My Path Through Education

An exploration of where I came from, where I am, and where I want to go!

My Biggest Supporter: My Grandpa

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On January 29, 2020

In Goals

January has been a hard month — and not just because it’s my first month of the long practicum, and the students were (more-so at the beginning) a bit off the rails after having two weeks off of school for Christmas.

This month, I turned 26. The night I turned 21, my cousin Kyle passed away, after being in the hospital for only a week — he was 30, and it was a very sudden/unexpected death. It’s been five years since his passing, and I’ve spent the last four of my birthdays not celebrating, out of guilt for making the day about me. (This is a long story though, and off track, so moving on …)

I’ve been with my boyfriend for almost 11 months now, so this year I made the effort to celebrate my birthday (we had sushi take-out for dinner and watched a movie at his place — perfect night for two introverts!) because I really wanted to spend that day with him. While I’ve finally let go some of my guilt and enjoyed my birthday for the first time in years, something was still missing — a phone call from my Grandpa, the only person (besides my parents) who ever phoned me on my birthday.

Today marks two months since my Grandpa passed away (his death was also very sudden, or at least it felt like it to me). One of the hardest parts about his death, for me, has been not being able to pick up the phone and tell him about my academic successes — something he valued very much (as long as I was trying, he was pleased). It’s a nice feeling to tell people I got an A+ in French, but something about sharing things like that with Grandpa always made the news seem more special somehow.

My Grandpa also never got to meet my boyfriend before he passed, which still hurts my heart, as I know Grandpa would’ve loved him (… okay, maybe a strong word, but definitely would’ve approved). My boyfriend took the MCAT in June 2019, and applied to medical school that September, after graduating from university a few years prior with an Electrical Engineering degree. My Grandpa was very pleased to hear this — whether he becomes a doctor or not doesn’t matter to me, and I don’t think it mattered to Grandpa, but just these three pieces of information alone told him I found myself an intelligent man. The two of them would’ve gotten along so well.

To quote my Grandpa’s obituary: “He was unsurpassed in his quest for knowledge. His library consisted of over 2800 books covering topics (many of them hobbies) as diverse as gourmet cooking and western philosophy; astronomy and Shakespeare; breeding tropical fish and photography; gardening and various languages; music and beekeeping, and, so many more.” He passed on this quest for knowledge to his two sons — my dad and my uncle — and myself. This is one of the ways I plan to carry on his legacy.

The reason I will have no student debt when I graduate from the Bachelor of Education program is because of my Grandpa — he directly (“put it on the credit card”) and indirectly (Christmas/birthday cheques saved over the years) paid for my tuition for all three of my degrees. I knew after the first degree that I would never be able to pay him back, not due to financial circumstances but simply because my Grandpa was the kind of man that did this sort of thing as a gift, not a loan. (In other words, he was too stubborn to let me pay him back.) This is why I came up with the idea to create a scholarship (possibly a whole charitable foundation) in his name, in his honour, to pay it forward in a way that would make him proud. I had hoped he would be alive still to see it happen, so I could properly thank him … but, as unfortunate and devastating as it is, his death has been a catalyst in the process of making this a reality, and this goal is one of my 5-year plan Passion Projects.

Thank you, Grandpa <3
June 12th 1945 – November 29th 2019

Quote #3

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On January 21, 2020

In Reflections

Dream as though you’ve never failed.

This quote has followed me for over a decade. I heard it in Grade 9 (when Jonathan Howard came to visit a local elementary school). I used it as my yearbook quote in Grade 12. It is currently in my room on my letter board! I’ve reflected on it many times over the years, and at first I didn’t see much wrong with it — but there is a slight flaw, so let me explain. You see, the quote can be taken as this idea of pretending you’ve never failed, and thus means you aren’t learning from your mistakes. I do believe it’s important to learn from mistakes, absolutely! … But how I’ve chosen to look at this is not about forgetting your failures, but rather keeping that courage in order to follow your dreams. I know how tempting it is to want to quit when you try and try and continue to struggle — I’ll use my writing as an example: I’ve given up and come back to it many times since I was 13! I do tend to fix my past mistakes, and I believe my writing process improves every time I come back to it, but my confidence was always on the lower side (more-so when I was a teenager; I’ve gotten more confident in my 20s). I need to remind myself about this quote constantly — fix my mistakes, move on and continue to dream with confidence.

Quote #2

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On January 14, 2020

In Reflections

Time comes to those who make it, not those who try to find it.

