blogging for education: a blog

So, yesterday, because I have so much time on my hands and apparantly can afford to spend time watching TV, I was watching Oprah, who, and I stand by this, is awesome. I know I am a young adult and probably shouldnt think she is as great as I do until I am at least 15 years older, but I can’t help it. Anyway, her show was about giving- if you have, you should give because you will feel better, you get more from giving than having- that sort of thing. Then she had a bunch of celebs (yeah, thats right) on who were good at giving (i would be too if i had a gadillion dollars) and one of them was Andre Agassiz. He was on not because he gave away a million tennis balls but because he founded a school in Las Vegas, herein known as LV. His school, which he basically has very little to do with besides the being the benefactor (which is fine because i am not sure tennis players make the best educators) is in a low ses part of LV. The school is a college preparatory school, so all the children, upon graduation, show where they will be going to university. Its a pretty hefty goal for the area of town it is in, or so Oprah says. Because the school is very popular the children are selected by lottery. Tuition is free at the school, though parents have to put up money for uniforms. That is about their only cost, I believe. School days run longer, but that seems to be the only real difference between regular public school and this, though there are smaller classes. The thing that really stuck out for me, and the reason I am writing about it, is that when students are selected, their parents must meet with the school. Most of the children are from single parent families, and the six children interviewed all had at least one parent in jail. When the parents meet with the administration, they have a discussion about why education absolutely must be a #1 priority. The parents are required to sign a contract commiting to their childs education, and they must agree to 3 volunteer hours a week. The administration, in return, makes the promise that their child will succeed, regardless if additional tutouring is required etc. I just think that with that type of parental involvement, a child would have to try really hard not to succeed. The school puts a huge emphasis on sports and clubs, because in that area of town, if the children arent involved in positive things, they will almost certainly be involved in something negative. I went to look at the website following Oprah (http://www.agassiprep.org/). First, I went to employment opps (none exist) but I was impressed by how transparent the school was. I thought that this was pretty important because it gives other educators a peek into a positive educational environment. Anyway, this is something that I was intrigued by, and I am going to make an effort to see how things go for this school. I really hope, for the students in LV, that this school is successful, and if it is, I hope that we integrate some of the same modifications that they have.
ps- sorry this is late.

Following some considerable uproar the week past about ubc-o student representation at our school visits I think I have a few points to say on this particular subject.
One of the issues that I think is really important is our reputation within in the district. If we are perceived as being students that are unprofessional and unprepared to be teachers during our school visits, then this is something that can, potentially, affect us at interview time. I can hear it now. Ahh, a UBC-O student? I remember you guys, the badly dressed ones that never showed up. Sorry, the job is already taken.
My second issue is that our school visits are, SOMETIMES, rewarding. Sometimes not so much. Many times the schools have no idea that we are even coming to the schools, while we arrive excited and ready to learn. I have been yelled at on the phone because of this fact, then when I took this same issue to our coordinators, I got yelled at again! I question why there is not someone coordinating this effort on our behalf. Surely this would be more beneficial than having either 5 students (or no students) call at a busy school.
Thirdly, if there are rigid rules on the issue of dress code, could someone please tell us? It appears that some administration in Kelowna have ideas about this, which is fine, but it sure would be easier if someone would tell us what they are.
As a student, I have chosen to have this experience, and I feel that sometimes there is a lot of muddle where there is no need for it. A simple hand out (as in, sheet of paper) on behalf of the administration of education could avoid this. Tell us what EXACTLY is expected and you will get it, I guarantee. We want to be teachers and we want to impress.

so a week in the schools has just passed, and i am pleasantly surprised to find that i am really excited to start my practicum.  i thought there would be some nerves that would arise as i sat in the classroom observing my sponsor teacher.  surely they will come. probably 3 minutes before i start my first lesson.  but they didnt this past week.  my teacher had me sit and observe, and often help the students. i was a sponge: i wrote and wrote. there are so many things that i want to change when its my turn to be a teacher, but my sponsor teacher had so many great ideas too that i want to incorporate.  the environment that i am working in seems really open and caring.  there were definately lots of joking around and that made everyone so comfortable.  on a different subject sort of is the aspect of caring and etc in the schools.  a bit ago on the radio (Ah CBC you are my favorite) they were talking about how rude our youth is, and how things have change.  Random old man quote ‘they dont have any respect’. But all i saw this past week was positive modelling, and a whole lot of respect.  students, when admonished, were respectful and understanding; they also had an opportunity to speak about what happened and why. there was so much respect going both ways. the teachers that i saw, even with difficult students, were open. they didnt yell at a student in particular, and there was a lot of discussion.  i know that this might not always work, but it can a lot, and it was nice to see.  during my week, i was able to participate outside of the classroom as well with a cultural event; amazing drummers using just about anything but a drum to create an amazing performance, and a volleyball game that the entire school attended.  i thought that was pretty cool. i know that some schools have issues with school spirit, but it sure didnt seem like it that day with the volleyball team. it helped that GESS won! something that may become an issue for me is that i am sharing my classes with two teachers. i dont know if this will disrupt my practicum learning, though i think that it is definately something that i can use to my advantage, and see two different sides to the practicum.  as is obvious, i am very excited to start upon this path of learning. i cant wait.

