Back to School
Day 1 (of 187) – September 4, 2018
Welcome BACK TO SCHOOL. It’s been almost 8 years since I had a full-time job. That seems so crazy to say… 8-YEARS!!! I left teaching secondary mathematics in public schools in the fall of 2010 to pursue my doctorate degree and spend more time with my daughter. During that time, I also served as a school trustee, which was another opportunity to stay connected with K-12 education but from a different point of view. I loved teaching secondary mathematics. I loved all of the people I’ve met as a school trustee. Now that I am done my doctorate degree, it was time for the next step.
I am very grateful to be working at UNBC as a full-time Lecturer in the School of Education. I am teaching predominantly teacher candidates during practicum, but also I am teaching undergraduate courses in curriculum and instruction and classroom dynamics, and a graduate course in research methods and design. It’s pretty much a job of my dreams. I am also involved with opportunities connect with school districts and reimagining teacher education. I am really thankful to engage in these conversations and I look forward to teaching the students, learning as I am doing, and creating some educational change that will enhance the learning experiences of teachers candidates, coaching teachers, and university instructors. I just finished my course syllabi TODAY!!!
As seen in the photo above, today was TEACHER CANDIDATES ORIENTATION DAY. I was more of a participant than facilitator. I am still learning about the program’s culture and I loved having the opportunity to meeting Year 1 and Year 2 students, elementary and secondary. There was definitely a nice BUZZ in the room as we engaged in some classic edu-activities to break the ice. I enjoyed chatting with those at my table. I am really excited to start teaching on Thursday. Tomorrow is the second day of the orientation and we will be listening to my friend and Superintendent of Learning Pat Duncan. It’s amazing how small circle things are. Superintendent of Graduation & Student Transitions Jan Unwin also visited our School of Education faculty last week. I enjoy seeing familiar faces.
With our 1.5 hour lunch break, Teacher Candidates had the opportunity to participate in the University’s Orientation events while I had the opportunity to pick up a FREE PLANT for my office, PG swag and maps, and unload some of my personal items to fill at least one bookshelf in my empty office. I am pretty stoked to have an office. It’s really nice to work in. I also used that time to connect with IT, find my class lists, and finalize my course syllabi for this term. I was so happy to get feedback on my syllabi from a seasoned practitioner in higher education. Admittedly, that took some courage on my part to get feedback, but also it’s my choice to take or leave the feedback. I was pretty satisfied with what I had produced and imagined. I did make a few modifications and VOILA… done.
What I realized today is, I will be teaching a graduate course, a Year 1 secondary course, and Year 2 elementary course. This is a nice sampling of the school of education. I am also supervising one student who’s completing her MEd in Multidisciplinary Leadership. It’s really fun so far. I appreciate the help I am getting from my colleagues and the conversations we are having. My mission is to make teaching and learning VISIBLE at UNBC. We are in the midst of change and I’m super excited for our students, the university, and the community. I can’t wait to learn more and see what’s possible. My purpose is to enhance the learning experiences of students. Let’s see how this goes. Apparently, I will be writing a daily blog, so I’m imagining we’ll find out soon via blog.