Learner Centered

Demonstrating respect for students’ family, cultural, and language practices.

Canada continues to become more diverse and multicultural. As an immigrant to Canada back when I was in school, keeping respect for my culture and language was the most important aspect of my family’s lives as we did not want to lose our heritage after we moved. These attributes are the identities of the student, and it is important to recognize the significance that they play within our students' lives. During my practicum, I tried to understand and learn more about each student’s cultural and language background. This means keeping track and following up on certain celebration dates that I am not familiar with. Demonstrating respect for students' culture also means building a positive relationship where students feel free to address their concerns and inform you of subjects that we may not be familiar with. I have found that in return, this creates trust and respect for both parties. 

Responding to the individual needs of students

I have witnessed many students being too shy or afraid to bring up any issues that arise, because of this, it is up to us as educators to be proactive in responding to the individual needs of students. This means creating multimodal lessons that include visuals/images, text, and audio so that students may have the full opportunity to understand the lesson. Furthermore, every time an instruction is given, I have written out the instruction (multimodal in mind)  for the students to refer back to while they are getting set up, this eliminates any confusion and solidifies the lesson activity.

One issue that I have seen continuously within classrooms as well as one that I have faced in the past is that of eyesight. Most students who wear glasses end up getting them during elementary or middle school between 6 and 12. While there are those who get them, there are many who are not able to. These may include, income disparity, not having the knowledge of their needs, or refusal to wear glasses. All of these issues may be something that students are too afraid to talk about but still must be addressed. I have used simple tools such as a new seating chart, actively voicing out what is written on the board, and using simple visuals to represent texts. It is important to note that these tools do not single out students and is an instruments that can help all students. 

Encouraging student responsibility for learning and classroom behaviour

Self-assessment within learning is a great strategy to encourage student responsibility and promote self-reflection. I have witnessed many teachers use this method as a way for students to identify certain strengths that they may have and certain skills that they need to work on. This has encouraged me to also implement this within my teachings during my practicum. By guiding and listening to students' ideas on how they can improve, they create a self-monitoring system where they are motivated to improve and learn. 

Establishing a safe and positive classroom climate

Creating a safe and positive classroom climate means that students are actively learning and engaged with the subject material. Throughout my journey, I have observed all teachers try to establish this to the best of their ability because establishing this environment creates one where students do not feel afraid to take risks and ask questions. Classrooms where I have seen students feel safe and comfortable with where they are in are often seen learning the “big ideas” in the lessons taught. These students dive deeper into the subject matter and discuss the reasoning behind the face of the lesson. Students are able to inquire about the reasoning behind certain subjects and understand why. 

To establish this climate, students again must feel like they are in a safe and positive environment. I have found one primary way of doing so is to simply take some time out of the day to talk and learn about some of the student's interests. This includes talking to them during nutrition breaks and joining in on extracurricular activities that interest them. 

Establishing rapport with students

Students spend a large portion of the day with teachers, it is important for teachers to build a positive rapport with their students as it will help teachers understand their student’s interests. This interest can then be used to be incorporated within their teacher’s lessons to create engagement and active listening. Furthermore, by building this positive rapport with students, teachers build a positive relationship with them in which both parties feel respected and listened to. At the beginning of every practicum and educational role, I have asked my students to fill out a small survey in which they are asked what their interests are and what they would like to see/learn from this subject. These surveys are then used for lesson planning to be incorporated with existing lessons and how they can be merged together to create an effective lesson.

Establishing clear routines, procedures, and transitions

I have learned that establishing a clear routine can also be used as a tool for classroom management and to teach responsibility. By setting clear expectations for students throughout the day (before entering the classroom, during individual work time etc.), students must hold themselves responsible for their actions. Most teachers that I have observed uses this strategy in some way to create an effective learning environment, these teachers have all set out clear instructions of what is expected of them before and after they enter the classroom at the beginning of the day or period. While these routines have already been set out prior to my own lessons, it is important to reinforce the same routine so that it would eliminate any confusion. Within my own lesson, I have also created my own procedure in the middle of the lesson so that students may have a smooth transition between activities. I have implemented multimodal instructions (visual, text, and audio) that is easily accessible for all students while they are asked to work on an activity and clearly give out these instructions in small steps so that all students fully understand what is asked of them. All of these strategies that I have learned and implemented within a classroom have created an effective environment in which students are able to learn to the best of their ability.

Presenting lessons that allow students to build mastery of concepts

Due to the recent pandemic, I have seen a diverse range of knowledge among students in the same classroom and grade level. Online teaching has affected how students learned within their previous grades. While some students may thrive in that virtual environment, others may not and may learn better in an environment where one-on-one support and interactions are more assessable. This issue has made me reflect on how I should teach all students within a classroom now that all students are back in school. To address this issue, I have started to develop resources that extend beyond my initial lesson so that students may engage in a level of learning that they feel is appropriate. During my lesson, I have built a foundation in which students can understand the fundamental materials that they are learning and understand the “big ideas” of the subject. Students are then given options to practice this lesson or move on to the next level of this lesson. These other levels are not a different lesson but instead a way for students to think critically and provide solutions that were not discussed. By providing a variety of supporting lesson materials for students to explore and work on, they will feel challenged and engaged. Students also will have a clear goal they can work towards. It is also important to note that these additional materials are not advanced or harder lessons but instead are supporting materials that all students can have access to if they wish to practice their skills from a different angle. 

Employing effective classroom management strategies

Classroom management strategies are something that I have struggled with at the beginning of my journey of being an educator. However, throughout my experiences, I have learned what strategies do and do not work. Overall, I learned the need to understand what is right and wrong from both students and educators. Instead of showing our presence within the classroom, teachers and educators must show empathy and look at the point of view of the student. By placing myself in the students’ position, I understood their stance and recognized the needed steps to resolve a situation within the classroom. 

In some situations, teachers may have made the wrong decision or a mistake. This in itself is a great opportunity to show what a respective environment would look like. By recognizing the mistake and apologizing for it, students will then recognize the appropriate action and will demonstrate the same in the future. I have personally used this strategy in one-on-one altercations and classroom environments. By showing empathy and that we are there as a team, students will in return show the same.