Category: Goals

My Biggest Supporter: My Grandpa

On January 29, 2020

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

What Students Can Achieve with RPG

by kaitlyndleask

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.

10 Goals for 2020

by kaitlyndleask

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

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!).
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.
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.
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!
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

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).
Begin creating a personalized cookbook– I’ve been slowly going through recipe books — my parents collected Company’s Coming cookbooks by Jean Paré — 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.
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.)
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.
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.)