 |
TEACHING PRACTICE: PRACTICUM REPORTS
|
||||||||
| Home:
Commitment to Students and Student Learning: Ongoing Professional Learning:
|
During the 2002/2003 school year, I was fortunate enough to have done my
practicum placements at two excellent schools in the Ottawa-Carleton District
School Board. My time at
Hawthorne Public School, and Lady Evelyn Alternative School exposed me
to the realities of Canadian schools, and helped me to increase my
repertoire of both traditional and progressive teaching methods. At
Hawthorne - a "beacon" school - I learned how to plan for the
high-needs ESL classroom. At Lady Evelyn - a small, alternative school - I was placed in a split 4/5 grade, and learned how to teach to both
grade levels, cover the expectations, while keeping all students within
the range of understanding and interest.
In contrast to the four and a half years I spent teaching in Taiwan - a society much more homogenized socially, culturally, and economically than Canada - I worked with various cultural, linguistic, and economic groups at both of my placements. I found the varied student bodies at the schools intrinsically interesting to work with, and I very much enjoy the challenges, and opportunities that working in such a diverse environment offers. Similarly, I was very pleased with the experiences I had working with both the students, and - to the extent that I could - the parents at the schools. I met some of the most interesting people I have ever met, which, despite the general pressure of the whole practicum situation, made coming to school a joy each day. I was also very impressed by the amount of parental involvement at the schools. Considering the importance of a home-school connection to a students' achievement, this situation was a very satisfying one to be in as a teacher. Finally, I was very satisfied with the "aura" of both schools. This was due to the amount of staff support, and general good will that I saw around the schools. At both placements, I was made to feel as if I were part of a team from day one. This feeling, of course, came mostly as a result of my mentor teachers - both of whom were a pleasure to work with. I did, however, receive daily greetings, and extensions of help from all school members that was a very encouraging situation to be in to say the least. The amount of support and professionalism that I saw makes me look forward to working at a similarly well-staffed institution in the future, wherever that may be. Check below to look at my practicum reports, and observations made by my faculty advisor.
|
