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The Brum Bunch
Growing up in a family with 6 kids, I recognized early on just how different we all were, not only in personality but also through our learning styles. With regards to literacy Andrew, Allison, and myself have always loved to read. Rebecca and Megan are great speakers- both being Valedictorians in their elementary school years. And Andrew, Megan, and Patricia have strong writing skills. I lacked confidence in my writing, and when it came to oral speaking, I was terrified. -
The Brum Bunch Continued
With these differences within my family so evident, I know fully how important differentiation of instruction, as well as assessment is. By taking into consideration individual student's needs it can really go a long way in building their identity and confidence. Also, it is important to not make any prior judgments of students based off of their older sibling's abilities and recognize the individuality of all. -
Grade 1 Public Speaking
Grade 1 was my first encounter with public speaking. We had to pick a children’s story and retell it to the class. What I recall from this experience was that I was completely petrified standing in front of the class with all eyes on me. I remember trembling, completely blanking, and ended up crying in front of the whole class. Reflecting on this experience, it has made me aware how important creating that safe space is in order for students to feel more at ease. -
Grade 1 Junior Choir
My family is extremely musical and have always been involved with our church. I had always admired my oldest sister Allison in her singing for she was so powerful. When I was 6 I was finally old enough to join our church’s Junior Choir, along with my 3 older sisters. Through Junior Choir I began to form a love for singing. My choir director, Aunt Lori led each of us into exploring our vocal abilities and I found myself extremely comfortable singing in a group in front of our congregation. -
Grade 3 Public Speaking
My younger sister Megan was elected to perform her speech of the book Jillian Jiggs in front of the whole school, in which she won. Her ability to stand up in front of others and speak so easily made me feel insecure about my oral speaking abilities, especially because she was younger than me. This experience has made me aware that everybody has their own individual strengths and weaknesses and that it is unfair to compare yourself to others. -
Grade 6 Choir Solo
One night at choir, Aunt Lori pulled me off to the side and asked if I wanted a solo. She explained to me that the passion and enthusiasm I had when singing should be highlighted for everyone to see. I was extremely nervous, however after my performance I received praise and positive remarks from my family and multiple people in the congregation. This positive experience helped me gain confidence in standing alone in front of others, which built my confidence in speaking in front of others. -
Lessons Learned
I have learned the importance of passion. Everybody has their own list of strengths and weaknesses that need to be celebrated as opposed to compared to so you can instill that drive. I have also learned that students have a variety of comfort levels when it comes to presenting and performing and that these need to be discovered so to ensure students can succeed. These comfort levels can be improved if someone has faith and provides positive reinforcement in their abilities or passions. -
What I Want to Learn
As a learner in this course, I want to acquire ways in which I can learn more about my students in helping them find their passions. Having an interest that drives you can help shape that purpose in life. With that in mind, I also want to learn how to avoid students into creating a fixed mindset. Believing you have your own strengths and weaknesses can be limiting on your perception on what you can achieve and so I want to work on how I can help student’s in becoming lifelong learners. -
Future Teaching Practice
In my future teaching practice I will make an effort in getting to know my students, their strengths and weaknesses and help build those passions. Being aware of diversity is crucial when trying to meet course expectations and so I want to be responsive and approachable when a child is demonstrating discomfort in a given strand. By differentiating lessons and assessments within my practice, students will gain confidence in their learning and ultimately feel as though their stories do matter.
