I joined Cohort 21 due to the suggestion of another colleague, which would be a great opportunity to learn from others with more professional experience and to reflect and and refine my teaching practice. A professional and important goal I would like to address is to deepen my understanding of student-centred learning and find ways to make learning more meaningful and engaging for my students.
The Season 13 Strands that resonate with me the most are Pedagogy, Belonging, and Wellbeing (7-12) and Leading Change through WellBeing (starting to see a pattern here!)
I recently had a major shift in grade-level teaching, moving from Grade 3 to Grades 9/10. With the dynamic between ages being so different, it is necessary for me to grasp different forms of assessment and learning strategies to engage my current group of students. There were days when I had to consider the delicate balance between the constructive feedback being given and minimalizing of hand-holding. As such, it is important for me to navigate through this field where I need to provide students with accountability while also being there to support them when they seek answers.
As for the second strand, Leading Change through WellBeing, I find this one to be on the urgent side since it is aiming toward the actions I currently take to help students progress throughout the year. With so much activity and movement throughout the year, the students appear to be blindsided by the constant communication and socialization with their peers and academics, so much so that many are falling behind because of their poor mental health. I would like to take the opportunity to seek answers and advice on how the students’ wellbeing can be improved or stress be minimized when dealing with busy schedules.
