Oct 5 Entrance Slip Dancing Teachers Into Being With a Garden (Updated Oct 5)

I realized that teachers in schools are often regulated by the strict constraints of time, symbolized by the act of frequently checking a watch. I have to be careful, since doing this action can cause students to lose focus on the lesson, and more so on when to leave the class. It allows me as well to focus more on the time since I have to get through a set amount of things. I usually go on rambling about a topic, so time management is something I should work on. I should also pause and give students time to digest as well, since I’m so used to lectures that are continuously pouring out information/facts. I don’t want my students to feel constrained with lessons, so taking them outside to experience learning is a new thing. They would enjoy it more and catch a breather. Some metaphors I see include the squared-off boxes of classrooms, which represents the restrictive/linear nature of traditional education. The rectilinear rooms, tiled floors, and ceilings may also illustrate the structured, rigid layout of educational settings. From students’ responses on learning in gardens, the desks are overgrown and demonstrate the growth around the unstoppable nature of organic growth/curiosity. It could signify that despite standardized learning being present, students will always have an inherent urge to grow, learn, and explore. A lot of outdoor garden learning is helpful for a small junior high class (though it is much harder to get a large class to stay on task). Letting students in that age category step outside and experience wildlife while doing math art/projects is a fun way for them to get in touch with the foundational learning topics that will be used for high school, post-secondary, and work. However, I doubt it is feasible for older high school students. They have a rigorous curriculum to go through and many are, for lack of a better word, ignorant of university learning/living lifestyle. The gap between grade 12 and first year is large, so it is crucial to help their mindset grow towards being more mature/responsible/experienced. Back to my chemistry teacher, his exams and layout are similar to those of university. Though he may have seemed harsh, in hindsight it was helpful as we got a taste of the nature of university. Many alumni have constantly come back to visit to thank him, and ask him questions instead of their professors. I think a lot of experiences of living in/being knowledgeable about nature can be taken from outdoor education.

FIGURE 3: (Colour online) Japanese orthography worksheet got my attention when the article was discussing about grids. Grids are mostly used for organizing information such as a lesson plan and categorizing ideas. In math the small grid paper squares allows students to easily draw shapes and connect the dots. These grids are tools to help and aid us in certain practices. The orthography worksheet also uses grids in order that people are able to practice their writing neatly. Chinese orthography worksheets also have vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines to help the writer. The question "why am I committed to using this method to practice my writing" can be answered in which it helps one able to know the boundaries for writing, how big a character should be so that you won't have this big radical on the left side of the character. The grid allows people to see their new work and compare it with their old work. Boxing the old work helps with the understanding that these are just practice trials and that they stay in this grid, and the characters I write outside of practice are the ones I chiseled to beauty.

Sept 28 Exit Slip Reflections

Society is changing ever so rapidly, and people have a hard time keeping up with all the issues/news bombarded at them everyday. Young students who are going through puberty and into adulthood are very prone to being misled and make decisions that aren’t wise. A lot of media and talks are targeted towards them, so it is crucial to help these students be informed and vigilant. I believe in civility, and a teacher should model it first. It includes, but is not limited to, being organized, cleaning up after the classroom, tidying the work desk, and putting things where they belong. Now, despite any differences/disagreements a teacher may have with a student, they’re still responsible to show love and kindness to them. Reprimanding wouldn’t be a winsome way to build a stronger connection, and it makes the students feel vulnerable in these very stressful times. Everyone has their own problems to face. Opening up and talking about them may be difficult since it requires a lot of energy and focus. I would listen first and get background information/context before speaking. My chemistry teacher only talked about chemistry. He was neutral/silent in many areas. Even when a teacher passed away from heart failure, he made no mention of it that day. This made me ponder on a question: how silent should I be regarding the issues circling around? Initially I thought being silent wouldn’t be so bad since it may not involve getting into controversial topics. However I think to truly allow students to grow and enjoy subjects that are being taught to them, understanding what’s going on in their sphere of influence and their ideals are helpful.