Its funny how things happen at the right time sometimes. The First Nations woman that came in to class last week really helped to give me some perspective on teaching First Nations students. I would have thought that the focus would have been more on tangible things: ex. a first nations student should sit at the front etc. but reflecting on her talk has helped to give me an idea about what certain children face in the classroom. In the classroom that I am visiting now, I have been taking note of where the children sit, who and how this might affect etc. Its very interesting. Anyway, this week on CBC they are doing a special on why First Nations students dont succeed in the traditional school system. It might be good for people in our class to check out.
There are so many distractions for students, and for teachers, that i have been able to see so far this week in my school visit. Constant noise, too hot, too cold classrooms, small desks, inadequate supplies, no lunches etc. Its pretty amazing that they succeed at all. but then, there are these amazing teachers out there that are so excited to teach their subject, and they inspire their students. Its a pretty cool thing to see teachers that teach the way that I want to, or students that are excited to learn.

First off , I would like to express my thanks to futz, aka mr bone, for the comments.  It’s harder to take the time to start up discussions through this medium, but its nice to know that people are reading it. so thanks!

Point number 2: i went to a french conference down in Vancouver this weekend. it was up and down. it was held in a hotel, and it was a bit hard to know really what would help me in regards to being a teacher.  next time i attend one i will be more excited to participate because i will know what it is all about.  the best part about the conference was seeing that there are more than 8 people in the world that want to be french teachers (as is not represented by this programme).  There were some really great people there that had some awesome ideas for the classroom so that really got me thinking about how to make French relevant and exciting.  So overall, it was a good experience.  Plus, I went to an awesome concert so the trip was definately worth it.  Oh, also, I saw my first French Immersion teacher at the conference and she was so proud of me for wanting to be a french teacher, and she remembered everything about my family; it was a pretty inspiring thing to see how important her students were to her (even those that left her 10+ years ago).

Yesterday was colloquium. Pretty interesting. I thought there were some well chosen individuals that were invited to speak.  In particular, I was very impressed with Al Lalonde.  He spoke frankly about the work he is doing as principal at Central School, and he invited questions about everything.  Sometimes there are people that re-inspire my decision to be a teacher because they are so completely open about their statements and decisions.  I think its too bad that the colloquium was so short; oh my 10000 dollars.  Its nice to have today off though, i guess.   

my sidenote: this weekend i went and saw Across the Universe, so i might be havingsome ‘let’s take action’ feelings, i dont know.  anyway, my main issue with the presentations, as i stated on the discussions page, is the absence of a question-answer period.  I didn’t enter into education to have information fed to me in this manner.  I feel, as I am sure many others do (indicated by the discussions) that after four years of doing a Bachelors of something, learning how to analyze, critique, discuss etc, that I should be denied my fundamental right as a student to QUESTION.  i understand that sometimes its a time issue, or that the presenters just didnt fit it into the schedule, but i really feel that to understand the information, truly, we should question it.  The recent presentation on home schooling is what really sparked this rant, which is funny because i do understand the benefits of homeschooling, and though i might see the negatives according to me, i think that the presenters were talking to the converted.  We, as pre-service teachers (sounds like i am training for something, like the army, yikes!) surely do see the beauty of one child classrooms, different curriculums, many and varied field trips, working outside of time constraints.  Unfortunately, i left the presentation feeling like i was robbed- the information was interesting, compelling whatever, but the way it was presented sort of ruined it for me.

