SOCIAL JUSTICE & DIVERSITY

Social justice is important to me, and during my long practicum I took the opportunity to bring in a guest speaker for my Grade 12 English class. The class was a writing workshop and university/career prep, and with the recent assaults at UBC, and the not-so distant scandal about the inappropriate FROSH chant, the issues of gender equality, misogyny, and rape culture seemed very fresh and relevant.

Arianna from WAVAW spoke to both of my Grade 12 classes, and it was a fantastic learning experience for all of us. I gave the class warning well in advance, and attendance that day was higher than any other day. Student engagement was also at an all-time high. Arianna, my School Advisor, and I were all impressed and pleased by the honest, open-minded discussions had in each block. The class truly rose to the occasion and proved that they are not only able to engage in serious issues maturely, but that they are also hungry to engage in those conversations.

My long practicum and my CFE environments both had a wide diversity of students, and there were many who fell into special needs or at-risk categories. I had a high percentage of ELL students as well. These students each had their own unique challenges, and I worked closely with several during those thirteen weeks, and saw the rewards of taking a closer interest and challenging these students to live up to their full potential.

One student in particular was going through a rough time at school due to some very stressful events at home. Just coming to school was a challenge. I made an effort to make her feel welcome and to reduce her stress load by working with her and my SA for the class to come up with reasonable extensions. Her relief was palpable, and in the end she was able to meet the deadlines, in part because she so badly wanted me to see the finished work before the end of my practicum. She wrote me a letter of thanks for my care and understanding.

She is only one example, and I have gained many techniques for helping with different kinds of challenges, from including more visuals and worksheets for different kinds of learners, to special study sessions for Shakespeare, and many others, and I am confident that these strategies are a solid foundation from which I can expand.