My sorority sister, Elena, is a productivity and lifestyle design coach. I follow her Facebook page and blog pretty frequently — she’s incredibly inspiring (at least to me)! This was a quote by Jen Sincero that Elena posted on her Facebook page; she talked about this quote to explain something she’d been wanting to get back into for awhile — reading.

“At first, I couldn’t find the time ANYWHERE. Then, I decided to MAKE the time by getting up earlier and reading for at least 30 minutes every morning.”

This is a practice I’ve been implementing myself, as part of my new-year-new-me; I’m turning my computer off an hour earlier than I used to (around 10pm, sometimes earlier). Instead of trying to go straight to sleep — which rarely works, since it typically takes me anywhere from 30-90 minutes to fall asleep! — I spend 30 minutes reading (or more, if I’m not too tired) that the old Kaitlyn would’ve spent on the computer. Teaching is not an easy profession — it takes a lot of time management and organization! If I want to continue pursuing my passions, like reading, it’s important that I MAKE time for them (but not taking time away from priority tasks).

What Students Can Achieve with RPG

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On January 8, 2020

In Goals

On my Passion Projects page, I talk a little about my goal to one day include roleplaying games (RPG) into my classroom. This dream is stemmed from my love of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), and while I do recognize some of the cons of bringing D&D specifically into the classroom (even for older grade levels, like high school), I wanted to take this opportunity to point out the pros, the positives.

First, let’s talk about the cross-curricular aspect, the many subjects RPG can cover. My immediate thought always go to English Language Arts — RPG is a great tool for improving storytelling skills, and it would teach students everything that goes into creating dynamic characters! Then you have your next obvious subject, Arts Education — specifically, I picture using the storytelling lessons in conjunction with Drama, but why not also incorporate Visual Arts (drawing character portraits, creating scenery backgrounds for story settings)? Social Studies is another one, when we’re talking about the history of the land and the politics of the city, and Grade 7 (in British Columbia) is when students are learning about ancient civilizations — there is a section in the D&D player’s handbook that talks about Greek gods and goddesses! (It doesn’t mean the RPG has to be D&D-related, but the handbook may be a helpful tool.) With character creation in D&D, character races typically come with “Common” and another language of choice — the languages are fantasy-based, but you can adapt these so that “Common” is English (if you are in an English-based classroom) and the choices can be French, Spanish, and any other languages the students know in real life and/or want to learn more about. A little bit of Career Education can be added as well, when we’re looking at different roles of each character (we don’t need 4 fighters in one group, for example; someone usually takes on the role of the healer, and perhaps there can be a character who uses brains instead of brawn to solve problems). Finally — but maybe not finally, if anyone reading this can think of more subjects to include — we have Mathematics: probability (dice rolls), financial literacy (buying supplies), coordinates (map of the story setting), and any other operations/problems (to use as puzzles for within the story — “If you can find the slope of this hill, you may enter the Temple of Treasures.”)

Next, a key aspect of the BC curriculum redesign: the addition of core competencies — communication, thinking, and personal/social. There are sub-categories within these three areas, for a total of 6, so I will go over each one individually (using examples from the core competencies PDF, “I can” statements):

  • Communication– Students would be connecting and engaging with others (“actively listening” to their fellow classmates/players) and collaborating with their team to plan their next move (working to “achieve a common goal”). There’s even the potential for recounting and reflecting on the experience — students can keep an RPG journal about the highlights of the story they just experienced.
  • Creative Thinking– Students would be given opportunity to come up with their own stories/mini adventures (“generating ideas based on their interests”, and “through play”; this can be “developed over time”). There’s potential for research projects — if they wanted to learn more about pirates, for example, to create an authentic story/adventure for their peers or to develop a dynamic character. And, because RPGs are typically dependent on dice rolls or other variables, it would require students to develop their flexibility (“making their ideas work with constraints” or “change what they’re doing”).
  • Critical Thinking– Students would need to analyze evidence throughout a story, to get to the next chapter (look at clues “from all angles and perspectives”), and they can question non-player characters (NPCs) for more information (“asking open-ended questions”, “gathering information” that’s pertinent to move the story along). Much like the communication section, with the idea of an RPG journal, students can track what they’re doing (“monitor their progress and adjust their actions”).
  • Positive Personal & Cultural Identity– Students would be creating a character, and (in the beginning) you could have them create a character that is similar to themselves. In D&D, an important piece of the character creation process is choosing a background, which involves a character’s personality traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws (“identifying different groups they belong to”, “identifying personal values”, “identifying individual characteristics” — good and bad!, and “identifying attributes and skills”).
  • Personal Awareness & Responsibility– Students would be working on personal skills while playing. Although RPGs are a social game, each character is still unique — just like we all are in life! They would be working on their self-determination (being able to “advocate for their ideas”, “celebrate their efforts and accomplishments) and their self-regulation (“persevere through challenges”, “take ownership of their goals”, “recognize their emotions”). It’s also important to incorporate mental health into teaching, giving students the tools they need to play without taking situations personally (allowing them to “use strategies to find peace in stressful times”).
  • Social Responsibility– Students would be working as a team — in small groups of maybe 4-5 — to accomplish the goals set in place for the story/adventure. They first need to learn what it means to contribute in a team (how they can be “part of a group”), how to solve problems peacefully (“consider alternatives”, “evaluate strategies”), and value diversity (“demonstrate respectful and inclusive behaviour”). RPGs are not typically competitive in nature; they are meant to foster relationships.

