Demonstrations of Learning
Educ. 390 (Observational Practicum)
Observation Report 1: October 10, 2021
For our first week of practicum observations in schools, we were asked to focus on the school and classroom culture, and fortunately for myself my peers who attended Mount Elizabeth Middle Secondary School, we have so much to reflect upon regarding this topic. Their school has a wide variety of students, ranging from grade seven to twelve, and therefore have a very diversified school environment. Unlike most schools that I have had the privilege of working in or observing, this school includes the largest range of middle and high school grades that all reside under one roof. It was interesting to see the different temperaments that each grade-level wing of the school had. The grade seven wing was buzzing with energy, none of the lockers had graffiti, there was social groups gathered in all corners talking loudly to one another, each of the students had backpacks a much more tense demeanor to themselves, and the overall vibe within the space was young and light-hearted. In opposition, the grade twelve wing was basically silent, the students were dispersed and chatting quietly amongst themselves, the lockers and walls had graffiti all over them, and the students we saw were confident and unbothered at our entering their area of the school.
The overall atmosphere of the school was incredibly warm and welcoming. Each staff member greeted us, as well as every student that they passed, with a smile and a ‘good morning’. Every adult that we met had offered any help that they could provide and ensured that we felt super comfortable. Their entrance way had a beautiful, positive ambiance to it. They call the entrance the “gathering space”, as it contains a striking, large totem pole right in the middle, mental health awareness pamphlets and resources, and staff standing by the doors for greetings and ensuring that the student sanitize upon entry. There was a general feeling of genuine dedication to Indigenous presence in the school, as they sold Every Child Matters t-shirts, each classroom had some form of Indigenous artwork on their walls, and there was land acknowledgment bulletin boards all around the school. I find that many schools attempt to give this same feeling, but Mount Elizabeth felt deeply genuine. The principal, Christine Byrd, welcomed us into her office immediately upon our arrival, with ready-made Canva handouts for us with a detailed itinerary for our day, went over their school’s COVID-19 safety guidelines, then proceeded to giving us an extensive tour of the entire school (which was so large). I found their middle/high school quite fascinating as it is geographically quite large, as it is capable of fitting approximately 1500 students, but currently only holds around 450. One would think that this would mean that the corridors would feel empty and quiet, but I found that it was much the opposite. The staff and students were all so happy to be in the school environment and surrounded by each other’s support, that there was a general radiance everywhere we went.
At the end of our day, we were invited to stay for their staff meeting. The focus of the staff meeting was “Setting Goals, Knowing Ourselves and Each Other”. They asked each of us to sit dispersed within the tables filled with the experienced teachers and actively participate in their discussions. They went through their general staff meeting agenda, that did not particularly have much relevance to us, but closed the meeting with a collaboration between the people at your table to discuss how teachers can build trust within their classrooms. The teachers at my table said that in order to build trust within your classroom you should: listen to the student’s stories, be people-oriented, live by example, recognize that you are a human-being and acknowledge that you will make mistakes in front of your students, provide routine within your classroom structure, ensure that you are being approachable, reach out when you see a potential red flag, and do not focus too much on product as opposed to the learning process. I found that I gained a lot of knowledge in simply listening to the teachers chat and share their different opinions. My main takeaway from the staff meeting was that everybody’s morale’s climb exceedingly when they have adequate support from their administration staff, as well as when they know that their coworkers are ready and available for teamwork discussions. I gained a lot of knowledge about different teaching styles, how the classroom and school environment greatly impact the mood of the students and the teacher, and how each diverse teaching method can be beneficial for varying reasons. I am very excited to continue this learning journey through practicum and further my understanding of what teaching styles I think would work for myself as an educator, as well as adding teaching techniques that I witness to my personal toolbox for my own practice.
Observation Report 3: October 25, 2021
In my third week of practicum, at Mount Elizabeth Secondary School, I had the privilege of witnessing a prime example of how a positive relationship between a teacher and their student can lead to ideal classroom management. For our final day at the school, we got to choose a subject to spend the day witnessing. I chose to sit in on an English teacher’s class for the day, as it has always been a subject I thoroughly enjoy, and I had felt incredibly inspired by the teacher I had met in the previous weeks.
His grade ten classes were working on reading the play Romeo and Juliet. This was a class that many enjoyed, as they got to read the play aloud in character assignments. However, there was one student specifically who did not feel comfortable being put on the spot in any way. The teacher gave me some background information about this student prior to the commencement of the class. This is a student that struggles with attendance daily and does not typically allow herself to connect positively with teachers. She and this teacher got along well though, so a special arrangement was made to enable her personal success in this class. She completed her work in the First Nations Support Room, rather than the English class each day, and then would debrief with the teacher afterwards. She had special permission from the school’s administration to complete her work in this manner, as it seemed to be the only way she would attend school and submit any homework. This partnership between the teacher and the principal was also a prime example of how relationships between school personnel is just as important as relationships between teachers and their students.
On this day, the class assignment was to write about the theme of love used within Romeo and Juliet, and how it pertains to each student’s individual life. The other students in this class laughed with the teacher and joked, but also were very productive. He had each one of them engaged and interested in completing the lesson. In comparison to some of the other high school classes I got to observe, this one was the most attentive. He allowed them to work together and chat if they were completing their work, and this provided a mutual level of trust for the students to fulfill work but also enjoy their time in English.
At the end of the day, the teacher had his scheduled debrief with this student and allowed me to join him. The student was in a bit of a harsh mood, so we grabbed her assignment and then moved on to read it in privacy. In her work, she described her personal trauma that she had endured as a child and explained that she does not really believe in love. I was incredibly taken aback by this, but the teacher knew exactly what to do. He went back to her, pulled her aside, spoke with her about how she was feeling, and then worked with her to re-word her assignment to fit the prompt a bit better. However, he did not judge her prior work, nor did he overreact, so as not to make her flee the situation or break her confidence in their relationship.
For a moment, I was fearful of her assignment becoming a Duty to Report situation. Where I feared, this well-seasoned teacher barely even batted an eye. This was not the first time he had dealt with a situation like this. I watched him tear up slightly before he acted. He put his personal emotions aside and did what was best for the student immediately. It became obvious to me that this teacher had figured out what methods worked for him to bond with his students as well as deliver curriculum in an intriguing manner and had mastered it throughout his career. I admired his charisma in the classroom. This teacher’s demonstration of the importance of relationships was a very valuable asset of practicum for me to witness and it will not be taken lightly.
