Today is my final day of my practicum in grade 4/5 at Sacred Heart. What a whirlwind this process has been! The beginning of my practicum started out a bit rockier than planned when the university I attend (UNBC) began striking just as I was supposed to enter the classroom in the beginning of November. My practicum was delayed, and I had to wait to begin teaching. I began my practicum on December 2nd and completed a meaningful 2 week experience.
I was lucky this practicum because even though the university’s strike put an obstacle in creating relationships with students before teaching, I had the advantage of already knowing and teaching my students previously. This practicum I was lucky enough to learn under Ms. Stewart as a coaching teacher with the same set of students I had taught last year in my first practicum. I got a rare experience this practicum to see and be a part of my students growth in their learning from the last time I taught them. I felt lucky to have had this opportunity and supported by my students because they were so excited to have me back in their classroom.
Having a day’s notice to return to planning and teaching gave me insight to what it can be like as a teacher when you have minimal time to prep and are sometimes forced to think on your feet. My coaching teacher kept it real with me the entire time and gave me the freedom to often make my own choices when it came to assessment and lesson prep. Sometimes I felt a bit uncomfortable with the agency to choose my own path in the classroom because I seeked more guidance. By putting me in this position, my coaching teacher taught me more than I could see at first. We say and hear it all the time–to grow, you need to step out of your comfort zone. This experience allowed me to instill confidence in myself as an educator and has set me up for the real world of teaching. Although my coaching teacher is there to guide me now, they won’t always be and I will need to be the agent of education on my own in the classroom when I am a professional teacher. The student teacher experience is great, but it will not last forever. I am transitioning from student to educator and will be confident standing on my own two feet when I step into my own classroom in the future.
Although the process of learning and teaching is so fun, one of my favorite parts is reflecting on what all went on. Throughout my practicum I documented some of the highlights of the experience through twitter (@Olivia_RBruce). Teaching and learning is so busy during the process that if I didn’t reflect I would wonder if we learned anything at all. By reflecting, I can see where students need more support moving forward and I can also celebrate their successes. The students that I have taught have shown me a great amount of acceptance in the process of me learning the ways of an educator. I have learned a great amount about the R.O.A.R. (Respect. Optimism. Acceptance. Rejoice.) values at sacred heart by example of my students. As I taught my students the British Columbia curriculum, they taught me real life lessons that I can take forward.
I feel confident in moving forward and continuing my journey towards becoming an educator. I am looking forward to my final semester in the Bachelor of Education program at the University of Northern British Columbia and all the adventures that follow.
