Volunteer [09/2016-02/2017] ~ Chilliwack, BC
One of my favourite teachers during my K-12 experience invited me into her class in March 2016, to visit and observe. From there, she asked if I would be interested in volunteering on a more regular basis starting in September (and even gave me the opportunity to help create her yearly plan over the summer!). For the 2016-2017 school year, she was working as a part-time middle school teacher, teaching 4 classes every other day: Drama/Art 7, Core French 8 (x2), and Core French 9. I got to know approximately 120 students in the span of a 6-month period, and relearned a language I hadn’t worked with in (at the time) 8 years.
Practicum I [10/2018-11/2018] ~ Kamloops, BC
My first practicum placement took place every Wednesday for 7 weeks. This was one of two practicum experiences where we were placed with a partner, and we both taught lessons for Grade 1 English Language Arts. Our very first lessons were on Halloween; our Teacher Mentor was very excited we’d be in practicum on this day, and wanted to take full advantage of the opportunity. There was also one lesson where we each taught vowels — my partner worked with the first 3 vowels (A, E, I), and I worked with the second 3 vowels (O, U, sometimes Y). My favourite lesson, however, was the one I was formally observed for by my Faculty Mentor; I read Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss (which the students ended up reading along with me, as they were quite familiar with the story), we went over rhyming words as a class, and I gave them a worksheet booklet the students seemed to enjoy. Not my preferred grade level, but the students were lovely and I was teaching a subject that is near and dear to my heart.
Practicum II [04/2019-04/2019] ~ Kamloops, BC
On paper, this practicum was my dream placement — 2 weeks straight (10 days) in a middle school classroom! Again, I was with a partner for this practicum, so we each taught a mini-unit for Grade 7 Mathematics (my topic was circle graphs), but she also took on Grade 7 Social Studies while I tackled electricity for Grade 7 Science. As part of our requirements for this practicum, we were also instructed to teach one full morning and one full afternoon, meaning we needed to teach extra lessons. I took on one class of Physical Health and Education (Grade 7, 8, and 9) where the students worked on some of the skills for track events, and two lessons on the topic of global leadership for a Leadership 9 class. I’ll admit, this was my most challenging practicum, but I learned a lot from this one as well.
Practicum III [09/2019-09/2019] ~ Kamloops, BC
The best practicum experience I’ve had so far; my Teacher Mentor and I were in sync from day one! She gave me quite a bit of creative freedom, and also offered a large amount of support (in the forms of encouragement and resources). For the first of the 3 weeks I was there, I initiated a couple ice breaker activities to get to know the students (one of which involved conversation dice that I own). From there, I taught 10 lessons for Grade 3 Career Education, covering a variety of topics — growth mindset, goal setting, being kind to each other and the world, etc. — and 5 lessons on patterns for Grade 3 Mathematics. It was really exciting to see how the setting-up process goes for the beginning of a new school year! I experienced a bit of this with my volunteer hours, but I feel like I definitely paid closer attention to the tinier details this time around — where things are placed, what supplies are needed, how the daily routine looks, and more. I believe this one has been the most beneficial in my preparation for my upcoming long practicum, since I’ll be working with the same teacher and students in the new year and I’ve already established a rapport with everyone, understanding what my Teacher Mentor expects of me and knowing the students enough to be able to plan my lessons according to skill level and interest.