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Fourth Year Professional Seminar
Winter 2025
This fourth field experience allowed me to develop my professional competencies and, thus, improve my practice. The following page will present my action plan from my Third Field Placement as well as five artifacts from my field placement that played an important role in helping me develope the various competencies.
Action Plan for FE4
My Action Plan was my base for my fourth field experience as it represented areas that I had to work on.
I made sure to focus on the four competencies and find ways to improve them while continuing to develop the other competencies.
ARTIFACTS
ARTIFACT #1
LES : L'habitation conditionnelle
This LES was done combining French and CCQ (Culture and Citizenship in Quebec) courses. The goal was for students to learn about homelessness in an unbiased way that promotes understanding and inclusivity. In this project, students were asked to design a homeless shelter that could answer homeless people's basic human needs and rights, as well as some possible desires.
All documents can be found in this Google drive under Artifact 1:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17rd2aZU_qASykjn3YQvr6GcVtCblgrgD?usp=sharing
Professional competencies:
Competency 1: Act as a cultural facilitator when carrying out duties
In this LES, I fostered cultural awareness and inclusivity by guiding students to approach homelessness without bias, creating a respectful space for discussing diverse realities within Quebec’s social and cultural context.
Competency 2: Master the language of instruction
As the project involves the French language, reading, writing, and presenting, I modelled accurate, rich, and inclusive use of the language. I supported students in developing vocabulary related to housing, human rights, and social issues, while also guiding them in formulating ideas clearly, persuasively, and respectfully—an essential part of teaching and assessing communication skills.
Competency 3: Plan teaching and learning situations
I designed a cross-curricular project that balanced language objectives with Quebec culture and citizenship education. Planning involves aligning tasks to curricular goals (e.g., rights and needs in CCQ; argumentative writing or oral communication in French), sequencing activities, and preparing scaffolded tasks.
Competency 4: Implement teaching and learning situations
I facilitated learning by guiding students through their various tasks. I encouraged students to apply their knowledge and creativity in a meaningful, real-world context. I respected the time allocated for each task.
Competency 5: Evaluate learning
I assessed both formative and summative aspects of the project to guide students and ensure they were on the right path to success. I evaluated French-language skills (in writing and oral presentation) and CCQ-related learning. Evaluation includes criteria such as empathy, collaboration, creativity, and the ability to justify design choices related to human needs and rights.
Competency 7: Take into account student diversity
This LES naturally lends itself to differentiation: students can express understanding through various formats (written assignments, visual representations, etc.), and I provided support or extension based on students' individual needs. The theme itself encourages respect for difference.
Competency 8: Support students’ love of learning
The LES is meaningful, student-centered, and socially relevant. It encourages curiosity, compassion, and engagement through authentic tasks. By giving students a real-world problem to solve creatively, I hope to have sparked their intrinsic motivation and make learning feel purposeful and empowering.
Competency 12: Mobilize digital technologies
Students used technology to make plans for their Shelter on "ArchiFacile".
ARTIFACT #2
Lesson on needs, rights, and desires
This activity was done to add to my LES to deepen the understanding of what needs, rights and desires are. The goal was for students to first classify and then compare and contrast these concepts thinking about homelessness. In this project, students were asked to design a homeless shelter that could answer homeless people's basic human needs and rights, as well as some possible desires and so this activity provided them more clarity as to what to include and how to think about their shelter.
All documents can be found in this Google drive under artifact 2: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17rd2aZU_qASykjn3YQvr6GcVtCblgrgD?usp=sharing
Professional competencies:
Competency 1: Act as a cultural facilitator when carrying out duties
I gave space for reflection on social inequality, and empathy. By facilitating respectful conversations around sensitive topics, I helped students question assumptions and explore cultural and societal values without judgment, nurturing inclusive citizenship.
Competency 3: Plan teaching and learning situations
This lesson is carefully planned to scaffold students' thinking before they begin designing their shelter. I have anticipated conceptual difficulties (e.g., distinguishing a “desire” from a “need”), planned a hands-on classification activity including a graphic organizers, and I have chosen examples that are relevant to t students as well as homeless individuals. The lesson is intentionally designed to make abstract ideas concrete and meaningful.
