ECS 101

The welcoming environment started as quickly as I opened the front doors of the school; I was greeted by teachers passing by and asked if I needed assistance. Prior to entering, I was overwhelmed with nerves and wondered what I would encounter on the first day. Meeting the principal and my cohort peers easily calmed that anxiety. We were allowed to tour leisurely around the school as they were preparing for the morning routine (entering classrooms, bell, announcements, etc.). I noticed a few things independently: engaging posters with some welcoming signs in different languages, a trophy case of “good behavior” prizes, the comfortable size and cleanliness of the school, and the friendly faces of the staff and students. We reconvened with the principal, were debriefed about the school, and discussed key details about the system. The principal tackled topics such as supplemental learning opportunities, programs designated to support newcomers and students with additional needs, promoting good behavior, and so much more. He then proceeded to give us a tour and allowed us to acquaint ourselves with the staff. I noticed that all the classrooms looked unique and noted some promoted more active learning. One of them actually brought me back to an EMATH course I previously took about Liljedahl’s Thinking Classroom, and the principal mentioned that the teacher was well adapted to using the thinking methods and performed them brilliantly. I knew then that classrooms such as the ones in this particular school were welcoming ideas that improved and prioritized student learning. On this tour, I was made aware of how a school community extended further outside of the establishment. There was a daycare program using the school facilities as well as a before-and-after program run by the school. The principal mentioned in passing that he once had to contact a parent from outside the country, and I thought that spoke a lot about how flexible staff has to be in order to welcome the students. It also seemed like the staff were a community of their own and communicated and supported each other instinctively. The principal had shown numerous times that he was familiar with almost all of the students although it is his first year at this school; I thought that quite commendable. We were also given an opportunity to meet with Roger Ross, the Indigenous Cultural liaison for RCSD, who briefly showed us the Buffalo Robe and discussed Indigenous history related to Treaty 4 and more. We then proceeded to divide into the classrooms to observe instruction methods more closely, and ours was a grade ⅞ classroom that was learning science at the time. While we were observing, I noted the brightness of the room, the teacher’s presence at the front of the class, the students’ engagement levels, and other details like the accessible mini library for the students and their storage compartments. When it comes to teachers honoring different ways of learning and doing, the flexibility of the staff, the additional learning programs, and new teaching practices like various seating arrangements, stand out as evidence that the school is dedicated to providing the best learning opportunities to a diverse pool of students. The community I witnessed was built on respect, compassion, and camaraderie with teachers actively engaging with the students and with each other. 

I felt that today’s field was all about familiarizing myself and tying in loose ends from the previous week’s introductions. Gone was the nervous pacing at the door, and I felt more at ease to greet everyone I encountered. I was able to meet the teacher who immersed herself and her classroom with Liljedahl’s Thinking Classroom, and we had a brief but great discussion about successfully implementing the practices in all the courses and not limiting them to Math. We were debriefed on today’s agenda, and then we scurried off to classrooms to observe a teacher’s instruction methods and the students’ learning environment more closely. I was blessed to have the opportunity of witnessing a grade six class during English and Math. The teacher was good-humored from the start, and I felt very welcome. His classroom was brightly lit with all windows open, desks uniformly facing to the front, and a horseshoe-shaped table near the coat racks. I noticed this particular teacher was fond of adding his interests as decoration for the classroom such as sports flags, jerseys, athletic gear, antlers, and a Big Mouth Billy Bass. He transitioned from teaching at the front to reading to the students in a storytelling half-circle, which I thought was great to keep the students engaged. I couldn’t help but compare his classroom to the thinking classroom I saw earlier that morning. I would say that I am familiar with Liljedahl’s practices, and one of them was about defronting the classroom. This means that teachers should not depend on having the “front” of the class as the optimal position to teach lessons. Similarly to the symmetrically positioned desks, there was something about how intimidating it can be for students, and these communicate that order and compliance are expected in the classroom. While the grade six classroom kept to the standard image, the other teacher’s thinking classroom looked a little more chaotic with every desk facing a different direction and a big table placed at the center, and I hope to see if the teacher follows the method of instructing around the room. I don’t believe the grade six teacher lacked in his attempt at engaging everyone in the classroom despite the furniture arrangement, but I did observe how students at the back appeared more dissociated from the lesson. Following that experience, we were given the opportunity to observe a thinking classroom for grade one with the school’s resource teacher. He had rearranged the tables and chairs to the side of the room and encouraged standing for the entire lesson. He had the students utilize the whiteboards, or as Liljedahl calls them– vertical non-permanent surfaces (VNPS). These encourage trial and error and are beneficial to improve motor skills and collaboration. I thought that the class went successfully, and I was enlightened as I got to observe and apply what I’d previously learned with a much younger group of students. The Pink Day liturgy we attended also showed me how classes are arranged and placed within a bigger setting. I noticed that they were not just chronological in the seating arrangement, and students of a classroom sat in vertical lines facing the front of the gymnasium. All of this hinted that the teachers and staff don’t expect only order and compliance; they wanted to maintain an absence of power dynamics. 

