I am a huge fan of local history and always try to incorporate what is relevant (or sometimes irrelevant) into my classes - especially when I am TOCing.
It all started 9 years ago when I started working (as a high school student myself) at the Hope Visitor Centre & Museum Complex. I guess it must have been a pretty good "first job," because I'm still here today! As I did my history degree, I started working more and more in the Museum because that is where my real interest was.
First I worked as the Events and Activities Coordinator (National Aboriginal Day, Canadian Multiculturalism Day, Canada Day, BC Day). Then I developed and ran the Hope Oral History Project. Then I undertook a whole bunch of different research projects, the largest being for Heritage Week 2012, with the theme "Energy in BC: A Powerful Past, A Sustainable Future."
For the Oral History Project, I interview longtime residents of the community to learn what Hope was like in the past (usually dating back to the 1930s). In 2010 I completed approximately 25 interviews. In 2012 I came back to the project and to date have completed approximately 10 interviews. I love talking to people, hearing their stories, and learning about how the town has changed over the years.
Whenever I am TOCing (especially Social Studies) I always try to incorporate local aspects into the lesson plan. Once I was in for SS10 and the topic was the building of the CPR. Those kids were NOT excited ("eww, Canadian history is BORING!") but after a good old fashioned "storytime" about railways in Hope, and especially telling the all about how the Kettle Valley Railway used to run right through their current classroom, they got, as you might say, onboard (pun intended!). With murmers of "okay, that was actually kinda cool," class ended and they were off for the weekend.
It may not be much, but who knows, maybe something resonated with one of those kids. It definitely kept them paying attention during class and really, what more can you ask for as a TOC last block on a Friday?
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Ms. Who?
The way I see it, if we are going to be friends, we should probably get to know each other a bit better.
I grew up in Hope, BC, Canada in a fabulous, tight knit family. I had some great friends, lots of enthusiastic club leaders and sports coaches, and a whole lot of AMAZING teachers.
My desire to be a teacher goes way back. As my dad always says, I've wanted to teach grade two since I was in grade two. As I grew up, so did my taste for teaching and I ended up doing my education degree in high school English and Social Studies... Although getting to be a TOC (teacher on call) at the elementary level has definitely been a highlight since I started with SD#78 in January and I would love to do more work in elementary education.
Anyway. I grew up in Hope, then I did my Bachelor of Arts through Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC. It was there that I discovered a passion for history. I went on to become the secretary, and then the president of the TRU History Club. I was involved in organizing the TRU Northwestern Undergraduate Conference in Philosophy, History, and Politics. I presented my research three times at the PHP Conference, then in my fourth year of university I presented my research at the Qualicum Graduate History Conference. It was there that I submitted my work to be eligible for publication and much to my surprise my research was chosen! Feel free to check it out!
Back at TRU, I established and ran the first ever TRU International Women's Day Conference. I was involved in the pilot year (and then the following three years) of the TRU Student Leadership Program, I sat on the TRU Finance Board and the Philosophy, History, Politics Hiring Committee, and I worked as a Transition Mentor for first year students. And I'm sure there were a few other things I am forgetting. If you can't tell, I am the classic overachiever.
After graduating with the immense honour of being selected as the Valedictorian for the Faculty of Arts and Student Development, I went on to the University of Victoria to complete my Bachelor of Education. I did my first practicum at Clarence Fulton Secondary School in Vernon BC where I taught English 8 and Social Studies 11 in a Copernican timetable. The 2.5 hour classes and the FAST pace the material had to be delivered was definitely challenging for a first-time teacher!
My final practicum was completed at Hope Secondary School under the supervision of the best possible mentor teachers I could imagine. I was so fortunate to have teachers, administrators, and students who were so eager and willing to help me succeed!
At the end of my practicum and the end of my Bachelor of Education, I was hired by SD#78 and life has come full circle for me. I'm back in a place I love, doing what I have wanted to do since the ripe old age of seven, and I couldn't be happier. I am sure the upcoming year will hold moments of pure joy and pure frustration (sometimes simultaneously), but I look forward to each and every step of this adventure.
Now tell me a bit about yourself and let's start making some connections!
I grew up in Hope, BC, Canada in a fabulous, tight knit family. I had some great friends, lots of enthusiastic club leaders and sports coaches, and a whole lot of AMAZING teachers.
