Mega Result

The CBE’s most desired goal for each student is the Mega Result: “Each student, in keeping with his or her individual abilities and gifts, will complete high school with a foundation of learning necessary to thrive in life, work and continued learning.”

Over the past 17 posts, I have thoroughly reflected upon my experience as a TA, have drawn connections to my other courses, to life at school and in my communities and finally followed the red thread right into my personal life and life lessons which I have been able to learn during my past semester as a TA.

When I consider what I wrote in those 17 posts, I cannot believe that this has all occurred in the short time of one semester!

I have talked about gifts, talents, passion, compassion, integrity, fairness, lessons for life and the fact that learning inevitably is lifelong. In the words of my host mother: “Either you learn something new every day, or you are dead.”

While what I have learned through theory and practically is more precious to me than any object I have ever owned, nothing makes me happier and prouder than the relationships I have been able to form. These relationships have allowed me to discover my own abilities, my own passions and strengths, and I will never forget them.

I believe to have said everything I wanted to say already, but I would like to repeat one paragraph at the very end. I believe You will understand why.

I hope I have been able to give You insight into my TA experience which has both informed You of how I have seen the experience, while sharing some important words with You! Thank You for taking the time to join me on this reflective journey!

Now here the paragraph from the post “Crossing the border”:

I expected this to be a fun position, where I would get to work with my favourite teacher at the school, have some preparation for my French IB exam by being surrounded by French for the time until my exam, and to prepare me for what I might expect in the future as a studied teacher.

And what did I get?

I got the best teacher to work with, I got the most AMAZING class to TA for, I got to meet some of the most impressive individuals I will ever meet in my life. I built trust with students which reassure me that there is hope for the future of our world. I got to know the students which show us that a subject does not have to be a core to be enriching to one’s school experience. I taught the future role models for younger students, the future leaders of our world. I gained something through these bonds I created for which there are no words. When I think about all that I received in return for coming in every day, for living through the hard and the easy days, I swell with pride for the class. I know that if I told them everything I just wrote, the class would laugh at me, grade 9 being the stage where it is uncool to show emotion, but I know that inside it means a lot to them, too. I am humbled to have been allowed to have this amazing experience, and yes, there might be a tear or two making their way down my cheek while writing this right now. But again: there are no words that can describe how fortunate and blessed I feel at the end of each day – knowing I did the best I could and I have touched lives in a positive way.

 

THANK YOU MRS. B!

Character

When I first approached the definition of a demonstrating a good character, I had to think about it for a bit. I did not want to be repetitive close to the end of my reflection on my TA experience, so I did take my time to reflect on what it means to show a good character. So here what I came up with after pondering about what it means to be a character (and yes, I have been caused to think about it even while watching the 2014 Much Music Awards. Who would not when Miley Cyrus and Jennifer Lopez both get the same amount of applause…)

The list is in bullet points, but each of them is a way which I have repeatedly shown good character both in the classroom, generally at school or in my communities.

• Not lying
• Smiling a lot
• Cooperating
• Volunteering
• Being reliable
• Being generous
• Being persistent
• Being committed
• Showing integrity
• Using self-control
• Being open-minded
• Always giving 100%
• Respecting the rules
• Always being honest
• Being self-disciplined
• Accepting differences
• Being true to my word
• Not deceiving or cheating
• Being gracious and modest
• Respecting others’ opinions
• Valuing and not judging others
• Doing what I have been asked to
• Showing up for school every day
• Never hurting one through words
• Having courage to do what is right
• Committing 100% to what I take on
• Forgiving those who made mistakes
• Being considerate of others’ feelings
• Using good manners and proper language
• Building and maintaining a good reputation
• Comforting those that my need extra caring
• Keeping confidential knowledge confidential
• Setting a good example for others all around
• Being there when someone needs me in any way
• Listening to demonstrate what is being said matters
• Showing that you care, helping those that need help
• Not compromising my values but respecting others’
• Considering the consequences before acting in any way
• Being the friend for yourself which is always there for you
• Being nice to someone who might not always be nice to you
• Being kind – everyone is fighting their own battles every day
• Planning for the unpredictable and always having a good plan
• Giving back to the community, in ways other than volunteering
• Opening doors for those doors are an obstacle, or simply to be nice
• Being accountable for everything I do, say, or share in any other way
• Doing what I believe to be right in a situation in which an action needs to be taken
• Reacting to acts of any types of improper behaviour in a calm and peaceful manner
• Obeying the Code of Conduct, laws and any unwritten rules about proper behaviour
• Expressing gratitude and thankfulness for what you get to experience and grow from
• Respecting authority – especially teachers want nothing but the best for their students
• Being loyal to myself and those that matter to me, but also what my responsibilities are
• Being polite by using “Please” and “Thank You” more often than some would say is needed
• Never taking advantage of others but rather working together and promoting cooperation
• Treating everyone fairly and not blaming anyone before the truth has been found for certain
• Taking responsibility for my own actions and my life without blaming others for my mistakes
• Never giving up: Getting through the rough times means reaching new heights in the good ones
• Showing compassion, integrity and tolerance, or making an effort to get better at showing them
• Someone once said that “character” is “what you do when no one is around”. Hence a good character is one who still does good deeds, even when there is nothing for it in return.

