Winnipeg Conference Poster: Our conference dates were different! |
By far one of the best parts about this conference is the attendants, presenters and organizers! I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to network with so many teachers who have just started teaching and can share their experiences with those of us who will be going through the interview process in a few short months. I choose 4 amazing sessions put the keynote and plenary sessions.
KEYNOTE SESSION
- Mitch Dorge
Myself, Mitch, & 2 other student teachers, Jen & Jasmine! |
Yes this would be me getting into my "sumo stance!" |
PLENARY SESSION
- Mark Essay
Mark is a teacher of almost 20 years and as soon as he started his session I knew I immediately liked him. Why? He used strategies similar to WBT strategies to format his session and I was immediately engaged and enthusiastic (even though it was 8:30 in the morning)! He would speak for about a few minutes and then have us discuss the information with the person sitting beside us, he would then have us mirror his gestures and repeat the information verbally with him. This totally reminded me of the 5-step lesson plan, teach-ok, and mirror strategies of WBT so I felt very "in my element".
He spoke of the importance of having relevant teaching materials and strategies so that students can see the point in what they are doing. He also spoke about having an open mind all the time, but especially at conferences like this, because you may have days when you have used EVERY single strategy you know and they still don't work! If you have an open mind you may remember that teacher tip you heard at a conference and, even if it is nothing like what you are used to, you can pull it out and try something new. Sometimes the pure shock of you acting so different will put the class back on track!
DEALING WITH HOMOPHOBIA
- Kirsten Dozenko
Kirsten is a very passionate individual and I really enjoyed her session. Mind you, I had met her the night before and we quickly find out that not only did we have the same name but we also had the same teachables! So that may have biased me :) Her session was an open discussion about how we can make our schools safe and inclusive for all students, regardless of the factors that may make up their identity. We started up with a good activating strategy where we brainstormed what society and school was like when we were 12, what it is like now and what it will be like in 12 years. We discussed what has changed and stayed the same which I found very interesting because there were teachers who were 12 years old in the 70s, 80s, 90s and in the 2000s.
- Glsen: Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network
- Think Before You Speak. Don't say "That's so Gay."
- Rainbow Resource Centre
- Egale: Canada Human Rights Trust
NEVER GIVE UP
- Bill Rumley
This was an extremely emotional session for everyone involved as we listened to the stories of an Attendance Officer who has worked over 30 years assisting teachers who are working with troubled youth. To be honest, I didn't even know that Manitoba had Attendance Officers (previously referred to as Truancy Officers) so I found the session even more eye-opening. Bill centred his entire presentation on stories of specific students he worked with and how, more often that not, the family and school had given up on the student and he was left to pick up the pieces. He shared the amazing story about how one specific young man was continually kicked out of school and as soon as Bill would bring him back, the school would kick him out again because they had given up on him and saw no potential in the student. After a number of years, Bill ended up being able to get the student into another school where, thanks to the help of a supportive teacher, he graduated from high school as the valedictorian!
Now I am one of those people who when I see someone cry, I cry as well and Bill is extremely passionate about what he does. Needless to say, every time Bill got emotional, myself and many other people began to get emotional as well. He stressed that we don't have to be the one to solve every single problem that comes our way, but we do need to acknowledge that person as an individual and listen to their situation. We can not be that person who labels a student as a "problem" and doesn't take the time to see them as a person: what they like, what their strengths are, what their home life is, etc. Every student has the potential to do amazing things and we have the opportunity to assist them in reaching that goal. Here is a poem that Bill shared with us before our session wrapped up, I thought it was pretty powerful.
The Touch of a Master's Hand
Myra Brooks Welch
'Twas battered and scarred,
And the auctioneer thought it
hardly worth his while
To waste his time on the old violin,
but he held it up with a smile.
And the auctioneer thought it
hardly worth his while
To waste his time on the old violin,
but he held it up with a smile.
"What
am I bid, good people", he
cried,
"Who starts the bidding for me?"
"One dollar, one dollar, Do I hear two?"
"Two dollars, who makes it three?"
