Educators demonstrate a broad knowledge base and an understanding of areas they teach.
As of now, I am halfway through the Bachelors of Education program, in which I have learned so much about literacy, inclusion, numeracy and the foundations of education. I had been told multiple times prior to this program “you don’t learn anything in school, you learn everything once you get in your first classroom”. I can happily say that school is not just a place to get a slip of paper from, I have actually learned and I know I will continue to learn for the next few months until graduation!
Besides the BEd, I also have a *mostly* complete Bachelors of Arts with a major in History. I graduated from my local college with honours for my Associates of Arts, and I have a diploma in Acting from Vancouver Film School.
While on my LOP I have taken part of some really great Pro-D workshops, one of them being with Nikki Linemen who gave a great presentation on math subjects.
As I continue my career I plan to take advantage of all the different Pro-D workshops to enhance my depth of knowledge.
Educators implement effective planning, instruction, assessment and reporting practices to create respectful, inclusive environments for student learning and development.
While creating lesson plans for the Experiential Practicum, I kept backwards design in my mind. Deciding what I want the students to understand and how I want them to demonstrate it before creating the actual lesson was a game changer for me. It made the lesson planning process a lot smoother for me.
I also used my new skill of formative assessment often during my practicum. I taught algebra during it, and assessing each day whether the class was ready to move onto the next step or if they needed more practice.
I make sure that I have everything prepped before I start a lesson. I make use of my prep time to make sure I have all the materials needed for my lessons and if I cannot get everything done in the prep period, I take time before or after school to ensure that I am ready. It would be unfair to my students if I came into class unprepared.
Educators understand and apply knowledge of student growth and development.
I understand that my students need certain conditions met before they are able to learn, even if they do not know them themselves.
Students need to feel safe. Safety is a wide term that includes many things.
Students need to be fed. Learning and growth cannot happen on an empty stomach. Things such as breakfast and lunch programs help students ensure they have food while at school.
Students need suitable clothing. That means suitable for the weather but also clothes that are clean, in good condition and a variety of clothing. Students shouldn’t have to worry about the clothing they are wearing. In my ideal school, there would be a clothing program for students to be able to grab whatever it is they needed.
These two things are listed on the base pieces of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. As it continues to go up it grows into things such as self-esteem and self actualization. However, students cannot get to those higher tiers without their basic needs in check first.
While I can’t be sure of what happens with students outside of school, I can be sure to make their in-school experience as comfortable as possible.
Educators act ethically and maintain the integrity, credibility and reputation of the profession.
I always show up to class ready. I make sure that I have all my resources prepared ahead of time and I make sure I know the topic/topics that I will be teaching that day. If I happen to make a mistake, I own it and show the students that it’s okay to make mistakes, you just need to correct them.
I like to establish clear boundaries with students. During my practicum, one student said to me “you’re my only friend here today”, and while I do see that as a compliment, I firmly responded “I am not your friend”. At first the student took offence, mostly jokingly, however I did explain to them that it is weird for a teacher to be friends with their students for multiple reasons. Here are a couple we talked about;
The age difference. What do I, a 26 year old, have in common with a 12 year old? Sure there are some commonalities, however overall we do not see things the same way.
Power Dynamic. As a teacher, I have the authority to make decisions on things that would affect students. I asked the student, “if I was your friend and we got into a fight, how would you feel about me marking your assignments knowing I was mad at you?” They responded with “not good”.
After this brief conversation the student understood that while they thought I was cool and they liked me, we were not friends.
I intend as a teacher to keep the integrity and credibility that is expected of teachers.
Educators value the success of all students. Educators care for students and act in their best interests.
As a teacher I want to prioritize the success of all my students. I also want to prioritize the well-being of all students that enter my classroom.
Here is my Visioning Project for EDUC 393. In it I describe my ideal school where there is inclusivity in every corner. I believe inclusivity in schools is super important because if a student doesn’t feel welcomed or included it will impair their learning.
“Learning is reflexive. It builds upon itself, exponentially increasing as learners develop new knowledge and deeper understandings of how everything is ultimately connected” (Chrona, 2014). This quote resonated with me because at the beginning of this program, which was only two months ago, I could not have imagined how much and how quickly my perspective on education would shift. My understanding of the significance of Indigenous education has deepened immensely. I am learning how to include Indigenous education into lessons and subjects beyond just social studies. Not simply by reading excerpts from a textbook or worksheets but by bringing in guest speakers or engaging in culturally responsive activities. I am beginning to understand that this job is far more complex than simply following the curriculum. It requires constant reflection, adaptability and it is a commitment to continuously fight for a better tomorrow.