This list does definitely not contain every single aspects of what someone demonstrating a good character has, but nobody is perfect, our uniqueness stems from different combinations of all the aspects making up a good character.

All the aspects listed are backed by situations in which I demonstrated each one of them, and even reflecting about them all myself makes me realize just how much I have been allowed to grow through my life experience so far, of which TAing definitely is a part!

Personal Development

According to the CBE descriptors, a satisfying personal development is achieved when each student is able to identify and actively develop individual gifts, talents and interests.

In the analysis of each of the three points above, I will find one gift/talent/interest to explore.

Identify and actively develop individual gifts: One of my gifts is easily being able to learn languages, as it was with French. I know that most students have a hard time with languages, which is why I wanted to use this gift, which I identified when I won a French reading contest in Germany, and develop it. I knew how to speak, write, listen and read, but I had never been in a position where I had to make what I simply know is right understandable and bring it to a group of students in small packages named “lessons”. However, I wanted to develop my gift and my TA position is the cherry on top because I had started passing on knowledge and deepening my own understanding when explaining certain grammatical rules to classmates of mine when we were in French class. There is nothing greater than knowing that one has a gift, but the gift can be made to last when putting effort into developing it and sharing it.

Identify and actively develop individual talents: One of my talents is engaging youth and having positive relationships with them. When my sister and I were just born, my mother took care of other children, and so we were always around other kids, mostly younger ones, but we treated them as equals as our mother has raised us to. When we both skipped grade 4, all of the sudden we were the ones which were younger and we were treated as the little ones which were behind the big ones. It was especially hard on me, because I had started school when I was 5 years old, and all of the sudden I was two years younger than the rest of my classmates. Naturally, our classmates resorted to bullying, driven by jealousy. Because I know how much it pains to be treated as someone younger and therefore “less smart”, I want to engage with the youth in my class and give them the feeling to be respected, especially because even a lot of parents treat there children as lesser people than them. Such treatment is what causes “troubled” children which are being filled up with medication to make them “normal” – but the problem is the lack of acceptance from the parents’ side. Due to my experiences when I was younger, I want to encourage those younger than me to grow and not fear talking to older people on a level which is the equivalent of their intelligence. A study has shown that at the time of birth over 99% of the babies are gifted and talented – but by the time they reach school, this number has dropped to about 30%. Every parent wants a “smart” child, but it seems it is actually the parents who take away the chance for their child to develop their own gifts, talents and interests. I am very passionate about this topic, and hence I keep developing my ability of engaging younger individuals on the level which benefits them, otherwise the CBE’s aims for every student might be extinct pretty soon, especially because parents care less and less about their children with all the technology coming out every year, which parents too gladly accept to replace them. (But it is also important to say that exceptions prove the rule.)

