Educators engage in professional learning.
This standard was met nearly each day within my 491 practicum. I would find time at the end of the day to reflect on the lessons that I had been teaching and consider how I would improve the lesson for next time. I found that this helped me to figure out more age-appropriate activities and build on basic skills in a much more successful way.
I also engaged in professional learning through the Professional Development Days that I participated in. I learned about rock art and how to tie the learning to place and land, a large belief within my personal pedagogy! We completed this activity using stones collected from the local rivers and discussed how the students could collect their own to further this personal experience. Below is an image of the rock art that I completed on this Pro-D Day.
I have also attended Pro-D Day sessions such as Indigenous Puppeteering and outdoor classrooms. I have learned so much about how to introduce stories using puppets, and how puppets can also be used for students who may experience anxiety when talking in front of peers. The puppets can be used as an outlet, without requiring their classmates to look right at them during their speech or sharing.
