Pro-D as a "real life teacher"!

So yesterday was my first professional development day in my new career.  At first I was uncertain of how I would spend my day but a colleague suggested the myPITA conference in Langley.  She attended last year and was super impressed.  My first thought was that I didn't really want to attend something geared more towards intermediate/middle school when I knew I really wanted to be teaching primary but quite frankly there wasn't much else that grabbed my attention and the idea of spending time with a great colleague was appealing.  I also figured it couldn't hurt to get in a few volunteer hours (that's how we got a discounted rate for the conference) and having a few ideas under my belt for intermediate wasn't a bad idea either.

In the end the classes I attended were excellent.  Super informative and reminded me of some of the great things I had taken away from my certification year.  I think all of the courses could be linked in how they're used in the classroom.  The first was on "Inquiry Buddies" and the whole idea of inquiry learning in the classroom.  It's a key aspect of BC's new curriculum and really should be used in all classrooms as a way of engaging learners.  The second class was "Using Technology to Support Learning".  She had a ton of amazing ideas for tech in a classroom.  Some of them would really only work for intermediate or middle school kids but it was neat to see how the tools could be used and it gave me some ideas of how I might use them occasionally in a primary classroom.  The last one was great for someone with an interest in history like myself.  It was called "History is a verb".  The whole point of the lecture was to talk about how our understanding of history is defined by what historians are able to piece together from the limited evidence they can collect.  While everything, meaning every tiny occurrence, is a part of the past, a historian makes sense of and shares the bits they can collect to present for future generations.  It opened my eyes to the finite amount of knowledge we gain from historical readings and ways in which our perception of history is distorted based on lack of evidence.  I appreciated the ideas the presenter shared with us in regards to challenging our students to see how much more there is to history.

While I know it may be some time before I actually get to use the ideas presented to me I was thankful to be in a learning space again.  I realized part of what makes me a good teacher is my own passion for learning and the need I have to keep my practises up to date and relevant to the learners in my classroom.

Moments of Transformation

You know those moments that we look around and feel like suddenly we have opened our eyes to this new and deep understanding.  Yup, we all have them..."ah-ha moments", "lightbulb moments", "transformative moments".  Whatever catch phrase you like to use the reality of it doesn't change, you have come to a place that you can no longer think in the same way that you did before.  You have altered your understanding of something and it transforms you.

This whole year has been a pretty big "transformative moment" for me.  It's taken me from wanting to be a teacher to actually being a teacher.  Those who have watched me know that there has been a shift in who I am.  I see it in how I relate to my children, in how I engage with teachers, in how I dress, in how I interact with other children.  Along the way there have been much smaller moments that have brought about this shift for me.  Some incredibly memorable ones and others so subtle that I don't always notice them happening.

One particularly memorable moment happened for me part way through my long practicum.  I had been working through a particularly trying week with my class and was lamenting to my teacher mentor how frustrated I was with not being able to keep the attention of a number of students.  I felt like we talked in circles, despite the fact that he had so many encouraging words I really was just not grasping how I could turn things around.  He shared with a colleague my frustrations and the next day she came into the lunchroom and sat me down with a group of teachers listening in, with words that really helped me reshape my perspective.  She encouraged me that these issues were not unique to me and that the particular group I was working with was a challenge for many teachers before me.  Another colleague gave me the advice to set a bottom line and let go of the rest.  

I pondered some of the words from my teacher mentor and these other colleagues over the course of a day and woke up the following morning feeling that "lightbulb" moment.  I recognized my lack of ability to this point to just see children.  All I saw was what I thought they should be, what they should be accomplishing and how they should be accomplishing it.  I had this preconceived ideal in my head that they would not live up to because I had not gotten down to their level and individual people and walked them up to what I needed them to be.  The days that followed were much more like what a classroom of teacher and students working together should look.  I was more relaxed and ready to show them my expectations and they could feel my tensions released.  I left the classroom knowing that I needed to first know my students as people, with baggage, burdens, hopes, dreams, experiences and ideas, all different and special.  Once I saw them this way I could move into the realm of using those to shape their learning for the year to make it impactful to them and help them see and desire an amazing learning experience.

Converging Pathways (Post-Long Practicum)

Like any other classroom the dynamic of my students together was unique, intriguing and sometimes very challenging.  Energetic, young boys who were eager to have their voices heard.  Precious, young girls desiring to be known.  All trying to find their way in a quagmire of social, emotional, physical and mental changes.  

Expectations unmet, frustrations abounding as we each walk our own path unsure of where the two pathways meet.  As I lament the lack of progress, the divergence of our pathways, the consistent, inconsistency of our communication I come to a fork in the road.  My colleagues stand in the gap with words of encouragement and advice.  Their words are like an umbrella, protecting me from the torrential rain that threatens to muddle and confuse my journey.  

A choice lays ahead of me.

As I look ahead there are, again, two pathways to choose.  I may continue on the path I’ve set, remain unrelenting in my plans, forging ahead, trying desperately to drag my students with me.  OR I can replot my course, converge our ways of being. Hold out my hand, bringing these wonderful, intelligent gems alongside me.  Allowing our journey to continue side-by-side, under the protection of my umbrella, the support of a school community dedicated to the individual student and working together for success.

A well-oiled machine (Pre-Long Practicum)

Pieces and parts fit snugly together.

Each aware of its role and smoothly running.