Identify and actively develop individual interests: Lastly, one of my interests is definitely reaching a large amount of people with lessons I perceive incredibly important, or facts which I see as crucial to one’s awareness of the society and world we live in. I have many of these lessons and facts, but in my TA class, I have the chance to pass on the important and value of studying a language, the respect for different cultures and each other, the values in working in groups and individually, the opportunity studying choices actually is, and much more. The languages teach a language, but they also teach respectful cooperation and compassion for fellow citizens, which math for example does less of. In French 10 TLC, we encourage conversations, debates, questions, creativity and a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, all of which allow me to further develop my interest of reaching large numbers of people with messages, but I definitely believe that these messages are being conveyed in subtle actions and short moments, not in hour long speeches at the front of the classroom. It will be hard to develop my interest to the level at which Oprah Winfrey shares her messages with large amounts of people, but being convinced of the messages’ importance and, as previously said, even touching one life, is an amazing outcome.

Academic Success

Being academically successful, according to the CBE descriptors, means at the end of the high school experience, “each student will be literate and numerate, able to integrate and apply the knowledge, skills, attitudes and competencies acquired across all academic disciplines.”

Literate: Reading instructions, writing instructions, writing on the board, reading and correcting assignments for marks in my TA class are all examples which prove that I successfully achieved the first academic aim: being literate.

Numerate: Going through different questions when marking, adding up totals for marks and entering the marks all prove I successfully achieved the CBE’s aim of ensuring graduating students are numerate.

Able to integrate: Even though I am grade 12, I am able to integrate grade 9’s in a comprehensive class, and integrate those with different backgrounds, different academic standings and different needs. In my TA class more than anywhere else integration is key for a good connection to the class, and also for the class to integrate each other to achieve the best possible results.

Able to apply knowledge: As a TA I have to apply my French knowledge when teaching a lesson, when marking and writing the responses on the board, when students ask questions and so forth. The examples are endless, and the whole position of a TA is using the already acquired knowledge in a certain subject to help the teacher pass it on to new students. This is not solely based on teaching, but also on processes in class, the knowledge of the layout of the school, knowledge of the Code of Conduct and much more.

Able to apply skills: Everyone brings unique skills to the table, and those are what make every student and teacher who they are. Mr. G has a saying on his door which states that learning a new language means discovering a new culture. Especially with young students like grade 9’s, some might still need to be taught how to respectfully learn about a culture, and I bring skill about getting to know different cultures to the table, and am able to weave it into the every day interactions with the students. After all, a simple conversation between us shows how intercultural connections can peacefully occur and be a step towards growth.

Able to apply attitudes: When teaching a subject which is not a core, it is important to convey good attitudes about the learning process to the class. I have the responsibility of making the class as enjoyable and appealing as possible in order for the students to realize that French as an option is not a punishment, but a chance to learn not only a language but also to get to know a culture. I pass on my positive attitudes about French because I believe attitudes are formed in our minds, which means we can make something wonderful appear horrible if we approach it with the wrong attitude. By entering the classroom with a positive attitude, I hope to teach the students about the lesson which took me long to understand: Attitudes are simply states of mind, and in order to give everything in life an equal chance, we need to approach everything with a positive attitude.

Able to apply competencies: Competencies are the full package. Everything that makes me unique is influenced by my competencies. They allow me to do what I do, achieve what I achieve, say what I say, and mean what I mean. It allows me to be perceived the way others perceive me. Competencies are more than something to put on a resume to land that summer job. It is about learning about ourselves and apply that knowledge in order to live respectfully, with the greater good in mind rather than living narrow-mindedly and destructively. Competencies make and break us, and as much as life seems to be about us, so much it is about how others see us and what they see in us. I believe that my all around competencies have allowed me to be as successful with, as accepted by and as grateful about my TA experience.

Citizenship

Citizenship bestows certain honours upon a citizen, including the right to vote and work and live in the country. Duties of a citizen include following the country’s law and pay taxes.

A responsible citizen in my eyes is one which accepts the honours of being a citizen and diligently completes a citizen’s duties.

During my time as a TA, I have been a responsible citizen as I accepted the honour of being able to go to school and choose my own courses. The freedom of choice is what has allowed me to choose Work Experience and enjoy my everything I have been able to do in my position as a TA. But none of this would be possible if, as a responsible German citizen, I had not behaved but had gotten in trouble with the law, which would have prevented me from coming to Canada for my schooling. Responsible citizens benefit from so much more than rights in their own nation, but it all starts on a small scale: the school. Only one who knows how to enjoy the rights one gets from being a citizen at home will be able to benefit from them worldwide.