that rant though, was not my reflection for the week.  Yesterday i was at my friendly coffee shop (bean scene- delicious cappaccinos: do you think they will pay me for the free advertising?) talking about the segregated school idea put forth by one of the trustees on the coast mountaint school district school board.  i, of course, think that this is a disgusting idea. my uncle has down’s syndrome, and was very nearly segregated from the school system.  i have experienced the undeniable benefits of knowing this funny, honest and courageous man.  and i think that children benefit in this same manner: keeping a diverse student population together as one creates tolerance and understanding.  so, i am opposed to the idea, as were many of my conversees.  someone, in a disgusted tone questioned why, in the first place would they consider segregation.  i quickly responded: money.  blank stares all around.  most didn’t understand the funding per student ratio, and were appalled, but immediately were able to understand the reasoning behind why a segregated school could be beneficial.  i think that their responses stemmed from the idea that no one wants to be reduced to a number.  anyway, i was then quite proud to tell them the advances being made in this school district, and tell them about iep’s etc.  i know that there are still leaps and bounds that need to be acheived in the education system,  but i am happy to see the positive side of what we are all involved in.

 i think thats all for this week. i watched ‘whats eating gilbert grape’ yesterday. all i did this weekend was watch movies.  anyway, what a great movie.  i have noticed that when i watch things now i question if i can use it in a classroom.  it has put a lot of my life in a different perspective and it has made things more important to me.  interesting. 

my fifth blog: school visit with the chillins 

To preface, my Dad calls children chillens, and since being home for Thanksgiving, I have taken on some of his lingo. 

Last wednesday, I visited, along with five others, Belgo Elementary, a French Immersion school.  I thought that was so interesting and such a good contrast between the high school visits, and my faith in teaching French was restored.  These little children knew french songs and dances, and they seemed to actually enjoy learning the language.  I asked a student in Grade 6 if they had to speak in French in class, and he responded with a “pourquoi pas?” we LIKE to speak in French, and we are good at it.  After this response, I turned to one of the other student teachers and said “ah they have attitude in French too”.  But truthfully, I think that this FI programme is awesome, and really wish I had the opportunity to have been in that sort of school too. 

One of the things that seems so backwards about the french immersion school system is that there is an increasing demand for these programmes but it is so hard to get a student into them.  And then even, students grow up asking why am I learning this, there is NO ONE french here to speak with.  We were having a discussion about this in another class and our prof explained to us that it is all about relevancy: how much can we use such and such a language in our communities?

I grew up in a rural town where Russian Immersion is available (and very popular) from kindergarten to Grade 6.  I always saw the validity in the programme.  Although I was not in the programme (no russian grandparents, unfortunately) I was able to benefit from it by learning words that I could use to speak with my friends babas and dyetas.  In addition, the town 20 minutes away has a very alive Italian culture: you can buy Italian wines, hear Italian in the Italian grocery store, eat Italian foods and it even looks a bit like Italy.  Unfortunately, this town was denied an Italian immersion programme. They do have French Immersion though.  I wonder how laughable it is for the parents and grandparents when the children, in a single day have to switch from their native English to French to Italian, learning none of them proficiently. 

I sort of lost my train of thought, but what I have learned from being in the school system and learning more and more about it, is that in BC teaching French will be difficult, and I am going to have to realize for myself the validity of learning one language over another in this part of Canada.  I definately enjoy speaking French and I think it is very important to learn another language no matter where you live, but I can understand why people in this part of Canada have a hard time accepting the French Immersion programme. 

Anyhow, the school visits were very good, the children were so receptive to having us in their classrooms, and the teachers incorporated us either to read or help her with some tasks.  Some teachers took us aside and showed us some of the texts etc that they use to teach their classes, and the rationale behind their use.  Overall, I think that this visit will help us to understand students in the FI programmes at a higher level much better. 

this is my third reflection: school visit ta da!

Last Wednesday was my first school visit to George Elliot Secondary in Winfield.  I was so excited I barely slept the night before.  I arrived at the school perhaps overly zealous and definitely bouncing off caffeine.  Perfect set-up for sitting at the back of the classroom for 2.5 hours!  

          In general, I was very impressed with my school.  It’s the smallest high school in the district, so there is a very great community feel (I think- couldn’t really tell from one visit).  I am pretty excited to start my practicum there; I will be the only student teacher from UBC-O at the school, and there are two student teachers from UVIC who will hopefully be full of advice for me when it’s my turn.   

          There were some things that definitely surprised me.  When I was in high school, I was in French immersion, so all (well, some) of my classes were in French, and the teachers insisted on speaking French with us, no excuses.  At G.E. I was placed in a Grade 9 FSL class, where the teachers spoke more English than French.  I was pretty disappointed- I feel like we have so many resources to teach French and we don’t take advantage of them.  As well, in an English milieu, the students have only a couple options a week to speak French and we aren’t giving it to them.   

          Besides that, there were many positive things in the school, such as the amount of technology in the classroom.  In one class, the teacher used TV, video, cd’s, youtube, and the computer.  The classes at this school are 2.5 hours long, so being able to manipulate all these different tools kept the class moving.  On the point of moving, there was little opportunity to get up and stretch, so the students became a bit talkative.  I think that if they had been able to move around, this might have been avoided.   

