Aqamnik Insitu

Description

My experience at Aqamnik (Aqam) over the course of three weeks was a super valuable transformative experience, which I am forever grateful for. I had very little prior knowledge of what my experience would be. When first coming into the school, we were greeted and introduced to the school’s principal, Mike Bishop, who introduced us and welcomed us with the first of many times I heard Introduction in Ktunaxa, which would continue to be a staple of my visits. After meeting Mike, my cohort and I were introduced to the school’s previous principal, Erin Geddes, who is now the current director of education. She gave us a twenty-minute rundown of her background, some of the school’s history, how the school functions and how it feeds into the system, and some of the principles of the school, such as never letting any kids fall behind or through the cracks. From our introduction, Somer, Dannika, and I then moved up to our first time in Mrs. Bamseys’s class. Entering the class, there were around eight students in the class, all working on their English project. Mrs. Bamsey then stopped the class and had us introduce ourselves to the class. The introductions were brief, and from there, we were encouraged to begin working with the students on their assignments. I worked with a young boy on some writing prompts and circulated the classroom, introducing myself to various students in the class. Shortly following, it was recess and lunchtime; I used this opportunity further to familiarize myself with the classroom and Mrs. Bamsey. I was super intrigued with the Ktunaxa alphabet that was on the wall, and I got to learn more about Mrs. Bamseys schooling and hiring process. After the kids returned, I got to sit and chat with a student named Michael, we talked about sneakers and basketball and I was able to build a semi-decent relationship with him as the weeks continued, which was one of my favourite takeaways from the experience. After finishing lunch, Mrs. Bamsey called us to the circle where I would get my first taste of speaking Ktunaxa; we were instructed to introduce ourselves and our place of origin and then what we did that weekend. I was last to go out of all the student teachers, and before I went, the students spoke so fast and fluently it was almost impossible to keep up. After arriving at my turn, Michael helped me through my very first Ktunaxa words, which was an extraordinary moment for me. Following our intros, we played a quick game called categories, where we have to name as many names of the chosen topic without repeating, this game was quite popular and was played in the following two classes. After concluding carpet time, the class moved into a math lesson on parallel lines; Mrs. Bamsey taught for about twenty minutes, asking many questions and having the students come up to the board often. After the lesson was over, I was paired up with another student, Tyler, to help him work on a worksheet. Tyler was a bright kid who fully grasped the concept and required very little help. After finishing the worksheet, math was finished, and it was time to go home. The reason I put so much detail into this day, is because this is how a normal day went for me, a lot of what happened going forward followed this similar routine. The next week, instead of our regular meeting in the staff room, we started our morning in the gymnasium with the rest of the school for their morning meeting. This was a great way to start a week, as it prepared the students for the upcoming week and fostered a sense of unity among grades. Following the morning meeting, Somer, Dannika, and I went back into Mrs. Bamseys’s classroom to continue working on the English assignment; a student missed the previous class, so he and I worked together to catch up. Following the English lesson, I had a really great opportunity to teach a lesson of our own, and we decided to do a story drama that we had learnt in our Drama class, “These Shoes.” To start the lesson, I began reading the book to the class, and Somer would stop me every five minutes or so to “act” out what was happening in the book. This activity went well, and the kids liked the lesson format. After finishing our activity, it was lunchtime again; I was then introduced to the lunch service and how it worked, and I was thrilled to see the students using it and the gratitude they showed. After lunch time was over, we again had carpet time, where I would get my second opportunity to practice my Ktunaxa, which will be shown in a video. After finishing carpet time, we again played categories for a second time, and I was able to win and earn some “cred” with the students. Following the same structure as the last class, the class swiftly moved into a math lesson, with a weaker reception compared to the previous lesson; two students did not participate in the lesson but were able to sit off to the side, working on a private activity, not disturbing the rest of the class. After the lesson was over, Tyler asked to work with me again. He finished his work quickly, and he and I had a great conversation about sneakers, something he and I shared a passion for. After our convo, my three hours were up, and I went downstairs to discuss any advice about my storytelling technique and how I could improve it with Doreen. After concluding this conversation, I could head home and prepare for my last day at Aqam. My third and final day followed a similar structure as the last two. I wish I had come at a different time as I could have worked through different subjects, but nonetheless, my final day was just as important as the previous two. The day started with a morning meeting in the gym with the entire school being in attendance, like the previous Monday, the school schedule was laid out, and a great sense of comradary was felt in the air. After finishing that, I went upstairs to finish the English project the students had worked on for the previous weeks. Unlike the last classes, this work period took place in the computer lab, which felt very up-to-date, and I was able to provide a lot of help with the computers, which, in my opinion, provided a lot of relief to Mrs. Bamsey. Working with Michael, we finished the short story he and I worked on together. After English was finished, it was recess and lunch, I got to sit and chat with some of the EA’s about the program and Aqam and their personal lives. After the bell sounded, we gathered for the last carpet time and my final opportunity to impress ten-year-olds with my Ktunaxa. Unfortunately, I was not able to introduce myself perfectly and needed assistance from a student named Lulu. Nonetheless, my pronunciation and speaking had vastly improved. After carpet time was finished, we worked on something other than math; as a class, we participated in “Wordle” and some other similar games. This went on longer than planned, leaving us with around twenty minutes to work on math. This flew by, and before I knew it, my three hours were up, and I needed to go home, thus concluding my three days at Aqam.