"Three dollars once, three dollars twice, going for three,"
"Who starts the bidding for me?"
"One dollar, one dollar, Do I hear two?"
"Two dollars, who makes it three?"
"Three dollars once, three dollars twice, going for three,"
But,
No,
From the room far back a gray bearded man
Came forward and picked up the bow,
Then wiping the dust from the old violin
And tightening up the strings,
He played a melody, pure and sweet
As sweet as the angel sings.
From the room far back a gray bearded man
Came forward and picked up the bow,
Then wiping the dust from the old violin
And tightening up the strings,
He played a melody, pure and sweet
As sweet as the angel sings.
The
music ceased and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said "What now am I bid for this old violin?"
As he held it aloft with its' bow.
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said "What now am I bid for this old violin?"
As he held it aloft with its' bow.
"One
thousand, one thousand, Do I hear
two?"
"Two thousand, Who makes it three?"
"Three thousand once, three thousand twice,
Going and gone", said he.
"Two thousand, Who makes it three?"
"Three thousand once, three thousand twice,
Going and gone", said he.
The
audience cheered,
But some of them cried,
"We just don't understand."
"What changed its' worth?"
Swift came the reply.
"The Touch of the Masters Hand."
But some of them cried,
"We just don't understand."
"What changed its' worth?"
Swift came the reply.
"The Touch of the Masters Hand."
And
many a man with life out of tune
All battered with bourbon and gin
Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd
Much like that old violin
All battered with bourbon and gin
Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd
Much like that old violin
A
mess of pottage, a glass of wine,
A game and he travels on.
He is going once, he is going twice,
He is going and almost gone.
A game and he travels on.
He is going once, he is going twice,
He is going and almost gone.
But
the Master comes,
And the foolish crowd never can quite understand,
The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought
By the Touch of the Masters' Hand.
And the foolish crowd never can quite understand,
The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought
By the Touch of the Masters' Hand.
WORKING WITH EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANTS (EAs)
- Trish Griffin & Andrea Oversby
Trish and Andrea are from the Teacher Action Cohert and I really wanted to take this session because although I have grown up having EAs in my classrooms and have even had EAs when I have student taught, I didn't really know what their exact role was. I think it is even more important to learn as much as I can because, with me being so young, it is very likely that most EAs will have been in the school much longer than I have and I wanted to be clear on the separate roles and responsibilities of teachers vs. EAs. If you are reading this and wondering the same thing, here is a quick breakdown:
Manitoba Teachers' Society. (2004). Teachers & Educational Assistants: Roles & Responsibilities. The Manitoba Teachers' Society: Winnipeg. pg 11-12. |
TEACHING ABORIGINAL TOPICS
- Wade Houle
This was perhaps one of the most practical sessions I visited and I am so thankful I made sure that I got it to work within my schedule! Wade is actually a teacher at the high school just 20 minutes away from our house so that was really neat! He shared over 30 lesson plans, assignments, projects and rubrics that he uses with his Native Studies, History and English classes. As a beginning teacher this package is like finding treasure! Wade included the actual assignments he gives out to students, his notes for them, questions for novel studies, the background information we might need.... EVERYTHING! The really helpful thing was that he also brought actual examples of completed assignments from his class so we could see how the finished project would turn out.
I can't wait to use some of his ideas in my own classroom and, with him being right down the road, I know that I can easily ask him questions and get clarification if I need!
_________________________________________________________
Overall I had a BLAST at Fab Five 2012. I am so glad I made time to attend and I can't wait to use some of the ideas during my student teaching placement that starts..... MONDAY! (It came up soooo fast!)
I'm sending out a BIG thanks to all of the presenters and organizers for this event, you all did an amazing job :)
We stopped for a photo-op to showcase those of us who are using Twitter! So proud that we are all from the same university!! :) |
Great post, Kirsten - sounds like a great conference that MTS puts on. Love the final photo (hurray for BU)!
ReplyDeleteThanks Mr. Nantais! It really was a great conference, I learned so much and I can't wait to take that info back to the classroom. Yes, the BU students (current and former) definitely dominated the twitter presence at the conference :)
Delete