Through my teaching experiences in the past, I have been able to develop a collection of evidence that is able to showcase my willingness to adapt, care, and learn for my students. I think back to Palmer’s (2007), The Heart of a Teacher because it speaks towards the importance of “the self” in teaching. The idea of how “we teach who we are” resonates with me because I believe the experiences I went through in my own K-12 experience has shaped me into who I aspire to be. I was lucky to have a handful of wonderful teachers throughout my own education who showed me kindness and care. I believe it has shaped me into the pre-service teacher I am and the teacher I want to become. I want to become an educator who is present for their students.

 

I believe my biggest strengths reside in fostering effective relationships and engaging in lifelong learning. With this being said, I still have much to learn and discover myself as a student and lifelong learner. For instance, I believe I need to continue learning more about Indigenous peoples and create ways to authentically include their history and knowledge in my classroom. It is important to me that students understand Canada’s true past; about the brutalities, prejudices, and racism Indigenous peoples faced and still experience today. Because I teach secondary Art in my Field school, I can research Indigenous artists that create work related to themes I want to address. Kent Monkman is an excellent example of an Indigenous artist that incorporates Canada’s brutal past in a captivating way. I would like to incorporate artists like Monkman in my fourth Field experience.

 

Another gap I acknowledge in my TPGP is continuing my journey as a learner but more so towards mental health. Especially during Covid, mental health has become more of a front-line topic. I do not know much about mental health issues, let alone effective coping methods, therefore, it is something I would like to work on moving forward. Although I mentioned that engaging in lifelong learning is a strong suit of mine, there are still topics where my knowledge is slim. I conducted an anonymous survey for my students in Field III and found that many students felt tired and burned out from school. It was valuable information but at the time, I did not know what my next step would be. Addressing my goal would consist of me searching for my own resources through either podcasts or articles so I can better prepare myself for my students. My goal is to listen to one podcast per week so I can grow more as an educator and expand my knowledge on this particular subject.

 

Through peer review, I learned that I am on the right track but it will be important for me to measure my progress on the goals I have set. My peers gave me an idea of writing a pre-reflection before I start doing my own research and learning. This will give me insight as to where I started versus where I finished by the time my personal deadlines come around.