Going into my final practicum, there is a lot of stress about trying to perform as best as possible and be a complete teacher. Over the last couple weeks my thinking around this has actually transformed a bit, with the understanding that taking a growth mindset into this practicum makes much more sense. I have many big, long-term goals, but more than anything else at this time I want to do better. I want to be more well-prepared, I want to manage my time in and outside the classroom, and I want to have my students feel confident in themselves.
Those are some broad spectrum goals, but to act on them I’m looking to focus on a couple of areas. First off, focusing assessment so neither I nor students are burdened with work that doesn’t align with the learning intentions. Many aspects of Science 10 require practice and my goal is to give more time in class for students to do that practice and get the help they need. Last practicum I felt that I often talked too much and didn’t give enough time for work in class. There should not be many times when students will need to take work home.
Another goal of mine is to allow for some more flex time in my lessons so that we can maybe go outside for a quick walk and some fresh air during a block. While it may not be within the curricular competencies of Science 10, I really believe that taking care of the primary needs of students (and all people) is necessary for good learning. This includes some time to get fresh air and to stretch your legs.
This is a unique time where grade 10s are entering the block system for the first time. There are going to be growing pains for them and as such I plan to give a little bit more time to them, especially in some of the more traditionally difficult concepts in Chemistry. If you don’t give enough time for a concept, you might as well give no time at all.
