Shanelle's Journey Through 811

I recently found out I have been laid off again, so I am unsure of what I will be teaching next school year. I will likely find out my teaching role(s) in mid-late July.  This is the third year I've gone through the lay off process and although it has been frustrating and stressful, I am thankful for the experience as it has allowed me to explore new roles and work in new schools. Unfortunately, I have yet to have the chance to work at the same school twice, so I have never been around long enough to implement and see the end results of my ideas and contributions.    With that said, the ideas that promote Outdoor Ed and SEL below are more geared towards an elementary classroom teacher role. Though many of these ideas could be collaborative school wide initiatives.  Designated Outdoor Learning area (ideally an open area with some tree coverage and larger boulders arranged in a circle to promote a sense of community)  Sit spots (students either make or bring sit s...

With only 4ish weeks of preps left, I am torn with whether I will take all of my K-5 classes outside instead of staying in the music room. Working at two schools this year and with social distancing not being as much of a priority, I did not utilize the outdoors as much when teaching music preps. I created a pros and cons list below to hash out whether I should go for it or not. Clearly, every class population and this list was made keeping all of my 16 classes in mind.  Cons:  lugging instruments and potentially chairs outside can always be interesting some students are potential flight risks and EAs break schedules may leave me with no support  other classes using the school grounds which could cause distractions  potential encounters with members of the public or animals (dogs/bears are around in these neighbourhoods)  lack of visual support space unless taping things to the exterior wall / bringing out whiteboard not lots of time for behavorial expectations ...

I feel like I blinked and the month of May was gone! With many personal commitments and end of the year tasks coming up in June the last couple of weeks have left me feeling exhausted. I wasn't able to get outdoors at much lately due to a busy schedule and definitely felt a shift in my mood and mindset.  I am making it a priority moving forward in June to commit to spending at least an hour outdoors everyday. Whether that be before, during my work day, or in the evenings I need to get fresh air.  Even after being on Recess supervision, I feel more alert, relaxed, and positive.  In the past, some colleagues I have worked with have gone for a quick stroll around the block during lunch time to get some movement and fresh air in to break up the day. During peak Covid times, it was also fun bringing camping chairs and eating our lunches outdoors together. Depending on the day, I might go for a quick solo walk or ask a colleague to join and hopefully this will help give me some...

After writing my last blog post, I decided to see if there were any BC specific farming programs offered for schools. A quick google search later I discovered Farm to School BC. They have tons of resources for educators, lesson guides, and courses offered to provide cross curricular learning opportunities for BC students.  These programs can help guide teachers to begin their own school gardens, learn about crop planting, long term maintenance and more. These programs seem like the perfect opportunity for students to feel like they are making a positive contribution to their community while learning. This reminded me of what Kevin wrote in response to Werner's "Teaching for Hope" article.  Kevin mentioned in his response that "youth need to be encouraged to believe that they can make a difference in their world. It starts within their school community and they need to see examples of how other youth have made a difference." (HPTL, May 25th).   Not only would a p...

After exploring the readings and reviewing other's responses this week I was reminded how much education has changed throughout history. Teaching philosophies and the curriculum changed drastically throughout the decades to allow students to learn the necessary skills required to have successful futures as well as make necessary and positive contributions to society. This especially stood out to me when Tomkins mentioned that Canada was "lagging behind the industrial and technical education between 1880 - 1920" (160). Once this issue was acknowledged, curriculum specialists in Canada incorporated more  “manual training, domestic science, health education, agriculture, and kindergarten” programs were prioritized to help Canadian youth be better prepared for the real world after graduation.  At one point in Canadian history, students actually learned and developed agricultural skills. I assume that with more technological advances and heavy machinery in the following decade...

I feel like the month of May came and went just like that. There have been more behavioural issues, staff shortages, and never ending assessments this month. I have definitely been feeling unmotivated to teach all day and then work on master's assignments when I get home. One thing that does really help me calm down if I'm feeling overwhelmed by my responsibilities is going for a post-work zip around my neighbourhood before trying to tackle any school work.  I'm am currently writing this blog post from a lovely cabin in Agassiz where I will be spending the long weekend with some friends and hearing the sounds of the birds, seeing fish jump in the lake, and smelling campfire has already made me feel more at ease. I stumbled upon an article from Ontario Parks and it mentioned that "what you see and hear in nature can improve your mood in the moment."  The article also mentioned that spending time in nature has a strong connection with reducing negative emotions, inc...