Commitment to Students and Student Learning

“Members are dedicated in their care and commitment to students. They treat students equitably and with respect and are sensitive to factors that influence individual student learning. Members facilitate the development of students as contributing citizens of Canadian society.”

Ontario College of Teachers

Cutting and pasting activity

During my placements, I had many times where I showed a commitment to students and student learning. I planned my activities around the children during my first placement in a preschool room at Great Beginnings. I based the ideas and goals of the activities around things that the children enjoyed doing, such as cutting and pasting. Therefore the first activity I did with this group of children was a cutting and pasting art activity. I simply provided them with the materials and let them do as they wished. However, due to the observations and interaction with the children, I knew who would need extra support and who would be able to do the activity alone. through this, I was able to observe and consider what the students were interested in, what skills they already had and what skills they were working on. By focusing on student interests can allow the students to become more engaged and thoughtful in their schoolwork.

Modifying Lessons and Assessments

During my winter placement, I was placed in a grade 4/5 classroom at General Brock. The class was slipt evenly between grade four and grade five, thirteen of each. Many lessons needed to be adapted to engage both age groups. When teaching math the students would often have time to work independently while the other group was working as a whole group. In the grade four group, I had two students who were ESL. These students required extra help with reading and understanding questions. Therefore, when creating worksheets and assessments these assessments had to be modified to meet their needs. Words were often changed into photos to best help them understand the content. when completing online work they were provided with a read-aloud resource for their learning. Attached below is an example of one of the assessments provided to the students.