Sept 28 Entrance Slip Math and Science Teaching & Climate Crisis

Our responsibility as educators is to make sure the students will be able to take care of themselves and make decisions that are wise and suitable to those around them. When it comes to the accelerated growth in productions, the planet is being depleted of its natural resources and is being hurt a lot through the tons of gas emissions/pollutants. It is important to remind the students that the present day isn't as it used to be. The world we live on is a delicate piece of earth and we as humans have a duty to take care of it. Reminding students to be mindful of what they do in their daily lives that may contribute to climate change will allow them to be more vigilant. Let them know that life would be much more difficult when the environment isn't appropriate to grow crops, and that food needs to be imported worldwide as scarce/expensive resources. Students can be more mindful of this situation by understanding/implementing mathematical tools to model/analyze the current climate situation and relate it with observations that correspond to the scientific data obtained. I believe we are able to make changes to the traditional ways subjects are taught to us, though it'll be difficult. Consider the shift from rote learning to more interactive and student-centered pedagogies. The proposed shift towards an authentic/relevant mathematics education (particularly in the context of climate change) is timely and essential. Climate change is definitely a pressing matter, and integrating it into the curriculum can equip future generations with the tools to understand and combat it. Improving the learning outcomes for a deeper connection between students and real-world issues builds more awareness. However, traditional practices are often deeply entrenched in the education system. Changes require resources and training. Overcoming these challenges requires collective will and lots of investments. I recall that the usage of the term climate change is important. People generally say global warming (and indeed there's the 1.5°C that is often mentioned), but that isn't the correct term. Not all places are experiencing high temperatures. There are lots of tsunamis, floods, hurricanes, and chilly winter days below minus 40 (in Edmonton my hometown just several years ago!). Hence the unbalanced weather is evidence for climate change, and as we follow the trend we continue to have today, one may ponder sentimentally on "the good ol' days".

Sept 21 Exit Slip Further Reflections on Learning Outdoors

I think a lot of experiences can be gleaned from working outside. Young minds need to take a break once in a while and refresh their brains. They are probably sitting for hours for other classes too, so giving them a breather is helpful. One teacher might say "Other teachers can take them out, but I am keeping them in here so they can learn". This wouldn't be helpful since any other teacher can say the same thing. So if I take the initiative and lead outdoor activities, it will alleviate some burdens for the students and myself, since we are all able to connect with nature. Breathing in fresh air is a good opportunity for us to be rejuvenated but also to be thankful that our environment is clean. Even though I may not have the opportunity to do crafts all the time, I can still just bring a board outside and teach and lead students in open-area activities in order to shake loose some tight muscles. In terms of working with crafts, I may connect the twisting of the rope making and connect it with angles in math, or maybe a teensy bit of knot theory. It is also a way to get the students to work out the dexterity of their hands, as they mostly just scroll through their phones, hold starbucks/bubble tea drinks, or sports balls. I believe this is a retrieval of a lost art, to backsource and dig up a hidden treasure chest to be implemented in a time as crucial as now, when digital technologies dominate our daily lives.

Sept 21 Entrance Slip Response to Sharon Kallis

As an adult born after Y2K, I am honest that people are more green-housed/snow plowed than before. If we need anything, we just buy it off of Amazon and with prime it's at our door the next day. So little chances do we really have to use our hands to create/produce things for use/consumption. We can note that in a garden for example, linen can be grown locally, and much other work can be done by ourselves. One's dexterity isn't fixed, but is like a muscle that can be trained to do more hands-on work. Going back to my first sentence, people don't realize the lack of value in skills/self-esteem when simply trading commodities with money. What dictates that money earned from tutoring math can equivalently purchase a not-too expensive item that was built in a sweatshop under poor conditions? To really know how an item came to be, you reap what you sow and try to learn how to make it ourselves (if possible). Backsourcing was an interesting term Sharon used as it gives a completely different meaning than regressing. Although both relate to the past, backsourcing digs up "lost" skills, while regressing is using past skills proven to not be efficient. So to know how much one can accomplish by self-production, the sense of worth and esteem is elevated. This is why personally, although living away from home, I try not to go out to eat. Instead I try my best to make meals for myself and go through the struggles of grocery shopping and cooking. Similarly, one can produce ropes from tough long grass that would've ended up in the trash. The simple techniques of twisting and bending can be the root of how electronics are made in an iPad. It takes a few practices at first to get it right, but with patience and care the end result will prove itself useful/worthy. I believe it is also a start to good training on becoming a handyman, so one can fix things themselves rather than calling/relying on others to do the work for them.

