Looking Back...
In the afternoons, after a morning of English lessons, my students (I had a total of 75 students at one point) would join me on activities all around Victoria. We visited Fisherman’s Wharf, the Victoria Bug Zoo, Miniature World, Beacon Hill Petting Zoo, and went mini-golfing, swimming, and hiking just to name a few. Being new to Victoria myself, I found that the experience taught me as much about the city of Victoria as it did for my students. It was truly an eye-opening experience learning alongside my students. I developed many great relationships with my students where teaching and learning were a complete ebb and flow between us. In addition, it was truly amazing to watch my student’s understanding of both the English language and Canadian culture flourish throughout the 6 weeks of the camp. It was a total immersion experience for all of us: for me as a teacher, and them as English language learners. From this experience, I was able to see first-hand just how much learning happens outside of formal classroom settings. Once outside, my students encountered many cultural situations they might not have experienced had it not been for the afternoon activities.
Looking Ahead...
Going forward, I will take what I have learned in this non-formal learning environment and apply my relationship-building skills to more formal situations in the classroom. The relationships I built with my students this past summer were based on respect for one another and what we had to offer. Because I worked with students from all over the world, there were many different cultures and walks of life constantly mingling, so it was important to model respect for new or different ideas. I had just as much to learn from them as they did from me, and I think that demonstrating this attitude towards my students strengthened our respect for one another rather than supported a typical, hierarchal teacher-student relationship.
Case Study: Relfection
This assignment was meaningful for me for multiple reasons, but the two main ones are:
- It prompted me to interact with a student with a different background that my own
- It prompted me to reflect on the interaction and consider the lens through which I perceived the interaction
I can acknowledge that I spend most of my time with those who I have a lot in common with and feel comfortable with. Generally, I don't tend to stray too far from my comfort zone, but being in the PDP program has really pushed me to interact with those who I may not have anything in common with. I look at the process and the result of this expansion and reaching outward very positively. As Piaget once said, it is through disequilibrium that we experience growth and broaden our scope of knowledge and understanding of the world. Only after making the initial leap to engage in a new kind of interaction did I really realize that my perspective of students was based on my own high school experiences. Engaging with that young man helped me to acknowledge my narrow perspective and expand it to include those from other backgrounds.
Standards for the Education, Competence and Professional Conduct of Educators in BC
The BC Teacher Standards webpage can be accessed here.
History 12 Lesson--> Connection: BC Teaching Standards
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Educators have a broad knowledge base and understand the subject areas they teach.
Educators understand the curricular, conceptual and methodological foundations of education and of the subject areas they teach. Educators must be able to communicate effectively in English or French. Educators teach students to understand relevant curricula in a Canadian, Aboriginal, and global context. Educators convey the values, beliefs and knowledge of our democratic society.
In this case, I did not have a broad knowledge base and understanding of propaganda during WWII, but because my co-teaching partner did, we created the lesson in a way that included both of our strengths. While he provided the historical information, I created thought-provoking questions and led an analytical discussion regarding a short film, as my strengths lie in English Language Arts. Both of our backgrounds together created one strong lesson that we were lucky enough to share with a group of History 12 students.
Getting my TEFL Certificate
Why I Decided to Get TEFL Certificate
I have linked this experience to the following BC Teaching Standards point, because I feel that it reflects my initiative to engage in professional development. I enrolled in this course out of general interest to expand my knowledge in the subject area, as well as to enhance my pedagogy.
Educators engage in career-long learning.
Educators engage in professional development and reflective practice, understanding that a hallmark of professionalism is the concept of professional growth over time. Educators develop and refine personal philosophies of education, teaching and learning that are informed by theory and practice. Educators identify their professional needs and work to meet those needs individually and collaboratively.
Standard/Competency
- Educators have a broad knowledge base and understand the subject areas they teach.
- Educators value and care for all students and act in their best interests.
- Educators engage in career-long learning.
I have teaching experience in a variety of educational settings, but the one I wish to focus on today is my experience working at a language school this past summer. I was hired to coordinate activities for a summer youth camp and to substitute teach students who were between the ages of 11-16. I felt prepared for this opportunity as I had just received my TEFL certificate (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) in the spring and was extremely excited to share my passion for second/additional language learning and put my training into action. Besides my TEFL certificate, I have a BA in English with a minor in French. Throughout my degree I was especially interested in the translation and linguistic classes I took in both English and French. Feeling well equipped with my education, training, and tutoring experience, I was ready to step into my role as an advocate for additional language learning. I feel that this experience connects to the standards described above as it reflects the various steps I’ve taken as a lifelong learner to better prepare myself as a teacher in a subject area I am passionate about.
Summer Youth Video
This video is a montage of photos taken at the camp and in the classrooms throughout the summer.
Case Study Description
<--- During my Wednesday observations at Stelly's High School, I have been lucky enough to experience high school in 2017 from a educator's perspective. This assignment asked us to study a particular student in an effort to get us thinking about how we might relate to them. Additionally, we were prompted to consider our own perspective and how it affects the conclusions we come to regarding our ideas about this particular student. In slide 11, I address the ways in which I plan to bridge any gaps that may exist between my students and I.
Link to Ministry of Education Teacher Standards:
This reflective experience is linked to one of the BC Teacher Standards regarding student growth and development. As an educator, I learned the importance of understanding where the student is coming from and what experiences they may carry and how this influences who they are in the present moment.
Educators understand and apply knowledge of student growth and development.
Educators are knowledgeable about how children develop as learners and as social beings, and demonstrate an understanding of individual learning differences and special needs. This knowledge is used to assist educators in making decisions about curriculum, instruction, assessment and classroom management.
History 12: Co-teaching Feedback
Getting my TEFL Certificate
The experience:
I enrolled in this program in January 2017 and received my certification in April 2017 from the Continuing Studies program at UVic. At that point, I already knew that I wanted to be a teacher, and that I would be starting the Secondary PDP program at UVic the coming fall. I wanted to dive into the world of teaching sooner and further explore my interest in additional language acquisition, being a bilingual speaker myself, and learn the strategies to teach ELL (English language learners) that I knew I would one day find in my classroom.
What I have done since receiving my TEFL certificate
As demonstrated at the beginning of this page, getting my TEFL Certificate opened a large door for me professionally.
Because of my certification, opportunities were now open to me that would not have been otherwise. Not only did I have the opportunity to get a real taste of classroom teaching during the summer of 2017, I was able to work with other educators with similar interests and learn from their experiences. Being a part of a community where ideas and resources are shared and experiences created, was just as, if not more, enriching for me as a beginning educator.
What will I do next?
I feel as though I have just gotten a taste of the world of teaching English as an additional language, and I hope to have the opportunity to work closely with those in the Victoria area as well as abroad someday. I am fortunate to have met and gotten to know many educators with a similar passion, and I look forward to growing my knowledge in this area and increasing the number of strategies in my teaching toolbox.