A Final Post

So I've had a lot of trouble writing blogs about this practicum. I think the main reason is that I didn't want my blog to turn into a venting-machine. I wanted it to stay positive and happy and I wanted to fill it with details of interesting things and personal accomplishments. The other issue is that I still don't feel like my practicum is over...

Why is that? Because I still need to go back to the school this week and next week to complete the Drama Showcase.

This could be the worst timing ever - Drama Showcase just happens to fall right in the middle of what feels like the two busiest weeks of OISE. I am going a little crazy. But I know that completing this, giving this all I've got, will really help me in both my career and my personal development as a drama teacher.

I've also decided to work on a proposal to the Parent Council to run a Musical at the school next year - more details on that to come.

To sum up my practicum I'm going to answer the two questions that Serge asked us in Community Circle during TES class yesterday:

What was your biggest challenge? What made you proud?

My biggest challenge was working with an AT who doesn't have very good class management tactics. Because of the way his class is managed, there is very little respect in the classroom and he usually gets very angry and yells at students. I saw my AT yell every single day. And on some days he would completely "lose it" - these were the worst days.

Being the rotary drama teacher at this school is an extremely challenging task: you see over 250 kids every week and most of the time they are in classes of over 30. And many of the students in those classes don't want to be in drama - they are there because they are forced to be there. Most of the time it is because they are students who "cannot be trusted with an instrument". So any students with behavioural problems are put in drama.

Also, the putting together of the "Drama Showcase" is extremely stressful. I could not do what my AT does. The task is to create polished work that is student written/developed in 4 weeks in a class of 30 students, most of whom don't care/respect, and the piece can be no longer than 4 minutes. Trying to do this with these classes is extremely difficult work and is extremely high stress. My AT also takes his work very seriously and this is why he flips out on students.

On the other hand, I am most proud of the work that I achieved with my students (specifically the grade 1 vocal music classes and the grade 6 class - with whom I did the Hieroglyphics Dance Unit). And I am most proud of the relationships that I was able to develop with certain students.

I truly believed that being in Rotary meant that you aren't able to really connect with any students. On the contrary, I was able to connect with quite a few students and this is what made my days at this school enjoyable. I looked forward to seeing these students every day.

On my last day of Practicum I received big hugs, thank yous and goodbyes from many of the students that I connected with. My most memorable moments are a hug from a grade 7 boy (who was having difficulties being motivated in drama class but who I pushed and then he eventually excelled) and a group-hug from a huge group of grade 6 girls.

Despite all of the stress and challenges I truly loved my practicum.