Operating without fault,

Knowing exactly what to do without a thought.

A snag, a shift that's not quite right.

An operator distracted!

Reset, stop to evaluate.

How is this fixed?

Tuning, Changing, Tinkering...

Retry and wait.

Be patient, trust my instinct.

Why am I here? 

My purpose is greater.

This journey is just beginning!

I'm here for a reason.

The process is one small part.

Glitches happen, they come and go

Trust the adventure will prepare me for more!

Critical Thinking and expanding student minds

Two of my favourite subjects are science and social studies.  As far back as I can remember I was intrigued by the theories of science, the experiments, the lab, and the thrill of discovery.  The dissections were awesome and gross all at once, the challenge of creating and testing was novel and enjoyable, even if daunting at first glance.

The study of history was just as enthralling for me.  Trying to piece together reasons, judgment, understanding, analysis of events, issues and people has engaged my mind so many times.  As I headed to university I waffled between a major in biology and a major in history.  I settled on a liberal arts degree with a major in history, a minor in education and enough biology and chemistry to keep my fascination with the scientific alive and kicking. 

I could never kid myself, I'm not a genuis!  I didn't receive high honors or even straight A's at any point in my pursuit of knowledge in these areas but a bad grade never deterred me from wanting to learn more in either subject.

As I engage in a deeper understanding of science and social studies in relation to teaching them, I am excited to see a shift in mindset within the education community.  Recognizing that we learn more from the process of discovery and research and that the dialogue between researchers, scientists and historians spurs us to greater understanding than the one dimensional thinking of finding the "right" answer.  It appeals to me as a learner and an educator to know that as I put before my students concepts and big ideas, my job is not to fill them with right and wrong answers, my job is to encourage them to think outside themselves and critically view each scenario within a greater framework.  I am to help them formulate questions and facilitate discussion amongst the learners in my class so that they no longer rely on me, as the educator, to endow them with knowledge.  My job is to help them trust themselves to inquire and from that inquiry, observation, and discussion comes the act of learning and understanding.

As I prepare to head into my long practicum, I am eager to soak up the nuggets of information that are helping me see my students as critical minded at any age and to find more ways to engage the natural curiosity that enables them to learn in a richer and more meaningful way.

New Curriculum

There always seems to be controversy surrounding the teaching profession.  Money, contracts, learning outcomes, report cards, curriculum, holiday time, etc.  I'm not interested in debating these issues but I am interested to see what happens over the next 10 years in education and in particular over the next 2-5 years in BC as we begin to incorporate the new curriculum being developed for our province.

Today in class we pulled apart the drafts of the new curriculum and spent time trying to understand how it's different from the current IRPs (Integrated Resource Packages).  I have heard mixed reviews about what it may look like and how teachers in the field feel about it right now.  Most are intrigued and feel pretty positive about the general idea, while others are uncertain about what it will actually look like.  As with any change in education there is an abundance of questions that remain unanswered...When will this new curriculum actually come into effect?  What will happen with current resources/texts and will there be funding for new resources considering some of the course work has actually been moved around in the different grades?  What about support for the transition?  Questions, questions, questions.  Of course, it's impossible to know the answers at this point but what I do appreciate is that dialogue is happening and the curriculum itself is focusing in on how the face of education is changing.  The goals include becoming more individualized, focused on critical and creative thinking and embracing skill-based competencies that are over-arched by big ideas.

As a parent, with children in the public education system, I appreciate even more that assessment is being addressed and the goals include using assessment that is relevant and aligned with the curriculum and actually reflects the knowledge a student has gleaned throughout the year.

As a teacher, getting ready to join the public system, I am encouraged to know that I am entering a system that will give me freedom to teach to my students at whatever level they're at and will hold me accountable to report what my students actually know and test that knowledge in a way that is meaningful to individual students.

Why Write

The discussion has been had numerous times throughout this year regarding the reason for blogging.  There are individuals who feel very passionate about their privacy and are navigating this part of our teacher journey very cautiously.  I value their position and understand that in this day and age it's important to manage your online presence very carefully.  I also understand that as a result of the shift in technology over the last 10 years we must, as teachers, be, at the very least knowledgeable about tools out there and beyond that actively participating and using them.

In my role as student, at the moment, I am choosing to use this particular tool of blogging as a means to an end.  Through the experience, I hope to witness the growth and emergence of practice merging with theory and evidenced by the reflections I share here.  I think it also creates an opportunity for the interaction of emerging educators to dialogue and exchange ideas to better one's practice.  Many a time I've crossed a blog entry that has allowed me to further expand my thinking in a particular area or to challenge some preconceived idea about the purpose or practice of education.  Blogging allows for worldwide interaction within the realm of educators to both streamline and diversify the act of educating.

As I transition from student to teacher, my goal would be to use this forum as a means to maintain my status as a life-long learner which I have witnessed to be the strength of some of the best teachers I have encountered.  Using these types of tools gives recognition to the fact that one cannot fully embrace the role of educator if they've disengaged from a primary source of today's education, the collaboration which comes from being online.

While privacy is of utmost importance to many individuals the ability to navigate the public/private world is an important skill that educators, in particular, need to learn to do well and then demonstrate to their students.  There is a balance of sharing and collaborating, being professional and maintaining personal lives that has reached a new level of expectation within the world of education.  If we embrace and understand it, we better our practice purely from the willingness to move ourselves forward rather than remain static.