Starting at Henry Munro as part of my CSL was both exciting and nerve racking. There was so much to learn about the layout of the school, the students, the clubs, the faculty and the administration. Not to mention all the protocols that are a part of school life. Slowly but surely, I’ve learned which classrooms are which, how to get a key to unlock my classroom and of course how to make photocopies. All this to say that doing new things can be intimidating but with a little time and patience I’ve managed to become comfortable in my new surroundings. My favorite thing about being at Henry Munro is getting to greet all the students as they arrive every morning.
My associate teacher has really helped me to understand so may things about what it means to be a teacher. What that looks like in a mixed ability classroom and how we as teachers should always provide expectations and routines for our students as this will help them thrive after they leave this classroom. I feel that I have been able to draw on my personal strengths as an empath by trying to understand and show compassion so my students can understand that their learning matters and if anything is impacting that learning, we can work together to figure things out. Drawing on lecture topics and what we have learned in class has also provided me with many strategies to look back on and integrate in the class. I hope to continue to grow in my practice and strengthen my abilities as a professional.
Being able to participate in community service learning has benefited my practice positively and I hope that I am able to keep growing professionally through experiential learning. I hope that I have been able to model a positive attitude towards learning as well as pushed forward the idea that we can all succeed; but we must work hard to reach our goals. I hope that the energy I bring to the classroom contributes to the learning experiences of the kids I teach. I hope that I have been able to provide academic support to students who have been struggling. I hope that the relationships I am beginning to build will provide positive foundations for learning in the classroom. I hope that what I am learning from them, they are learning form me and that together we are creating spaces to benefit positively from one another. Together we are enhancing each other’s learning.
Mrs. Stone 