Reflection on NUO Conference 2023

The standard I will be referencing for my reflection is Standard 1: Commitment to Student and Student Learning. A standard that cares and is committed to students and their learning while being inclusive and equitable to students’ needs. (Niagara College of Education, 2023)

When reflecting on the workshop experience at NUO, I enjoyed the variety of topics that were available for the teacher candidate students. It was amazing to see the effort, dedication and thought put into each workshop through bringing in powerful and experienced speakers, hands on games and activities and the knowledge everyone brought into the room to help lead future teachers. These workshops allowed me to feel more confident in certain areas of the education system that have not really been discussed in prior classes. Though some parts of teaching can be extremely overwhelming and chaotic I was able to find joy in the simplicity and appreciation of games, activities and group collaboration that will in turn benefit me in a classroom.

I started off the week with an amazing class with Dr. Laura Hermans, who focused on learning new activities, and games when building an engaging classroom. Her presentation resonated, related, and inspired me from start to finish. I loved her introduction to the workshop, she started off with the question “MY perfect classroom.” Each of us were given a sticky note and given the opportunity to dive deep and elaborate on how we view and what we believe to be the perfect classroom. It was great to see slight differences in people’s responses but also the similarities. 

This was a meaningful task for me because I sometimes find it difficult to pinpoint my perfect class in the most realistic way- but that day, I was able to reflect on that concept and turn my focus on the importance of having a well-balanced classroom of engaging but respectful environment. I believe my perfect classroom is to be fun, interactive, engaging, hands on, having open communication, a safe and inclusive space, having designated roles and responsibilities, a list of effective classroom management tricks, tips, and skills, as well as a classroom of equity and diversity. We discussed the “Key Ingredients” of having purposeful activities for students that are both interactive and engaging. I learned that of course everyone should be able to participate in the activities provided, voices are heard, everyone is appreciated, relevant and has relation to class content. Sometimes many activities or conversations can be irrelevant to the curriculum or class content and it’s important to have activities and discussions in the classroom that will intrigue learners but will also be effective and guide their knowledge.

Dr. Herman’s presentation was extremely hands on and corresponded to my teaching styles and beliefs which I found amazing. I find there is a lack of student engagement in classrooms and that’s because there aren’t enough stimulating activities circulating in the class and during lessons that might be more difficult than others. My belief is as an educator is to make learning enjoyable and this is exactly what Laura demonstrated which I will be sure to bring into my classroom as an educator of the same values and beliefs. She let us engage in a jam board “Language Weird Words” activity that included literacy in a pleasurable and interesting way. I learned these activities will bring a sense of competition into the classroom, thinking, creativity and accomplishment – all fundamental skills and traits each student can convey into their space.

The second workshop I want to share is Luke’s fabulous parent-teacher interviews presentation. This was a topic I have been disconcerted with from the start of practicum experience. Parent-Teacher Interviews are a CRUCIAL part of teaching though, not many professors, or AT’s discuss the “do’s and don’t” about this experience. Instead, I feel as though it is a time in the education system that is stressful on teachers yet comes and goes sooner than you think and isn’t discussed enough making it extremely difficult to feel confident in having to do them on my own one day. I chose this workshop with the intent of hearing real-life experiences from a professional who has been in the field and Luke was able to demonstrate that to my colleagues and I. He provided real life examples in his career thus far, we explored possible statement starters, tricks on how to create good rapport with parents prior to interviews, scenarios, and the format of interviews (time, frequency, dates, duration, and locations). His presentation has left me with more confidence and knowledge in overview of parent teacher interviews. The list of “Do’s and Don’t” have now been imbedded in my head and is a great tool to refer to when it comes time to take part in them within my school board.

Overall, Dr. Herman's and Luke’s workshops were exceptional, and I will be taking all their knowledge, activities, skills, tricks, and resources by implementing it into my future classroom. The workshops were a fantastic end to our education here at Niagara University in ontario and I wish they gave us this opportunity each semester!

Courtesy of LuciaC@NUO-491