1. Last September, you came to UOIT for your first class.  How have you changed from one year ago personally and professionally?  What challenges did you experience as you transitioned from then to now? How did you deal with those challenges? 
    

     Since last September, I have gone through a transformational journey in my professional development and how I see myself as an educator. Personally, I have become a more confident person and find that I can make an impact in the classroom and through my communication with colleagues. I know that I can teach and believe that I can do it well. Rather than trying to emulate the perfect teacher, I bring my strengths into the classroom and use that to form what has become my own style of teaching founded in care, inquiry, inclusion and engagement. I have a more holistic outlook on the learning process and do not just focus on certain aspects of it. Professionally, I have learned about the important pieces in the education process such as backwards design, universal design for learning, classroom management techniques, assessment methods lesson planning and so much more. I have participated in professional development, which has helped me to reflect and improve on my teaching. I have also held peer-teaching seminars and taught during summer camp. When considering the challenges I experienced through my transition, a big one that stands out is becoming a reflection practitioner and looking at my own bias and misconceptions. I had to be willing to look at myself and see what needed improvement and open to new growth, which can sometimes be a difficult change to make. To deal with this, I spent a lot of time in practicum and in my classes thinking about different views and ideas on education. I learned to be analytical and do my own inquiries in practicum on different methods of teaching and learning. Another challenge was taking on a big picture view of education from K to grade 6. I had to learn about how the grades are all connected and the scaffolding of learning that takes place year by year. I need to work with colleagues in other grades in order to make the learning experience richer and consistent for all. To deal with those changes, I worked hard to practice skills in things such as lesson planning, doing diagnostics and assessments, and most importantly having open communication with people I work with.

I am a teacher, and I am excited to begin my journey in this final semester. I hope to continue to grow, learn, and bring everything that I learned at the faculty into my teaching profession.
 

2. Now consider the wide range of students with diverse needs entering Kindergarten for the first time (for PJ TCs) or Grade 9 students (or adolescents entering secondary school for the first time) or Grade 12 students who are about to leave secondary school (for IS TCs).  What challenges might your students face as they transition to/from various contexts?

 

     Transitions are always an exciting, yet challenging time for all people. I personally am going through a transitional period as I prepare to enter the profession. With students and people, it is always important to keep in mind that new transition also mean new schedules and routines. Students need to relearn how the day is formatted and what is expected from them. Not only this, but they are also in a brand new environment with a new community of people. All of this change can be quite overwhelming and is an important challenge to keep in mind. Some students may need more time than others to adjust. Another challenge may be the academic success of students. If a child is not comfortable in a space or is not being engaged than they may not be able to perform. It is important to build rapport with all new students so that they feel safe in their learning environment. Overall, I think it is important to prepare for any new transition. Visiting the new environment, being familiar with new routines, and knowing what to expect can all help make things easier.

 

3. Now go to the Ministry of Education’s resources below (depending on your division) and respond to the respective prompts.

 

a) How will you as a potential Kindergarten teacher support your students transitioning to Kindergarten? 
 

     There are many ways in which I can support students who are transitioning into Kindergarten. My first and foremost goal would be to provide a caring and loving environment for my students. Building rapport with students will be the number one priority as the students get familiar and used to the new routines and environment. I need to be patient, kind and aware of students needs. Providing an engaging environment would be my next support system. Busy students are happy students. I need to make sure that there are centres set with activities or opportunities for inquiry around the classroom. In the past when working in Kindergarten preparation programs, children would more willingly socialize and try new things when activities and learning were prepared.

My next support would be to work closely with parents and guardians. I need to meet with families so that I can meet the individual needs of the students and provide a smooth transition when the students first enter the classroom. Being aware of the students home life and needs will help me to create a comfortable classroom environment for the students.

My final support would be to bring some home routines into the classroom in the beginning of the year. For some new junior kindergarten students, they may still be taking naps at home in afternoons. In my classroom I could set up a quiet space for students needing a break in the afternoon to meet those kinds of needs. 

 

b) How will you support parents whose children are entering Kindergarten?

     Communication and openness is key wen supporting parents whose children are entering Kindergarten. Setting up meetings before school begins with families, or giving classroom tours/curriculum walkthroughs may help ease some parent’s anxieties. Setting up a classroom website, daily journal, or remind app is another great way to keep open communication with parents. My last way of supporting parents would be to allow them to provide input in how they hope to see their child progress and what goals they would like to set. Collaboration with parents helps to include them in the school community and make a smooth transition into kindergarten. 
 

c) How would you handle a comment from someone who thinks full day Kindergarten is just full day play and babysitting? What would you do so you could respond to this question in an informed and professional manner?

 

     It is not just enough to state that it is not just babysitting, as a professional you need to be prepared to back up your statements with scholarly sources, maybe even personal long/short range plans, and government documentation on the benefits of the FDK program. As a kindergarten teacher, it is of upmost importance to document and make anecdotal observations on student’s development, skill attainment daily so this can also act as a source of proof when showing someone the educational aspects of Full Day Kindergarten program.

You can guide people wondering about the benefits of the program to the Kindergarten Program Document, which lays out the skills and specific curricular goals in Kindergarten in Ontario (https://www.ontario.ca/document/kindergarten-program-2016?_ga=2.211754965.191293268.1505342644-356140876.1474648399)

​

You can also show them scholarly sources, which highlight the developmental benefits of the FDK program (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2008.01170.x/full)

 

Overall, the biggest resources to highlighting that you are not just a daycare is all of your own personal documentation as a teacher. Pictures, sample work, assessments, goals, anecdotal observations, and student interviews all work together to paint a picture of the day to day learning that happens in the classroom.

 

d) Explore the Full Day Kindergarten program and determine what areas you need to understand more deeply.  How will you learn more about your identified areas of need?

 

     A focus I would like to have would be 4.6 Problem Solving and Innovating. As a supporter of inquiry-based learning in the classroom, I would like to delve into having more opportunities in giving students logic tasks or open ended and hands on investigations. I feel as though there are endless possibilities for learning in this category since students explore communication, collaboration, awareness and most importantly critical thinking skills.

 

e) After exploring the various resources related to the unique needs of Kindergarten, what is your key take away? Why?

​

     My key take away after exploring all of the resources related to Kindergarten is that teaching Kindergarten is a more complex task than people give it credit for. Not only are teachers in charge of caring and meeting the needs of all of the students, but they are also teaching life skills, behaviour management, and the beginnings of literacy/math/art/science etc. which will be the foundations of learning for these students future.