Due to the research block this year, we have an extended practicum that runs for 6 weeks in the winter time along with 10 observation days. It was supposed to be an in-person practicum, but we went online for 2 weeks which happened to coincide with 3 observation days. It was very different for me, as an outsider, to start building connections here with them as they have had the entire semester to bond with their teacher who they know and trust as a physical person beyond the screens. Nonetheless, I will try my best to get to know these students near the end of their semester, by helping to monitor the chat box, and Brightspace logistics.
An opportunity came for me to bond with the students some more when during my third observation day, my AT had a supply in the morning. Beyond what I typically do in the morning when students start to trickle in (starting a conversation, getting them excited about some upcoming event -even something like the weekend is approaching), I tried to make myself useful to the students. We started off on a wonky note as the students weren't aware that there was a new link for today's meeting. Then we had 2 student accounts being hacked into, which resulted in some aggressive verbal exchanges. This is where I encountered my first challenge for this practicum. There was clearly inappropriate language being used here in the classroom, and yet the supply teacher did not address it in the moment. Since he did not address the issue at the moment, I found it difficult to intervene and chime in when he was finished speaking to address the inappropriate language later on. With my first AT, we had a very open type of communication, where I could address my concerns to her and together we would come up with a plan. Here, I'm not really sure where I could make my mark as I don't want to take away from my AT's classroom, but I also don't want to stand by and do nothing. ....I think I've done it! Well...at least with some of the students... The classic geometry problem of "solving for alpha," it managed to intrigue students at least some. I love how they don't care about knowing the answer, and instead just want to figure it out. I love how they're willing to work with others, try different approaches, fail and then try again to get to the answer. I really hope I can have the chance to get these students exploring for themselves what math is all about. That it isn't just about solving equations, but rather about self-discovery and curiousity and exploring different domains of math that have never been explored before. This is what mark I hope to leave on the students.
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