Journal of a First Year Teacher- How has my education prepared me for what I will face?

As you read this journal I hope that it offers a unique perspective from a first year teacher. I would recommend a process similar to this for any first year teacher. Keeping a journal and constantly reflecting on experience can be annoying and time consuming however in the field it can be one of the only forms of accountability you have. Engaging in authentic reflective practice will help you learn faster, be more effective, and experience more success more often in your first year on the job.

I have always strongly believed that reflecting on mistakes and experiences is the best way to learn. I feel like I am a reflective person however I have never been one to sit down and write out my thoughts into a journal or diary. Creating this journal presented a unique opportunity for me to further engage in the reflective process. Sharing my journal has challenged me to think about challenges and experiences to a depth that I do not think I would have done otherwise. I believe that keeping this journal for my first year of teaching has enhanced my experience in the following ways:

1. Increased depth of reflection.Being asked to share my journal and my reflections has challenged me to go deeper and resulted in a higher quality of reflection. I believe very strongly that sharing my work created a level of accountability that I would have struggled to have otherwise. Knowing someone is going to read your reflection challenges you to create something that reflects the passion you have for the profession.

2. Enhanced/increased number of learning experiences with other professionals.A lot of my journal was focused on various initiatives within the division and education in general. Focusing on the experience of other professionals challenged me to begin conversations that drew out there opinions around a particular idea or practice. One of my favorite things to do is to share my philosophy and ideas with other educators. Having this journal helped to focus my conversations into something that I could potentially journal and share later. I was able to learn more about different initiatives and different teachers’ successes and failures because this journal challenged me to ask questions that probed deeper into these issues.

3. Increased frequency of reflection.Ideally teachers reflect on the successes and/or failures of every lesson that they teach however there are times when commitments outside of school or a need for balance takes away from this experience. Keeping a journal challenged me to continually reflect on all aspects of every lesson even though I did not journal or share on every aspect. I

would reflect on each lesson I did trying to draw out particular ideas that I could reflect on further in my journal.

4. Encouraged to try (or transition to) new things quicker.As I was continually reflecting on my lessons, experiences, interactions, etc. I was more aware of any successes or failures that I had. This heightened awareness allowed me to quickly identify things that worked well or not so well with certain classes. I was able to switch quickly to something new if I needed to because I was very conscious of how successful my current method was.

5. Greater confidence in what I was doing.Being able to share ideas and receive feedback on them was such a confidence builder as a first year teacher. Sharing my journal presented a great opportunity to receive affirmation about the practices and lessons I was attempting from people who were knowledgeable and appreciative of these methods. Having a system of support and affirmation is an important thing for new teachers and without my journal it would have been harder to find.

Everyone’s situation is unique and what may have worked for me may not work as well for somebody else. Differences aside, reflective practice is at the core of what it means to be a teacher. A teacher committed to the profession is a teacher committed to developing their skills and practices. Keeping a journal is one of the simplest (yet probably the most effective) way to continually engage in a process of life long professional development.

January 29, 2013

Today was my first day teaching on a full-time contract. I have done some subbing since classes resumed in January however this is the first time I have felt the full ‘weight’ of being a teacher. The preparation time has been short and that has caused me a bit of anxiety. I have found it difficult having to plan using a curriculum that I have never seen before. Health, Social Studies, and Math 9 are all new subjects to me however I have found some comfort in the fact that these courses have already undergone curriculum renewal and are outcome based. In my education classes we did a lot of work with outcomes (especially in my assessment class) and I have found the process of working with outcomes to be the same although the content may be different. Outcomes have allowed me to really allow my class to be student and activity driven (something emphasized in my ESCI classes).

Teaching my internship from the first day was a big advantage for me going into class today. My instructors emphasized the idea that experiencing a first day would be beneficial to me and I’m glad I had that opportunity in my internship. Having already experienced a first day allowed me to reflect and change how I wanted to relate to my class before my first day as a full-time teacher. I did not want to make my first day about rules and procedures to follow, something I had done in internship. My first day this time around was more focused around building a classroom community and discussing what kind of classroom we wanted.

January 30, 2013

Today was an excellent day. I know it is early but I really feel like my students are buying into the ideas that I have for my classroom. Being excited about learning has gotten my students excited to be there (for now). I have really been focusing on student engagement and trying to ground what we are doing in the real world. The emphasis y my professors placed on student engagement and connecting the curriculum to my students’ lives has been invaluable. In social studies I am focusing on how my students view society; I am really trying to draw on their prior knowledge and have found this has helped a lot with their learning. I have found my students surprised when I tell them I want to know what they think instead of telling them what to think like they have become accustomed to.

I have also been including technology as a tool as much as I could into my classroom as a way to connect to the world, engage my students and help assist my students with their learning. I’m so grateful that I took ECMP 355 in my education course load. ECMP helped me to:

1.) Better understand the technology that is available to me. (My class is using a web-based program called Glogster to show their understanding of Canadian society in a way that incorporates video, images, text, and music).

2.) Understand the importance, as well as the process, of connecting my classroom to the world. (I was able to arrange a video conference with an archaeologist from the U of S next Tuesday).

January 31, 2013

In math class today I tried to connect the process and goals of math to my students’ lives. There was a very good response after the activity and a couple students said they really enjoyed the approach we took to math (one student said best class ever, although I was skeptical). My ESCI methods classes were the basis for where I took my math class today. Understanding the importance of connecting the curriculum to my students lives, and being successful at this in my other classes, I decided to try something along these lines in a math context. I had my students go out into the school take a picture of something they could express with an equation and then at the end we shared and solved the equations we had made. I found that this process not only gave my students a context for why math could be important but that it also got them excited because they were given the freedom to explore math on their own. Many students were proud to show the equation they had developed on their own without any instruction from the teacher as to what was ‘right’.One thing I have struggled with is how to teach math. I feel like being a science major most administrators are going to look at me and put me in math classes to start with just because the two seem to go hand in hand in most schools. My goal with my math class is to continue to take the same approach I would use if it was a science class. I want to use activities, my student’s prior knowledge, and drive learning with questions and student engagement. I hope as I continue in my math class I will continue to see the carryover from my science methods classes.

