Throughout my experience as a student teacher, I have had the opportunity to observe many excellent
teachers in their classrooms. I have enjoyed taking advantage of every opportunity to learn more
through observation. Here is a list of the teachers and grades/subjects I have been able to observe for
at least one full period/class.
W Brum - Principal
I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to sit down with Mrs Brum to discuss the duties of a
principal and how the "behind-the-scenes" of a school works. I really enjoyed hearing about how she
develops class lists and generates the school schedule. I also heard her perspective of the hiring
process and gained a lot of valuable insight into the teaching profession.
R Fleisig - Grade 7 Language Arts, Student Council
Ms Fleisig is a teacher who clearly cares a lot about character education, and this is demonstrated in
the way she runs her classroom. I really enjoyed seeing how she incorporated character education into
her Language Arts lesson and the Student Council. I aim to incorporate character education into the
curriculum in my classroom, as well. Developing the "whole person" is a valuable part of education.
E Griffith - Grade 8 Science
I must say I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Mr Griffith's classroom! He is an excellent model of how to
have a 'fun' classroom atmosphere while still maintaining order and accomplishing the tasks for the day.
I picked up a number of excellent classroom management strategies that I have already had the
opportunity to use in my practicum placement. I really hope to establish a rapport with my students as
Mr Griffith does!
T Weber - Grade 7 Vocal Music
Ms Weber's music class was a great observation period for me! I loved seeing the students I only knew
within the context of French class in a totally different environment! Ms Weber's approach to music
education clearly encouraged all students in the class to engage enthusiastically. Students of all
musical abilities were given the resources they needed to succeed in their assignment, and they
seemed to genuinely enjoy their task. I hope to create an environment in my classroom that is safe for
students to explore areas such as music, even if that is not their strength, as Ms Weber has done.
M MacKay-Calder - Kindergarten
Ms MacKay-Calder's Kindergarten classroom is the most vibrant and exciting classroom I have ever
seen! I very much enjoyed seeing her teaching strategies for such young students. As a
Junior/Intermediate student, I found the prospect of having such young students rather intimidating;
seeing Ms MacKay-Calder demonstrate such excellent teaching strategies has definitely given me
confidence that this is something I could do!
J Sims - Grade 1
This class was receiving a new student on the day I was observing. It was really interesting to see what
preparations Ms Sims made for him. Watching how she modified her plans after the student arrived to fit
his specific needs was a great educational experience for me! I'm glad I had this special opportunity
because there is a lot that goes into bringing a new student into an already established classroom, and
I hope to make that experience a positive one for new students in my classroom.
C Simmons - Grade 7 French Immersion
I really enjoyed observing this class because the students were engaged in a really interesting activity.
The activity included French language, music and drama, and it was clear that the students were
enjoying it! I loved seeing students engaged in thinking creatively in French, and found that this activity
sparked my thinking as to other activities that would achieve the same ends. It is so important for
students to have positive experiences in French class because otherwise they will stop taking it as
soon as they can. I believe French is an important part of our education program, and even if students
stop taking it after grade 9, we must ensure that the years of French they do get are beneficial and
positive experiences.
S Leslie - Grade 8 Language Arts
Mr Leslie is a fantastic Language Arts teacher. He is clearly both liked and respected by his students.
The class I observed was doing oral presentations. After each presentation, Mr Leslie showed me his
evaluation. It was really helpful to see his remarks on the presentation immediately after seeing it to
understand how he was evaluating them. I definitely believe it is important to give students excellent
feedback about their work in a timely manner, as Mr Leslie did; it is essential if the student is to actually
learn from their experience and develop their skills further - which if course is the main purpose behind
assessment!
J Smith - Grade 7 and 8 French Immersion, Grade 8 French Immersion Geography
This was my first experience in a French Immersion classroom, and I was really surprised at the ability
of the students to converse fairly easily in French. One class had a 'symposium' of sorts (a
discussion-based class with food and drinks), and the discussion questions were actual conversation
starters (e.g. What is one challenge you've overcome?), as opposed to unit-themed questions. I was so
impressed to hear them have real discussions in French. It was inspiring to see what students can
achieve when provided with the proper education!
C Brooks - Grade 2/3 Language Arts
Ms Brooks' class was full of children who seemed so energetic and happy to be at school! I really
enjoyed watching how she interacted with each one during the course of the lesson. Children at this
age (and at any age, really, though it manifests itself differently) are so anxious to be heard and to
interact with the teacher, and Ms Brooks was an excellent example of how to achieve this while also
completing the lesson! I hope to achieve this balance in my classroom as well, as it is so important to
build students up as people in addition to building them academically.
J Arbour - Grade 3/4 Language Arts
Observing Ms Arbour's class was a really interesting experience for me because every other combined
class I have seen was taught (at least for that lesson) as one class all together. During this class, I saw
how Ms Arbour addressed the Grade 3 students while the Grade 4 students worked on an assignment,
and then switched them to teach the Grade 4 students. After learning about this method at Nipissing, I
was anxious to see how it worked out in practice. It was so interesting to see how smoothly the whole
process worked!
