Mini-Microteaching

On September 21st, our counselling group did our video-taped mini-microteaching...and boy was it an eye opener! I learned so many great things about the incredible individuals in our group, as well as myself. Here are a few tidbits of information I discovered:

I learned that any kind of paper folding is NOT my thing (thank you to all who helped me i.e. folded my origami FOR me) :)

I should NOT leave to go to the bathroom in case Tyler tells a hilarious joke while I'm gone

I can not tie a proper tie...so I need to find a husband who can tie his own

I have been going about proposing ALL wrong- thank you Pat for setting me straight!

And finally....

I learned that candy will always be delicious...whether I eat it with chopsticks or my fingers :)

It was a long, but educational day, and it was very interesting to see how I looked on tape, compared to how I THOUGHT I looked- they are definitely not one and the same. Hopefully we can all take something away from the experience, and use that knowledge for our microteaching.

Great job everyone!

Open House

On September 20, Dave and I went to the Stevensville Open House. I wasn't sure what the day would be like, since we had only been there for one day prior to the open house...but I am SO glad we went.
Between saying hi to various parents, and monitoring the kids at the coffee and timbit station (those grade 6s are mighty sneaky!), we had our work cut out for us. It was amazing to see just how many parents and families turned up with the kids to meet the teachers and to enjoy the free hot dogs and snacks. The sense of community that we felt was quite extraordinary, and I can honestly say I have never felt that in a school setting before.
We spent a good hour helping to barbecue and serve hot dogs to the guests (as one of the teachers was accidently left all alone at the hot dog station), and it was great. We had the opportunity to meet some of the parents of our students, as well as get to know our teachers (as well as the other teachers in the school) better.
It was a very rewarding experience, and the teachers were so appreciative of our help, that we now have an "appreciation card" made out to us on our appreciation wall in the staffroom...It was a great feeling to see that up :)

My first day at Stevensville

My first impression when I walked into Stevensville Public School was WOW...the sense of community and warmth that I felt as I walked through the doors was truly incredible. The first person we met was Beth, the wonderful grade 2 teacher. She immediately welcomed us and told us just how excited everyone was to have us at their school...we could not possibly have received a better greeting than this.

When the Principal arrived, he welcomed us, and gave us a tour of the school (which oddly enough is in the shape of a square). The school is AMAZING- the library even comes equipped with its own "storybook room" (think: Kiddy Cobbler carpeted steps/seating) and viewing window.

When I met my teacher, I admit, I was a little taken aback by his personality, since it was the COMPLETE opposite of mine. While I am outgoing and enthusiastic about absolutely EVERYTHING, he is more...non-outgoing, very sarcastic, and extremely laid back. It took a bit of getting used to (and a bit of panicking) before I realized that him being the opposite of me will actually benefit me in the long run, because it will teach me how to use a different approach in my teaching. Perhaps the best part of the day was realizing it was Picture Day, and having my associate teacher (and my kids) ask me to be in their class picture with them. It made me feel so welcome, and even more excited about the grade 3 journey I will be taking during this Block.

I am very excited about the days ahead...