I don’t recall learning much about Indigenous history in Canada until I reached grade five. Once it had been incorporated into my elementary school, the content was repetitive and brief, but it stayed the most in my memory. I learned a large scope of Indigenous topics as I got to high school and university; I learned things like the Sixties Scoop, the pass system, Indian law, Indigenous cultural stories, and wars, and I visited pow-wows and the First Nations University and made bannock. Now, I’m actively seeking Indigenous knowledge on my own. In fact, I’d like to share this quote I got from Joely BigEagle-Kequahtooway, an Indigenous storyteller I had the pleasure of listening to last Monday: “There’s buffalo DNA in there, but it might be in your pinky toe. How can you access it?” She talked about Indigenous peoples losing their cultural identity so I feel this is relevant to my field experience this week. What did I see that promotes the preservation of Indigenous identity and opens paths to truth and reconciliation? The TRC booklet reveals an imperative need to address unjust issues in Indigenous Canadian history and to call everyone to action. The residential school system left a gaping, active wound, and it still confounds me, knowing that it has taken well over a century for issues to be addressed by the government and by the country. What stands out the most in this booklet is the idea of “repairing what’s broken.” One of the most important ways to do that can be seen in schools now. I would like to learn more about the curriculum we have. I’ve already briefly noticed the addition of Indigenous content, but I would definitely love to explore it even more. Aside from that, I am looking forward to hearing from more storytellers. The first things I noticed as I entered the school were Indigenous paintings in the main office. The day starts with the acknowledgment of Treaty 4 territory, incorporated into morning announcements. This wasn’t something I was familiar with when I was in elementary school. As we dispersed into classrooms we would then observe, I had the opportunity to observe other presences of Indigenous knowledge and culture throughout the school. There were posters of various Indigenous topics. One was a Truth and Reconciliation wall decal with descriptions. One work had children’s hands arranged in an “Every Child Matters” sign. There were ones that portrayed Indigenous artists and their works. The presence of all these had me baffled and relieved. The small worry that I would not find enough Indigenous messages in the school dissipated. We stopped to visit the school’s Metis facilitator who prepared an abundance of Indigenous tools, herbs, and furs to share with the school. He shared a personal hunting story with us that was so inspiring. When we went to observe classrooms, I noticed how teachers had paintings and pictures of Indigenous art. While I would have liked to hear more Indigenous content in the classrooms, I considered the timing of the classes and the lessons. Overall, I was relieved to witness Truth and Reconciliation in action even through the posters around the school. 