C Bullock - Grade 4/5 Reading Recovery
I really enjoyed watching how Ms Bullock lead this reading recovery program. The program she was
using is very regulated (with a script for the teacher to follow). I thought it would be rather awkward to
execute, but she did so with ease and the students seemed very engaged in the process! It was really
helpful to see how this program was structured to meet students' needs in a different way from general
classroom teaching.
S Renaud - Grade 8 Visual Arts
Ms Renaud's art class is one of the most dynamic classrooms I have ever experienced! Her lesson was
upbeat and engaging, and I really enjoyed observing her management strategies for such a hands-on
class. I had a really interesting discussion with her about the pros and cons of running the arts program
for a full year as opposed to a semester (grade 7s one semester and grade 8s the next). She had done
both and had a number of interesting insights. Hearing how she went about planning her program was
really beneficial and gave me a number of things to keep in mind when planning my own programs (in
any subject).
B Hughes (official practicum placement) - Grade 7 and 8 Core French, Grade 2/3 French
Immersion DPA, Grade 4/5 French Immersion drama
Mr Hughes is the most enthusiastic teacher I have ever encountered! He has so much energy and
directs it all into making his French class an engaging and memorable experience for his students. His
use of music and technology to enhance his lessons clearly made an important connection with his
students. French is a subject that many students dislike and can't wait to be done with, but in Mr
Hughes's classes, even the most 'challenging' students participated well! I cannot overstate how
valuable this placement was to my development as a teacher.
C Flemming (official practicum placement) - Grade 6 Math and Language Arts, Grade 3/4
Special Education, Grade 2/3 Enrichment
While this placement was officially a grade 6 class, my favourite part was working with a select group of
students in grades 3 and 4 who had behavioural exceptionalities. This was one of the most satisfying
experiences I have had as a student teacher. (Each of my other most satisfying moments involve
working with behavioural students in their regular classrooms!) I am really looking forward to taking AQ
courses in Special Education and would love the opportunity to work with behavioural students some
day.
L Scott (official practicum placement) - Grade 4
Mrs Scott is an amazing teacher and I was so blessed to have her as my first associate teacher. When I
started this program, I was sure I was going to end up teaching high school, and the thought of
spending a year in a grade 4 class was quite intimidating! However, this placement completely changed
my mind! Watching how Mrs Scott taught and managed her class provided me with countless excellent
strategies, many of which I have already had the opportunity to use in my teaching. I grew so much as a
teacher this year, both in my teaching and planning skills, and in the development of my philosophy of
education.
teachers in their classrooms. I have enjoyed taking advantage of every opportunity to learn more
through observation. Here is a list of the teachers and grades/subjects I have been able to observe for
at least one full period/class.
W Brum - Principal
I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to sit down with Mrs Brum to discuss the duties of a
principal and how the "behind-the-scenes" of a school works. I really enjoyed hearing about how she
develops class lists and generates the school schedule. I also heard her perspective of the hiring
process and gained a lot of valuable insight into the teaching profession.
R Fleisig - Grade 7 Language Arts, Student Council
Ms Fleisig is a teacher who clearly cares a lot about character education, and this is demonstrated in
the way she runs her classroom. I really enjoyed seeing how she incorporated character education into
her Language Arts lesson and the Student Council. I aim to incorporate character education into the
curriculum in my classroom, as well. Developing the "whole person" is a valuable part of education.
E Griffith - Grade 8 Science
I must say I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Mr Griffith's classroom! He is an excellent model of how to
have a 'fun' classroom atmosphere while still maintaining order and accomplishing the tasks for the day.
I picked up a number of excellent classroom management strategies that I have already had the
opportunity to use in my practicum placement. I really hope to establish a rapport with my students as
Mr Griffith does!
T Weber - Grade 7 Vocal Music
Ms Weber's music class was a great observation period for me! I loved seeing the students I only knew
within the context of French class in a totally different environment! Ms Weber's approach to music
education clearly encouraged all students in the class to engage enthusiastically. Students of all
musical abilities were given the resources they needed to succeed in their assignment, and they
seemed to genuinely enjoy their task. I hope to create an environment in my classroom that is safe for
students to explore areas such as music, even if that is not their strength, as Ms Weber has done.
M MacKay-Calder - Kindergarten
Ms MacKay-Calder's Kindergarten classroom is the most vibrant and exciting classroom I have ever
seen! I very much enjoyed seeing her teaching strategies for such young students. As a
Junior/Intermediate student, I found the prospect of having such young students rather intimidating;
seeing Ms MacKay-Calder demonstrate such excellent teaching strategies has definitely given me
confidence that this is something I could do!
J Sims - Grade 1
This class was receiving a new student on the day I was observing. It was really interesting to see what
preparations Ms Sims made for him. Watching how she modified her plans after the student arrived to fit
his specific needs was a great educational experience for me! I'm glad I had this special opportunity
because there is a lot that goes into bringing a new student into an already established classroom, and
I hope to make that experience a positive one for new students in my classroom.
