REFLECTION: Board questions about practicum

  1. During practicum, something I learned that I wasn’t expecting was how big of a difference there was in ability levels between the students in each grade, and the gaps of foundational knowledge that so many of these students lacked. There were students in grade 9 who didn’t know how to do basic algebra, so I found myself having to do mini lessons on things they should already know how to do.
  2. I think the best part about practicum was probably building the relationships with the students and getting to joke around and have fun with them instead of being just another robotic teacher that only cares about delivering content. 
  3. The worst part was probably how much time I had to spend on prep and making notes packages etc. I knew it would be a lot of work but I didn’t think it would be THAT much.
  4. Something that I thought was so funny was how my students kept drawing me Tung Tung Tung Sahur drawings. I probably got like 25 drawings of him from them, and then on the last day they made me a thank you card and they used AI to put my face on him. Also, all of the nicknames they came up with for me were hilarious. I had them call me Ms.G instead of Ms.Guinn because I felt it was easier (and made me feel less old), and they called me: miss gangster, g machine, miss cheese, miss teach, miss g wagon, uncle g, and g unit and I loved every single one of the nicknames.
  5. I had to discipline a student for showing up to class so absolutely stoned and I sent him to the office and got him suspended.

Past – I honestly didn’t know much about Indigenous worldviews and ways of knowing before coming into the program. When I was in high school it wasn’t a part of the curriculum, so all I ever learned about was from my friends who are Indigenous. Throughout the program I learned all of the rules behind having guest speakers or writing land acknowledgements that I didn’t know existed but recognize that they exist for a reason and it’s important to follow them.

Present – I’ve found ways to incorporate some Indigenous connections into math lessons by creating assignments that relate to Indigenous culture. For example, during the linear relations section of my Math 9 unit, I gave the students a bunch of different linear relations that they had to graph and they ended up making Indigenous constellations when they graphed them. When they were done, I made them go on the chromebooks and figure out which Indigenous constellation they drew. Also for the probability section of my Workplace Math 10 class, my teacher mentor and I got one of the IEW’s to come in and play some Indigenous probability games with the students.

Future – I want to try and bring in more Indigenous voices as guest speakers and incorporate that into my math lessons. I also want to find more ways to incorporate Indigenous ways of learning into more sections of Math, because sometimes it’s not so easy to make those connections.

REFLECTION: Interview Questions

Questions on the whiteboard:

  1. What adjectives would others use to describe your presence in the classroom? Why? 

Funny because I was always joking around with the students.

Stern when they weren’t listening and it was necessary.

Caring because I wanted my students to succeed and cared about other aspects of their lives.

Approachable because students could come to me about anything and I would do my best to support them. 

  1. One to three questions that you want to know about the best pragmatic resumes

What should I NOT include?

How long should it be?

What’s the best layout/order of things on the resume?

  1. Teach a 2 min lesson
  • Solving algebraic equations
  • We want to isolate x so that it is alone on one side of the equals sign, so were going to perform the opposite operation on the other variables.
  • Remember what we do to one side we must do to the other.

Example: 

Single step: 

x + 4 = 9

  • We want x on its own, and we see that we are adding 4 to x, so were going to subtract 4 from both sides, so the 4 and -4 will cancel out and were left with:

x = 5

Multi step:

2x + 4 = 6

  • Were going to follow the same steps as above, but now we have multiplication involved. We’re going to do the steps OPPOSITE of bedmas, so were going to start with addition and subtraction and leave multiplication til last.

So first we subtract 4 from both sides

2x = 2

Then we can divide by 2 on each side, leaving

x = 1

The rest of the interview questions

  1. What is your teaching philosophy? Give an example of how you enact it in your teaching.

 Creating an inclusive and safe space is important in my teaching philosophy. I know what it’s like to not feel included so I always want my classroom to be a safe and inclusive space for all of my students. When students feel included they’re more likely to put themselves out there, ask questions, and fully engage in their learning. I also think the classroom environment itself plays a large role in whether students feel included or not. Having something as simple as artwork or posters on the walls can send a message about who is included, without having to say anything.

  1. What adjectives would others use to describe your presence in the classroom? Why?

Funny because I always joke around and have fun with the students.

Stern when they weren’t listening and it is necessary.

Caring because I want my students to succeed and care about other aspects of their lives.

Approachable because students can come to me about anything and I will do my best to support them. 

  1. Tell me about a time when students responded positively to one of your Indigenously inspired activities. What was the activity? What did students take away in their learning?