February 1, 2013

Today is Friday, I couldn’t tell by looking at my classes though. I’m wondering if Grade 9s are just wired a little differently than Grade 11s or 12s. In my internship Fridays were zoo days. It was hard to keep my class on task and I had to plan accordingly. What I found today is that my classes worked very well. I’m hoping that this is because they are engaged in what we are doing. This is where I’m at in my classes:

1.) In Social I am having the class prepare virtual posters of how they view society. I think the fact that I have emphasized I want it to be how they view society and society’s goals and not the textbooks version that has gotten them engaged. I also think the idea that we are using very ‘polished’, intuitive software has engaged them as well; they can make a fantastic looking poster without much expertise.

2.) In Health we are looking at aspects of leadership. Again, I think that emphasizing that I want their opinion of what good leadership is has kept them engaged in the process. I find the outcomes very easy to work with and they are not explicit in either Social or Health.

3.) In math today we worked through a new method of problem solving. I tried to challenge the students and treat the process more like a brain teaser section. I want my students to be confident in their ability to problem solve (something they are good at) and then carry that over into the math (something that really intimidates them).

This is the end of my first week teaching full time. I have really found that basing my classes around activities and student engagement has made a big difference at the beginning. Students are buying into the process and enjoying learning right off the bat. I feel like I have been adequately prepared by the ESCI and ECMP classes that I have taken.

February 4, 2013

A couple weeks ago I visited the Calgary Science School and wrote a blog post about it. The conversation that came out of my blog post got me thinking about the different goals of schools and school divisions in Saskatchewan.

After my blog Dean, Daniel and Erin from the Calgary Science School all ended up posting responses. Dean pointed out the following:

I agreed that it is hard to find places like the Calgary Science School (CSS)…places that focused on doing more than one thing well. The division I am in really focuses on assessment (formative, summative, outcomes, etc.) however sometimes things like student engagement and the use of technology do not get as much attention. This can happen more in a place like the CSS because they have more autonomy and share a common vision. Instead of focusing on just one aspect of learning CSS focuses on the entire student, teacher and school (something that I find missing in some high schools). It is hard to do everything well however the CSS made it appear that it is possible. As I apply for jobs it seems like most school divisions take this approach of doing one thing well (I think probably because it is easier to show results). I know it would be difficult but if everyone could get on the same page then maybe more meaningful changes could begin to take place.

February 5, 2013

I want to continue to talk about the conversation about shared visions among schools however today I had a great experience with how technology can help to engage my students.

In Social Studies today my class and I started a unit on archaeology. I thought that the archaeology unit would be a perfect chance for me to try connecting my class with an expert. I ended up exchanging

emails with Dr. Christopher Foley, an archaeologist at the U of S, and we set up an online video conference for today.

I had previously thought (through my experience in ECMP 355) that connecting with an expert would be a cool experience and easy to do with the technology available. Having Dr.Foley talk with my class via the internet reaffirmed my belief in the importance of connecting with an expert and also opened my eyes to the different ways I can use technology to engage my students. I was surprised to find my students engaged, not as much with our ability to talk to someone over the internet but by the passion and knowledge that Dr.Foley had for his profession. Dr.Foley had so many great anecdotes, life experiences, and interesting answers to student questions I could never have offered my students. This experience made me think about the other subjects and content I will teach and really emphasized the importance of connecting with people like Dr.Foley. The technology to connect to people around the world is available and fairly intuitive. I think it is a lot more practical and engaging for my students if they can ask questions of someone who has actually been there and loves what they are doing.

I think I was starting to get into a mindset where I was beginning to use technology more as a way to make things look cool without having to work super hard or be super creative. I think my experience with Dr.Foley helped me refocus realize that technology is something that will engage my students often in ways I don’t even expect or intend it to. I definitely want to arrange more experiences like this for my students in the future.

February 6, 2013

I want to jump back to the conversation on my blog about the goals of education…

Erin Couillard from the Calgary Science School (CSS) commented on my blog post. Erin touched on the Inquiry Rubric (http://www.galileo.org/research/publications/rubric.pdf ) CSS teachers use to evaluate their unit plans and also posed the following question which Dean answered:

The CSS really tries to do multiple things well and, as Dean suggested, I think that comes from the combination of both will and leadership. I think when you have a small group of people making decisions that affect a relatively small group it is easier to make changes. Larger school divisions seem to have so many different directives and conflicting opinions that I think the desired result gets less focus than the process.

One thing that really struck me about the CSS was the autonomy that teachers were given. Each teacher had a credit card with a $1000/month limit so that if they needed something (craft supplies, equipment, or software) they could purchase it without jumping through any of the hoops required in some school divisions. Dan McWilliams, the gentleman who showed me around the CSS, explained to me that they found if teachers were given trust they did a better job (same deal with students). I feel like some of my ideas get squashed before they even get off the ground because I do not have the freedom to get the supplies I need quickly. I want to use ComicLife in my Social Studies class but I need to wait for division approval and installation even though they admittedly need a program like that very badly. Any supplies I need have to be in the budget the year before! How am I supposed to build my lesson around and directed towards engaging a class of students before I even know them? I find that so many of my better ideas occur to me maybe the night or weekend before I introduce a concept. If I had the freedom (and trust from my division) to go out and get what I need (usually in the form of web-based software) I feel like I could take my ideas and build them into something bigger and better.

February 7, 2013

Math class is starting to get interesting. I remember a couple of instances over the past two years where I asked questions centered on engaging students with math. Math seems so procedural to me, especially at the Grade 9 level, and I couldn’t understand how this would engage my students (It doesn’t). These last two weeks I have been challenged to answer questions that I had left unanswered throughout the past two years, “How do I engage students with Math?”, “Can Math ever be fun?” ... now that I am teaching Math 9 I need to answer these questions.

I really want my students to become engaged in the process of Math and I have been looking on blogs, asking other teachers, looking around Twitter, doing anything I can think of to find out what other teachers are doing. I ran across Dan Meyer’s blog last week sometime and over the weekend decided to develop what Meyer calls ‘Three Act Math Problems’. Basically these problems use technology to video tape, photograph, and annotate something from everyday life. Students are shown this video and then ask questions. Once we decide on a question we are going to answer students break off and work out the math. At the end we get back together, discuss what we did and imagine how we could take this further.

This whole past week I have been doing Three Act Math problems for the first 10 - 15 minutes and have seen engagement increase consistently. I think the students really appreciate the idea that:

1.) We are answering their questions.

2.) The things we have looked at are things that are relevant to them.

