Professional Learning

Hello everyone my name is Amelia and my placement was Wilfred Hunt elementary school. On the day of my placement, I was experiencing a lot of anxiety, and I had no idea what to anticipate happening. I made certain that I had my clothes and my criminal record check organized and ready to go before I left the house. My good fortune allowed me to have a member of my group who resides in close proximity to White City. As a result, she was able to pick me up to take me to school, and we were both able to relate to the same feelings of anxiety and discuss what was going to take place. 

When we arrived, the principal was smiling broadly and talking to everyone as soon as we entered the building. She took us on a tour of the school and introduced us to some of the instructors we would be working with during our time there. The first class I attended was for students in grade three. When the students returned from recess, the first thing that I noticed the teacher doing was that she would thank each child individually by name as soon as they sat down at their desk and were quiet. This was the first thing that I noticed the teacher doing. She did not exclude any names, and the fact that she did so made me glad since I could image how much the students would like it. My realization that the teacher must have a positive relationship with her class was brought on by the fact that she was able to create an inviting atmosphere just by calling each individual student. Every child had their very own customized name tag on their desk, complete with doodles and other personal touches that they had created themselves. The instructor also had a number of colourful posters that covered, from what I can tell, all of the themes that were going to be discussed in class. In addition to the name tags that were placed on the desks, there were additional tags placed on the shared lockers, which contributed to an atmosphere of increased safety in that classroom.

It was a lot of pleasure getting to know the students, gaining insight from the instructors, and observing how things are done in the classroom. I am looking forward to continuing my placement here for the remaining part of it.

On my second day at Wilfred Hunt Elementary School, I was with a grade 1 and 2 class as well with a grade 4 and 5 class. the structure of the classroom was quite different for the two classes. In grade 1 and 2 classes, the students' desks were placed into pods with them facing each other and the teacher's desk was at the back of the classroom right behind a pod with students who need a little extra help. However, in grade 4 and 5 class, the students were still in pots but each desk was facing the front of the classroom and the teacher's desk was in the corner of the room. 

In grade 1 and 2 class, there was also a U-shaped table with little chairs around it which I imagine is used for when students are working together. There were also little lockers on the side of the classroom with students' names on them which are shared with other students in the class.

In grade 4 and 5 classes, I also noticed that within the little pods of desks, there were team names written on the whiteboard. Whenever all students in that area were behaving or did something extra good, the teacher would give them a point. It was fun to see a way for students to be encouraged to have good behaviour because of teams and a little competition.  Another great thing that I noticed in the classroom is that there was an educational assistant there with a desk.  She explained to my partner and I how there was an intern there who recently just left and they haven't taken out the desk yet so now she gets a desk even though educational assistance usually won't receive one.

I felt very welcomed in both classrooms. They had the Circle of Courage up on the wall with all the students' names in one category for which one they are reflecting on that day. I made sure to show my partner who was with me the circle because I found it fascinating how we just talked about that in class and I was able to see it myself being used in a classroom. Both classrooms were a joy to be in and had kind messages and a to-do list all over the walls. The classrooms were not cluttered and were well organized as well.  I had a great second day and I hope everyone else did as well.

This week at Wilfred Hunt Elementary School, I took part in grade 7–8 split as well as a grade 5–6 split. Both of them took place this week. That was the first time I had the opportunity to be in a class with the school's oldest students, and it was rather exciting for me because I intend to teach middle school and high school students in the future.

The history of Canada's indigenous peoples was not covered in great depth while students were at the primary school level. When I was knee-deep in the middle of my study, we first started talking about the history of the indigenous peoples of Canada. When we finally got around to talking about history, the subject of residential schools was the one that came up the most frequently. My comprehension of the history of indigenous peoples did not begin to take shape until I was a senior in high school, and even then, it was insufficient. My teacher didn't realize that the history of Canada's indigenous peoples need to be the primary emphasis of the topic until I was in the 30th grade of Canadian history. She made sure that the majority of the class time was spent on this topic since she was aware of this. This is what got me interested in history, and more specifically Canadian studies because I know that if I ever get the chance to teach history, I want to teach Canadian studies, and I also want to be able to educate young people about the history of indigenous peoples in Canada. This is what sparked my interest in history, and more specifically Canadian studies.

