Educators understand and apply knowledge of student growth and development.
How I met Standard 3 in Practicum 490:
I kept the child focused in all of my lesson planning (considered dexterity, emotional maturity, concepts of fairness). Demonstrated an understanding of individual learning differences in the class.
I worked hard to create a positive, safe, and inclusive learning environment. I did this through a focus on the classroom as a community/family in my Social Studies unit on community. During snack, I read a lot of books about inclusivity and being ourselves. These books were:
“All Are Welcome” by Aleandra Penfold
‘Be Who You Are” by Todd Parr
‘It’s Okay to be Different” by Todd Parr
‘Be You!’ by Peter H. Reynolds
I placed a strong focus on being ourselves and being unique! I ensured all of my language and behaviour was reflective of this. Every morning when I checked planners, I would ask “did you have an adult sign this?” instead of “did a parent/mom/dad/ sign this?” – this allowed students of all home situations to feel included!
I modelled that everyone makes mistakes, and highlighted whenever I would make a mistake. A strong focus on nothing is perfect and I would do this throughout my lessons (“see? Even I cant always colour in the lines!” or “I can be very clumsy but that’s alright!”) this helped students see a strong adult role model admitting to mistakes and being comfortable owning them.
My Practice Evaluator said that I did a good job setting up an environment where students felt comfortable sharing /answering questions. This is something I worked hard on! I supported all answers and thoughts. All of my lesson plans centered around the BC curriculum and core competencies. I also embedded the First Peoples Principals of Learning in my lessons.
How I met Standard 3 in Practicum 491:
In 491, I started by looking at my student info on MYEDBC. This provided me with a lot of context and insight into the student behaviours and IEPs in the classroom. I then asked my coaching teacher to review the IEP’s with me, to brainstorm on students and how I can best assist them. Throughout this practicum, I learned about the class and the variety of skill levels and needs.
I continuously differentiated my lessons for all students (ex: scavenger hunt and LA writing assignments). As I built relationships and connections with my students, I learned which students could use the additional help, and made sure they got it! I quickly understood that certain students needed more preloading of instructions and more challenging work.
With a strong focus on assessment practices, I discussed new ways of teaching with my coaching teacher. She was amazing and showed me so many new methods and techniques that I tried out. I was always open to new ways of doing things so I could build my arsenal as a new educator. As my assessments grew, I differentiated them even more for some of my students.
I focused strongly on meeting my students where they were. I ensured to meet their individual needs.
A lot of learning for me on how to assist students with their growth. I even brought in student interests (soccer in gym, Quails, Hogwarts, etc).
