Field Experience
Semester 1: 2 Week Obervation
Battalion Park School (Kindergarten- Grade 6)
During this two-week practicum I was able to experience an authentic snapshot of what working in schools will be like. I began my first field experience morning as I walked into one of the biggest elementary schools in Calgary with over 700 students enrolled. Throughout this experience I was able to observe and participate in a multitude of classrooms and courses and gain insight into teaching methods, learning theories, lesson planning, behaviour and class management, assessment and other educational practices, which will be very valuable as I continue forth into teaching in the future.
During this two-week practicum I was able to experience an authentic snapshot of what working in schools will be like. I began my first field experience morning as I walked into one of the biggest elementary schools in Calgary with over 700 students enrolled. Throughout this experience I was able to observe and participate in a multitude of classrooms and courses and gain insight into teaching methods, learning theories, lesson planning, behaviour and class management, assessment and other educational practices, which will be very valuable as I continue forth into teaching in the future.
Calgary Christian High School (Grade 7-12)
This was a very unique experience for me as I was able to explore a smaller high school (400 students) and Christianity. The culture here felt strongly influenced by the faith as CCHS aims at “working together to encourage the students to Believe, Learn and Grow, not only academically, but spiritually as well”. I enjoyed being apart of the high school atmosphere and observe students engaging in deeper level cognition. I enjoyed learning about the new technologies in the classroom and the ways teachers are embracing it in their lesson plans and projects. This was a very opening experience for me and I am grateful I was able to participate in this unique school setting throughout my practicum. I have taken away many useful strategies and ideas to implement in my future teaching practices.
This was a very unique experience for me as I was able to explore a smaller high school (400 students) and Christianity. The culture here felt strongly influenced by the faith as CCHS aims at “working together to encourage the students to Believe, Learn and Grow, not only academically, but spiritually as well”. I enjoyed being apart of the high school atmosphere and observe students engaging in deeper level cognition. I enjoyed learning about the new technologies in the classroom and the ways teachers are embracing it in their lesson plans and projects. This was a very opening experience for me and I am grateful I was able to participate in this unique school setting throughout my practicum. I have taken away many useful strategies and ideas to implement in my future teaching practices.
Semester 2
Westmount Charter School for the Gifted (Grade 5-12)
Working at Westmount School was an amazing experience as I was able to learn about accommodating many different types of learners in a classroom. The school defines giftedness as, "Students are gifted when they perform, or show potential for performing, remarkably high levels of accomplishment in learning rate, depth of knowledge, and reasoning and problem-solving abilities when compared to others of their age, experience, and environment". This was remarkable to see students so motivated to learn however, many gifted students are double coded with other learning difficulties. This gave me an interesting perspective into planning diverse lessons that can be tailored to engage all types of learners. Furthermore, I was able to learn how to properly challenge gifted learners in my future classroom while providing the support and guidance they need to be successful. Westmount Charter School aims to provide opportunities to optimize potential through differentiated learning in a safe environment.
During this practicum I was fortunate to see a variety of Spanish classes that ranged from grade 5-12 but working mainly with grades 9-12. This gave me a rich understanding of teaching a second language at a gifted level. My partner-teacher demonstrated creating meaningful lessons that kept students excited about learning. She allowed me to teach the grade 10 film studies unit which I found to be very beneficial and rewarding. We focused on Como agua para chocolate, Viva Cuba, El norte, and In the Time of the Butterflies.
Working at Westmount School was an amazing experience as I was able to learn about accommodating many different types of learners in a classroom. The school defines giftedness as, "Students are gifted when they perform, or show potential for performing, remarkably high levels of accomplishment in learning rate, depth of knowledge, and reasoning and problem-solving abilities when compared to others of their age, experience, and environment". This was remarkable to see students so motivated to learn however, many gifted students are double coded with other learning difficulties. This gave me an interesting perspective into planning diverse lessons that can be tailored to engage all types of learners. Furthermore, I was able to learn how to properly challenge gifted learners in my future classroom while providing the support and guidance they need to be successful. Westmount Charter School aims to provide opportunities to optimize potential through differentiated learning in a safe environment.
During this practicum I was fortunate to see a variety of Spanish classes that ranged from grade 5-12 but working mainly with grades 9-12. This gave me a rich understanding of teaching a second language at a gifted level. My partner-teacher demonstrated creating meaningful lessons that kept students excited about learning. She allowed me to teach the grade 10 film studies unit which I found to be very beneficial and rewarding. We focused on Como agua para chocolate, Viva Cuba, El norte, and In the Time of the Butterflies.