Competency 4: Implement teaching and learning situations
I actively guided the discussions, facilitated group work, and supported students as they classified and debated their ideas. I ensured that students stayed on task, respectful, and engaged. I was able to create a safe environment where students could express their ideas and deepen their understanding through interaction and reflection.
Competency 5: Evaluate learning
This lesson offers opportunities for formative assessment—through observation and their classification sheet. With both of these, I was able to gather information about how well students understand the distinctions between needs, rights, and desires and how they apply this understanding to real-world contexts like homelessness.
Competency 6: Manage how the classroom operates
I set clear expectations for respectful dialogue, structuring group tasks effectively, managing time, and fostering inclusive participation.
Competency 7: Take into account student diversity
I strategically prepared my groups to have stronger students with students who need more support. By doing this, the stronger students would act as positive leaders and help their teammates.
ARTIFACT #3
Science unit on natural disasters
This unit was done to explore the natural disasters and how to prevent the damages that may be caused by some of them. The students learned about hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, avalanches, landslides, droughts, floods, and volcanoes. Students were shown videos of the natural disasters real occurrences around the world. The final activity was to make our own volcano in the classroom and compare the eruption to real volcano eruptions around the world.
All documents can be found in this Google drive under artifact 3: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17rd2aZU_qASykjn3YQvr6GcVtCblgrgD?usp=sharing
Professional competencies:
Competency 1: Act as a cultural facilitator when carrying out duties
In this unit, I provided opportunities for students to reflect on the global impact of natural disasters and how these events affect different populations unequally depending on the different resources available throughout the world.
Competency 3: Plan teaching and learning situations
I carefully planned a progressive and engaging learning sequence, starting with exploring various types of natural disasters, their causes, and their effects. I selected relevant videos, class notes, and a hands-on activity that matched students’ interests. The unit culminated in a volcano experiment, which was designed to reinforce concepts while maintaining student engagement and curiosity. I also made sure that the materials, timing, and safety protocols were all well prepared in advance.
Competency 4: Implement teaching and learning situations
I facilitated a variety of learning experiences including visual media, discussions, and hands-on experiments, allowing students to interact with content in multiple ways. I guided students' observations in comparing between model volcano eruptions and real-world phenomena, encouraging students to use scientific vocabulary and to make thoughtful connections.
Competency 5: Evaluate learning
The volcano experiment served as a performance-based assessment where students demonstrated their ability to explain scientific processes, compare their model with real-life data, and apply key concepts learned throughout the unit. I also made a summative assessment .
Competency 12: Mobilize digital technologies
I used videos of real-life natural disasters to bring the content to life and allow students to observe phenomena that are otherwise inaccessible and to help students visualize how certain disasters unfold. These technologies supported a multimodal learning environment, making scientific concepts more accessible and meaningful to all learners.
ARTIFACT #4
Presentation by Moe Clarke
This presentation was done as a cross curricular activity mixing Social Studies and Music. Students were introduced to a Métis artist named Moe Clark. There was a class dedicated to her introduction, one for the presentation, and another discussion as well as appreciating her work. Students got to see how her work is related to nature and how it represents the Métis community and culture.
All documents can be found in this Google drive under artifact 4: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17rd2aZU_qASykjn3YQvr6GcVtCblgrgD?usp=sharing
Professional competencies:
Competency 1: Act as a cultural facilitator when carrying out duties
By introducing students to Moe Clark, a Métis artist, and exploring how her music and poetry reflect her Indigenous identity and connection to nature, I acted as a bridge between cultures. I facilitated meaningful discussions around Indigenous world views, art as a cultural expression, and interconnectedness with the land. This helped students appreciate diverse cultural perspectives while promoting respect, empathy, and open-mindedness, which are central to this competency.
Competency 7: Take into account student diversity
This activity allowed for multiple entry points into learning—through music, poetry, discussion, and reflection—which helped reach students with varied interests, learning styles, and cultural backgrounds. By using an interdisciplinary approach that blends art, identity, and social issues, I provided an inclusive space where students could relate in personal ways to Moe Clark’s work.