Finally, just a quick note from someone who has been playing off-and-on for two years now (only because my schedule keeps getting in the way!) … roleplaying has boosted my confidence and has helped me learn more about myself. I typically create characters that are similar to myself, but I’ve gone out of my comfort zone a couple times and created a persona that is mostly not like me, just to see where my personal boundaries are (like I usually play a Cleric, but maybe I can play a Rogue again in the future if my group needed because I tried it once and it wasn’t horrible).

I don’t have all the ins-and-outs of how I want to tackle this project — I know it needs to be implemented delicately, in a way that is appropriate for school and also educational (not just for the sake of having a fun time in class). I’m confident everything I’ve addressed here justifies giving this project a chance, as long as I do further research and take away any element that may upset students/parents/administrators.

Quote #1

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On January 7, 2020

In Reflections

To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.

I’ll admit, a lot of these quotes will be book-related. This one comes from Victor Hugo, whose work I’m not too familiar with (I know of a couple titles, just haven’t read them yet), but I saw this quote in a reading planner and fell in love with it. I read with a young girl last month, and hearing her sound out some of the words and then getting them right warmed my heart — it was an honour to be next to her through this process! As someone who has been so driven and determined to teach high school English, I’ve never considered these milestones before — like the fact that students need to start somewhere in their reading journey (since most would come to the secondary level being able to read). Part of my Teacher Mentor’s expectations  in this practicum is for me to take on a group of students during guided reading, and my personal goal for these guided reading times (besides the obvious: guiding the students through reading) is to treasure the moments of student reading success, to be excited by these sparks that will (hopefully) light a permanent love-of-reading fire.

10 Goals for 2020

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On January 1, 2020

In Goals

Happy New Year! I always loved the fresh-start that January brings … hated new year resolutions, I don’t like to call them that anymore — I just say I have goals for the year. (I don’t know how that makes them any better, but it makes me feel better, so … here we are.)

I’ve chosen 10 goals I’d like to focus on this year, 5 career goals and 5 personal goals. I believe this is manageable, and I can focus on one goal each month (roughly).

Career Goals

  1. Complete my Bachelor of Education degree– My success on this will be determined sometime in April (hopefully not before then … because that’ll mean I’ve failed my practicum!).
  2. Research how to create a scholarship and/or charitable foundation– See my Passion Projects page for more information about this. I’ll probably wait until spring break (mid-March) to begin researching; I’m not too sure where to start, and my January and February will be jam-packed with teaching.
  3. Put together a professional paper portfolio– I’m excited to explore all the things I can do with this e-portfolio, but there are some things I’d also like to have in hard copy — my facilitator training certificate, samples of year plans (for elementary school), samples of syllabus ideas (for high school), a poster with my teaching philosophy, and more.
  4. Update my teacher’s toolbox– This is something we created for EDTL 3100, over a year ago now, and there are so many things I’ve learned since then that need to be added. (I also may need to switch from using a slideshow to using a binder.) As well, I will most likely need to create a TTOC box/bag, so I can do that at the same time as this!
  5. Sit down and go through all my options– This might seem like a silly goal in some ways, or too easy … but I’m not 100% sure what I want to do with my Education degree anymore! I thought my only option was to be a classroom teacher, but I’ve learned that professional TTOCs are a thing … or I could complete a certificate and become a teacher-librarian … or I may even want to get a masters degree and become a high school counselor or university academic advisor! (I’ve also been playing around with the idea of a life coach, but I haven’t looked into that enough to know if it’s something I’m seriously considering, especially since it’s not really in the realm of the educational field — although I could maybe do it as a side-gig? Sorry, off topic a little.) I know I want to use my Education degree, and I know I want to help people, but I just want to make sure I know all my options and what I need to do for each one.

