Faculty of Education: Year 4 Certification Student Teaching

          The University of Winnipeg integrated education program has furthered and fostered my love of teaching. Truthfully, I am not the university student that dreamed of becoming a teacher since they were five years old. However, I have had several social opportunities that nurtured my teaching abilities due to engagement with others, become self-aware and declaring a leadership role. I gradually developed leadership qualities from competing in organized sport. I played competitive volleyball for eight years and was named Manitoba Volleyball Association’s player of the year in 2009. I concluded my volleyball career in 2012 after being considered part of the “Top 7 Manitoba All-Star Team”. I was passionate about the game; however, I was more passionate about furthering my pursuit of secondary education and continuing my expertise in the form of coaching specialized sport.

My resume includes instructing several youth camps, coaching school teams, and coaching competitive club volleyball teams. I thrive in a team environment where individuals feel valued and appreciated for their abilities. Naturally, I have a close connection with athletic based programs. I chose to major in the field of Kinesiology where I learned about adapted physical activity, the importance of daily exercise, and balancing a lifestyle of athletic participation and the continuation of health initiatives.

I consider myself a creative minded individual that interacts efficiently in groups and strives for challenge and success. My philosophy is constantly being molded during these formative education years through research and experience. I am an individual that seeks a partnership sensation. From a teacher perspective, that suggests an individual who is loyal, will commit to tasks, meet specific deadlines, and continue researching curriculum standards and newfound learning initiatives. In the eyes of a student, it proposes having an adult that will strive for student success and continue to encourage their weaknesses and challenge their strengths to ultimately reach goal-oriented fulfillment.

            The University of Winnipeg has offered me several diverse student teaching experiences. I have been placed at McLeod Adult Learning Centre, Donwood Elementary School, Arthur Day Middle School, and currently Bertrun E. Glavin Elementary School.

            I have experienced several special moments as a student teacher, however, during my second year of education, I was placed at Donwood Elementary School in a grade five demanding high-risk classroom. The cooperating teacher exposed me to several learning opportunities that allowed me to gain new perspectives and appreciation for little victories. During the Christmas break, I travelled to Honolulu, Hawaii and purchased twenty-three t-shirts to bring home as gifts for my students. When I gifted the students a simple t-shirt, my heart was fulfilled with joy when several students had happy tears rolling down their cheek of sincere appreciation. It will forever be a memory that I will cherish and it taught me a valuable lesson on patience and creating an environment of trust. That particular teaching experience taught me that every child deserves a chance and I will be willing to challenge myself to reach the positive potential of my students.