I have seen the First Peoples Principles of Learning (FPPL) posters in classrooms before; however, I had never taken the time to fully understand their significance. Exploring them in class has given me a better understanding as to why they exist, and I have been able to connect these principles to my experiences thus far in my observational practicum.
While at Annunciation, the independent Catholic school, I noticed how the school has a strong relationship with the students’ families. They demonstrate this by sending home updates in students’ planners every day. Staff at the school explained how the families are very involved at the school and with their children’s learning. I connected this with the FPPL that emphasizes learning is relational and involving family in the learning process. I am not sure whether Annunciation does this purposefully, as Indigenous education does not seem to be a focus as the school, but it was an interesting connection to make.
The article “The Transient Information Effect” (Sachdeva, Hewitt, 2025) helped me develop a deeper understanding of how my brain processes information. I have always found that I need some form of a visual to go with a lecture to help process the information more effectively. When giving instructions to students, if it is done orally, most students will not be able to remember all the steps and will often have to ask for a reminder. However, if the instructions are written on the whiteboard while also being explained verbally, students can continuously refer to them to reinforce their understanding (Sachdeva, Hewitt, 2025).
Dr. John Sweller explains that when students are learning something new or complex, that the information should be shared in a permanent way rather than a transient way (Sachdeva, Hewitt, 2025). This is something I plan to incorporate in my future classroom by always providing a physical reference of instructions so that my students won’t be without access to the information they need to support their learning.
In EDUC 393 we had Kate Lyon as a guest speaker. She gave a presentation on building background knowledge and vocabulary. One of the topics she discussed was read-alouds and their importance in supporting student learning. This discussion brought to light the many benefits of this activity. I have always loved reading, and I know that reading continuously expands my vocabulary, however, I have never thought of incorporating reading into subjects such as science by using a narrative non-fiction book (Lyon, 2025).
In my previous experience of working with middle school students, it never occurred to me that I could still use books in this way to teach that age group. Using stories to help support instruction can help lower the cognitive load and increase students’ vocabulary (Lyon, 2025). This approach also aligns with one of the First Peoples Principles of Learning, that learning is embedded in memory, history, and story. This connection reinforces the importance of storytelling, that it can be used in all ages, and it is a tool to make learning more culturally responsive and engaging.
In EDUC 446, we watched a TED Talk by Rebecca Thomas about Two-Eyed Seeing. This video resonated with me as my family is Mi’kmaq, and although I feel a disconnection to that part of my identity, this video had given me a sense of familiarity. The message of the talk is centred on Etuaptmumk, the Mi’kmaq way of learning to see from two perspectives. The idea is combining the two perspectives, one being Indigenous knowledge and the other being Western knowledge, to create a more holistic understanding of the world (TEDx, 2016).
In a colonized society that is trying to work towards reconciliation, I think Two-Eyed Seeing is a good beginning approach. It allows for multiple perspectives, while respecting Indigenous knowledge systems. As a future educator, Two-Eyed Seeing reminds me of the importance of creating an environment that acknowledges diverse ways of knowing and that they are valued while still focusing on the inclusion of Indigenous education.
As each week passes, I find myself not only understanding myself more, but I am also starting to see an outline of the future educator I aspire to be. I am recognizing the practices that I want to incorporate in my classroom, the environment that I hope to foster and the relationships I want to create with my students. During our practicums, I have been able to see how the different educational philosophies can be used in different scenarios, although I am still having to refer to my notes to see which characteristics correspond to which philosophy. I am excited to keep learning, not only in our classroom, but in the school district and my community.
References
Chrona, J. (2014) “Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focused on connectedness, on reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place)”: First Peoples Principles of Learning. https://firstpeoplesprinciplesoflearning.wordpress.com
Lyon, K. (2025) Building Background Knowledge and Vocabulary [Slides]. Canva
Classes have only been going on for four weeks, and I already feel a change in myself. As someone whose relationship with school has varied over the last ten years, I can confidently say this is the best version of “student me” there has been. I can feel myself taking things away from lessons instead of being stuck in a rut of confusion. I have never been one to talk much in class, but in this program, I have surprised myself with how much I am talking (even though a lot of it has to do with cold calling- which only brings me slight anxiety, compared to my past self). I don’t dread doing assignments or readings anymore, because I know this work is important for my future as an educator.