Ex. Yesterday we looked at a National Post article that stated we are going to melt down 85 million kg of pennies in the next year. One student knew copper was worth a bit and so wanted to know how much money we’d make off the copper. The students then determined they needed to know how much one penny weighed (although at the end we realized this was irrelevant), the percentage of copper in one penny and the price of copper. Once we found these numbers (there was a helpful info graphic with the article) the students were able to work out mathematically how much money we would make off the copper in 85 million kg of pennies.

We have only been doing Three Act Math problems for almost a week however the class is already beginning to ask great questions as well as come up to me with their own ‘Acts’ to base questions around. I am going to continue this at the beginning of every class as a way of engaging my students and helping them understand how Math can help answer their questions about the world around them.

February 8, 2013

Today I was thinking about the new curriculum and there were a couple reasons for this. My ESCI 401 class had Dean Elliot in to their class yesterday to discuss the new changes in the curriculum and what it means. Elliot came to my ESCI class the year before and explained what the new courses and pathways

would be. I’m excited for the new courses because it not only allows me to explore some areas of science I am passionate about but it also may give me more job opportunities as older teachers step down not wanting to deal with new content.

I spent lunch hour on the third floor today (the science floor) and got to talking with a couple of the teachers about the new curriculum. My coop thinks that Grade 11 enrolment will go down because physics and chemistry both end up under the Physical Science course. I’m not sure I agree with this, because Grade 11s need to take a science to graduate, however my coop is a Chem guy so I think he may have been talking about the enrolment in his Chemistry classes in particular. Another teacher thinks that the numbers across the sciences will remain the same because there is always this group of parents that want their children to take all the maths and all the sciences in high school. All the teachers were fairly optimistic and they also were quite sure they would be piloting the new curriculum because they are 1 of only 2 large high schools in the division.

One thing that did concern the group of teachers on the third floor was the budget for the new courses. The budget is submitted a year in advance and any supplies for the next year are supposed to be bought the year before. One teacher was excited to teach Earth Sciences however once he realized he would have no budget for a completely new course he backed away a bit. I think teachers would be excited to pilot the new courses if they knew they had the budget justified for a new course. I could see the courses become very rote-memory based if teachers aren’t able to access the resources they need in order to help them develop the course in an engaging way. I think it’s easy, when faced with a new challenge, to pull resources off the web for your students to copy. It would be hard to spend the time developing a new course to its full potential when you have family and extracurricular commitments as well as no budget or resources available to you.

February 11, 2013

I think teachers need school divisions to provide support that helps to engage students. Teachers are professionals and so many are excellent at what they do however the students in schools are changing. Students in schools are exposed to technology all the time and are going to continue to be in the future. Teachers that are ‘afraid’ of technology are missing out on an important tool that could help motivate their students. There is not enough support or encouragement for these teachers to implement new ideas to engage their students.

The reason I am thinking about teacher support is because today I was talking to another Social 9 teacher in the school. This teacher and I were sharing some of the things we have been doing. She was surprised to hear that I have not been using the textbook question sheets or even the textbooks for that matter in Social 9. I shared with her the things we were doing (more student lead, project based things) and she was kind of intimidated. Teaching for 8 years she entered the profession at a different time. The technology we are now able to use to create engaging assessments (something growing exponentially) is something she has never really experienced until now. This teacher thinks she is incapable of using any

of these different tools even though they are probably more intuitive than any of the programs that teachers in the division use now.

I know some school divisions have positions where they have that ‘technology guy’ who goes around and shows new engaging tools available to teachers. I don’t know how this works in those divisions however I know that in our division ‘that guy’ is something that could really help teachers. Teachers need to be encouraged to grow their teaching and school divisions need to make this process as comfortable as possible. If teachers can become engaged in learning then they can in turn engage their students. I think students would love it if a teacher came into the class and said, “Look at this cool tool I was shown the other day! How about you guys take this and use it show me what you know?”. A lot of older teachers I have met have this mind set however they don’t know where to start and there is no one available to help them find it.

February 12, 2013

I have always understood that formative assessment is going to be an important part of my practice. These last couple of weeks, teaching Math 9, I have begun to see that formative assessment is going to be even more important than I previously thought.

My Math 9 class has so many different ability levels. Some classes I find I am spending so much time with the 3 or 4 students who need a lot of help that other students do not get the help that they need. Being so focused on a handful of students has also caused me to lapse a bit in my ability to keep my students accountable to themselves. With 33 students in my class I started to realize that it is going to be very tough for me to get around and check/help everyone individually. What I have begun to do (and found to be effective) is to constantly assess my students learning. I do not spend time marking everything but instead spend a couple minutes flipping through each student’s assessment so that I can see where the class is at. This is something I have done before but for some reason was not something that I did my first day of Math 9. As the weeks have progressed I definitely realized that I needed some way to keep myself and my students accountable, doing daily formative assessments has allowed me to do that. My education has definitely prepared me for this realization and thankfully given me a lot of practice with various formative assessments I can use to keep my students engaged.

I have found that constantly assessing my students development has allowed me to address major misconceptions quickly and also has allowed me to identify students that I can direct other students to for help.

February 13, 2013

Today we had a staff meeting regarding student registration which is coming up in the next couple of weeks. The staff meeting really left me wondering about how effective the new ‘pathways’ approach is as well as how practical it is getting students to choose so soon.

The way our group leader spoke it really seemed like these pathways cause teachers to separate students into those who are staying around home and those who are university bound as early as Grade 10. The way the Math pathways work students can make poor decisions in Grade 10 that may have repercussions 5 years from then. I understand that math is not for everyone however if a student struggles in Grade 10 and are recommended to maybe switch to the ‘easier’ Workplace Math, dropping Foundations, they are automatically closing some doors in the future. Students do not know what they want to do in Grade 10 and if they think they do, this could change drastically in in the next 3 years. This ‘pathways’ approach results in students having to make decisions in Grade 10 that I did not have to make until Grade 11 and 12. I think that having an extra year to mature and understand more about yourself and your abilities makes a big difference.

As I think about the ‘pathways’ in math my mind is drawn to the new science curriculum. With the new pathways coming in is it possible for students to now make a poor decision in Grade 11 that will close doors for them in the future? Students going into Grade 11 are not going to have an immense amount of knowledge about what Health Science, Earth Science, or Physical Science entail. I fear students are going to separate the new courses into The Nursing One, Mining, and The Harder One without having any idea about what each course involves. A majority of students are going to make decisions based on their past experience (success or failure) with the content in these courses. Are students going to make a decision that closes a door they will wish was still open in the future? Are students going to allow past teachers and experiences to make that decision for them?