I had students doing a graphing assignment where they were given 10-15 linear relations that they had to graph and it ended up making 1 of 2 constellations. One of them was familiar to them, The Little Dipper, and the other one they probably hadn’t heard of before, The Jejak. The Jejak is an indigenous constellation that represents a crane, and in Indigenous communities they recognize The Little Dipper as Mang, which represents a Loon. Once they had them graphed, I had them go on the chromebooks and google what the constellations were in Indigenous communities.

  1. Tell me about a time when you overcame a difficult challenge in your teaching practice. What was the challenge? How did you overcome it?

A challenge I faced during practicum was students not listening and taking me seriously when I would try and get them to stop doing things. This was because I was making a lot of empty threats and not actually following through on them. But I started following through, and sending the students out into the hallways to talk to them individually instead of making a scene in front of the whole class, or even sending them to the office if it got to that point,  and this seemed to have a positive impact on my classroom management.

  1. Tell me about a time when someone gave you constructive but challenging feedback about your teaching practice, and how you handled that.

I had the principal come and observe one of my lessons, and it was first thing in the morning so the students weren’t being very responsive to my questioning during examples, so I ended up just telling them instead of having them tell me. He made a comment that the students weren’t doing any of the thinking because I was giving them all the answers, and that instead when were doing examples from the notes that I should try doing more vertical surfaces techniques so they can collaborate and get help from one another and then they will be doing the thinking instead of me. 

  1.  How do you manage students with challenging behaviour in the classroom?

This depends on the type of challenging behaviour. For students who are acting out or being goofy for attention, sometimes it’s best to just not acknowledge certain things that they do because they’re looking for a reaction. Obviously if it’s something inappropriate or distracting to other students then I usually ask them politely to stop and stay focused, and if that doesn’t work then I ask them to step out into the hallway and have a one on one conversation with them. 

  1. How do you acknowledge Indigenous worldviews in your teaching?

As stated above I did the Indigenous Constellations Graphing Activity, but also for the probability section of my Workplace Math 10 class, my teacher mentor and I got one of the IEW’s to come in and play some Indigenous probability games with the students.

  1. How do you cultivate positive relationships with your students and create a sense of class community?

I usually take a humorous approach with my students so they can see that I’m not just a teacher – I’m a normal human like them and that they can be themselves around me. I also try and ask them things about their personal lives and share a little about mine as well so that we can connect on a deeper level and they can feel like they can trust me.

  1. Give evidence through an example which shows how you design learning environments which address diversity and support all learners in a class.

I always give out formula sheets to every student so that everyone has an equal chance of learning and understanding the material. The students with IEP’s I make the formula sheet a little more detailed as well.

  1. How do you keep your students engaged and motivated in your lessons?

I like to incorporate math games or activities such as Jeopardy or Murder Mystery games. This keeps math fun and engaging for the students as it incorporates other things that they know and love. 

For lessons where the math games don’t work, I give a 20-30 minute lecture and then give them 5-10 minutes for a brain break where they can get up and move around and socialize with their friends before moving into a worksheet for more practice. I find this helps them stay focused for the rest of the class.

  1. What do you do to maintain your own professional development? What areas would you select for your personal growth?

I would like to attend math workshops to get different perspectives and ways to teach things. I think that we’re life long learners and are always able to learn more things, so I want to keep expanding on that so I can work on being my best version of myself as a teacher.

I also would like to attend SOGI workshops so I can be as inclusive as possible to all of my students.

  1. What does collaboration mean to you? How do you engage in collaboration to improve your teaching practice and relatedly, student learning?

Collaboration means working together and getting new ideas and perspectives from others. You have the ability to think of things in new ways that you might not have considered before that may make more sense to you. I like to use vertical surfaces for collaboration because students can see what others are doing and get an “aha” moment that might make it click better than if they were working alone and I went over to help them. I also let them collaborate on the worksheets that they have to study with for the same reason.

  1. What are some assessment methods you use to check for understanding as you are teaching?

I like to use the triangulation method and observe what the students are doing, listen to their conversations to see if it makes sense to them or not. I use this to assess if I need to spend more time on certain topics or not, and from there give quizzes and tests to assess their knowledge as well. 

  1. Which extra-curricular activities, clubs, or sports are you willing to be involved in if you are offered a position?

I would be willing to tutor students who may need extra help with their math.

  1. What would you do if there was a situation unfolding in your classroom that compromised student safety?

I would follow school safety protocols, or send them to/escort them to the principals office depending on the severity of the situation. 

REFLECTION: 3 – 2 – 1 Reflection

3 – Three things you did well during the mock interviewing

  1. Listening to my group’s answers and giving meaningful feedback on what I thought was a good answer, or areas where I think their answers could be stronger.
  2. Taking time to think about and reflect on my answers which allowed me to make changes so that my answers are the best they can be. 
  3. Practicing how to answer interview questions in a professional way while still making my answers sound personal and true to my own teaching experiences.