Learning about the different philosophies has been interesting. I still struggle with remembering which characteristics belong to which philosophy, and I often find myself looking back to the chart. However, since learning about them, I can now see them applied to the different teachers I have had in my life, and that some of my favourite teachers had elements of multiple philosophies and applied them in their own ways. I can recognize pros and cons in each philosophy and identify aspects that I want to apply to my own philosophy.
For example, I know that at times I prefer to be taught in a hands-on way, an aspect of pragmatism. While at other times I can appreciate the structure of lectures which stems from essentialism. (M. Raymond, 2025). I also understand that these approaches will not work for everyone. This bleeds into the learning process and input: understanding that everyone has the same learning process happening in their brains, however the input will always be different. Some people learn better from having visuals while others may need different types of supports (Horvath, 2023). I think this is something that I would like to make a poster of and put it on a wall so that students would be able to understand it too, as I think it has helped me have a greater understanding of my needs as well as being open to others.
The POPEY presentation with Zach Groshell is something that has stuck with me. Having Groshell emphasize that it’s almost impossible to breakdown tasks too far was a big stand out for me for two main reasons:
1. As someone who often needs instructions to be very simple and to the point where I often need an example to make sense of it, it was very affirming to hear that.
2. I reflected to when I was on my Letter of Permission last year, thinking of ways I could’ve broken down tasks more for my students and how I think that could’ve benefited them.
Being able to reflect on an experience and apply these lessons is something I am very grateful for, I also think having this experience is helpful for me to be able to understand all that we talk about in class.
I have heard about the term working memory before, but I have never had it explained. Understanding the limitation of the working memory has made a world of a difference for me, as it helps me understand myself and my students way more. If we overload students with new information, it will not be beneficial for them. Instead, we should work in small chunks to make sure they are grasping the concepts. The model that was shown to help manage a cognitive load is a good structure that I want to use as a reminder for myself and keep me accountable to break down tasks further for students. (Z. Groshell, 2025)
Cut the fluff- teach the stuff.
Break it down into smaller steps.
Use concrete examples.
Provide loads of practice opportunities.
Gradually fade the supports.
In EDUC 346, one of the assigned readings was Jo Chrona’s Wayi Wah. In this book the author often reflects on her past experiences. One that has really stuck out to me was from a situation where a colleague of hers was complaining that they had to teach Indigenous education and it wasn’t fair to other students from different cultures. Chrona asks questions such as if the languages of those cultures are still taught in other places or if the history of them is still being taught. The answers being yes, Chrona then highlights that British Columbia is the only place that teaches the language and cultures of the Indigenous people from here. If it is not taught here, then where would it be taught? This has stuck with me as I know that it’s important for Indigenous education to be taught here but I have never thought of the idea, if not here then where? (Chrona, 2022). It’s important for people who live on this land to understand the history and significance of Indigenous culture. This reading also ties in with another that was assigned, Ensouling our Schools by Jennifer Katz where she mentions that if students feel alienated from their education, they are more likely to disengage from it (Katz, 2018). This is such an important thing, especially for my local area as we have such a high population of Indigenous youth and they deserve to see their history be taught, represented, and valued so they can feel connected to it in their education. If they aren’t being represented here, then they aren’t represented anywhere.
While I was growing up, there wasn’t drumming in the schools like there is now. There wasn’t a lot of Indigenous education in general. Now that I work in the school system, I find myself learning with the kids about the history and traditions, I am continuously learning every day in my community the importance and history of Indigenous culture. Since the beginning of this program, I have already learned so much when I look at the role of teachers and how important they are for students and their future. I understand the importance of creating a good relationship with them as that’s what they need to learn and grow. I am grateful to be learning every day from my community and being able to bring that into my practice.
References
Chrona, J. (2022). Wayi Wah! Indigenous Pedagogies: An Act for Reconciliation and Anti-Racist Education. Portage & Main Press.
Groshell, Z. (2025, September 16 & 23). The Power of Explanations & Explicit Teaching [PowerPoint]. POPEY.
Jared Cooney Horvath. (2023, December 19). All People Learn The Same Way: The Most Unnecessarily Controversial Statement [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIO08oUNPUo
Katz, J. (2018). Ensouling Our Schools: A Universally Designed Framework for Mental Health, Well-Being and Reconciliation. Portage & Main Press.