Only 32% of students at ECS go to university their first year out of high school, these students are going to take everything (Math and Science). I am concerned about the 15 – 20 % of students that work for 1 – 3 years before they decide they want to take the university or SIAST route. Are these students who make decisions later in their life going to be negatively affected by the new pathways?

February 14, 2013

I am finding that at times I catch myself not allowing my students to make mistakes. I don’t know where this initial reaction comes from but I think this reaction is something that is shared by other teachers. Today in tutorial I was talking with another teacher and he was telling me how a couple students in his Phys Ed. class always end up setting goals to do something like 60 push ups. In order to achieve their goal of 60 push ups these students plan to do 30 push ups 3 times a week for 2 weeks. This teacher was getting frustrated explaining to students how it was impossible to do 60 push ups if the most you ever do is 30. I mentioned that it might be cool to allow them to try this because when they attempt it and find out that it doesn’t work what they take away might be more valuable. This had never occurred to the teacher I was talking with and he thought this would be something he might try the next time this situation occurred.

After having the conversation I had in tutorial I started thinking about the things I was doing in my class. Do I allow my students to make enough mistakes? I think that sometimes I jump in too soon, before my students have an opportunity to ‘screw up’. I know this reaction comes from the fact that I want my

students do well however am I really helping my students if I protect them from their mistakes? Mistakes are the most valuable learning experiences that we have and I don’t want to become so focused on my students ‘doing well’ that I forget about the process of how learning actually happens.

February 15, 2013

Today is the last day before the February break. I don’t know how many school divisions have a February break anymore however I know this is the last year that there will be one in our school division. The reason the holidays are changing is because of the increased number of instructional hours next year. I believe that the change in instructional hours is partly due to students not coming back in September until after the Labour Day weekend. I know that a lot of teachers at the school aren’t really happy with changing the schedule however they know that there is not much that they can do with it.

One thing that I have talked about with some of the teachers in my school is how much difference it will make increasing the instructional hours by a couple of days. When discussing the changes to the school schedule I was thinking about my math class. If there are a handful of students that take up a lot of my time I don’t know if increasing instructional hours is going to help the whole class that much more. I think that the students that need more time will get a couple of extra minutes however I don’t know how much the majority of my class will gain. I think the biggest way that school divisions could enhance student learning is decreasing class size, especially in math classes. If the ratio decreased from 34:1 to 25:1 I think as a teacher I could do a better job of meeting the needs of my individual students. The teachers I talk to agree with my perspective but they are aware how the system works as well. It is too expensive, and maybe in some communities impossible, to start increasing staffing in schools in order to decrease ratios.

The math class I have is the one class where I see the largest variety of abilities and interests in my students. If I had a smaller ratio I think it would be easier to cater my class in a more meaningful way for the students that I have. I think increasing instructional hours may help but I don’t know if this will be as effective as if staffing was increased. I think that this struggle between the needs of my class and the needs of my individual students is something that I am going to be continually faced with in my math class.

February 25, 2013

Today was the first day back in school after the February break. A lot of teachers are still gone on their respective vacations so I had the chance to cover a Science 9 class in period 6. I really enjoyed being back in a science class even if it was only for an hour. Teaching science (especially Science 9) is something I am really comfortable with and there is none of the frustration that I have with some of the content in the subjects I am less familiar with. It seems like most students are generally interested in science (sometimes intimidated) and there isn’t the stigma associated with ‘boring’ classes like History, English,

or Math. I realize that by saying this I am making a very big generalization however this is what I hear students around the school saying. I feel like students are more interested in science and less interested in math and social. Is this because science is easier to relate to students lives? Is science is more engaging? Do teachers just find it easier to relate science to their students?

I’ve been trying very hard to relate both social and math meaningfully to my students’ lives. As I attempt to engage my students I have been met with some successes and lots of failures. I find as I persist in this approach students are slowly beginning to buy in to what I am trying to do. Students have not been used to the accountability that some of my inquiry-based lessons have placed upon them however they are slowly adapting to this approach.

February 26, 2013

Today I was thinking about how, if I were a student, all the different expectations would be hard to balance. The Grade 9s that I see have five classes with five different teachers with five different sets of expectations. Even amongst different Math or Health classes there are completely different sets of expectations. Students are challenged to think 5 different ways for an hour at a time. I think this transition could be made easier for students however it starts with the teachers.

At the Calgary Science School teachers have an extra prep every second day. This extra prep is for each department to get together and make sure they are on the same page. Teachers at CSS share ideas and assessments with other teachers in there department. Sharing ideas allows teachers at CSS to take their lessons and student learning further than they’d be able to on their own.

At the school where I am we have department meetings once a month, even then these are more administrative and not about ideas. I think teachers need more opportunities to share ideas, assessments, and expectations in order to improve the quality of student learning. If teachers are on the same page then students will have an easier transition throughout the day.

Teachers are professionals and although they may be able to teach on an island is this really responsible? Different teachers have so many great ideas that work differently in each class. Teachers need to get together more frequently so that they can exchange these ideas and help inspire each other. Teachers see many of the same students so getting together could also help to address individual needs better. Teachers need to be excited about sharing ideas and learning from each other, the same thing we expect from our students.

February 27, 2013

Health class today provided a good example how exemplars could help improve my students work.

PD days in our school division are really geared towards assessment. At the start of the school year and a couple months in there were PD events exclusively for new teachers focussing on assessment. The division has been focusing on assessment for a couple of years so the purpose of a ‘new teacher’ (anyone new to the division) seminar was to get teachers acquainted with the assessment philosophy of the division. Most of the content we covered in the seminars was a repeat of my U of R Assessment class however it did help reemphasize the importance of incorporating exemplars into my assessment.

A lot of my Health class has been geared towards project based learning. My class has been trying to create resources that will help themselves and others face the issues that we discuss. Some of the types of projects we have done have been new for my students. My students have not created info graphics or brochures that were engaging and helpful so I have found exemplars very useful. Right now we are creating brochures that are educational but also contain a ready-to-use action plan that are specific for each student’s topic. I have found that showing students examples of really good brochures has helped challenge their thinking about them. Using exemplars as well as providing lots of opportunities for feedback has really begun to show dividends. I know that taking an approach like this has taken more time however I think my students are starting to create products that are at a very high level (something that I think is more important for my class right now).

