When I got my placement for my final practicum, I cried. With a degree in music and a background in Physical Education, I have always been the expert when I enter a room in those areas which instills a certain level of confidence. However; when I read on the screen “Psychology 11, First Nation’s Principles English and Social Studies 10,” I was overwhelmed with fear. But why?

After I was able to assess my situation, I was able to come to the conclusion that there were lots of positives to go along with this opportunity- yes, opportunity, not death sentence. The goals that have sparked now from this upcoming adventure will be to derive from the teaching practice I have of being the “expert” in the classroom and lean toward being a “life long learner.” I will not have all the answers, and that is okay. Being vulnerable with my students and learning beside them will be key to this practicum, and showing how to overcome obstacles, research and write are all areas of strength I can share with my learners. Instead of focusing heavily on content, we will lean heavily on competencies with the content as a guide instead of a staple. My final goal will be to forgive myself through mistakes that will be made, and to own those mistakes as I move forward in my practice.

The next part of my goal is to be able to embed some of my learnings from our classes into my practice such as historical thinking (for Socials 10), First People’s Principles and approaches in my English 12 class, First Nation’s participation (SS10) and First Nation’s beliefs tied into Psychology 11. One of the biggest take away from our 336 and 446 classes where First People’s spirituality and western science can pair and harmonize each other instead of being a stark contrast as we have been led to believe. I am excited to embed these new learnings into my teaching practice and have the opportunity to grow and expand in this practicum.

Here we go!