I have been extremely lucky to have been placed in classrooms with excellent cooperating teachers. During my field experiences, I try my best to create and establish connections with my cooperating teacher. I strive to develop a relationship in which I can ask for help and can receive criticism in an appropriate manner. I enjoy maintaining contact with these individuals after I have left their classroom in order to continue our friendship and mentorship process.
"Alexandra... is currently a great team teacher with me" - Julie Tytler, Cooperating Teacher |
During both my 3rd and 4th field experiences, I had the opportunity to attend parent-teacher interviews. The interviews that took place during my 3rd field experience were for all of the parents to attend, whereas those interviews during my 4th field experience were requested by either my cooperating teacher or the parents themselves. Both of these experiences provided me with insight into the importance of building supportive relationships with the parents of your students. It became clear which parents were invested in their child's education and wanted to do anything they could to ensure success of their child, and the parents who were not as invested.
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For the past 21 years, my 4th field experience school, Westmount Park School, has participated in the Interlink Choir. In this, grade 4 students are paired with seniors at the local seniors centre. They become pen pals, writing each other letters on a weekly basis. They also learn to sing the same songs during choir practice, but sing different parts of the songs. This initiative with the local seniors centre requires planning, organization and flexibility. While the students engage in weekly practice, they also had the opportunity to meet their pen pals March 2016, making the field trip to the seniors centre meaningful and exciting for both the students and their Senior buddies.
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On a professional development day during my 4th field experience I was able to attend a meeting for the grade 3 and 4 (cycle 2) teachers. In this, discussions were had as to budget allocations for the following year, in terms of which textbooks to buy or whether or not that money should be allocated to increasing their photocopying budget. Attending this meeting made it clear that although all the participants are teachers, they all have their own idea as to how a classroom should be run and what school budgets should go towards. It's essential to work together as a team to ensure the success of all students.
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My 4th field experience provided me the opportunity to sit in on the Social Committee meetings on a monthly basis. In this, events and gifts are planned for special occasions amongst the staff, such as weddings and births of staff children. The committee also discussed the collection of money from other teachers in order to help fund an end-of-school-year BBQ. As I enjoy planning such events, I enjoyed sitting in on their meetings and gaining an idea of what future social committees that I join may be like.
I also had the opportunity to attend a House Team meeting. I joined the Owl's in order to join my cooperating teacher. For the house team, I created a banner that showcases the chant, which is sung at assemblies. During the assembly on women empowerment, students thought of words that describe women and coloured them. After school I put these words together in order to create a "wordle," and have displayed it outside the school's office in order to showcase the Owl's support of women. |