February 28, 2013

The students I am seeing are so intimidated by Math. In the afternoon I am in charge of a tutorial, a room where students are placed when they need extra time and help with Math. In tutorial I have really noticed a strong aversion towards math. I don’t think the structure of tutorial is beneficial to the students that are in it. Tutorial is taking students who are having some struggles with math (as well as a dislike) and making them do math work for twice as long as their peers. Tutorial is not set up to help students understand math but instead to teach tricks and then have students practice these tricks until they can do it.

I had a conversation with a student in a different tutorial section today and this is what he said:

“I don’t know why I have to do this…I used to be good at math. I used to really enjoy math but now I just hate it. They made me come here all last semester and do math all day and now I have to do it again. When am I going to even need this?”

I think there is a disconnect between what students need and what is being prescribed. I watched a TED Talk by Dan Meyer because I’ve really been upset today about what tutorial and some of the math curriculum does to student learning. I think Dan Meyer is on to something when he talks about teaching patient problem solving as opposed to quick tricks. Students are so used to having instant solutions that when something takes time, or they make mistakes, they get frustrated and quit. Math problems and questions need to be engaging enough that students want to overcome this initial frustration. As Dan Meyer said, “the math should serve the problem” and not the other way around.

I think tutorial should be flipped so that there is less ‘math’ and more problems to engage students. Students in tutorial need to be re-engaged and empowered by math questions, not pounded over the head until they get it.

February 29, 2013

One thing I am really trying to focus on is student frustration. I think taking an inquiry type approach poses some problems that students do not immediately have the answer to. The frustration of having to try something only to have it not work is something my students are not used to. My students really have a hard time remaining patient a skill I think inquiry helps to develop. My students want instant answers to problems, something that is not going to be very helpful in their future.

One way that I deal with frustration is by building relationships with my students. My students have been honest with me about their frustration, something that in itself helps them cope with it a little bit. Creating a community has allowed my students to not only be vocal with their frustrations but it has also allowed me to gain their trust. My students know I care about their success so that keeps them engaged in the process and prevents them from quitting early. Building trust has allowed me to ask for my student’s patience when trying to complete a task. My students know I want them to be successful so they remain patient (most of the time).

I think students sometimes prefer the ‘easy’ way. They are very good at filling out questions from the textbook but I don’t feel this teaches them some skills that will prove useful later on in life (something I have told them). Having to deal with frustration and experience how frustration is an important part of learning has helped my students grow from the start of the semester until now.

March 5, 2012

Yesterday I took my first sub day today. I had an interview with the Saskatoon Public School Division in Saskatoon. Although this interview was short I really felt like I was able to share a lot about myself and my philosophy of education. I feel like the people who interviewed me were extremely pleased with how the interview went and there should be an opportunity in the future.

I think that the University of Regina and the practical experience I have had have really prepared me well for my career. I feel like the concepts that have been emphasized at the University of Regina are all things that are extremely relevant to the current educational scene. Talking to other new teachers, from other programs, I do not feel like they have received the same relevant teaching that I have. Inquiry, activities, technology, student engagement, formative assessment and creating a classroom community are all things that were ingrained into my teaching practice (I view these things as part of being a responsible teacher). The people who interviewed me enjoyed my ability to talk about student

engagement as well as other educational trends in a way that showed my passion. I didn’t feel ill prepared for any question that came my way because my training has prepared me to the point where interviews are now about the things that my class and I do.

I think most administrators current focus is assessment, student engagement and technology in the classroom. Administrators want someone who can come in and are able to present the vision that they have. I’ve talked with teachers before about how having 1 or 2 new teachers, trained and confident in what is relevant, could help the entire school by sharing their ideas. Administrators want new teachers that can engage students and use assessment properly. I am very excited for what is to come and feel like my Ed. degree has given me the tools and confidence to walk into a job with a perspective that administrators will welcome.

March 6, 2012

Today I had a student ask me if we were ever going to have a test. I asked her if she feels like she has had opportunities to show me what she knows and she has felt like she has, just in a way that she hasn’t been used to. It is interesting seeing how my students react as I assess them in ways that are unfamiliar to them. I think students genuinely enjoy being assessed in different ways; it removes the stress of a test, and makes learning more of a continuous process.

One thing I took away from my education degree is that assessment can look so many different ways. I don’t need to assign a test in order to see if my students meet the outcomes of the course. In Social I have been focusing on assessing my students by using activities that test their understanding. In Social we have also done a couple of projects where students have organized and presented what they have learned.

I think it is a good thing that students are recognizing the lack of ‘tests’ in my class. I want students to understand that my classroom is more about learning than it is about testing. I want my students to not be threatened or intimidated when it comes time to show what they know. I think that as my students get more familiar with showing what they have learned they will learn at a much deeper level of understanding.

March 7, 2012

Applications to pilot the new science curriculum are slowly coming up and I have been interested to hear some of the teacher’s reactions. Teachers in my school are really interested to see what is going to be in the new curriculum and apparently all the information that they should need was “in the January newsletter”. The teachers in the science department here wish that they were able to see at least a draft of the curriculum so they could begin the process of deciding what they would like to teach. They are excited and prepared to pilot the new curriculum however feel like they have no information on which to base that decision. Registration has already occurred and as such there needs to be changes in student

schedules as well. I feel like the new curriculum has been veiled for so long and there have been a couple of changes already so teachers are back into a position of not knowing what to expect.

Teachers are being required to take a blind leap of faith and pilot a program without knowing what support or specific content is even in place. I think the teachers in the science department are willing to pilot the program because they know change is coming however I feel like the transition could be made smoother for them. It is hard to make a decision when you do not feel like you have all the information. As a previous student I know firsthand that a one paragraph course description can never tell me everything I am going to learn in a course, there is no way it possibly could. Why are we giving teachers, who are professional educators, a one paragraph description and asking them to make a decision based on this limited amount of information?