Feelings

Throughout the entire three weeks, I had a very surreal feeling, one because being in a classroom and helping students is still such a wild feeling for me, though it is one I need to get a handle on as my practicum swiftly approaches. And secondly, I had such an immense feeling of gratitude to be able to partake in and experience such an extraordinary and welcoming environment. I found myself saying “Wow” multiple times a day at the sense of community and understanding that I was able to observe, and I felt so grateful that I was able to partake in such a tight-knit school. I initially felt slightly awkward during the classroom sessions, and inserting myself in such a small class was a bit difficult. Still, the students and the teaching staff did a really fantastic job at making me feel included and giving some firm expectations for how I was to be treated. As I got to know the students and worked with them on their projects and in circle time, I often thought that the classroom had much of a “family” feel compared to what I experienced in my elementary experience. I think this was due to the small classroom size, as well as how Mrs. Bamsey worked with the students, the way she connected with students and came down to their level, mimicking a lot of what Jody Carrington preaches in “Kids These Days” during the class time, I was blown away at how she communicated with the students about their personal lives giving me a real-life example of what Jody talks about, and knowing what I know now, her skillset and connection with the kids was so powerful, and really set the tone for what a classroom can be when done right, it gave me a deep feeling of admiration for her skill, and a desire to pursue what she has. One of my most impactful moments was partaking in the Ktunaxa during circle time. I don’t know if I could describe the emotions I felt during the time, but the students were so patient and respectful with me. It made me overflow with positive energy that has carried over to my personal life, and I cannot thank them enough for that. To conclude, my time at Aqam was a trip into a new territory for me. This brought out a lot of new feelings and experiences that I have never felt in a classroom environment. Some were bad, but the vast majority were good. In the future, I know I will be taking these experiences every step of the way on my teaching journey, and I am forever thankful for that.

Evaluation

During my three days at Aqam, I can confidently say that I had a very positive experience. One key reason for this was the overwhelming friendly community that my classroom and the overall school were. Coming in as a stranger, it would have been expected that the school I was helping would be a bit standoffish. This was not the case, and the welcoming environment was the foundation for my positive experience. I think my classmates and I also did an excellent job of not overstepping in the classroom; we helped when needed, which led us to have a better relationship with the students, allowing for a more casual line of communication and a better connection. Something I also really tried to use was to encourage metacognitive thinking when I was helping students; taking what I learned from Pathways to Understanding and applying it to the classroom allowed me to promote thinking versus giving students the answers. This was something that really helped my experience and created a lot of positive interactions with the students, and I think it was a much more effective way than the traditional approach. Another really positive experience I had, was teaching the “These Shoes” Story Drama, I think this went really well, especially considering it was Somer and I’s first time teaching a Story Drama. The students reacted really well and participated at a high level, which was a toss-up when Somer and I planned the lesson. I think this was due to how engaging the story and the games were, as well as the growth mindset the students applied. They were willing to try new things, and it worked out really well for both us and them. Though a ton of things went really well, some things weren’t as smooth; entering the classroom for the first time was a bit tricky to help the students as a stranger who is also a beginner teacher, which created some awkward moments. The way I worked through this was by accepting that I was a stranger and that I wasn’t the most knowledgeable teacher, humbling myself. Instead of trying to be something I wasn’t, I tried to learn as much as possible from Mrs. Bamsey and get on the students’ level. I needed to build a connection with them before I could be an effective teacher (Carrington, 2019). This resulted in a fantastic learning experience for me instead of just a strictly negative moment in the institution. Overall, I think my time at Aqam was great. It had many highs and a bit of lows, but everything that happened taught me a lesson on how to be a better teacher, for which I will be forever grateful.

