Third Year (Pre-internship):
In the third year of university, I had the opportunity to do my pre-internship in a Grade 2/3 classroom. In the fall semester we went to this classroom one day per week, for eight weeks. Then in the winter semester we went into the same class to teach for three weeks everyday. During this three week block, I taught a science unit, which was my first time ever teaching this subject area. My unit was about solids, liquids, and gases which allowed me to have lots of hands-on activities with the students.
In the three weeks I learned a lot about myself as a teacher. I learned that the unit I spent so much time working on is not always what happens in reality. By the second day of teaching my unit, I already had to change some lessons to better fit my students. The children in my classroom were full of energy and very chatty. This made me have to work hard on my classroom management skills. I think I became more aware of the entire classroom during my lessons, throughout the three weeks. In the beginning, I would be so focused on what I was teaching that I would have a hard time balancing that, while also noticing any disruptions from the students. As I continued to teach lessons, I was able to multi-task more.
During my three week block I had a great co-op teacher. She was very encouraging and gave me great advice whenever it was needed. I think having a positive co-op teacher made me expand my learning even further. The Grade 2/3 class that I was in made me realize that I really enjoy teaching that age. Their minds are growing so quickly and it’s so fun being able to see them learning so much. Just through the three short weeks that I was in the classroom, I could see the students excelling in certain areas like reading and spelling.
Although the three weeks were fast-paced and challenging, I had a great time in the classroom. Being able to see the students everyday, instead of just once a week, allowed me to grow relationships with the students. I learned how important it is to have these relationships with students, as it helps them when they are learning. There is lots for me to work on in internship, but I am proud of myself for the progress that I have made.
First Year:
I am so thankful for the experiences I had during my first field placement in my university journey. It is wonderful to reflect on the seven Tuesday mornings that I spent in the kindergarten classroom. The children were all very lively, and my cooperative teacher was very welcoming.
Right away, the teacher had myself and my partner from the university working with the kids. It was so nice to be able to engage and interact with them, even though I think they thought we were a little scary at first. The children really opened my eyes to a whole new world. During playtime each day, I would go and interact with the students. I would ask them what they were building, what game they were playing, or what kind of art they were making. I had an idea of what they would reply with, or so I thought. Some of the answers they gave me were so different from what I had expected them to tell me. This is the great thing about young children; they have such an amazing imagination, and are so creative!
After finishing my seven half-days at the school, I am even more excited to become a teacher. This experience opened my eyes to twenty-one very unique and energetic children, all with different needs. I am excited to learn everything that I can over the next three years, to ensure I become to best teacher I can be.
Throughout the time we were doing our field work, we kept a blog reflecting on what each week had taught us. Here are a few comments that I made over the semester…
“This school that I am doing my field placement at makes me feel really happy. Since it reminds me of my kindergarten classroom, it makes me remember all the great times I had in that class. That’s where I met a lot of my very first friends, and I can tell the kids in my field placement class are doing the same. The class has a sense of safety and overall comfortable feel. I look forward to the rest of my time in this classroom!”
“In the third week that I was at the school, my class actually went on a field trip! I was obviously excited because we were heading to the Science Center! This is a place that I went to many time throughout my grade school years. I was so excited to be going as an adult, to see it through the children’s eyes. I thought it was also a great opportunity to have an idea of what will take place during a field trip, when I am the actual teacher.”
“I think this experience allowed me to confirm that I am going down the right path for me. I was able to have a glimpse at what it will be like for me in just a few years, when I am a qualified teacher. I think there is still a lot for me to learn, in terms of class management and about the students that I will come across.”
Here is a picture of the students and I in my field placement classroom!
Jayla's Educational Portfolio 