Today, I took a trip that has become quite familiar to me.
I got on the streetcar. I took it east to the nearest subway station and rode the metro going north until I ended up at a familiar stop.
This is the way that I get to my teacher's college. But seeing as I have been doing my practicum over the past two weeks, today was the first day that I've made that trip in...well...two weeks.
Two weeks isn't exactly an eternity, but I couldn't help but feel a bit of a tug when I got off the subway and entered the school. It's strange how much of a connection I have developed with not the school itself, but its contents. Since September, I have learned a lot about teaching from at least three of my professors (won't really talk about that fourth one), and while my most crucial learnings have come from my practicum itself, I have enjoyed the toolkit my courses and colleagues have given me this year. I have also developed some fantastic connections and friendships with these aforementioned colleagues, and after being away from them for two weeks, I can legitimately state that I miss each one of them.
In fact, they're the reason why I made the trek to school today. I went out for coffee with a couple of my buddies from my program, and together we shared our practicum experiences over hot drinks and baked goods. It was nice. It also made me realize that I am eagerly anticipating that moment two weeks from now when we get to re-assemble as a cohort and share our collective wisdom gained from our four weeks in a school setting. Of course, the very fact that I'll get to simply see the faces of certain people in my program once again in two weeks also makes me quite happy indeed.
And now...I plan to spend the rest of my Saturday evening watching TV and planning a lesson to introduce Buddhism to grade 11s.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
Practi-cum laude
I made a pun! Ha HA! Given my current level of tiredness, that was quite a feat.
As my awesome pun would suggest, I have started my practicum. Of course, due to confidentiality, my details about said practicum must be scant at best.
What I can mention is that my practicum is amazing so far. It's only been 5 days, but these past 5 days have allowed me to grow so much as a teacher candidate. My Associate Teacher is a fantastic person who has been easing me into creating my own lessons, as well as providing me with tools and ideas for things that have worked for her in the past, while allowing me to add my own flair. Students are warmed up to me now...I noticed that they are definitely treating me as a teacher, and no longer as a stranger in their classroom. It helps that I have been actively trying to learn their names.
This practicum has reaffirmed in me that this is where I want to be. This is the profession that I ultimately want to dive into. I figured the workload would overwhelm me, but even that's not bad. It all feels natural, like this is what I should have been doing my whole life.
I constantly think about my teacher candidate colleagues. Some are struggling with their practicums (practici? Come on, Latin wasn't THAT long ago...), some have been thrown into situations where they have to teach way outside of their teachable in order to satisfy the quota of classes to teach, and some have already had to deal with absent ATs and the ethics behind assuming the role of "main teacher" in conjunction with a supply so soon into the practicum month.
I think also about how my fellow TCs have been coping with their survival. I believe that it is crucial that we lean on each other and provide each other with supports, at least of the moral variety, so that we feel encouraged about our work. I know I am speaking for myself when I say that certain aspects of my life seem to be inexplicably in the process of being tossed around, and it is important that any emotions that arise from this upheaval are dealt with far far outside the classroom. It is difficult, and I feel that separation will become increasingly difficult should the situation not change. Pardon me for being cryptic.
Overall, week 1 was a success. One down, three to go!
As my awesome pun would suggest, I have started my practicum. Of course, due to confidentiality, my details about said practicum must be scant at best.
What I can mention is that my practicum is amazing so far. It's only been 5 days, but these past 5 days have allowed me to grow so much as a teacher candidate. My Associate Teacher is a fantastic person who has been easing me into creating my own lessons, as well as providing me with tools and ideas for things that have worked for her in the past, while allowing me to add my own flair. Students are warmed up to me now...I noticed that they are definitely treating me as a teacher, and no longer as a stranger in their classroom. It helps that I have been actively trying to learn their names.
This practicum has reaffirmed in me that this is where I want to be. This is the profession that I ultimately want to dive into. I figured the workload would overwhelm me, but even that's not bad. It all feels natural, like this is what I should have been doing my whole life.
I constantly think about my teacher candidate colleagues. Some are struggling with their practicums (practici? Come on, Latin wasn't THAT long ago...), some have been thrown into situations where they have to teach way outside of their teachable in order to satisfy the quota of classes to teach, and some have already had to deal with absent ATs and the ethics behind assuming the role of "main teacher" in conjunction with a supply so soon into the practicum month.
I think also about how my fellow TCs have been coping with their survival. I believe that it is crucial that we lean on each other and provide each other with supports, at least of the moral variety, so that we feel encouraged about our work. I know I am speaking for myself when I say that certain aspects of my life seem to be inexplicably in the process of being tossed around, and it is important that any emotions that arise from this upheaval are dealt with far far outside the classroom. It is difficult, and I feel that separation will become increasingly difficult should the situation not change. Pardon me for being cryptic.
Overall, week 1 was a success. One down, three to go!
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