I was excited to begin a new journey at Lakehead University this school year. I am teaching a Planning, Evaluation, and Classroom Management course to students in their first year at the Faculty of Education. Ever since I worked at the District level supporting the New Teacher Induction Program (NTIP), I knew I wanted to teach at a Faculty of Ed. It was also part of the reason I was so excited to contribute a chapter to, Because of A Teacher Volume II, edited by George Couros; a book whose target audience is primarily new teachers.
The team at Lakehead is incredible and supportive and generous with their resource sharing and I have had lots of time to plan the one course I am teaching. It has been way more work than I thought it would be, primarily because I found myself second-guessing my choices and labouring over how I might teach the content required, but also foster positive connections and classroom culture. This is because I know how important relationship building is in the context of teaching and learning and that classroom management is in large part dependent on students feeling supported and/or seen. I set out to model good practice so that my students might implement the strategies I have shared in class in their own placements. It’s an incredible responsibility to know that everything I do is being observed and possibly emulated.
The importance of connections is something that I have had the opportunity to reflect upon during the co-writing of our upcoming book, Hopes for School: A student’s experience and ideas for educational transformation. Karen Phan, who shares her perspectives as a student states the following:
She also adds that, “Connections matter more than academics, and being around our supportive friends and teachers is one of the best parts of being a student.”
Yesterday was the last in-person class; students will now begin their 2nd placement with my support and supervision. I wondered, as I planned our final class whether or not I had succeeded in building the culture I hoped. I received some lovely thank you notes suggesting I had, including the following message from one of my students:
I am not going to lie. I began to cry just a little bit; this student really noticed my intentionality and felt closer to her classmates as a result. I have Karen, my co-author, to thank for the reminder of what’s important when it comes to being intentional about creating a safe and inclusive environment where students feel connected to me and each other. I have no doubt that as my students move into their final practicum for this year, they will make relationships a priority in their own contexts.
Be sure to subscribe to my blog for information about Hopes for School’s publication in the coming weeks.