Sept 14 Exit Slip Thinking about learning gardens

To begin, I am thrilled to see many universities are promoting learning outside of a traditional classroom. The many underlying reasons behind learning outside in a garden gives rise to many experiences a student cannot encounter inside. It is possible for more human interactions with the outside environment even in these busy technology-centered times. Teaching outside can unlock new opportunities to discuss what is taught in the class lecture and connect it with the natural world. Further, UBC is a leading advocate in teaching and learning gardens and it was encouraging to see many programs organized for the recognition of indigenous traditions and allow seniors and school children to visit and explore. Even in the midst of many trials, this institution continues its efforts in fighting for a more eco-friendly method of learning. For me to see this, it brings some light to know that the future classrooms won't have to look like those in Astro Boy. Students can glean much more in life while being in a surrounding so close to the heart of where we came from. This usually brings a sense of enlightenment to them, but I guess there are times where they might not enjoy it as much. I say this since there are many things in life that are in our minds that eat up our appetite for enjoyment in these wonderful things that should be so dear to us. Tackling this may be hard at first, but adapting takes time and the end result is worth it! To utilize the garden for learning exercises, one activity we did in class was to use our fists to estimate the angle of elevation of the Sun. There is sufficient space for students to get up and move around without being too energetic - sweating like in gym class. Of course, this should be done weather permitting. In terms of math, the students could analyze and see the vines growing on horizontal rods that behave similar to sinusoidal waves. The self similarity of the buds and leaves is a clear depiction of fractals. Many natural elements also follow the golden ratio (which comes from the Fibonnaci sequence). This ratio is aesthetically pleasing to the eyes and it's no wonder that it shows up first in nature before humans can [try to] replicate its beauty.

Sept 14 Entrance Slip On Becoming a Reflective Teacher

This article addresses many issues that I have been thinking about even before entering into this program. I think about how a teacher can improve is not based solely upon their own knowledge and past experiences, but also what goes on in the classroom over time. Although written over three decades ago, there is nothing new under the sun. How teachers and students interact and mutually learn from each other remains the same so long as the roles are not changed. A teacher is a student themselves, learning from in front of the class through teaching a group of “official” students. It is an exercise of adaptation, being flexible with different teaching/learning styles. The authors argue that for teaching to be effective, simply following prescribed methods or curriculum guidelines isn’t sufficient. Teachers should also engage in continuous self-evaluation/reflection, and introspection. I want to be open minded on how I as a teacher can be better, not just in knowledge, but also being interactive and sociable. When mistakes do occur, accept it, do whatever needs to be done to take care of it, and move forward. Doing these things should be my task anytime during my career. It displays professionalism, responsibility, and humility. I should behave outside of the classroom with care too, so that certain unwanted habits won’t enter into the classroom and negatively affect learners. The teaching role is indeed a social relations role. This is why the University of Alberta introduced that the CASPER exam (an open-response, situational judgment test that evaluates aspects of one’s social intelligence and professionalism such as ethics, empathy, problem-solving and collaboration) is necessary for their BEd applications. It got me thinking how critical it is for teachers to discuss methods of instruction and other classroom management with their colleagues, as well as being open for discussion and providing help for students who require it. Engaging in dialogue bridges gaps that were initially present. This article helped me see why teacher inquiry is important and that it should be implemented in teaching programs. It can help educators identify personal biases, misconceptions, and other areas of improvement throughout their career. There may be potential challenges to resisting introspection because of a lack of time, resources, or institutional support. However with careful planning, being proactive, and not procrastinating will help one finish their instructional task efficiently.

Sept 7 Exit Slip 'Teacher Man' and teacher inquiry: Frank McCourt

Becoming a teacher is a learning process for the teacher as well. The teacher can learn through their teachings and interactions between the students. Frank McCourt gave very interesting ideas on approaches to teaching as well as his own personal experiences. One can either be more isolated between the students to keep that professional authority more conspicuous, or they can be more interactive/intimate about certain things. Personally I like to be friendly with students, but to keep that boundary in the classroom is a task to be dealt with in case we go off topic. Being familiar with the students' interests also helps with forming a congenial bond. As a teacher, a unique trait often creates a bridge that can allow the students to better connect with them, such as Frank's Irish accent, since it arouses curiosity. Discussions are important on things outside of the classroom (like hobbies), but one cannot expose too much right off the bat. It needs to be done slowly and vigilantly, or else it can't be taken aback. One interesting point from today's discussion was that it is very difficult to set professionalism to a higher standard. First impressions are often embedded into people's minds, so it's good to not act too close initially, or else trying to use teaching authority for correction wouldn't come out as welcoming.