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Something More...

Throughout the BEd program, my fellow TCs and I have been repeatedly exposed to the many teaching opportunities which do not involve a traditional public school setting. During my CFE, I experienced one such setting for myself, at St. Thomas More Collegiate, a Catholic private school.

 

Due to relentless bullying in my early years, I decided that public school was not a good setting for me, and so I attended a Catholic private school for grades 6 and 7 of my elementary years, and then transitioned into a Catholic private secondary school. While I had that experience to draw from, I knew going in that it would be a novel experience to be on the teaching side of things, and it certainly was. Not only have certain attitudes and perspectives shifted in the years since I was in grade school, my perspective has also changed. With my perspective and understanding as an educator, I was able to analyze the pedagogical value behind morning prayers - which could be translated into a secular setting with mindfulness exercises and "check-ins". I could see the benefits of a school dress code, and a higher number of assemblies brought on by celebrations of mass.

 

The school had a different community feel because of these everyday activities, and I have already thought about how some of them could be adapted to secular settings, because there is value in the practices that is not necessarily connected to religion.