Analysis

It took a combined effort from many different people to make the event work as smoothly as it did. I think a large part of what made the event as impactful as it was was the classroom environment Mrs. Bamsey and Ms. Sunshine created. I don’t believe any of what I learned from classes and literature could have been applied if the classroom wasn’t as welcoming. After about two hours of being in the classroom and working with the kids, trying my hardest to get on their level, I found I could integrate into the school with little effort. This was due to my hard work and the welcoming environment of the classroom. Another key to success and one of my major takeaways from the three classes was Mrs. Bamsey’s relationship with each student, which I have discussed a lot previously. But was such a key reason for the classroom being so successful, you could tell how much effort she had put into getting to know her students and building that fundamental relationship, which allowed her to teach in a personalized way. Another big reason the event went so well was due to how great the kids were. The students were a big part of my experience and were so welcoming to us. They welcomed us into the classroom and allowed us into their space, which is not always an easy thing, considering how small their class was. They also created a lifelong memory and probably the most impactful experience of the entire insitu, which was helping me with my Ktunaxa. They were eager to help me, and all had their hands up to volunteer to teach me. This was such a turning point in my teaching career, giving me such a positive feeling for the rest of the day. I cannot thank those students enough. On top of the students being so great, I put effort into building a connection with the students. I knew I had such a short amount of time in the class, and Jody emphasizes relationships as the bottom line of teaching, so I tried my absolute hardest to get to know the kids, light up when I saw them, and build that connection. This ended up paying off big time, and the relationships I built made my experience so much better; I think a part of this success was due to how Mrs. Bamsey modelled how to create a relationship with students, so I tried to mimic what she did, and I got success from it. Though many great things hindered the event, such as the routine I followed, I wish I had chosen a different time to come to class to follow a distinct pattern. I don’t think coming at the same time each class was a completely negative experience; it allowed me to work from beginning to end on a project with some students, and it gave a routine to the students, which made it less out of the normal for them, which was great. But because I was there at the same time every day, I couldn’t see anything new, and because I had such a short time there, I felt like I could have gotten a little bit more out of the experience if I had come at a different time. To conclude, the combined effort of the classroom ecosystem made the experience so impactful for me. The lessons I learned in my program and what I have read in books all came together with the environment I was in to create a lifelong experience that I will take into my teaching career.

Conclusion

Looking back, it is evident that my experience at Aqam was very positive, and I gained much knowledge. I had never set foot in that school, and I greatly admired the principles on which Aqam functions. Their administration staff and how they managed the school were a big takeaway. One of the biggest takeaways that can help me improve as a teacher is to model how Mrs. Bamsey created connections with her students. I have not spent much time in a classroom besides when I was a student, and the way Mrs.Bamsey created individual relationships with each student is something I strive to possess and still sticks out in my mind. Another moment that has been an essential takeaway and altered my perspective is how Indigenous culture was incorporated into the classroom. I know that Indigenous culture is essential and that it needs to be represented in my classroom, but finding an excellent way to describe this medium is something I definitely struggle with. After my time at Aqam, I could take away lots of big and little things, such as going in a circle toward the sun. I think my experience has taught me a lot about how to do this and will better prepare me for my career. Looking back, I really wish I had chosen some different times to attend class, and even though I gained so much from my time there, I think if I had spent an afternoon in class instead of a morning, I would have gotten a different perspective, and hopefully some new knowledge. Overall, I think I gained so much from this experience for doing very little, and I am so thankful that I was allowed to participate in the school and Mrs. Bamsey’s classroom.

Action Plan

Unfortunately, I don’t know if I can rejoin Mrs. Bamsey’s class this year. But theoretically, if I were, there would be a couple of things I would do differently. Because I really enjoyed how I operated in the classroom, I don’t think I would change that. I liked being a fly on the wall at times and helping where I was needed; I don’t think I would take a more significant role if I went back. What I would change is the time I would come. Ideally, I would like to spend an entire day in the classroom, but just spending an afternoon at Aqam would be a worthwhile experience for me. If I had to go back again, I would have loved to learn more Ktunaxa on my own so that the students could correct my pronunciation. Overall, I think this could be an excellent experience for me, and allowing the students to be the teacher and me to be the student is always a fun experience for me. One of the things that I would like to change, but which will probably take a while, is my experience as a teacher. Because I’m such a beginner teacher, I felt like I was often times not super equipped to help some students or step on toes. So, when I become a better teacher, I would love to return to that classroom and show my growth. I am not the teacher I want to be yet, but I would love to help or work at Aqam when I am.

UVIC Teacher Competancies

Because there was so much time spent here, I think there is a plethora of options to choose from, but I truly feel that “practise respect for all learners from all cultures, including, specifically, Indigenous learners” fits this the best. Because I was a stranger in an Indigenous environment, something I had not spent a lot of time in, I really tried to approach the situation with the utmost respect. This is especially exemplified when I was speaking Ktunaxa. I felt like I really had to humble myself and bring myself down to the student’s level to get the most out of the experience and show the most respect. I knew that if I tried to act like I knew what I was doing, that would not be respectful. Instead, I took it very slowly and did my best to be the best student and listener.

Citations

Carrington, J. (2019). Kids These Days: A Game Plan for (Re)Connecting With Those We Teach, Lead, & Love [Book]. Viking.

Lipton, L. (2009). Pathways To Understanding. MiraVia