Field Placement Symposium Paper- Reflection and Analysis

Meghan Fox

As a student teacher, we begin with course work and are taught about
methods, law, ethics, strategies, curriculum documents, and many other
aspects of the science of teaching. Pedagogy is both important and valuable
as student learning will suffer without strong teaching practice based on
current research; however, the personal aspect of education that I
experienced during my practicum is what has impacted me the most.
Education is about people. The art of teaching that compliments the science
of teaching lies in personal connection. The ability to connect with students
and develop positive relationships with them is a huge determinant of both
the teachers and the students success. Further, the ability to connect
students to the content in a way that is relevant and impactful for them
helps students to develop intrinsic motivation to learn which is invaluable in
the classroom.

Observing different teachers interact with the same students was interesting.
The same student or group of students can demonstrate opposite behaviour
entirely depending on the teacher and/or the teachers approach. One
specific thing that I noticed was how the general demeanor of the teacher
really set the stage for how the students responded and reacted. If a teacher
spoke quickly and used an accusatory tone toward a student, that students
response was always defensive and this exacerbated rather than diffused the

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situation. If the teacher remained level and spoke calmly, usually the student
would settle and often identify their contribution to the problem more
quickly. These observations were reinforced time and again and expanded to
certain patterns that were identifiable. The students are intensely in tune
with how teachers interact with them and are sensitive to how teachers
perceive them. When students felt supported and valued by the teacher,
they performed and behaved better in the classroom. The teachers who were
intentional about having consistent positive interactions with the students
had better relationships and therefore, better results. The importance of
positive relationships and rapport with students cannot be overstated. The
teachers who had a good rapport and a calm, but also firm and clear
approach had better results in and out of the classroom as well as fewer
issues. This was referred to as the art of teaching. For this reason,
throughout my placement I made a conscious effort to get to know my
students and develop positive relationships with them. Students are more
responsive to both lesson activities and correction when there is a personal
connection. This reinforces the fact that teachers need to remember that
they teach people, not simply deliver content.

The teacher-student relationships are not the only important connections to

develop in a school. The relationship between teachers is a huge factor in the
type of atmosphere that exists in the school. As educators, we have a great
opportunity to learn from and with each other. However, this is only possible

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if there is an atmosphere of sharing and the focus is about maximizing
student experience rather than being proprietary when it comes to ideas and
lessons. During a conversation with another educator about sharing
resources and ideas, it was stated that it is an arrogant approach to the
profession to think that your ideas and methods are always the best. This
bold statement originated from the explanation that the constant creation of
entirely novel content, ideas and activities will exhaust a teacher and most
likely result in burnout therefore it is incredibly important not to be
proprietary with resources. I was advised to seek quality resources to adapt
and modify to meet the needs of the students in my class. The ultimate goal
is to provide students with the best environment, climate, resources and
lessons to learn and grow. Teaching is not about being the teacher that has
created the best new lesson plan that anyone has ever seen. It is about
facilitating authentic, engaging and relevant learning experiences that
benefit the students. This perspective is important. As an educator, it is easy
to get caught up in feeling like you have to create all-new activities and
approaches to content all the time, however it can be equally as effective to
find and use resources from other teachers, but simply modify them to meet
your needs rather than start from scratch. Other teachers are an incredible
resource. An atmosphere of mutual respect and professionalism amongst
teachers is necessary to support each other and provide the best experience
for students.

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When teachers and students are united and focused on the same goals,
success is achievable. The biggest lesson that was consistently reinforced
throughout my placement was the importance of relationships. Middle school
is a challenging stage of life to navigate with grace, but these students have
huge potential. Teachers will only be able to help students reach their
potential if they remember to incorporate the art of teaching into the science
of teaching.