Competencies
Some of the competencies that I’ve been actively developing over the UNBC Teacher Education Program include:
Critical Thinking – through the lens of inquiry and reflective practice. Although I struggled with this when the teachers introduced us to Inquiry, I realized during my capstone assignment that Inquiry is Critical Thinking, with an update. This made the concept easier to grasp and also helped me to appreciate aspects of Inquiry that I was previously unable to value. Some examples of my progress into Critical thinking disguised as Inquiry are below:
Additionally, I focused on communication in all of my practicum classes through the practice of daily class discussions. Communication has always fascinated me and teaching students the art of respectful and meaningful discourse is fulfilling for me. I find that there is always more to learn about people and the ways that they communicate.
Intercultural Awareness was also a large player in my practicum, particularly with the grade 10 classes, where I started with a unit on Truth and Reconciliation. Although this focused on Canadian First Peoples, the class also discussed similarities and differences to other cultures, complex concepts like appropriation, and more.
Creativity and Innovation will likely take the spotlight in any place I go, classroom or otherwise. I continue to encourage people to try new things in new ways and see what happens. There is something exciting about making something that I simply can not keep to myself.