Two competencies that I have been developing during my practicums are: Collaboration & Teamwork and Intercultural Awareness. I am very passionate about both of these.
Collaboration & Teamwork
I am a firm believer that collaboration and teamwork are key to success. As a new teacher, I acknowledge that I still have a lot to learn in the field of education. I love working with other people to develop engaging lessons for my students. Throughout my 491 practicum I worked with many people to make my practicum successful. I co-planned and taught two units with another teacher candidate and I worked with many staff members at the school to incorporate their expertise into my lessons. I always help others when possible. In the fall of 2020 I created a google drive for all teacher candidates, who wished to participate, to upload their lesson plans and resources from our 391, 490, and 491 practicums. The purpose of this was to share our resources and help each other.
Intercultural Awareness
As a white Canadian, I acknowledge that I view the world through a certain lens but I value and respect all cultures. I have always been interested in learning about other cultures: their stories, legends, beliefs, and values. Bringing intercultural awareness into the classroom is a passion of mine because Canada is a multicultural country. We are not one culture and we should not have only one culture represented in our schools. All students should be able to see a reflection of themselves and their culture within the classroom and school. This should be ongoing throughout the year and not restricted to certain times such as learning about Indigenous history and culture only around Orange Shirt Day, or black history only during Black History Month, or Chinese culture around Spring Festival. These are great times to have discussions, but, students should feel welcome, respected, and seen all year long.
One way I bring intercultural awareness into my own home with my children is through books. I find this is a good place to begin cultural discussions.
