So here we are my first week in review...
Although I've lived in Victoria for several years now I have never visited Swan Lake. Many of my friends have shared their lovely experiences there but somehow I never found the time to see it for myself, until this week. I was lucky enough to join in on a class field trip learning and discovering about owls. The nature house is a treasure trove for student exploring, all around are exhibits students can engage with. There are snakes, turtles and hives to see. Nests, snake skin, bones, and feathers to match and touch. I think the favourites though are buttons, they let the kids hear nature sounds and see with owl vision! They did a wonderful presentation and the kids really showcased their learning by identifying the attributes that make owls special and why they are necessary for their survival. They even transformed a student into an owl! I think the students favourite part however, was dissecting the owl pellets. They all had their heads down eagerly working to separate the bones from the fur and identify the little creature that was the owls lunch. The room was quiet, heads down working hard with the exception of excited voices saying "I found one, I found one!". It was a great experience, one that I would definitely do again.
Although I've lived in Victoria for several years now I have never visited Swan Lake. Many of my friends have shared their lovely experiences there but somehow I never found the time to see it for myself, until this week. I was lucky enough to join in on a class field trip learning and discovering about owls. The nature house is a treasure trove for student exploring, all around are exhibits students can engage with. There are snakes, turtles and hives to see. Nests, snake skin, bones, and feathers to match and touch. I think the favourites though are buttons, they let the kids hear nature sounds and see with owl vision! They did a wonderful presentation and the kids really showcased their learning by identifying the attributes that make owls special and why they are necessary for their survival. They even transformed a student into an owl! I think the students favourite part however, was dissecting the owl pellets. They all had their heads down eagerly working to separate the bones from the fur and identify the little creature that was the owls lunch. The room was quiet, heads down working hard with the exception of excited voices saying "I found one, I found one!". It was a great experience, one that I would definitely do again.
This week I also met the teacher who will be my mentor during my final practicum and the students I will get to share that time with. Those experiences for me always start off with nervous but excited anticipation. The nervousness disappears as soon as I meet the kids. In my opinion one of the most exciting opportunities as a teacher is getting to know your students and I like to start right away! But its not fair to expect them to share without sharing about myself first. I like to bring in a bag with different objects and artifacts from my life. What I do with my 'get to know you' bag changes with each group of students but this time I had them guess what was inside. They took turns asking me questions such as what colour is it? What shape is it? Do you use it at school? etc. After they have guessed what the object is I explain why I brought it and what it represents. Some things in my bag this time around were a picture frame with a photo of my family, a book, as reading if one of my favourite school activities and a stick, as I love to explore the outdoors in my free time. In turn the students filled out this survey with questions similar to what I had shared with them. The students were very excited to share these with me and I SO enjoyed reading them. I can't wait for the coming months of learning more about and with these students.
That's a look at this past week. I have plenty to look forward to next week including, Christmas lessons and my last week of coursework. How time flies!