"Miss Younger, I want too say that I will miss you. I look up to you. I hope that you get your own class soon. I know that when you do they will love you just as much as I do. School won't be as fun as it used to because you won't be with us. When I see you again I will be very exited! I hope that you have a fun summer. You bring happiness to the class room! I am sad to see you go. I knew that this day would come but I didn't picture me and lots of other people crying. Life just won't be the same without you! When I used to wake up for school I was exited because I got to see you. But now I won't be as exited. Miss. Younger there is something about you. You are different from other teachers in a good way. You make every subject more fun. You are a beautiful person. Have a wonderful summer. I will never forget you!" - Grade 4 Female Student
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As an educator, I believe that central to teaching and education is the development of relationships. For students to engage in the curriculum, classroom activities and to develop their understandings there must be an environment that is trusting and supportive. In my practicum, I was able to build these relationships and establish mutual trust, leading to an environment that facilitated healthy risk taking and inquiry based learning. This reinforced my understanding that students are most engaged when enabled to explore classroom material through hands on inquiry-based activities. This includes the use of manipulatives and models as well as specimens, along with various technology supported tools. I use technology to support student collaboration, with tools such as Kid Blog and Padlet, which allows students to have ongoing conversations in a teacher moderated environment.
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