March 8, 2012

Today a couple teachers, the ‘tech’ guy, and I were talking about how the school division allocates their technology resources. One problem with our divisions approach to technology is that they have a ‘let’s get it for everybody’ mentality. Apparently the division has tens of thousands of dollars of subscriptions that go division wide. I was surprised when I heard this, as a new teacher this is something I would love to use, however I did not have a clue this was available. I wonder how many teachers actually know they have access to these different websites. Our IT guy was saying they have been tracking the use of these sites because they want to know how many people are actually using it. The division pays close to $10 000 for a Discovery Ed subscription and only a handful of teachers use it, the same goes for Blackboard.

I think there is a problem with how the division has decided to distribute their technology money. If they choose to tie their money up in different subscriptions like they have they need to spend more time communicating to teachers what is available. Teachers who have been at the school for 10 years don’t have any idea of what web subscriptions are currently available or have tried out some of the sites and decided that they do not have what teachers want.

It’s frustrating to think about how much money the division spends on ‘technology’ only to find that most of the stuff is dated and that there is no money available for other programs. A lot of money has been spent on video subscription sites that make teacher’s lives easier by giving them access to old documentaries however how much has been spent on technology for students? I think that technology money should be placed in things that engage students and make the students’ lives easier. I think the division needs to look at technology more from a student’s perspective. Students want something that is engaging, intuitive, and applicable to what they are doing. Having access to a lot of videos is great but if it comes at the cost of technology that makes learning more exciting is spending money in this way really a good choice?

March 11, 2013

Today was a teacher in-service day. We spent the morning talking about our goals and solutions to Math and the afternoon was for RTI. I found the afternoon helpful however the morning was very frustrating.

Our division currently ranks very low in Math skills. I knew that my students struggled with problem solving however we were also shown test results that confirmed this. Two areas that I had identified as problems (problem solving and persistence) were some of the lowest categories for our students. I have been struggling with how to encourage my students’ persistence from the beginning and I think that promoting patience is one of the best ways to help my students succeed in Math (I think Dan Meyer would agree). I have been trying to take the Math problems in the text and adapt them to real life using technology and simple questions something that Dan Meyer does very well. I think that engaging my students with the problem and then allowing them to patiently work out a solution is something that will address problem solving and persistence deficiencies.

I was frustrated to hear about the solutions we had as a school to our low Math scores. One of the things we are going to do is funnel ‘stronger’ Math students from Grade 8 into the ‘enriched’ program. The ‘enriched’ program is going to be for the top 30 Math students and is going to do the yearlong Math 9 course in 1 semester. Basically in my mind this is going to take the students that probably enjoy Math and maybe make them dislike Math by piling on the homework because they are moving at such a rapid pace. I don’t necessarily mind the idea of an ‘enriched’ program however instead of just thinking of it as a program where students get done as fast as they can why not use it as a chance to really challenge student and teacher preconceptions of what a Math class can be. Why not keep it the normal length but allow more student lead inquiry and project based approaches?

March 12, 2013

I want to continue off of my journal from yesterday. I feel like I have only briefly touched on the idea of an ‘enriched’ Math 9 class as a solution to low division Math scores. The thing that most frustrates me is that the main reason that the school wants to do this is to create more competition among students. The assessment on our division’s students apparently showed that our high achievers do not challenge themselves to exceed, they meet a certain level and then coast. Our solution is to put the high achievers in one class so that they can push each other and have someone to compete against. I do not feel like this agrees with any of the educational theory I have come across. I thought the whole idea of current education, and outcomes in particular, was to remove competition and allow students to achieve in their own individual ways. Are we really going to say that we are incapable of challenging our students so we need them to challenge each other? Isn’t this moving a step backwards?

I think the main issue is that a lot of teachers are uncomfortable with student lead inquiry. Teachers do not want to challenge students with a question because heaven forbid, “What if they don’t get the right answer?” Why can’t we challenge our students with how we create questions like Dan Meyer does?

Remove the numbers. Give the students an engaging image or video and an intriguing question. Allow the students to discover the Math that they need to solve a question; won’t this help teach problem solving skills, persistence as well as challenge them? Teachers do not yet realize that outcomes allow the use of more inquiry in the classroom and actually probably even needs it to be meaningful. We need to look more at how we teach and assess the new curricula and not at how we group students.

March 13, 2013

I’ve been thinking about my goals for this year and talking to a couple teachers about what I am doing I put them into words for the first time. I think I have been subconsciously thinking about and implementing my goals since the start of the year however I realized I had never stated them for my own benefit. I realize that I probably can’t do everything extremely well my first year however I have set little goals for each of my classes and I have found them carrying over into everything I do. I think this is something I am really going to focus on in my career because it helps me to improve many areas at once and even though it is a little more time consuming the trade-off is worth it.

In Social my focus has been using a lot of activities and student lead inquiry.

In Health I want to incorporate technology as much as I can.

- Today we actually made posters using an augmented reality app called Aurasma. This is something I saw at the CSS and wanted to try in Health because implementing technology has been my goal. Students thought this was really cool and were bringing their friends into the class throughout the day to show them the posters they made that change when you look at them through your cell phone.

In Math I want to create intriguing questions that engage my students.

Having these three separate goals has allowed me to focus on different aspects of student engagement. As the process has progressed I have been discovering ideas in one class that I want to carry over into another and as a result have continued to challenge how I engage my students.

March 14, 2013

Right now our school has a no cell phone policy. What this policy means is that no cellphones are allowed in class although they do say it is up to the teacher’s discretion. I can see that this policy is in place to support teachers who do not want to have students using their phones in class. Myself and others, such as the biology teacher, encourage our students to use their cellphones as much as they can (their 3g is usually better than the school’s wireless anyways). Students were initially surprised when I have suggested they use their cellphone to help them find some piece of information however they are adjusting. I think students are going to use their cellphones anyways and I would rather have them be up front about it and able to understand how their phone can assist them in their learning.

There are two reasons why I am thinking about cellphones today. One reason is because in Health we have just finished creating posters using augmented reality. The fact that 75%+ of my class had cellphones with unlimited data allowed us to create projects that were new, interesting, and so well done that they wanted to show all their friends. The other reason I was thinking about cellphones is that our division is considering some form of ‘bring your own device’ policy to schools. This new policy would be challenging for some teachers however I think it would be a powerful tool for learning. In my Math class I have been using QR codes to embed tutorials I have made onto each assignment I give. My students’ cellphones allow them to get individual teacher time when they need it even if I am busy with another student.

I think smartphones give teachers a powerful learning tool for free. If students are allowed to bring their own device, challenged and intrigued by the question they are given, and shown some of the powerful tools available cellphones will not be something to patrol but a tool for learning.