From the beginning of our field experience, the school has shown me an array of inclusive practices and support programs. I recall the principal had informed us of their Employment and Family Assistance Program and English as an Additional Language Program. The student body is incredibly diverse; in fact, one of the teachers said that most of the population was from Nigeria and Asian countries. Since first hearing the story that the principal shared about having to contact parents long distance and having translators around during conferences, I could tell that there is already a high level of consideration and respect when interacting with the families. The principal also mentioned the level of respect shown to gender and sexually diverse students with a small story about someone who had changed their pronouns. The other students and the staff supported them right away. I also noticed posters that promoted cultural diversity and women's empowerment. The second class I observed was a Phys. Ed. class and the lesson focus was on the respiratory system. The activity that the teacher planned for the students was highly engaging, and not one student was left out. I noticed at the end of the class when the teacher checked in with the students, he had this rating scale self-assessment set up by the doors, and the students would pick a number that corresponded with how they participated in the lesson. The highest level on the scale required that the student assisted or encouraged another student at least once during the lesson, and there is also a mark for inclusivity. During recess, I was able to hear from the school’s EAL facilitators. They mentioned the process by which they assist multilingual students who still need language support. Sometimes, they do lessons in the classrooms, but mostly, they seek out the students and provide one-on-one lessons. The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, otherwise known as CEFR, is a leveling tool that EAL facilitators use to indicate the knowledge acquired and still needed by the EAL learner. It measures language proficiency so that the students are supported wherever they are. I observed a math class after recess, and it was my last class for this field experience. The teacher was completely transparent with us, saying that math was not his forte and that he believed lesson planning comes naturally with experience. This made me think of scaffolding. I think scaffolding is important to implement inclusivity in the classroom. Not only to support multilingual learners, but teachers can get to know their students and incorporate their individual needs in lesson planning. The teacher also suggested that we seek out volunteer opportunities and encouraged us to look into “Sports For All,” which is individualized instruction for children with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. It was great hearing from him about how we have other programs that we can participate in to provide learning opportunities tailored to meet everyone’s needs. 

My experience at this school not only further confirmed that I was moving in the right career direction but also uncovered truths and answers that I realized I needed to know. If someone were to ask me about the interconnectedness of knowledge, schooling, and society, I would tell them, “Teaching is versatile.” I learned from the walls, teachers and faculty, the students, classroom interior design, and the subjects taught during my observation hours. I learned from walking through the hallways of the school. What I saw were the testaments of a community that was inclusive and strong. I learned a few specific things: there was an Indigenous storytelling every week; an EAL program sometimes opted to instruct in the classroom; and I found social connections and similar values with some of the teachers I met. I learned of new applications of teaching methods like Liljedahl’s Thinking Classroom, observed a real demonstration, and had discussions about it. I even witnessed the happenings of liturgy and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I had the opportunity to meet a diverse student body and to see how each student behaved and deliberated during lessons. One of my most important philosophies is that all students can learn, but they don't have to learn the same way. I observed teachers who provided alternative learning methods, instructed through active learning, and allowed students to choose what to work on and where. I was in a grade ⅘ Thinking classroom on our third field day, and I saw how each student worked and processed information at different speeds. It was then that I saw a likeness to the broader dynamics of school and society. We cannot expect every classroom, school, and division to be on the same page. As I read through my peers’ field experiences, I noticed how different the atmosphere is in every school. The school I visited is a Catholic school that is already steadily promoting Indigenous learning, raising anti-bullying awareness, and offering inclusive, additional support programs. If I were to redo my field experience or continue forward to another opportunity, I would put in more effort to research the school, its calendar, and its values. I would want to dress up in pink if it was Pink Day, and I would want to prepare my own confessions to tell the priest. Truthfully, I want to immerse myself more in the experience. Something that was brought up to me multiple times was the topic of choosing what level to teach. I heard, “Well, you never know what you end up doing.” One particular teacher advised me to build my resume with a lot of volunteer and club experiences and to accept the offer that comes to me as soon as I complete my education. I think when I heard this, it became overwhelming and exciting for me to think about how much closer I am to my dream of teaching. Viewing a school through the lens of an educator and a student has become one of my core memories.  I’m so blessed to have visited the school, and I look forward to applying what I learned in my next field experience.