2 – Two things you need to work on during the mock interviewing

  1. My group didn’t do the mock interview in the traditional way, we just discussed our answers and gave each other feedback on what we would change about it, so one thing I need to work on is doing the mock interview in the traditional way to get more practice and a feel of what the interview will actually be like. 
  1. I think I could work on thinking of answers faster. I get nervous and start panicking so it takes me time to think of a good, honest, thoughtful answer.

1 – One question you still have about interviewing

  1. If we can’t think of a question right away, are we allowed to ask to come back to the question at the end of the interview?


REFLECTION: Adding to my resume

Things I would like to add to my resume:

  • I would like to add more relevant work experience and maybe get experience teaching different subjects outside of my field.
  • I would like to have more certifications, and become category 5+.
  • I would like to add any achievements that I have accomplished, such as running a Pro-D day.
  • I would like to take on a leadership role such as the head of Mathematics.
  • I would like to volunteer in the community.
  • I would like to go teach Math at a BC Offshore school.
  • I would like to get my ESL certification and teach English abroad.
  • I would like to say that I contributed to the development of the curriculum.

ACTIVITY: 1 minute about me video

  • My name is Kiana
  • I’m 29 years old 
  • I’m unapologetically myself
  • I like to collect weird things like dolls and taxidermied things
  • I love tattoos and fashion
  • I’m a very loud and out there person
  • I enjoy hanging out with my friends
  • I have a hairless cat named Norman, and he is a weirdo just like me.

REFLECTION: Professional Standard 7: Educators engage in professional learning.

1) What “individual professional needs” have you identified? 

  • More experience teaching a variety of math courses and grade levels.
  • More practice differentiating instruction for students with diverse learning.
  • Building confidence in communicating with parents and guardians.

2) What teaching areas of interest or areas of professional growth would you like to work in the coming year? 

I would love to work on developing more classroom management strategies, especially with students with more challenging behaviours.

3) What kinds of professional learning opportunities are you interested in?

I’m interested in attending mathematics and science workshops to enhance my teaching skills in these subject areas. Specifically I want to gain more experience and confidence teaching science since I will likely be teaching junior science courses as a novice teacher.

4) Have you already engaged in professional development over and above the BEd program? What was it? How did it inform your teaching? Did it have an impact on student learning?

Before starting the program, I had conversations with some of my high school teachers about teaching and what to expect from the program. These conversations helped me realize that teaching is so much more complex than it appears, but it’s also a very rewarding career.

REFLECTION: Laurel Macpherson

Today, Laurel Macpherson from the KTTA came to talk to us about issues she deals with while working for the union. One thing that stood out to me was that most of the cases she deals with involves teachers touching kids. In other classes we were told that if a student came up and initiated a hug we were allowed to hug them back. However, Laurel made it clear that even innocent situations like that can get us in trouble and if a student tries to hug us we have to awkwardly turn them down because no matter what the situation is, the teachers are always guilty.

Another thing that stood out to me was how careful we have to be in our own personal lives. I understand that as teachers we’re seen as role models and are held to a higher professional standard since we work with young inpressionable people, but we’re still human and have social lives outside of school. I understand why illegal or innapropriate actions would have consequences, but getting in trouble for doing things that every single person does seems a little overkill to me. I’m excited to work in this profession, but it also makes me nervous about how much of my personal life could be scrutinized.

REFLECTION: Jordan Smith

Today Jordan Smith came to talk to us about TREC. Something I took from her presentation was how important it is to have different educational programs available to meet the needs of diverse learners. A lot of students can’t function properly in a traditional classroom setting, so having alternative programs that allows students to learn at their own pace on a schedule that works for them is extremely important. Every student deserves access to education, and students shouldn’t lose that opportunity simply because they don’t fit in with the expectations of a more traditional education model. This presentation really emphasized that there isn’t a single approach to education that works for everyone. Programs like TREC give opportunities to students to further their education in a way that fits their needs. I have friends who graduated from TREC because they couldn’t conform to the standards set for traditional education, and they’re now attending TRU and getting further education.

REFLECTION: Jamie Drozda

Jamie’s presentation today was really helpful for learning how to properly navigate the website and clearing up some of the confusions I had. I was glad she stayed after the presentation because there were a few things on my website that weren’t working properly, and she helped me figure them out way faster than I would have on my own. I really like how customizable this website is, and I appreciate Jamie taking the time to create it for us and walk us through how to use it.