Personal Goals

  1. Read for 30 minutes every night for a month– I figure if I start with this one in January, I’m setting myself up for a new nightly routine that will carry on throughout my life (going beyond the one month).
  2. Begin creating a personalized cookbook– I’ve been slowly going through recipe books — my parents collected Company’s Coming cookbooks by Jean ParĂ© — to pick out ones I would like and be comfortable trying, but also a few challenging ones for when my kitchen skills develop more. I don’t want to sift through 50+ cookbooks though, so I thought “Why not create my own?” … with recipes by someone else.
  3. Begin writing a novel– I bought a book called 90 Days to Your Novel, and I also have a few creative writing books … I’ve told myself that once I’ve graduated, there’s no more excuses, I am making time to sit down and write again. (The time might be in the summer, but who knows? I may start earlier.)
  4. Take up a new language, or return to an old one– I’ve attempted (through school and on my own) to learn French, Spanish, Japanese, and Russian … I’m not fluent in any of these. I’ll most likely take up Japanese, but I’ve also become pretty attached to the idea of learning Russian. But I also want to try Italian, for something new … we’ll see! This will get started more towards the middle of the year.
  5. Get back into pilates– Much like the reading, I’ll be doing a 30-day pilates challenge, so that I can start integrating it into my daily routine and ultimately make it part of my lifestyle. (I also have a goal of getting POP Pilates certified, but that’s part of my personal 5-year plan and I’m not expecting to get that done until 2021/2022.)

Welcome

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On December 6, 2018

In Example Posts

This is site is meant to provide a running start for building your ePortfolio in WordPress. If this is your first time using WordPress take a look at the How-To Guide to get started.

Once you feel comfortable, you can customize this site in many ways: adding images, changing themes, settings, etc…

All the additional example posts and pages on this site can be deleted or changed to a draft (not visible on the main page) once you get rolling with your ePortfolio.

Site Privacy Settings

You can adjust your WordPress site privacy options from your Dashboard under Settings>Reading in the Site Visibility section. If you would like your site to be private we suggest using the following two options:

  1. Discourage search engines from indexing this site
  2. Visible only to registered users of this network

Note: The settings above still allow anyone with your site address and an opened.ca account to access your website.

WordPress How-to Guide

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On December 5, 2018

In Example Posts

We are here to help you create your ePortfolio, so do not hesitate to ask for technical support. To get started on creating your ePortfolio we suggest the following steps:

The first steps:

  1. Log in if you have not already logged in; get familiar with the WordPress dashboard and administration interface. You can also watch this short video for more information.
  2. Remember: When you are in the site administration area of your ePortfolio, you can get tips on what you are doing by clicking the “Help” menu on the top-right corner.
  3. Review your settings, start by changing your Site Title under Settings>General. You need to hit the “Save” button to save your changes. Learn more about the WordPress General Settings area.
  4. Add a new post. You can pick one of the existing categories by checking a box on the sidebar of the authoring interface. You can manage your categories on the right-hand sidebar as well or in the main Categories section of your site. You will need to hit the blue “Publish” button on the right-hand side before your post appears. You may want to review the Post Visibility options if you would prefer to keep your content private.
  5. We have created your ePortfolio with four main pages and a blogging area. You can add more pages, or you can delete what is there. Maybe start by changing your About Me page by introducing yourself and sharing a little about yourself.
  6. You are welcome to change the images and upload your own. Before you get started you may want to watch this short video about using images from Google.
  7. Check out Creative Commons Search, the Wikimedia Commons, and Unsplash for copyright-friendly images. Be sure to to use the appropriate Creative Commons license and attribution for any images you use.
  8. Probably the most common question from students is how to customize the menus on the navigation bar.  You can manage or update your navigation menu from the Appearance>Menus section on the left-hand sidebar. Check out the WordPress Menu User Guide and review this video if you would like more information about customizing your site menu.

How-to section:

Getting more help and information

Take a look at the following resources:

If you have any additional questions or feedback please feel free to contact Thomas Sandhoff in Open Learning at tsandhoff@tru.ca.

Video Example

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On December 4, 2018

In Example Posts

This post contains an embedded video from YouTube. You can paste the video URL into the page and the embed happens automatically.

Link Example

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On December 4, 2018

In Example Posts

This post links to another website using the Insert/Edit Link in the WordPress text editor.

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