My four week formative practicum took place in a grade 2 classroom at Thornhill Primary School. For someone like myself who is mainly experienced working at the middle school level, I thought I was out of my element teaching grade 2, but I was wrong and I can confidently say this experience was some of the most fun I have had in a classroom through the shoes of an educator, and one that brought out the true joys of what teaching is at its core. Realizing the innocence children have during their childhood and the profound level of respect they have for teachers and adults naturally made the practicum euphoric, so much that those four weeks completely flew by. I was treated with such admiration by all of those students, that I almost felt like it was undeserving. Working in middle school, you do not feel this sense of appreciation from the students a lot of the time, so it was invigorating to feel it during the grade 2 practicum.
A major takeaway from this experience, however, is that if your approach emphasizes positive student-teacher relationships, and if you calmly present yourself while maintaining an authentic enthusiasm for the content you teach, students will acknowledge that and reciprocate the respect you show them. I believe that this is true for all grade levels, but at the elementary level these children seek comfort from adults and look up to us; teachers must provide this and ensure they are in a safe place to learn and grow.
Here is a wonderful card and Christmas ornament I received at the end of the practicum!
Here are some of the lesson plans I made during the practicum. The Math lesson is addition with a sum of 10 or greater using a rekenrek math tool. The Physical and Health Education lesson is developed around a relay race game called “Chocolate River”, which is a metaphor for how the race works. It is a race between two teams that is entirely centred around working as a team and emphasizes the importance of communication. The grade 2 class loved it, and I would encourage all elementary teachers to try this game out with their class.