My first placement was a wonderful experience and I learned a lot. I was placed in a school in Ottawa, ON with a lovely Associate Teacher who was able to share lots of wisdom with me. I was very fortunate to have a great class who were all eager learners.

It was interesting to be in a split class (grades 4/5). It worked very well having more than one teacher, however I know with one teacher split grades can be very difficult. It was good to get a chance to practice teaching two grades in a safe environment.

The class was very well behaved, and excited to learn. There were some students with Learning Differences, but they still worked very hard. One student had a hearing difference, and I wore an EduMic while teaching so the student could hear more clearly. This was very interesting because I was able to experience in practice, what I learned about in the P.D. days surrounding the success of deaf and hard of hearing students.

I was able to teach lessons or conduct activities in several subjects; science, math, art, gym, dance, music, and language arts. I was able to teach a whole unit of science to the grade 5 students which was very interesting practice. This consisted of five lessons, an activity and a quiz. Additionally, I helped out with the school musical. I attended auditions and rehearsals every morning recess for most of the placement. I also gave suggestions about the stage, movement of actors, and general acting ideas to improve the musical. Lastly, I designed and drew the backdrop for the musical (on large paper – about 10 feet x 20 feet) and students painted it.

Getting to apply my theoretical knowledge in a practical setting was very refreshing. At the beginning of placement, I was worried about how well I would do. I wondered if I would be able to take on this enormous task of teaching, even in this safe setting where I am not the only (or even main) responsible adult. I had been learning all about the ups and downs of teaching and was worried about putting it into play in a real school. However, throughout my placement I learned about the what school environment is like. I learned that although teachers are alone in the classroom, they are not alone in the school. More often than not, there are many supports for them.

I really enjoyed my placement and eagerly await the next one!