March 15, 2013

Today I got a phone call and found out that I received an interview in Black Diamond, Alberta. I recently applied to Oilfields High School’s Quest program. I am not sure where I want to end up however being in a place with a Quest program would provide me a unique opportunity. The Quest program at Oilfields is similar to the ones in Regina and Saskatoon; a program that seeks to teach science, math and outdoor education in an interdisciplinary manner.

After teaching for only a couple months it is hard for me to imagine what it would be like to run a Quest program. The way the traditional schedule is set up and the way school is traditionally structured are quite different than a Quest environment. I have already begun to get used to the ‘regular’ routine and I had to reflect on my philosophy of science education before I began to get excited about the interview. It is very easy to get used to one form of instruction and I can see why it is hard for some teachers to change what they do. The way I currently teach has almost become my comfort zone which I think can be both good but also potentially dangerous if I am not cautious. I want to be comfortable with my form of instruction however I do not want to become complacent. It is important that teachers continually challenge their instruction and strive to improve different aspects.

Potentially being involved with a Quest program is hard to wrap my mind around. I haven’t really observed anything that would be similar to this form of instruction. My philosophy of science education however reflects an importance on teaching things in an interdisciplinary manner. A Quest program would provide a great chance to not only combine different fields of science but to be able to connect to my students lives through a unique environmental experience.

March 18, 2013

Tomorrow I have an interview with the Quest program in Black Diamond and I have been thinking a lot about my philosophy of education. The Quest program targets students who school doesn’t necessarily

‘work’ for and I have been thinking about how we deal with these kinds of students. Where I am now we take these students who have become disengaged and attempt to re-engage them by putting them in an environment where they have more one on one time with teachers in order to drill in different skills they are lacking. I understand that these students have different needs however why do we automatically default the problem to the students’ deficiencies and do not take the time to examine our own practice or how we engage our students?

I think that the Quest program looks at re-engaging students in a way that is unique and has the potential to be effective. Instead of giving the students more of what they don’t want they are changing the learning environment completely. I believe putting students in a new environment could almost help to reboot the learning process. Students can begin to re-engage in the learning process because their new environment looks nothing like the school they have lost interest in. Shifting the focus of curriculum to more student lead ideas and combining that with an environment that fosters independence and confidence has the possibility to really help get to these students for which ‘typical’ school doesn’t work.

March 19, 2013

Next year our school is going to be implementing a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) project. The BYOD program recognizes that most students have their own technologies and attempts to use this by incorporating these devices into the classroom. Some potential problems that I see in Estevan is that there is a little bit of a divide between different groups of students in the school. Some students are really enjoying the wealth that the area is experiencing at the time while there are some that have not benefitted as much. I can see the BYOD project further emphasizing this wealth divide. Some students are going to be able to bring their expensive laptops while others might not have access to this type of technology. I wonder how the school is going to balance the needs of each student with the technology that they have available to them.

I realize the school is trying to incorporate technology more and more into the classroom. It would be hard to make large, immediate changes without the budget to support it. I understand the BYOD program is an attempt to take a step in the right direction. My hope is that the BYOD program helps to reinforce student learning as well as teacher misconceptions surrounding how it may be distracting. The BYOD program is a good first step for a school with a limited budget and hopefully with some success can be extended further with more of a focus on potential inequality that it may produce.

March 20, 2013

Last year I was able to take ECMP 355 and I took away so many valuable tools and learning experiences. I know that some of my cohorts are taking this class now and I have tried to make it a point to follow their blogs and join into the discussion whenever possible. The following was a post from my classmate Daniel Atkins:

My favourite idea from Clarence Fisher is differentiation with technology. It’s not good enough to just use technology in the classroom. “It’s not simply enough to just throw technology into a space and hope that it will motivate [students]“. Not every student is motivated by the same technical tools or devices. Teachers need to use technology in different ways to meet the individual student’s learning goals. I hope to be better aware of the individual technology needs in my classroom. I think BYOD (bring your own device) may be one of the solutions of technology differentiation.

In reading Daniel’s blog post I started to think about my own philosophy and practice. Have I been trying to motivate my students simply by using technology without addressing their individual needs? I think up until now students have been engaged in what we have done although in hindsight I can think of a couple instances where students needed the technology to be adapted in different ways in order to complete the task.

I believe that for now students are legitimately engaged in being able to use different technologies in assessments. I think this engagement extends from their excitement of being able to do something new and unique with tools that are easy to use. I think that just being allowed to do something different can be a big motivator for students. Students are tired of the same old and they are also smart enough to see that you are trying to present things in a way that is new and exciting for them. I think ‘throwing technology into a space’ does help to motivate students to some extent. Through experience I can see that this is just the first step however I think it is an important place to start. Students can be very successful when they are engaged in what they are doing and giving them access to different technologies can certainly help.

March 21, 2013

Today in math we took some time and played some games. I have been trying to collect some games that really challenge spatial reasoning and strategy and thought today would be a good time to pull them out. My students have really worked well the last little while and I was kind of getting afraid that we were getting into a bit of a routine. Routines can be good but I want my class to view math more as a larger concept and less as a series of steps (although often it is at this level). I want my students to see how math (or some of its processes and ideas) can actually be applied in some more abstract situations.

Students really enjoyed having a day to play games and it was interesting to watch how they responded. Students were still challenged by the games and the games required many different mathematical processes and ideas that we had already talked about. What was most interesting is that there were no protests of, “I don’t get it!” or “This is too hard!” but students instead patiently worked out solutions to their problems. I think one of the largest hurdles I have to overcome with math class is the fact that it has math in its name. As soon as students were ‘removed’ from that idea of what a math class should look like they began to respond differently when faced with a problem. Teachers almost need to find a way to reintroduce math to their

students. Students come in with so many negative preconceptions that have been built up over the years and they respond certain ways in different situations. Reinventing the environment and how math is presented can help remove students from the preprogrammed responses they are accustomed too. If the class does not ‘look’ like a math class I have seen that students respond in a way that is quite different, showing skills and understanding that they would not have otherwise.

March 22, 2013

One thing that I really enjoy about using outcomes is how I have more flexibility when designing assessments. Students can really focusing on the outcome in the way that they want. I have found the Social 9 outcomes very easy to work with. There is very little in the outcomes about different societies in the past and I have been free to choose what might fit where.