Also as a TA, I have diligently completed my duties of attending my classes, working as hard as possible to show my gratitude for all the rights I have. When I am asked to do something for a class, I will do it, because I know that there are people in this world who will never have the honour of being asked to do something in a school setting. When I stand at the photocopier for half an hour I could get annoyed and play on my phone, but I do not because I am grateful for having the duty of photocopying: it means that I have respected my rights, and am trustworthy to now complete my duties. When I am tired one day, I still appear rested because I know that my duty is to ensure student success, and if I am disengaged, how can I expect my class to pay attention and want to learn?

Successfully being a responsible citizen can be achieved through numerous means, but it all has to start at home and at school, namely in familiar surroundings, in which we are positively reinforced when pursuing our duties and benefiting from our rights.

Preparation for job interviews

You might wonder why I called this post “Preparation for job interviews”. Here is the simple answer: When I went to Germany, I went to attend Assessment Center appointments, which are crucial sessions to land a job. One of the questions which is always asked of the candidates is to point out strengths and weaknesses about one’s person. While it is important to list weaknesses, it is important to shine and stand out by writing strengths which set the candidate apart from the rest. This can be done by thoroughly reflecting on one’s past achievements and list skills which one has developed or strengthened through the course of one’s growth. Having gone through the process of those interviews already, I will now write some skills which I could use if I were to apply to a teaching position.

1. I learned to organize my time to both be prepared for the lessons, as well as have enough rest to be relaxed and refreshed every day to decrease the chance of any frustration and negativity in the classroom. The organization includes doing all my work for my other classes to ensure success, and also do all the preparation I need to for French. Success in one subject makes it easier to be balanced and more satisfied, resulting in positive results in other classes, which is what I have learned by perfecting my system of organization.

2. The second skill I learned, I have learned through making quizzes for Mr. G’s classes. Now, I know I have previously talked about this, but the overarching skill is being able to put myself into others’ shoes and think about the way I can help them achieve success to ultimately get them to the next level. I don’t think a lot of people would associate Work Experience with learning compassion and understanding for those which have different backgrounds bringing them to the different levels they are at, but I believe this to have been one of the most rewarding aspects of TAing: the fact that I get to learn and deepen my understanding of others. If everyone learned to put themselves into others’ shoes, there would be no more discrimination or prejudices. This is just one more reason why I believe everyone should take Work Experience!

3. Lastly, I have learned to mark fast and consistent, which adds to the bigger picture of fairness and efficiency. At the beginning I always took very long marking individual assignments or quizzes, but now I have gotten faster and faster, while working efficiently. Working efficiently does not only mean working fast, but also working fast with the minimal amount of mistakes possible (if not none). When marking fast, it is important to prioritize what gets marked right or wrong. Minor mistakes might not need to be corrected by me, I simply underline or put a cross, since it is easy for the student to figure out the mistake. In doing so, it is important to keep fairness in mind. Sometimes it can happen that the same mistake weighs more heavily in one assignment than the other, and it is important that these mistakes either do not happen, or if they do, they happen truly as a mistake, and not intentionally. I luckily have not marked some people wrong intentionally, but when students come up to the front with a question, I do need to make sure that my answers and adjustments are fair for everyone. This can for example be ensured by letting the whole class know what I have just decided, so in case someone can make the same claim – they may.

A guide not only leads but also points out the beauties of the journey

As the header states, the leadership position I am taking in my TA class are not only focused on reaching our destination, the end of the semester and the final exam, but also to show them that the study of the French language can be fun, engaging and worth while.

I came up with five specific examples where I took responsibility as a leader, but I would also like to mention that some of the previous posts, while not directly pointing them out as such, have also talked about specific examples of ways in which I have taken a leadership position in the grade 9 TLC French 10 class.