C Simmons - Grade 7 French Immersion
I really enjoyed observing this class because the students were engaged in a really interesting activity.
The activity included French language, music and drama, and it was clear that the students were
enjoying it! I loved seeing students engaged in thinking creatively in French, and found that this activity
sparked my thinking as to other activities that would achieve the same ends. It is so important for
students to have positive experiences in French class because otherwise they will stop taking it as
soon as they can. I believe French is an important part of our education program, and even if students
stop taking it after grade 9, we must ensure that the years of French they do get are beneficial and
positive experiences.
S Leslie - Grade 8 Language Arts
Mr Leslie is a fantastic Language Arts teacher. He is clearly both liked and respected by his students.
The class I observed was doing oral presentations. After each presentation, Mr Leslie showed me his
evaluation. It was really helpful to see his remarks on the presentation immediately after seeing it to
understand how he was evaluating them. I definitely believe it is important to give students excellent
feedback about their work in a timely manner, as Mr Leslie did; it is essential if the student is to actually
learn from their experience and develop their skills further - which if course is the main purpose behind
assessment!
J Smith - Grade 7 and 8 French Immersion, Grade 8 French Immersion Geography
This was my first experience in a French Immersion classroom, and I was really surprised at the ability
of the students to converse fairly easily in French. One class had a 'symposium' of sorts (a
discussion-based class with food and drinks), and the discussion questions were actual conversation
starters (e.g. What is one challenge you've overcome?), as opposed to unit-themed questions. I was so
impressed to hear them have real discussions in French. It was inspiring to see what students can
achieve when provided with the proper education!
C Brooks - Grade 2/3 Language Arts
Ms Brooks' class was full of children who seemed so energetic and happy to be at school! I really
enjoyed watching how she interacted with each one during the course of the lesson. Children at this
age (and at any age, really, though it manifests itself differently) are so anxious to be heard and to
interact with the teacher, and Ms Brooks was an excellent example of how to achieve this while also
completing the lesson! I hope to achieve this balance in my classroom as well, as it is so important to
build students up as people in addition to building them academically.
J Arbour - Grade 3/4 Language Arts
Observing Ms Arbour's class was a really interesting experience for me because every other combined
class I have seen was taught (at least for that lesson) as one class all together. During this class, I saw
how Ms Arbour addressed the Grade 3 students while the Grade 4 students worked on an assignment,
and then switched them to teach the Grade 4 students. After learning about this method at Nipissing, I
was anxious to see how it worked out in practice. It was so interesting to see how smoothly the whole
process worked!
C Bullock - Grade 4/5 Reading Recovery
I really enjoyed watching how Ms Bullock lead this reading recovery program. The program she was
using is very regulated (with a script for the teacher to follow). I thought it would be rather awkward to
execute, but she did so with ease and the students seemed very engaged in the process! It was really
helpful to see how this program was structured to meet students' needs in a different way from general
classroom teaching.
S Renaud - Grade 8 Visual Arts
Ms Renaud's art class is one of the most dynamic classrooms I have ever experienced! Her lesson was
upbeat and engaging, and I really enjoyed observing her management strategies for such a hands-on
class. I had a really interesting discussion with her about the pros and cons of running the arts program
for a full year as opposed to a semester (grade 7s one semester and grade 8s the next). She had done
both and had a number of interesting insights. Hearing how she went about planning her program was
really beneficial and gave me a number of things to keep in mind when planning my own programs (in
any subject).
B Hughes (official practicum placement) - Grade 7 and 8 Core French, Grade 2/3 French
Immersion DPA, Grade 4/5 French Immersion drama
Mr Hughes is the most enthusiastic teacher I have ever encountered! He has so much energy and
directs it all into making his French class an engaging and memorable experience for his students. His
use of music and technology to enhance his lessons clearly made an important connection with his
students. French is a subject that many students dislike and can't wait to be done with, but in Mr
Hughes's classes, even the most 'challenging' students participated well! I cannot overstate how
valuable this placement was to my development as a teacher.
C Flemming (official practicum placement) - Grade 6 Math and Language Arts, Grade 3/4
Special Education, Grade 2/3 Enrichment
While this placement was officially a grade 6 class, my favourite part was working with a select group of
students in grades 3 and 4 who had behavioural exceptionalities. This was one of the most satisfying
experiences I have had as a student teacher. (Each of my other most satisfying moments involve
working with behavioural students in their regular classrooms!) I am really looking forward to taking AQ
courses in Special Education and would love the opportunity to work with behavioural students some
day.
L Scott (official practicum placement) - Grade 4
Mrs Scott is an amazing teacher and I was so blessed to have her as my first associate teacher. When I
started this program, I was sure I was going to end up teaching high school, and the thought of
spending a year in a grade 4 class was quite intimidating! However, this placement completely changed
my mind! Watching how Mrs Scott taught and managed her class provided me with countless excellent
strategies, many of which I have already had the opportunity to use in my teaching. I grew so much as a
teacher this year, both in my teaching and planning skills, and in the development of my philosophy of
education.
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