Exit Slip (September 18th)

    This class really makes me think outside of the box. Unlike the previous class, I was more focused on the sounds that we hear, rather than the visual component. Back when we were drawing what we saw from our sit spots, I was concentrating on drawing nicely and didn’t pay any attention to the sounds of cars, birds, wind, and foot steps. However, once I was told to focus on the sounds, I noticed that there was a dominant wind sound that overlap with other man-made sounds like construction and cars. There was no time during the 20 minutes where there were no sound at all.

    We all described and pictured the same sounds in different ways. Some drew the object that was making the sound, while others used shapes and streaks (eg. sharp shapes = unpleasant or harsh sounds). I remember Elsa using bold arrows to describe car sounds, which I thought was creative because it can show the direction of the sound/car, had sharp points that can express the roughness of the engine sound, and looked like streaks that can represent the rapid movement of cars.

Entrance Slip (September 18th)

 “Do the central work of your institution with the garden, so that the garden is a valued element of university (or other institutional) programs, rather than a decorative (and dispensable) add-on.”

    I think this is a key element to building and maintaining the school garden, as an important part of our institution. I was one of those students who thought school gardens were decorative elements. Although this doesn’t mean it’s devalued or insignificant, the fact I wasn’t able to consider it as an important component to learning is why the above point must be addressed and taught. I remember having lots of fun in my elementary school garden, planting, taking care, and harvesting, as part of a class activity or with the Green Team. This was during grade 3, since our grade 3 teacher was in charge of the school garden, and we would learn simple plant science/biology like photosynthesis!

    Although math and the school garden might not seem related, they share similar concepts in the art and design of nature and the garden. Patterns, measurements, angles, geometry can be seen within the plants but also tie in into ideas like the angle of the sun or letting students explore what they can extract from a picture of the garden/plants to find math in the nature. This opens up creativity, and removes the limit on what the students can do with math concepts.

    With the exploration activity, it benefits students to engage in hands-on learning while connecting abstract math concepts that they can go beyond what is taught in class (i.e., they can research too). However, some challenges could be time management in assigning a project while having to cover the curriculum, even though we are still relating concepts to units within the curriculum. As a teacher, I will have to make backup plans and schedules to accommodate for different situations, while making sure the students have enough time outside to explore their options during class time. 

Exit Slip (September 11th)

    Our second inquiry class of the term was full of valuable experiences and reflective activities that were made possible by learning in the Orchard Garden.

    I personally had a fun and relaxing time drawing with charcoal on actual paper, staying outdoors, and doing a little show-and-tell of what we discovered, what we were thinking, and our artwork. I can't remember the last time I went outdoors for an art activity, but this class let me sit down in a quiet place surrounded by nature, and enjoy the moment in the outdoor classroom. I love flowers and sunshine (but I don't want to get tanned), so it was a pleasure to share the refreshing moments with the class on a sunny morning.

    Through our reflective activity on both the drawings (about the relation between lines and angles to living/non-living things) and the assigned reading on Skemp's article, I took in various point of view from my classmates that I hadn't realized or that offered another way of analyzing. Not just in this class, but in all BEd courses, I'm super happy to learn from my peers around me, because we all cherish different things and understand differently, making it a fun community to share and learn!!

Entrance Slip (September 11th)

    One big idea that I took time to reflect on was the importance of openmindedness as a teacher. Extending from what was mentioned by Grant and Zeichner, I believe being openminded gets harder and harder as we age, learn, and experience more things in life. We may hold a view that what we know and learned is correct, and makes it difficult to say or think “maybe I need to be flexible to adapt to the new trends and information” and admit that we are narrowing our views. Growing older can bring you to a higher position within a system of power relations. However, no matter where we are and who we become, it’s important to keep an openminded approach to things we learn from the younger generation, adapt to new environments, and recognize what we can do to become such a person (and teacher). 

    This article helped me develop the foundation of understanding the importance of reflective practices to grow and learn as a teacher. We will be facing countless issues and frustrations, but if we can incorporate reflective teaching into our teaching style (or best to say our “learning” style as teachers), I think I can develop a positive classroom atmosphere where student learning is valued. I am going to be learning as a teacher candidate and soon as a new teacher, and I learned that I must carefully consider many things happening inside and outside the classroom to become the best teacher I aim to be.

Exit Slip (September 4th)

    As a teacher, we shouldn’t just be throwing information to our students. Frank McCourt points out the significance of working along with the students to guide them with empathy in classrooms, just like how he did in his English class. By thinking in the students’ shoes, we can try to create an experience where students are able to connect to the learning material. In the context of math, we frequently hear negative voices of students on how math is scary and too hard. If we as teachers can try to understand and resonate with their fear and struggles, maybe that could lead to a positive classroom where students are motivated to try multiple times and not scared to make mistakes.

Hello World

Hi everyone!

Here's a photo from the jellyfish aquarium↓