaries were and would not step over the line. There was a lot of banter between the teacher and students, yet, material was still being learned. So from this experience, it makes me reflect and wonder what kind of style would I want to incorporate into my classroom? Which method would work for ME and my students?

Though there was much that I had observed and it is impossible to note it all down at the moment, another fantastic approach that I saw was co teaching. Or having teachers from other subjects (english) come into a science class and help students learn about note taking and how to grasp information from a textbook. It was a great approach to help students realize that learning should not just be ONE subject on its own- it should be interdisciplinary. If possible, I would love to try and combine mathematics with other subjects (such as science or language)!

2.

On my short term practicum, I had taught two classes. One grade 8 science (on osmosis and diffusion) and a grade 11 math class (on graphing quadratic functions). For the latter, I had quite the learning experience...

Though I was into the second week of the practicum, I had not met this particular class yet. So teaching the grade 11 class was a bit nerve wracking as I did not have any idea what to expect. My sponsor teacher started off the class by introducing me and telling them that I would be teaching them for the day - making me realize that the students had no forewarning that I was their student teacher until that day. After the short introduction, my S.A. went to the back of the room to let me start teaching.

With a no bell system at the school, I promptly closed the door and began to take attendance. I had learned from my first class that it was important to not let late comers disturb the flow of my class and that I should wait until I was ready and found a natural pause before I opened the door and let them in. (I had learned this the hard way and found myself being constantly disrupted the first time I taught).

After I had let the latecomers come in, I began teaching students on quadratic functions. I plotted out the basic parabola with them first and then had them explore transitions and transformations. By the time I had gotten to horizontal shifts, I realized that the pace I was going at was much slower than I anticipated. How could I manage to teach everything to the students by the end of the class?

Then, in the middle of my teaching, an earthquake drill went off and we were disrupted for at least 15 minutes.

After the drill, the energy of the class had gone up quite significantly and it was difficult to have the students get back on task again. However, being stubborn and thinking that it was REALLY crucial for the students to learn what I had planned, I sped up my teaching a bit more and finished up the transformation quickly and assigned homework for them to do, and then dismissed the class.

A few things that I had learned from the classroom- or finally realized what my UBC teachers have said is really true... Time is my worst enemy. In the future, I must plan for LOTS of extra time in case students struggle with a certain concept, or just for disturbances such as drills. Secondly, I had not followed up with the late students- and we need to make sure the students know that lates are NOT allowed. And as well- even though I'm rushed for time in teaching, if I ever ask a question, I need give some wait time for the students to absorb my question. Lesson plans are constantly being changed and as teachers, we need to be flexible and find a natural stopping point if we cannot teach all the material in one lesson. And finally, with a no bell system- I must be really AWARE of when to dismiss my students!