Final Report

Professional Semester 3
December 2022
Delaney Tateson

In my final practicum, a thing that set me up for success was my constant reflection.
Setting goals, creating action plans, and actively striving to better myself in everything I do, has
allowed me to improve my practice every time I give a lesson. My thorough planning,
organizational skills, and ability to collaborate with others set me on the correct path. A positive
outlook and enthusiasm for teaching made this practicum a treasured experience. Throughout my
practicum, I was able to attend many professional development sessions that greatly improved
my knowledge and refined my practice. One particular session was about anti-Indigenous racism
that greatly applied to teaching both, Social Studies 10 and 7. I was able to learn a wealth of
information and take home strategies to use with my students that greatly increased their
awareness and empathy. Throughout PS3 I was able to conduct a variety of meaningful lessons
tying First Nations, Metis, and Inuit history and knowledge into our classroom. Some examples
include a paper chain making activity to represent colonization, a treaty making simulation, and
an oral history lesson. The students loved these lessons and retained a lot of meaningful
information from them. Another effective lesson that encouraged student learning was a fur
trading simulation, in which students bartered without speaking.

Engaging in lifelong learning is very important to me. I have always enjoyed learning
new things and gaining greater insight into topics. During my practicum, I always welcomed
feedback from my Administrators, Teacher Mentor, University Consultant and other teachers
and staff in the building, whose experience I valued greatly. Fostering effective relationships
with students has always been a natural part of my teaching practice. I thoroughly enjoy getting
to know the students and interacting with them. I understand the value relationships have on
teaching and value what they have to say. I am privileged to have developed so many strong
relationships with students from kindergarten to grade 12 during my time in Professional
Semester 3. I am a trusted and caring adult who is responsible for the education and well being
of these students. This is a job I take seriously. Effective relationships contributed to my
classroom management success. I first sought to understand the student, then I could adapt my
approaches to best suit that student in the class. Building relationships creates mutual respect,
which is crucial for classroom management. I also had clear expectations of my students which I
actively tried to uphold. Because of these relationships, I was able to assist a student in gaining
the mental health support they needed to be successful in school.

One of my professional goals was to foster students' deeper thinking within the intended
learning outcomes. To work towards this goal, I had to undertake the development of a
professional body of knowledge about the topics so I could create meaningful opportunities to
foster this critical thinking. I had to effectively plan both long and short term, and continue to do
research to create engaging and meaningful lessons that varied in instruction. I also sought out
proven, thoughtful resources and material that pushed me toward this goal. Adapting my lesson
Final Report
Professional Semester 3
December 2022
Delaney Tateson
delivery, assessment, and planning, to better suit student needs, is another thing that created
growth in the classroom for my students and I. Creating an inclusive classroom environment was
a focus of mine this term, as I wanted to foster open and honest discussions and greater
participation in a safe space. Some examples of instructional strategies I used include videos,
role play, projects, direct instruction, discussion, debate, group work, jigsaws, presentations, and
representative projects. Assessments also took a variety of forms from online to verbal and
handwritten. This allowed students to learn in a variety of methods and choose what made them
the most successful. Engaging lessons that varied in instruction kept students interested and
motivated. I also experienced completing student report cards and was able to conduct Parent-
Teacher interviews, which will serve me well in the future.

My professional inquiry project on Animal Therapy allowed me to share my passions for

horses and animals with my students in a way that benefited the school as a whole. I observed
the impact it had on reducing stress and anxiety, as well as serving as a brain break, and allowing
the fostering of relationships with students. My experience in Professional Semester 3 was
remarkable. Some of the most notable experiences include, organizing sports spirit games,
collaborating with my Teacher Mentor, attending a professional development session at
Blackfoot Crossing, teaching grade ½ gym class, and organizing a “Canadian Wax Museum” for
my grade 8 Social class to participate in. Assisting Student Council in the planning and executing
of school wide activities, that fostered a positive school culture, was also an opportunity I had. I
love the Rosemary school environment, the staff, and the students. Every day that I woke up it
didn't feel like a job to go to school, it felt like a privilege and I would like to continue that. I was
able to coach volleyball and assist with basketball which deepened student relationships making
it so much harder to leave in December. Through my project and my time in PS3, I feel like I
have made a difference in students' lives which is one of my main motivators for being a teacher.
I have learned it's okay to continue growing and that you need people who will let you do that.
My time in PS3 has given me confidence, allowed me to make connections, and showed me that
teaching can be what you make it and more.