My experiences at elementary school were very different from those I had during my childhood. My previous school had a name and a mascot that were immediately noticeable upon entering the building. As you enter the Wilfred Hunt primary school, however, you will discover some wings with "Every kid matters" written at the top of the wall. In contrast to this, my previous school made a point of clearly displaying both the school name and the school mascot. From the beginning of the field placement, I've had the opportunity to take part in a number of different classes, and Indigenous knowledge has been present in each of these settings. In one of my classrooms, the circle of courage was an essential component of the educational program, while in another of my rooms, the medicine wheel served as the primary instructional aid. As i mentioned last week, the circle of courage was used as a reward for students and they had their names in which category they were representing that week.

During my last week at Wilfred Hunt Elementary School, I observed how welcoming the school is and loved the diversity of cultural backgrounds represented in each class. I was able to take another look at the art I was able to draw with one of the classes on pink shirt day that was coffee cups with kind messages on it. Nearly every classroom has a bulletin board outside that declares the room to be a welcome and safe area for all students, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation.

The first group I was placed in was a split of first and second graders. The majority of the time spent in this lesson was devoted to mathematical work. It was encouraging to see the students collaborate on these brief practice assignments and offer each other assistance with any challenges that they were unable to solve on their own. Those practice papers were being worked on collaboratively by a group of four students, which I was a part of. They asked for my but, but once they figured out how to solve the problem and observed one of their friends struggling, they offered to assist their friend themselves.

My previous placement was a grade 2–3 split, where I had left off. During the first part of this lesson, we went outside and spoke about the birds and how we might help them during the colder months. After that, we went inside to make ornaments out of birdseed to hang up in the park and the school playground later on. It was encouraging to see the students including everyone and working together to solve problems.

Although I did not have the opportunity to meet any EAL teachers, many of the other people in my group were able to talk about their encounters with EAL instructors. Despite this, I was still given the opportunity to observe how other languages are utilized within the classroom. Even in the elementary school grades, there were posters with the song "Oh Canada" written in Cree. In addition, there were many additional posters with simple greetings or the alphabet written in a variety of other languages. Not only did they have posters in a variety of languages, but they also had posters and other materials in the classrooms that emphasized diversity, equity, and human rights for gender and sexual diversity. This was done in an effort to make each child feel like they belonged there.

Throughout my time at Wilfred Hunt, I have been conscious of how inclusive the school is and have appreciated the many viewpoints provided in each course. I also loved teaching students, it provided me great satisfaction to help students whenever they needed it, no matter how simple. Knowing that you were able to help was a very fantastic feeling. Based on what I know about the interrelationships between knowledge, education, and society, I feel that the huge number of persons in a school is what makes it a beneficial learning environment for all pupils. This includes the instructors who impart the knowledge essential for young minds to perform effectively in society.

I recall discussing the extent to which elementary school had evolved while I was a student there with my friends. When I was in elementary school, there was no discussion of Native American education or issues. The first time I heard of residential schools was when I was much older and began to read about them. I wasn't introduced to more Indigenous topics until I was in high school, and even then, I was only exposed to a small percentage of what I'm learning in college. I would know the most information in classes related to the study of indigenous peoples.

As I aim to teach high school eventually, it was intriguing for me to work with younger children, as my experiences with older students were vastly different from those with younger children. Nonetheless, I would not lie and claim that I loved teaching the younger students, especially the third graders. In addition, working with eighth-grade kids gave me a taste of what it would be like to teach in high school, and I discovered that I much enjoyed the experience. I often consider what it would be like to teach high school, which piques my curiosity and encourages me to expend greater effort. Despite the fact that I intend to teach at the secondary level, I appreciated being able to see various teaching methods and consider how they may be modified for use with older students. 

Completing my placement at Wilfred Hunt elementary school was an amazing experience and I find it sad that it is already over. I look forward to when I am able to go back and help inside a classroom. I looked forward every day to being able to help students and feeling so proud when I start to feel like a teacher. I learned so much during the past four weeks and I look forward to the future.