1. The very first one has two sections, and the first one might be a little literal: The fact that when we meet in the classroom but then move to a lab or the learning commons, I lead the class around the school, make sure they follow me, are not talking too loudly, are not disturbing any class in any way, and safely reach our destination. Often, we go to a lab or the learning commons because Mr. G has work he wants to do in the IB office, which means that those times I am alone with the class for big chunks of the period. (This also occurs when we are in the classroom, but it is more likely when we leave it.) I am honoured by Mr. G’s trust in me, and they are the times when I have the full responsibilities of a teacher. The conclusion therefore is quite obvious: what more could I look for in a leadership position than being in the position of a real teacher? Because teachers are the epitome of leadership at our schools.

2. When we have substitutes, I basically find myself in the same position as when Mr. G is in his office, except that they help me quiet down the class, and hence make it a little easier for me. Still, I am the one leading the lesson and answering questions, since so far we only had a French substitute thrice out of all the substitutes we had. Pretty straightforward, I lead the class but also the substitute since they often like to enforce what I have said and follow my lead because they do not know the class.

3. Number three is quite straightforward: When students ask me questions at any time during the school year, answering them puts me in a leadership position, which guides the student’s learning – sometimes making them happy, sometimes pointing out blanks in their learning, but it is always focused on helping the students proceed successfully.

4. Considering marking and recording marks, the leadership position is found in making the keys and having confidence in the answers, but even more so when marks are being appealed by students. Some come up and say that the mark they received is unfair compared to another student’s, and then I need to either be confident that I marked them all equally, and when the key is on the board, we can go over it, but if there is no mistake in the key, even though it breaks my heart, I cannot do anything about the mark the student received. Sometimes it upsets the students, but there needs to be a degree of authority in a leader as well. The perfect combination of confidence, authority and sensitivity is what makes a good leader.

5. Before marking, however, we need to write the quiz! When I am running quizzes with the class, I am again put into the leadership role of a teacher: I ask them to put up dividers between every person, then either hand out the quizzes, or I ask them to take out a piece of paper, I give the instructions on how to do the quiz, I walk around checking everyone’s eyes is on their own piece of paper, ask how many people are still writing when I see most are done, and once everyone is done, I either collect the quizzes because I will mark them, or the class passes them clockwise for peer marking.

Ultimately, I guide the class, but also let them pick the fruits of their labour when they receive compliments or good marks.

Strong like a lion, weak like a lamb

How the lamb grew up

When in grade 10/11/12 I joined Model United Nations, and I joined the Debate Club in grade 11, I did so because I knew that when speaking English, I could not properly speak in front of a group, especially when my job was to convey something very important.

However, ever since I started TAing, I have been getting better and better at clearly articulating myself when all eyes are on me. It is definitely something different to be the center of attention when you are trying to get a message or lesson across, rather than when a group puts you in the center because they want something from you.

Every lesson I have given has allowed me to improve upon speaking clearly in front of a group when they are all listening. I can speak perfectly in front of groups when I have a script, but when having to speak in front of a class, it is always a little bit of a gamble because what is planned often does not work out, and then adaptability is needed.

As I have previously stated, I am no stranger to adaptability, but pairing it with giving impromptu instructions is quite a bit harder, but luckily I was not entirely lost due to my debate experience.

Overall, if now someone would ask me to go up and state my point of view on a matter, I would not be nervous anymore because my confidence has grown, also in the classroom setting when teaching.

The lamb grew up.

How the lion got even stronger

When my teachers used to tell the class that students learned as much from their teachers as the teacher did from them, I was skeptical and thought it was not possible.

But now being in the position of a teacher, I realized how true it is.

Mr. G has studied the French language at university and hence knows a lot about it. I have been diligently taking French every year since grade 7. This means that both of us are able to pass on knowledge about the language.

What then is so interesting to me, are questions students ask about the spelling of very simple words, or the proper grammatical formation of a sentence. Most of the time, Mr. G and I have an answer for them which we know is right, but every once in a while, we get questions where neither of us is certain. We then go on the internet to get clarification for both us and the student. We are not searching it up because we did not know at all, but because the question has made us uncertain of the correctness of our initial answer.

If the students did not ask these questions which make both Mr. G and me think about what they have been asking on a more involved level, we would not get to know the French language better and better, because, especially with languages, knowing it and being good at it does not simply mean knowing the basics by heart and then knowing a little bit of the advanced parts, but being good at a language comes from being confident in knowing about the language, no matter what question comes up.

