This is the written supplement to my scrapbook. All writing here is also present in the scrapbook pictures, though it may be easier to read here.
Learning has always been something I have been passionate about. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always done everything I could to learn any information I could get my hands on. Passing on what I’ve learned has always been just as exciting to me as learning it in the first place, so I’ve always known that I’ve wanted to work with kids in some sort of educational environment. Watching their eyes light up when something they’ve been working on finally clicks is such an amazing feeling, and being able to focus my career around that is so awesome. I had such great teachers growing up that inspired me that I could do anything I wanted, and I want to be able to pay it forward and be that kind of presence in the lives of my students.
A question that really encompassed my learning in EDUC 394 (and the other courses this block, to be honest) was: How am I going to use this in the future? The obvious answer was, of course, in my teaching, but more so I was looking into the what, the how, and the why. What parts of teaching would this help me with? What subjects would this be useful for? How would I encompass this concept into my teaching style? Why is this important for me to learn? This helped me to wrap my head around all the new concepts that were being thrown at us, to help move my mindset from that of a student to that of a teacher. Before this program, I’d only known the BC curriculum, assessment, and everything else we’ve discussed from the perspective of a student. Looking at everything from a teacher’s perspective has challenged previous biases I didn’t even know I had, and helped me get more of an idea of the “behind the scenes” aspects of teaching that I hadn’t had as much experience with before taking this course, even if most of what we touched on was fairly surface level so far. I’m excited to learn more!
Something that really challenged my thinking in all my courses this semester was not having set deadlines for most things. With my first degree, I had become very focused on deadlines and learning what I needed to just to get the assignments and exams finished. As I’ve learned in my classes this block, and what I already knew, on a level, is that this is not a strategy that leads to actual, deep learning and understanding. Though it was difficult to adjust at first, the flexible deadlines and pass-fail system of this program has really helped shift my thinking from that of a student to that of a learner, or from learning to get an A to learning to know. Something else that challenged my thinking this block was the focus on self reflection across most of my courses. Journaling was always something I struggled with growing up. Writing stories about made up characters or essays full of facts were easy. Writing about myself was not. From the blog posts in EDUC 405 to the reflexive writing and pedagogical statements in 393, this block has forced me to put effort into thinking about how I actually think and feel, and then putting that down into words. This is something I still need to work on, but I feel like I have already improved greatly on it since September.
A strength I will bring to teaching is my excitement for learning. I believe that the more excited about a subject the person teaching it is, the more engaging it is for those learning. Someone could be teaching the most dry, boring subject, but if they’re enthusiastic enough to share it, those listening are more likely to learn more, and retain that knowledge for longer. Being able to make learning exciting and engaging for students is a skill I think I already have to an extent, but I am also excited to learn more about how to do so in my classroom. Another strength I have is flexibility. I am very detail oriented and like to make plans and preparations, but this has only helped me in the past to be flexible when plans change. If I know what I want to happen and what I need to happen with my plan, I can better think on my feet when something unexpected comes up, but still being able to make what needs to happen, happen. I also spent a few summers working at a summer camp as an inclusion worker. In the terms of the summer camp I worked at, this was their version of an EA. This was an invaluable experience, as it taught me skills for adapting activities and excursions to fit the individual needs of different kids. I hope to be able to bring this skill into my teaching, and to enhance it over the course of this program, in order to differentiate my teaching to be able to reach all of my students. Other strengths I have are a vast knowledge across topics (kids love random facts), a love for sports and a passion for being outdoors, and the ability to form connections with my students. And, perhaps my most important strength, at least according to my seven year old neighbour, I already know all the Phineas and Ferb songs, so what else do I even need to learn at teacher school?
Something I’m wondering about going forward is lesson planning. It’s one thing that has been worrying me, as most of my past experience has been in teaching premade lesson plans or in adapting activities to fit the needs of the kids I was working with, but I know that there is no way our professors will just throw us out in the real world with no preparation. I’m also wondering what strategies are out there for incorporating many different levels of learning into cohesive lessons. While I have some experience in adapting activities, I don’t kid myself in thinking that summer camps and elementary schools are the same thing.
What can I do to make myself a better teacher?
This is my guiding question for the rest of the program. I feel like this is a question that will push beyond the end of the program and into my teaching career. Learning to be a good teacher won’t just end when I walk across the stage (COVID allowing) and get my degree. It’s an ongoing process. If you don’t keep learning, if you don’t adapt to that new information or let yourself grow as a person or an educator, you miss out on so many opportunities to do better and to see things from new perspectives.  As Phil Collins says, “In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn,” and I look forward to being able to learn from my future students as much as they learn from me.