REFLECTION: There are many reasons why people go on to become teachers. Can you please tell us why you chose this professional path, and what one of your biggest goals/hopes is for yourself, on your professional journey?

Growing up I always struggled with school. Not because I lacked understanding, but because I had trouble focusing and prioritizing my education. However, having supportive teachers who genuinely cared and invested in my learning left a positive impact on me and changed the trajectory of my life. This is where my interest in becoming a teacher stems from; I want to have a positive impact on someone’s life, as my teachers did for me.

One of my biggest goals/hopes for myself on my professional journey is to be a teacher that students feel comfortable with coming to for help and support, or even just to talk to if they’re going through something. I know theres limitations on what we can say to students, but I want to be there for them the best I can be.

REFLECTION: Pooja Reflection

Today we had a teams meeting with Pooja Bhatti who works with Make a Future. Although we’ve had this presentation at the VERY beginning of the semester, it was nice to have a refresher on how the website and hiring process works, because I don’t remember much from the first time. I learned about “Featured Job Openings” which is an area where they post jobs where they need teachers IMMEDIATELY which I thought was interesting because we weren’t told about this before, and it’s nice to know theres options if you want to work right away.

This presentation honestly kind of stressed me out about my applications I’ve already sent in to districts, because she went into the details of things districts want on the cover letters/resumes that we were not aware of before. It honestly would have been nice to have this presentation during practicum since there was such an emphasis on applying to jobs as soon as possible and now I’m worried my applications aren’t good enough.

ACTIVITY: Can you describe a time when you worked closely with colleagues to support student learning or create/improve a school initiative? What was your role, and what was the outcome? 

During practicum I worked closely with the case manager for one of my student with an IEP to figure out a learning plan that would work best for the student. This involved a lot of collaboration between the case manager, the student’s parents, my teacher mentor, and myself. It took some back and forth to find the best approach but eventually we came up with a plan that worked for everyone. In the end the student ended up doing way better on her assessments.

REFLECTION: Please provide an example of a time when you had to use problem-solving and judgement skills to navigate a conflict with a supervisor, co-worker, or parent. Please include your approach to managing the conflict, what steps you took, what the outcome was, and what you would consider doing differently in future situations.

When I was working at Carlos O’Bryans, I got promoted to a manager position. It was good because it was another step up from before, however me and my coworkers were all best friends at this point, and I found that they didn’t really listen much or take me seriously when I asked them to do something work related. One day, I made the map and put one of my friends in a section she didn’t like working because she was the strongest server on that night and it was a weekend and we needed somebody strong to work that section. She was upset and was being quite rude to me about it, and was not treating me how she would treat other managers had it been someone else managing that night. So I asked her if she would be treating Jen or Andy (our bosses) like this if they were the ones working and put her in that section? She said no and then stormed off and ended up working in that section and was fine. I talked to her after her shift and told her that she can’t talk to me like that just because we’re friends, because I’m still your manager and you still need to respect that. She apologized and said it wouldn’t happen again, and it didn’t. I think in a future situation like this I would have talked to her immediately about her behaviour so that it wasn’t awkward all shift and the conflict could have been resolved sooner, but it was busy and she needed to start right away so I couldn’t.

ACTIVITY: Tell me about a time you incorporated First Peoples Principles of Learning into a class assignment or activity?

During practicum I incorporated the First Peoples Principle of Learning that “learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational” through a probability activity in Math 9. Instead of only teaching probability through notes and examples, students completed a dice assignment where they rolled dice, collected their own data, and compared their results to the theoretical probability. This activity connected to this principle because they were learning by actually doing the experiment instead of just memorizing a formula or copying notes. They had to test it out for themselves, look at their results, and think about why their experimental probability data might be different from the theoretical probability.

ACTIVITY: Group Activity

Tech in Schools

  1. What are the trends, challenges, and issues with your topic?
    • Students tend to use tech to use AI to complete assignments instead of doing their own work, which is both a trend and a challenge. It’s taking away students critical thinking skills, so I think using tech as little as possible to avoid these issues is best, although they can find ways to use it if its for a take home assignment.
  2. How will these trends, challenges, and issues impact you as a new teacher
    • Determining the validity of their work will be hard, and determining if students actually understand the material or not. Things like blooket and kahoot are hard to determine if students actually understand the material or not because a lot of students just click an answer and hope for the best, which doesn’t help their learning.
  3. How will you manage these trends, challenges, and issues?
    • Mainly use for accommodations, but also could use for review if there’s extra time because at least the students are getting some exposure to it even if they’re not paying that much attention. I would try to avoid tech as much as possible, especially in math, unless it’s being used to research things for the topic.
  4. Do you have any questions in regards to the topic?
    • No.