Both Mr. G’s and my French are very good, but the questions we are getting about French vocabulary and grammar help us improve even further, making the lion even stronger!

Crossing the border

Was my TA experience what I expected?

The truth?

No.

I mean, who would say yes? We have an idea of what we might be “getting ourselves into”, but no one, not even returning TAs will know exactly what they are going to be facing every day they come in.

My answer is no. No, it was much more than I expected.

I expected this to be a fun position, where I would get to work with my favourite teacher at the school, have some preparation for my French IB exam by being surrounded by French for the time until my exam, and to prepare me for what I might expect in the future as a studied teacher.

And what did I get?

I got the best teacher to work with, I got the most AMAZING class to TA for, I got to meet some of the most impressive individuals I will ever meet in my life. I built trust with students which reassure me that there is hope for the future of our world. I got to know the students which show us that a subject does not have to be a core to be enriching to one’s school experience. I taught the future role models for younger students, the future leaders of our world. I gained something through these bonds I created for which there are no words. When I think about all that I received in return for coming in every day, for living through the hard and the easy days, I swell with pride for the class. I know that if I told them everything I just wrote, the class would laugh at me, grade 9 being the stage where it is uncool to show emotion, but I know that inside it means a lot to them, too. I am humbled to have been allowed to have this amazing experience, and yes, there might be a tear or two making their way down my cheek while writing this right now. But again: there are no words that can describe how fortunate and blessed I feel at the end of each day – knowing I did the best I could and I have touched lives in a positive way.

I could go on and on about how much I love to be with the class, and I dread leaving them after this school year, but what keeps me going is that the little part which has been impacted by me will impact others in the future, and that is all I can ask for.

In this regard, the TA experience was definitely more than I can ask for. I have not cried in years, and yet, the simple pride and love I feel for this class and everything we have been through and achieved together is able to reach my sensitive side which I normally keep tucked away. This experience has long ago crossed the border from “great” to “out of this world amazing”!

As much as my simple daily lessons with the grade 9’s mean to me, so much I hope that this simple Thank You will mean to You, for allowing me to experience something I love more than I thought I could. Thank You!

Surrender is not an option

When reflecting upon any challenges I might have encountered, I have a rather hard time coming up with something I have not already covered in one of my previous blog posts.

The negatives have been challenges to me, and the probably hardest challenges have been situations which caused turmoil inside myself. For one that would be when the student wanted to help her friend and the office, but she actually just wanted to leave early and lied straight at me. The other would be the third negative I have mentioned previously.

The one challenge I have not yet talked about has been when I was extremely stressed from a lot of IB work we had to work on, print out and hand in in a very short period of time. My stress level went up when I also moved host families, and did not have a printer at home, so every second I was not in the library felt like a waste of time.

Unfortunately, my enthusiasm about TA suffered at that time. I know it is shameful, but I believe honesty is the best way to go about it. There is no denying that even the work a real teacher does is always fun and easy, so I guess in that regard I learned a valuable lesson before becoming a teacher myself.

But what is hardest on me is the fact that I literally dreaded going to French. I dreaded having to sit through another 90 minutes of the class asking questions, having to keep them quiet and so forth.

How did I overcome this challenge?

Having completed all my IB work left me empty, and I was in an even more miserable mood all day than before. To be honest, my mind was so clouded I did not even think about what I would do about my situation, and I prepared myself to simply have to deal with my feelings until the end.

However, when I got the news that I would be going home for three weeks, I knew I had found what I needed. It is undoubtedly hard to be away from home for two years, living with people I have just met and still being expected to do well in school. Those two years have drained a lot out of me, and so returning to Germany permitted me to recharge on a simple emotion I have not felt, a way a mother’s is felt and needed: love.

I know that this might sound cheesy, but the fact that I did not see my mother for so long made each emotion bigger, the bad ones as much as the good ones, and therefore was a cause of the challenge I faced in regards to TA.

Lastly, my “words of wisdom” would be to make sure you know who loves you, because surrender is not an option.

And again: pardon my cheesiness!