SECOND YEAR PROFESSIONAL SEMINAR
May 2023
ARTIFACTS
Pieces that demonstrate my growth and development as a teacher
BRING THE "OUTSIDE" INSIDE!
Science class
My students were studying the cycle of life of plants. To make their learning experience more enjoyable and support their love of learning, I decided to bring the "outside" in our classroom. My students got to experience with and observe the plant's cycle of life on a daily basis.
Indigenous educators suggest that it is important for students to connect with nature in order to learn more about their environment. I deeply resonate with that idea. That is why I decided brought the plants to my students!
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
MONTREAL BIODOME
Teaching Sciences
The Montreal Biodome is a great resource and can be used in all classes, not only science class. In my field experience, some classes were studying the different ecosystems, so the field trip was relevant for students to see and observe these different ecosystems in "real life".
I used the Biodome as a means to teach poetry in my grade 4 class. Children generally enjoy talking about animals and they were proud to see the animals they wrote about previously.
C'EST PAS SORCIER!
Teaching Sciences
My cooperating teacher showed me this resource for teaching sciences. This group of people has many videos (available on many platforms including YouTube and Prime Video) where they explain and vulgarize a variety of scientific phenomena. The language is accessible to all and the visual effects of the video, or pictures they present, help students better understand the phenomena presented. It is a very useful resource to have.
"LES ATELIERS VERTS"
Teaching Sciences and Arts
"Les ateliers verts" are artistic, educational, and fun workshops related to the arts, the environment and the sciences. They offer a variety of activities for different age groups. My students had the opportunity to make rockets out of recycled materials. The artist (and activity leader) also gave them information about recycled materials and how the recycling process works. It was a super fun and impressive experience. This is a resource that is precious to have because it promotes interdisciplinary competences.
TEACHING AND LEARNING
Genius ideas!
Here are some things that my cooperating teacher did that
I found very interesting and that I wished to keep as teaching and learning ideas for my future classroom!
"J'ÉVALUE MON ÉTUDE"
Before all their evaluations, students were required to fill in the "J'évalue mon étude, /10". By doing this, students were evaluating the efforts they had put in studying for the evaluation and it allowed them to reflect on how they can improve for a next evaluation.
STUDENT FILES
My cooperating teacher (ct) had a file for each student which he kept in a bin on his desk. When a student was given verbal warnings and consequences, my ct would write these interventions in the student's file. This method is helpful for gathering evidence of a student's behaviour in the school or in the classroom. The information is easy to find when it is time to meet with the parents or the principal.
MATH CHRONO
Students have 10 questions per operation to answer (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division). However, students are free to choose the time the wish to complete the test. They may choose 5 minutes, 4 minutes, 3 minutes or 2 minutes. This method is perfect for differentiation and special needs. Students who want a greater challenge can always level up; whereas students who require more time for the test may choose to complete it in 5 minutes. Students appreciate the freedom of choice.