My desire to be a teacher goes way back. As my dad always says, I've wanted to teach grade two since I was in grade two. As I grew up, so did my taste for teaching and I ended up doing my education degree in high school English and Social Studies... Although getting to be a TOC (teacher on call) at the elementary level has definitely been a highlight since I started with SD#78 in January and I would love to do more work in elementary education.
Anyway. I grew up in Hope, then I did my Bachelor of Arts through Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC. It was there that I discovered a passion for history. I went on to become the secretary, and then the president of the TRU History Club. I was involved in organizing the TRU Northwestern Undergraduate Conference in Philosophy, History, and Politics. I presented my research three times at the PHP Conference, then in my fourth year of university I presented my research at the Qualicum Graduate History Conference. It was there that I submitted my work to be eligible for publication and much to my surprise my research was chosen! Feel free to check it out!
Back at TRU, I established and ran the first ever TRU International Women's Day Conference. I was involved in the pilot year (and then the following three years) of the TRU Student Leadership Program, I sat on the TRU Finance Board and the Philosophy, History, Politics Hiring Committee, and I worked as a Transition Mentor for first year students. And I'm sure there were a few other things I am forgetting. If you can't tell, I am the classic overachiever.
After graduating with the immense honour of being selected as the Valedictorian for the Faculty of Arts and Student Development, I went on to the University of Victoria to complete my Bachelor of Education. I did my first practicum at Clarence Fulton Secondary School in Vernon BC where I taught English 8 and Social Studies 11 in a Copernican timetable. The 2.5 hour classes and the FAST pace the material had to be delivered was definitely challenging for a first-time teacher!
My final practicum was completed at Hope Secondary School under the supervision of the best possible mentor teachers I could imagine. I was so fortunate to have teachers, administrators, and students who were so eager and willing to help me succeed!
At the end of my practicum and the end of my Bachelor of Education, I was hired by SD#78 and life has come full circle for me. I'm back in a place I love, doing what I have wanted to do since the ripe old age of seven, and I couldn't be happier. I am sure the upcoming year will hold moments of pure joy and pure frustration (sometimes simultaneously), but I look forward to each and every step of this adventure.
Now tell me a bit about yourself and let's start making some connections!
Monday, August 27, 2012
The Start of Something Good
Welcome to my new old blog!
As a recent (December 2011) graduate of the University of Victoria Education program, I took a technology course. In that course we had to create a blog. I made this blog. I posted a few times a la the course requirements, then I deleted them all after the course was done, thinking I might use this as a class blog. I decided not to. Instead I created a class wiki.
My blog sat abandoned.
I got hired as a TOC (teacher on call) for SD#78: Fraser Cascade, and blogging didn't cross my mind again. Until today. Today we had a SD78 "Teach Meet" and I attended four fantastic sessions. First, I learned about some great resources for writing IEPs, then I spend the rest of the day delving into Social Media. Blogging, Twitter, Facebook, all great presentations.
I came home, I logged into Twitter (my previously inactive, joined for that same Tech-Ed class that made me write the blog account) and got to tweeting. After a very helpful mention from a Twitter superstar in the education world, I suddenly had 50+ followers! Woah.
All this was great, but a comment made in passing by my mentor teacher stuck with me.
"You should create a TOC blog."
A TOC blog. A blog about my experience TOCing. A blog about my educational journey. A blog about my passions as an educator. An interesting idea. And after all, there is no time like the present. So here it goes.
As a recent (December 2011) graduate of the University of Victoria Education program, I took a technology course. In that course we had to create a blog. I made this blog. I posted a few times a la the course requirements, then I deleted them all after the course was done, thinking I might use this as a class blog. I decided not to. Instead I created a class wiki.
My blog sat abandoned.
I got hired as a TOC (teacher on call) for SD#78: Fraser Cascade, and blogging didn't cross my mind again. Until today. Today we had a SD78 "Teach Meet" and I attended four fantastic sessions. First, I learned about some great resources for writing IEPs, then I spend the rest of the day delving into Social Media. Blogging, Twitter, Facebook, all great presentations.
I came home, I logged into Twitter (my previously inactive, joined for that same Tech-Ed class that made me write the blog account) and got to tweeting. After a very helpful mention from a Twitter superstar in the education world, I suddenly had 50+ followers! Woah.
All this was great, but a comment made in passing by my mentor teacher stuck with me.
"You should create a TOC blog."
A TOC blog. A blog about my experience TOCing. A blog about my educational journey. A blog about my passions as an educator. An interesting idea. And after all, there is no time like the present. So here it goes.
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