Winter 2025 Goals & Strategies:
Creating an inclusive classroom is essential for fostering a sense of belonging and engagement among all students. It is crucial that as educators, we make intentional efforts to ensure that every child feels seen, heard, and valued in the classroom. My goal this semester is to further develop strategies that support a sense of belonging and inclusivity, particularly for ELL students, special needs students, and those who are below grade level. I plan on strengthening student relationships through read-alouds, morning meetings, collaborative activities, and intentional one-on-one instruction. Additionally, I will continue incorporating Indigenous perspectives into my teaching through literature and discussions that honour Indigenous ways of knowing.
Reflection:
This practicum helped me create a more inclusive classroom where all students felt seen and valued. I built stronger relationships through read-alouds, morning meetings, collaborative work, and one-on-one support. I was especially intentional in supporting ELLs, students with special needs, and those below grade level. I also continued to incorporate Indigenous perspectives through meaningful artwork and discussions.
Winter 2024 Goals & Strategies:
As I reflect on my goal, I am very happy to see that I was able to incorporate a few different forms of Indigenous culture into my teaching. During my practicum, I taught a lesson on sharing circles and read the book “The Sharing Circle” to my students to help them form a better idea of the meaning and importance behind the concept. This was an amazing learning experience for me. Throughout our sharing circles, I was able to form better relationships with students and get to know a little more about their personal lives and ideas, which was wonderful. My goal moving forward is to continue building strong relationships with my students and really putting in the effort to get to know each and every one of them. This experience has changed so much for me and has made teaching feel so much more meaningful and fulfilling.
Inclusive Environment Artifacts (Activities and books that I read to create a more inclusive environment)
Fall 2023 Goals & Strategies:
My goal for this semester is to incorporate indigenous studies and diversity into my lessons, as I will have more opportunities to teach students. It is very important that students remain educated on these topics as it allows them to feel safe, comfortable, and respectful to those around them. It is crucial to understand that inclusive environments are about much more than just race, gender, and culture, it is also about encouraging self-love, trusting relationships, and safe environments. In order to incorporate these aspects into my teaching, I will focus on appropriate strategies and resources as well as my mentor teacher's experiences and recommendations to reach the best possible outcomes. (IE 1, 2, 4, & 5)
Winter 2023 Goals & Strategies:
While reflecting on my initial goal, I believe that I was able to create an inclusive environment during my field placement. After reading many different picture books to students that connect to indigenous history as well as Black History Month, I was able to have many great conversations with students associated with inclusivity and diversity. My goal for next semester is to incorporate these topics into my lessons as I will have more opportunities to teach students. It is very important that students remain educated on these topics as it allows them to feel safe, comfortable, and respectful to those around them. It is very important to understand that inclusive environments are about much more than just race, gender, and culture; it is also about encouraging self-love, trusting relationships, and safe environments. In order to incorporate these aspects into my teaching, I will focus on appropriate strategies and resources as well as my mentor teacher's experiences to reach the best possible outcomes.
Fall 2022 Goals & Strategies:
Inclusive environment is crucial in any educational institute, which is why I chose to create a lesson this semester that focuses on diversity and acceptance. With the use of the picture book “Not My Girl” by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, I was able to spark a conversation about First Nations people and truly capture the importance of accepting everyone. This allows me to believe that I have accomplished my previous goal which states that I will include "students cultural strengths into my lesson planning".
In the future, I would like to have more classroom discussions that focus on other factors that contribute to an inclusive environment. This includes bullying, racism, respect, and safety. I can accomplish my goal by including more complex picture books into my daily reading that specifically highlight these topics.
Fall 2021 Goals & Strategies:
In order to establish an inclusive environment in the classroom, one must ensure that all students feel welcome, safe, cared for, and respected.
I plan on achieving this goal by incorporating the Teaching Quality Standard into my teaching. I plan on including students cultural strengths into my lesson planning in order to ensure that all of my students are capable of relating to my lessons. This strategies will also allow me to set a good example of acceptance, which will help all students feel welcome and appreciated. I will also be attentive to those who may need specialized support because I believe that everyone should have the chance to reach their full potential.
When needed, I will discuss the importance of mental health in the classroom to establish a safe place for students to gain knowledge on the subject and seek proper help if needed. I will also promote a positive learning environment in which I will be cautious and mindful when discussing sensitive topics such as religion, race, gender, and much more. I believe that incorporating these qualities into the classroom can have an amazing effect on the students and it can also improve their schooling experiences.
Winter 2022 Goals & Strategies:
In relation to my previous goals, I want to ensure that very child feels welcome and accepted in my classroom. This semester I wanted to work on creating relationships with all students rather than a few.
Throughout my field placement, I noticed that I tend to shift more towards the outgoing kids because they are constantly asking questions and participating. This made me realize how important it is to focus on the students who are more quiet and shy because they are the ones making little to no progress socially. It is crucial that all students learn how to socialize and step out of their comfort zones from a young age which is why I began to divide my attention more equally. It is our job as educators to ensure that we are not choosing favorites and continue to demonstrate equality amongst all students. This creates a stronger sense of inclusion and comfort amongst all kids in the classroom.