Students have really been engaged when I allow them to connect their experiences to the outcomes. We have been able to use video games, TV, as well as ancient societies as topics of study. Students who would not otherwise be engaged are interested in expressions of worldview, power, trade, etc. in the video games and TV shows that they watch. We have been able to use these interests as a starting off point, drawing us deeper into the content as our interest increases. It is easier to get students to buy into ideas that are relevant to them. Using student experiences in present culture has allowed us to become interested in a topic and then challenged us to look at how some things may have looked like in past societies. Connecting to my students prior knowledge and using this connection to engage them in the learning process has been an exciting process for myself as a teacher.

March 25, 2013

Today I had an interview with Saskatoon Public School Division (SPSD). I already had one interview and today was the second round with the head of HR. This interview focussed more on SPSD’s initiatives and policies and how my philosophy fit. We talked about ideas around curriculum renewal, indigenizing education and collaboration. I felt like my education at the U of R really prepared me for this interview.

I was asked about curriculum renewal and if I have ever been part of team where we focussed on developing or adapting new curriculum. I think that usually new teachers have limited experience in this regard however I feel like the U of R education program has given me a lot of experience. I emphasized how a lot of what we did in my science methods classes was centered on outcomes and the new curriculum that was being implemented. Being in the education program when I was has prepared me to the point where I feel like I am ahead of the curve. A lot of experienced science teachers are going to be introduced to a new curriculum very shortly; they will need to adapt this curriculum and its’ assessments in a way that reflects the new outcomes. I think that I have become very proficient working with outcomes and feel like this will lend itself to any collaborative teams that I am a part of in the future.

March 26, 2013

One aspect of my interview yesterday, which I felt very prepared for, was our discussion around indigenizing education. A lot of the focus of the latter part of my degree was on indigenizing science education. The school I am at now looks very different than some of the schools in the cities. Even though I have not had much experience teaching in a diverse, cultural, classroom again I feel like my education has prepared me for it. The schools in the cities can be very diverse and there are a lot more First Nations students than in Estevan. If I am to teach in the city I need to be able to incorporate First Nations content in a meaningful way.

A lot of my knowledge on indigenizing science education has come through Glen Aikenhead in Saskatoon. I really like how Aikenhead stresses that cultural knowledge is another form of prior knowledge. My role as a teacher is to connect students’ prior knowledge to the curriculum and being able to teach First Nations content will allow me to do this for my First Nations students. Being able to speak intelligently on Aikenhead was helpful because apparently Aikenhead is the neighbour of the head of HR that I interviewed with. Aikenhead has been very active in designing and implementing holistic science education in Saskatoon; he is currently developing a $1 million learning center on the edge of Saskatoon. Having the opportunity to teach in Saskatoon would give me access to this facility and Aikenhead’s ability to connect science to the land.

Teaching First Nations content and being a culturally responsive teacher is something that a lot of the schools in our cities are looking for. Being exposed to the challenges presented by cities and their students in my education degree has prepared me well for interviews as well as my career in education.

March 27, 2013

Today I was listening to a Freakanomics podcast on feedback. The Freakanomics guys like to analyze everything and anything with an economists’ lens. The podcast discussed the difference between ‘negative’ (critical/correcting) feedback and more positive (encouraging/affirming) feedback. Apparently there is quite a bit of research that has shown that in order to get the most improvement out of a situation critical feedback is most effective. Positive/affirming feedback is nice (and everyone loves it) however it does not help people make the changes that are often needed. Although it was interesting to hear about all the research supporting the use of critical feedback I was not shocked by this information. What really challenged me was that as the podcast went on they began to discuss the things that people share and how it often reflects a love of positive feedback.

The reason I was challenged by the discussion about what people share is because lately I have been sharing a lot of my experiences either through my blog or this journal. I find it very hard to share the negative experiences and find it very easy to block them out and quickly forget them. I am doing exactly what the Freakanomics guys say most people do when I share the things that go well. It is easy to share things that go well and are successful, I know that any feedback I get is going to be positive, encouraging and affirming (I think subconsciously that is why I choose to share these situations). It is very hard to share experiences where I feel inadequate or underprepared although I realize that those situations are going to be the ones where I learn the most. It is hard to put yourself out there and share things that go

wrong because you are setting yourself up for critical feedback. Critical feedback has been shown to be the most beneficial but it is also the most humbling. It sucks to be told you are not doing something right. It is hard to share about that kid that I know I have no control over, that lesson that would have been more productive if the class just sat there, or that day that I was frustrated by everything.

People don’t want to share negative experiences because of how that experience may reflect on them and their abilities. I think that sharing good ideas and successes is important because if something works well it is important for other teachers to know about it. I think that sharing negative experiences can be hard however despite the challenges it is a powerful tool. Reflecting and sharing negative experiences will most help a teacher improve their practice. Sharing things that go wrong is humbling however I think that it is the greatest sign that a teacher is committed to teaching profession.

March 28, 2013

Today is the last day before Easter Break. I took sometime today to reflect back on some things that were similar and some things that were different from my internship. I think that the learning curve has been steep and without a coop I have had to create my own system of accountability for myself and my students. I think my internship was more hands off than most however this semester has still felt quite different.

Internship On ContractSupervision/ support Minimal Non-existentRelationships with students Took some time, strongest with

my one full-time classStronger and more of them.

Assessment Usually consisted of a bunch of exit slips and assignments followed by a test at the end of the unit. (I think a lot of this came from the time limit given to teach each class and curriculum I was responsible for in that time.)

Varied. A combination of exit slips, projects, presentations, etc. Very few actual ‘tests’.

Creativity in presenting curriculum

Consistent and predictable. Usually had an activity followed by a SMART lesson with fill in the blank notes and some assessment or assignment built in.

Varied/ diverse. Some outcomes are taught purely through activities or student lead assignments others are centered on discussion.

Planning Stayed at least a week ahead. Usually 3 days ahead with a general unit plan.

Accountability Myself and my coop. My plan was centered on my coops recommendations and final exam although I was afforded a lot of freedom.

Myself and my students. My plan is centered on the outcomes and how the students meet each one.

I think the biggest difference in my contract has been the freedom I have to work the schedule. Being able to use my professional judgement in deciding how to present and continue throughout the curriculum has allowed for more variety and what I feel are more creative ways to present curriculum.