Reflections

Megan Anderson

Monday November 20, 2023

Today was definitely a day to focus on classroom management. It started out alright, but
I taught a gym class after their second recess. The activity I had planned was well thought out,
but I didn’t account for their excitement erasing all the work we had previously done with their
listening skills. I focused the lesson around using the seat scooters, which would have worked
had it not been for misbehaving kids now having a set of wheels under them to help them go at
warp speed. I felt as though the tricks I had been using were not effective, and my patience was
quickly worn thin. It didn’t help that I forgot my whistle in the classroom, so the control I
usually have was much more difficult to achieve. In consulting with my TA, she told me to not
be so hard on myself. She told me that not all lessons are homeruns, and it could have been
anything that set them off today. She said she thought it went very well even with the
frustrating moments.
I then taught a social studies/science lesson with an Indigenous focus. It went very well-
which was nice considering how the previous lesson had gone. We had been discussing seasons
in past lessons, so in this class we discussed seasonal rounds (also known as medicine wheels)
and then created one of our own. We discussed cycles, the never-ending circle of knowledge
and life, and how Indigenous ways of knowing focus on the connection of all things in nature.
The cross-curricular elements of the lesson went together well, and the students were engaged
with the activity. I was able to connect social studies, science, mathematics, and Indigenous
knowledge in one lesson, which turned out to be extremely effective.

Tuesday November 21, 2023

Today was the first time I had taught back to back lessons. First was another social
studies/science lesson and then I taught a gym class. It was cool being able to teach the lessons,
but then also handle the transitions between lessons rather than my TA taking over for those
transitions. We created a craft centered on hibernation, and of course they really enjoyed it. I
find that anything hands on ends up being a popular choice. They love cutting, pasting,
colouring, and creating anything to take home with them. I also made a colour-by-number
booklet for them to work on throughout the week when they are done their work. They were
very excited about it!
My gym class went well. We had a few issues with a couple of the students, but it was
fairly minor. D was feeling a little frustrated with using a badminton racquet, and wanted to sit
out for a few minutes. Keeping an eye on him, we continued the lesson and eventually he
wanted to join in again. Additionally, We had issues with P and C being quite aggressive with
the racquets, and seemed to feed off of each other. I made a note to make sure I separate them
in activities like this in the future. They are usually fine together in the classroom, but the gym is
a different story. Otherwise, I was happy with how the lesson turned out.

Wednesday November 22, 2023

Todays lessons ended up being better than expected. It was the first literacy lesson I had
taught, so I was feeling nervous. However, the whole lesson went very well. The time I had
allotted for each part of the lesson was perfect, the students were engaged, and seemed
excited about working independently. The only thing I would change, would be the words I
posted on the board as examples for the poem. I used a font that was different from how they
normally write their letters, which made copying them for practice was more difficult. Other
than that, the students enjoyed the poem and were excited to participate in reciting it together.
I then taught a gym class, and we did an obstacle course and called it a “bear hunt”. I
knew I wouldn’t get a lot of attention from them and I knew it would be slightly chaotic- but
they were very well behaved, and worked well together as teams. A couple students were
nervous to do the course, so we paired them up together to do it as a team. They loved working
together since they were both nervous, and gained a lot of confidence as they progressed
through the lesson. I also split up C and P today, and it was effective.
I handled an issue during my supervision at recess, and as a result, learned how to log an
incident into a students logbook. The offending student had been extremely aggressive with
three students on three separate occasions during a half-hour recess. After the third student
came running to me crying, I went to talk to him, and escorted the crying students into the
school. After I got back inside, I went to my TA and asked her what I should do. She suggested I
report the incident to the principal. Mr. Tyslau came with me to speak to the student. I had told
the student that he had to stay with me for the rest of recess, but he ran away. So, we decided
that the student would stay with a supervisor during the next recess, and if he was
uncooperative, he would spend two recesses with the Principal. I let the teacher on supervision
know, and she made sure the student stayed with her during recess. I’m glad I was able to see a
situation like this in person while in the field and had the support of my TA, rather than when I
was on my own.

Thursday November 23, 2023

My TA had a sub in for the afternoon, so I taught a double block art lesson and a PE class
right after. Essentially, I taught the whole afternoon. It was amazing to have the whole
afternoon to really feel the flow of the classroom. My TA left during the second recess, so I was
in charge when they came as well as sending everyone home at the end. I feel like it was a
successful day! The transitions between blocks went well, and when the students tried to act
out (because their teacher wasn’t there) I held them accountable and kept them in line. During
my art lesson, I split the craft up into sections so that the students moved on from one part of
the activity to the next based on how far along in the activity they were. This incorporated
some movement and kept them interested. I also found that it cut down on the mess at each
table, and students could move to the next part at their own pace. Additionally, I had instructed
them to work on their colour by number booklets or other colouring sheets I had provided if
they were done early. Once everyone was done, they were helpful in cleaning up and getting
our classroom back in shape.
The last block was a PE class, but because the teachers take turns not going to the gym
and instead focus on wellness, we did some movement breaks (dance sessions on YouTube),
and talked about the importance of staying active and moving our bodies regularly. When the
students were upset about not being able to go to gym, We discussed the importance of taking
turns, and making sure everyone has a chance to participate in all activities. We talked about
how they share the gym with all the other students, and we need to make sure we are being
thoughtful of each other. They responded well, and we had great time in the classroom.

Friday November 24, 2023

Fridays fly by. Each class is only 35 minutes instead of 45 minutes, and there are only 2
class blocks! I taught for the first block, and we learned about rhyming. I love to incorporate
read aloud videos sometimes rather than always being the one to read to them, so I had them
watch an animated reading of “Llama Llama Red Pajama”. The were silent during the whole
book! It was amazing! Before the reading started, I had asked them to listen for the rhyming
words and pay attention to the beat of the words as the reader was reading. They were able to
pick out a lot of the rhyming words afterwards! I was impressed! After they were done their
worksheets, I had made a memory game to recognize rhyming words, and they loved working
together to find all the matches. I would definitely do this again! I think the only change I would
make, is I would have the kids spread out with the games instead of keeping them all in the
carpet area. It got a little squished after a few minutes.

Holistic Reflection:
It was a really good week of teaching. My relationship with the students is improving
every day, I am getting to know the other teachers on staff, I am enjoying the comradery
amongst the staff, and I appreciate to supportive atmosphere they are fostering and
encouraging the students to take part in. When I have questions there is always a staff member
willing to help me, and my TA has been accommodating and encouraging. I had always thought
I was meant to teach middle school and I thought I wouldn’t want to teach students as young as
grade 1. This experience has opened my eyes, and I would LOVE to continue teaching them.
They make me thankful I chose to become a teacher.