Competency 15: Steps to Reconciliation
This activity directly supports reconciliation by centering Indigenous voices and amplifying the contributions of a Métis artist. By intentionally making space for Moe Clark’s work, I created a learning environment where Indigenous perspectives are not only acknowledged but valued, helping students understand the importance of honouring Indigenous knowledge and experience in authentic, respectful ways.
ARTIFACT #5
Lesson on "questions en trois temps"
This lesson was done in the French class to help students answer reaction and appreciation questions in a complete manner, especially since students have an important exam at the end of the year including those. This lesson helps them structure their ideas in a clear and coherent way, by developing arguments supported with specific examples from the text and making connections to their personal lives. By learning to justify their opinions and organize their thoughts logically, they not only improve their writing skills but also their ability to express critical thinking. The story is relevant for all as it talks about friendship, self-love, and team work; all important topics. Students are involved in their learning because they correct another student's work anonymously, which strengthens their own comprehension of the tasks.
All documents can be found in this Google drive under artifact 5: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17rd2aZU_qASykjn3YQvr6GcVtCblgrgD?usp=sharing
Professional competencies:
Competency 1: Act as a cultural facilitator when carrying out duties
By choosing a story that explores universal and meaningful themes such as friendship, self-love, and teamwork, I created space for students to relate the story to their personal lives and values, encouraging them to express their identities, beliefs, and perspectives while remaining respectful of others.
Competency 3: Plan teaching and learning situations
This lesson was carefully structured to build key writing and thinking skills. I anticipated student needs by selecting a relevant story to which they coud relate easily, providing clear criteria for complete answers (answer, explanation, connection), and integrating a peer correction component to deepen understanding.
Competency 4: Implement teaching and learning situations
I actively supported student learning by guiding their responses, modelling how to structure complete answers, and facilitating the peer correction process. I created a safe and constructive space for students to share anonymously, promoting honest feedback and self-reflection.
Competency 5: Evaluate learning
This lesson allowed me to engage in formative assessment by observing how students justified their opinions, the clarity of their arguments, and their use of textual evidence. The peer correction activity offered another layer of assessment, as students had to apply the criteria to someone else's work—deepening their own understanding while allowing me to assess their grasp of the evaluation standards.
Competency 6: Manage how the classroom operates
To ensure a smooth and effective lesson, I established clear procedures and expectations, especially around the anonymous peer review process. I managed time, transitions, and group dynamics to maintain focus and respect. Students knew their roles and responsibilities, which helped create a productive and inclusive learning environment where everyone could contribute and grow.
Other Professional Competencies
Competency 9: Be actively involved as a member of the school team
I consistently contribute to the school’s mission and collaborate with colleagues to foster a positive learning environment. I participated in all the team meetings, in the Reading week committee, and played volleyball during lunchtime with the other teachers. My involvement reflected my commitment to collaboration and to creating a supportive school culture for both staff and students.
Competency 10: Co-operate with the family and education partners in the community
One of my students' parent came to talk about children's rights which tied in nicely with our lesson about needs, rights, and desires for our homeless shelter. This cooperation between myself and the parent strengthened the students' understanding of the concept of "rights" and was very helpful. I also had the help of various parents for our trips (one to the museum and the other for the ski trip). I had very interesting conversations with them, learning more about their child and the school community.
Competency 11: Commit to own professional development and to the profession
I continuously found opportunities to grow by participating in workshops offered during pedagogical days or after school. I reflected on my practice regularly, asked feedback from my cooperating teacher constantly, and then apply new strategies to improve my teaching.
Competency 13: Act in accordance with the ethical principles of the profession
I demonstrated the values and ethical standards expected of a teacher, including respect, fairness, confidentiality, and integrity. I made sure to model responsible behaviour in my interactions with students, colleagues, and families. I was always mindful of the impact that my words and actions could have, and I created a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for all my students and coworkers. I also ensured that my decisions always prioritized the well-being and development of my students, adhering to my host school's professional policies.
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