          My sponsor teacher offered to let me teach a Spanish 11 class while I am doing my practicum.  This made me pretty nervous because my Spanish is horrible, but after discussing it with a few people, I am actually very excited for this opportunity.  I guess this is what being a life long learner is.  Obviously, I am pretty excited about the practicum part of this course!          

this is my second weeks post: philosophy of education (Welcome to the buzz word)

So the question today was all about philosophy of education and becoming a teacher: what does it all mean? It was very interesting to me to discuss with other people their experiences in high school and what made a good teacher.  Approachability, responsibility, accountability and facilitator were all key words today, amongst others.  It made me think about what kind of teacher I want to be.  I want to understand how I feel towards the idea of discipline in the classroom, classroom management etc.  I want to be a fair, approachable teacher but I don’t want to be the laissez-faire, you can get away with anything around me type.           

I am very interested in developing a philosophy of education and putting it into words.  When my grandmother became a teacher she created her philosophy, and it was full of many inspired ideas, such as always treating each child as an individual.  More that it being a guideline for her to follow, I think that it was a reminder.  When I read it, I was inspired; it detailed what is important for a teacher to remember, even if it isn’t always possible to practice in every situation.  At least, when times are tough it is something to refer to and remind her why she got into this game.           

One of the words that I think was missed in our discussion was mediator.  A teacher sometimes (often) plays the role of leader, parent, friend, coach, and judge.  When I become a teacher I want students to feel that I am being fair in my methods.  I want my classroom to be an environment where people feel comfortable enough to raise their hand and say what is on their mind.  On that point, I think that teaching students to honour one another is a good idea.  It is so simple, but it would help teachers and students to get past the ‘who is more important’ idea.  All over CBC radio this past week, they have been discussing the behavior of youth; should we be teaching behavior class in school? Why are our students so rude? I think it has to do with value.  Many people don’t learn the value of themselves for many years (or ever) but if we could teach people the importance of respect and understanding, maybe self-value would happen more quickly. Maybe what would follow would be that students would see that importance and help foster it within their peer groups.           

 Personal thoughts on the class: thought-provoking, interesting, dynamic.  It made me think about why teaching is important and who gets to decide that.  If I value it I think that will be felt throughout the classroom and the students, peers, parents and everyone else involved in the school community will learn to value it too. 

this is my fourth reflection: technology

I am happy that I waited a while, and actually reflected on the past week.  I left the information session about the computers a little bit mad and maybe more confused than I was previously.  After discussing the issues of technology in the classroom with Peter Arthur, I felt like I had a decent grasp on the pros and cons.  In the discussion last Wednesday, I felt like someone was trying to sell me a time-share or something equally unappealing.  I understand that the school district has probably been on the defensive over the laptop question and have had to put forth a very positive outlook to the public in order to convince some skeptical parents.  Still though, I was miffed that at the session any questions that we asked were met with cookie cutter responses.  To be fair, technology isn’t going anywhere, and I am eager to embrace it into the classroom- in my opinion, it is ignorant to assume that teaching with a piece of chalk will be the reality in five years time.  At the same time, it is my expectation that the school district will look upon the decision to implement laptops in the classroom as an experimental initiative, and be open to criticism.  The idea of transparency is an important one, and I think that this should extend into a program such as the laptop program.  If teachers in training, who are currently studying these issues are not able to feel comfortable about the answers they are receiving what is the point? I just think that if we have to work with this technology then we should know the ups and downs as the district sees them.   

          On a more positive note, I am very excited to work with the computers.  When I was a student at
Acadia, the computers added so much to some classes.  If a teacher knew how to use the computer effectively, the class was so interactive.  I definitely left the class and felt as though something was accomplished.  I really look forward to bringing that to my classrooms.  For one of the lesson plans that I have to do, I have been looking on youtube for music and videos.  The amount of information out there is awesome.  I think that it can really bring the outside world in- when I am teaching French the internet will be a medium through which I can make French relevant.  In the class that I visited two weeks ago, the teacher used so many different things to show her students that French is actually a language that people use.  That experience is so much different from my own- Roch Voisine was about as relevant as we got.  It didn’t really make anyone too excited to learn French.   

          Subject change.  I was talking to a mother of one of my friends who has been a teacher for 20 years, and I asked her Doug’s question about heart.  She said that heart is the only reason that anyone becomes a teacher, and all teachers would be happy to hear that the up and comers think the same thing.  Thought that was pretty cool.