It has been an enjoyable four weeks at FFCA High School campus. I have to say initially that I was scared of entering a charter school. I didn't know what to expect since I never been in a charter school before! All I knew was that the charter school didn't follow the charter/mandate/whatever-its-called that the CBE had. Also, it was a bit shocking to see everyone wearing uniforms at school. I've seen tons of teacher-based dramas that had students wearing uniforms, but this was something new in a Western society-based classroom.
Throughout the four weeks though, I've became accustomed to seeing students wearing uniforms. Sure, not all students adhered to the uniform standard, but for the most part, it became normal to me. It was odd to see students not in uniform during Casual Friday though! It was like I walked into a different high school!
Now onto the teaching/learning environment. Valley Creek Middle School was big on inquiry. FFCA on the other hand was more direct-teaching (something that I grew up with). It was very odd to be immersed back into an environment I'm so familiar with when I've been through Valley Creek and courses at the university that promoted inquiry based learning. I see the merits though at a high school level since there's so much material to cover in such a short amount of time. (There were times where I felt like I was dragging my class behind since I would explain some things in too much detail =P). It would be interesting to integrate more inquiry into a high school environment, and something that I wish I can potentially see in my last practicum. Nevertheless, I readjusted myself, and followed the direct-teaching model they had at FFCA. I made sure to apply everything I learnt at my last practicum, and this practicum, to try and engage students in meaningful learning. That was perhaps the biggest issue I had with my four weeks to keep students engaged. My learning partner and I would try to incorporate fun activities to make learning easier, but these activities took time, which at times we did not have.
What I think I enjoyed the most was how friendly teachers were at the school. They were all very welcoming for they would introduce themselves as they see me walking around the building. I believe I had the chance to become acquainted with almost all of the science teachers and quite a few humanities teachers. There was a gym/science teacher that offered her insight on teaching with the experience she had when we student teachers were pestering her with questions during lunch one day. Other teachers would welcome us to their classrooms and encouraged us to interact with the students. Overall, it was a very warm community of teachers that really make me want to work at the school! Also, the principal took the time to introduce himself to me when I bumped into him in my first week of practicum. During PD, he even asked for our opinions on how the school was running, which really surprised me. I would have never thought that a lowly student teacher could input his opinion on a matter as large as how the school is running!
Overall, it was a pleasant experience at FFCA. I wouldn't say it was better than at Valley Creek, since I really enjoyed both practicums. I have seen two different environments and learned a lot from both of my partner teachers (and my learning partner). I've been lucky so far and had two wonderful practicums. I wonder how my last one is going to shape up...
credit: http://www.viewcalgary.com/Associations/pMacKaySchool.JPG
A picture of what the school building looks like. Since FFCA is a charter school, they can only rent school buildings; not own their own school.
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