Here we are on October 7th and already one month into the Education program. All I can think about is the fact we only have 15 months left until we are all out there teaching, hopefully! The biggest take home I have had so far in the program is the importance of understanding the history of education in Canada. In order to become a great teacher, one needs to understand the foundation in which the B.C curriculum (and Canadian system) stands today. We need to understand where we went wrong in education, and how we have progressed to get to this point. Currently, the B.C curriculum largely focuses on incorporating Indigenous worldview and their traditional ways of knowing. Just yesterday, at my observational practicum placement, the vice principal addressed his students in the morning announcements with a traditional acknowledgement in Carrier. Times are changing, and Indigenous values and traditions are no longer being ignored or seen as un-important. It is our responsibility as future educators to teach all student identities and acknowledge each individual child’s needs as best we can. Here in Northern B.C, there are many Indigenous communities. Being able to incorporate First People’s Principles of Learning into our lesson plans is a small step towards reconciliation and eliminating the resistance Indigenous people hold towards Canadian education and schools. Indigenous worldviews are not just for Indigenous people, but for everyone. Recognizing the significance of this educational shift has been the biggest take home message for me thus far as a teacher candidate in the program. We are here to teach the whole child, and in order to do so, we need to develop a deep understanding of the methods that have been taught before us and why they did or did not work. The goal is to create a positive and culturally safe learning environment within our classrooms.

I believe the expecting learning of us thus far in the program is ultimately to soak in and digest the foundations of what it means to be a teacher. We need to figure out what being a teacher means to us and what kind of teacher we want to be. This connects with Gretchen’s project in Education 393 about creating our own pedagogical philosophy. It is difficult to know what that will look like for myself without having had any concrete classroom teaching experience. Yet all of the information we are being provided is helping us shape our teaching metaphors and pedagogy. We just can’t fully see it yet. In order to be able to run, one first must be able to walk. The same goes for teaching. Before we learn to teach, we must first learn what it means to teach. This is exactly what our courses are currently providing as well as the observational practicum within schools. I have only spent one full day in an elementary school at this point, but I have recognized within myself that I already pick up on approaches I like and formulate opinions on those I do not. Being able to observe a teacher within their classroom environments invites us to make insightful observations about teaching styles we can relate or resonate with. As teacher candidates, we are still learners, and we are expected to develop a clear understanding of our future roles as an educator. We are learning to be vulnerable with ourselves and with our students. We are also learning that it is extremely important to build trusting relationships with our students. I have learned that it is more beneficial to spend time focusing on my students rather than focusing on shoving curriculum content down their throats. Each and every student has their own unique strengths, weaknesses, home life, values, and cultural background. It will be my job to honour those individual needs and traits in order to facilitate learning and student success.

What I have learned about myself so far in the program is that I really do not cope well with online learning and without a concrete schedule. My past five years of post-secondary have involved a similar format and grading scheme. As soon as the education program began, I had to forget all I had gotten good at and used to in school. We are no longer receiving letter grades, and our assignments are not weighted percentages. That is typically my sole motivator when tackling assignments. I want to get a good grade. Here, I need to tackle my assignments with the motivation of wanting to pass the block in order to move on to the next. My learning process does not revolve around grades anymore, and maybe that’s a good thing; however, it does not make it any easier to get used to. Secondly, our schedule has been rather loose, making it difficult for me to time manage throughout the day. I have had trouble deciding what to do in my spare time before and after class. Typically, I have the pressure of going to class in person, coming home and preparing food in an orderly fashion. In this case, I am always at home. It has been very difficult for me to stay focused during zoom lectures as well because I really miss personal interaction. What I have also learned about myself though is that I am adaptable and flexible. I am able to recognize this because here I am, one month into the program and I’m still alive. I have developed certain coping mechanisms that have helped me self-regulate and changed my perspective on how I am supposed to learn and take in information. This is all still very new for me, and I am learning things about myself I probably wouldn’t have if the circumstances were different. Regardless, I am very happy and proud to be here and excited for what’s coming next!