I feel as though it is fair to say that: “At the beginning of your teaching career, no one necessarily knows who they are.” I believe it is important to know who you are currently, who you want to be and how you want to get there. Naturally, you have to understand that there are so many experiences to be had to allow you to develop tons of your teaching self; that is a mindset I adopted early on in September. I believe that...      In order to be the best version of yourself as an educator, you have to stay true to who you are and your core values. There’s no better feeling in the world than when you can be yourself in front of the class and a group of students. So, be proud of who you are and be your authentic self! Students can smell a phony from a mile away ;) When you show your true colours, students are more prone to feel comfortable demonstrating who they are with you… it’s in the classroom culture! ​

Lastly, and most importantly... Don’t try and be the teacher across from you, or the teacher you saw on Instagram or the teacher who won the best teacher award three years in a row…
During an OnEdMentors show, a line from new teacher Karaline Vlahopoulos shared some wise words: Do not compare your Chapter 1 to someone’s Chapter 7, 15 or even 23! If you’re interested in listening to that conversation, you can catch it here.  
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Simply be happy with where you are RIGHT now. If you keep a growth mindset, ask questions, be yourself, stop comparing and find people to support you - I can almost promise that you will be able to live a successful first year of teaching.

Going into my second semester, I am going to take my own advice. Keep my focus on what works, ask myself how I can improve and continuously try and find balance.

An extra resource I want to share for any new teachers reading is the free Disillusionment Power Pack from Roxanna Elden. “The Disillusionment Power Pack is a free, one-month series of the emails I'd send to the first-year-teacher version of myself. I don't send these emails to most of the people on my mailing list, nor will you find them on my website. They are my small experiment in over-sharing for new teachers who are having really bad days right now. If that's you, sign up below to receive emails every few days for one month. Which, as you'll see soon, might be all you really need.” I felt as though the e-mails found in my Inbox really spoke to me and what I was going through that week - yes, kind of like magic. You can sign up to receive these emails at: RoxannaElden.com

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Salut, cher lecteur, et merci d'être ici! 

En mai, j’ai eu le plaisir absolu d’être engagé par le CSDCEO. J’ai accepté un poste à temps plein régulier à l’École secondaire catholique Le Relais à Alexandria, Ontario. J’ai la chance d’enseigner les élèves de 9e et 10e année en English, Français et Histoire ce semestre; ainsi que English, Histoire et Géographie le semestre prochain. Les billets de blogues que j’envisage publier seront axés sur mon cheminement en enseignement. Étant toute nouvelle dans cette profession, j’ai encore beaucoup à apprendre, donc pourquoi ne pas le documenter ici! Depuis 4 semaines j’ai vécu ma première rentrée scolaire. Une occasion de partir sur le bon pied avec tes élèves, apprendre à les connaître, faire des diagnostics, créer des communautés d’apprentissage qui ont un climat de classe positif, etc. Voici ma réflexion par rapport à ces dernières 4 semaines. 

​(Disclaimer : All of my blogs are going to be completely bilingual!)

​Recently, I’ve been living moments where I am pulling into the school parking lot, unlocking my classroom or simply walking through the hallways at break when I have stopped and am struck with this feeling of gratitude and wonder. I think to myself: “Wow, I am a teacher. This is my school. I have students. I have co-workers. I am so happy.” I have told a lot of people this when they ask, but I am simply living the dream, every single day. Of course, not every day has been perfect but this “teaching thing”, I can officially say, is for me. (Are you surprised? Because I’m not…) It has simply been everything I have imagined, and more! I hope I can take this feeling into the next few months as the semester progresses. And if not, I will come back to read this blog! I think it’s so important to have these moments and live in the happiness of what you get to do every day. 

Comme nouvelle enseignante, il va sans dire que l’apprentissage que je fais chaque jour est non seulement fondamental, pourtant un peu accablant. Il a certains jours, je vis une surcharge de nouvelles informations, de contenus et de stratégies d’enseignements et c’est beaucoup à traiter, à analyser, à comprendre et se rappeler. Je suis une éponge quand ça vient à écouter des enseignants qui parlent de pédagogie, donc je suis toujours à la recherche de façon pour améliorer ma pratique pédagogique. C’est la beauté d’être non seulement une nouvelle enseignante en train de développer mon art, mais aussi d’être apprenante à vie; l’apprentissage ne se termine jamais, il n’y a pas de fin.  Le processus se vit comme un peu comme : un moment : « Woah ». Arrête. Demande de l’aide. Questionne. Réfléchis. Change. Adapte. Continue. Répète. 

​Mes élèves… Oh, mes élèves. Comme ils sont extraordinaires. Je suis très chanceuse d’enseigner au même groupe d’élève en English et en Français en 9e année (environ 10 élèves) et à un beau groupe de 25 élèves de 10e année en Histoire. En début d’année, je voulais trois choses: commencer sur le bon pied, bâtir une communauté d'apprentissage et un climat de classe de confiance. J’y beaucoup réfléchit à comment structuré mes cours et quelles activités accomplir afin de réaliser mes buts. En fin de compte, voici ce que j’ai accompli : j’ai créé un  Kahoot où les élèves devaient deviner des réponses à des questions aléatoires sur ma vie, ils ont rempli un Google Forms pour que j’aille leur profile d’apprenant, ils ont vécu le défi de spaghetti et marshmellow, nous avons eu une introduction sur le Sketchnote, ils se sont fixé des buts dans leur cours de français, ils ont créé Vision Board dans le cours d’English, ils ont été introduits à Flipgrid et autres… Je pense véritablement qu’avoir pris ces moments en début de l’année m’a permis d’avoir gagné leur confiance, où je prends des risques et m’ouvre à eux, donc ils sont plus susceptibles à leur faire pour moi. 

All things considered, emotions have been running high since August 27th. I have been living through the ups and downs of starting off my first year of teaching, however, I am glad to say that the big emotions I’ve been feeling is being excited to go to school, each and every day. This excitement exists in me, mostly because of the lovely community, supportive staff and kind students I work with. From the librarian to the hall monitors that I see every day, they all play such an important role. Nonetheless, I have been very conscious of how I have been feeling mentally and physically. I want to make sure that I am taking care of my body and my mind to be the best educator and mentor for my students as well as a supportive team member at school. It goes without saying that I like to take on a lot of things and have a hard time saying no to an opportunity (because I am so passionate about everything!!), but I am proud of the pace that I am working at. Now I just have to keep it up.
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À ce jour, je me sens bien par rapport à qui je suis en tant qu’enseignante. Toutefois, ce n’est pas évident essayer de trouver ton style, connaître les élèves, partager sur les réseaux sociaux, planifier tes cours, être social avec les autres, bien manger et j’en passe… C’est un processus qui va durer des années, mais petit à petit je construis ma philosophie et j’établis mon style. Cependant, je dois avouer que la pression d’être une « bonne » enseignante existe et je le sens. Je me sens comme si je veux tellement adéquatement faire pour le bien de mes élèves que je me mets beaucoup de pression. Cette pression m’aide parfois à briller, mais à un certain point je réalise que chacune de mes leçons ne doivent pas être 10/10 et WOW! en tout temps (et c’est correct!). C’est tout un apprentissage. 

Moving forward, I’ve always known the importance of mentorship. Thanks to my PLN, I have many mentors who are experts in difference areas. Their support has allowed me to grow exponentially as a teacher candidate (and now a 1st year teacher) as most of my professional development was very personalized. You also feel less alone and isolated thanks to mentors, you can bounce off ideas with them and feel like you’re more likely to succeed thanks to their advice and wisdom. (On an unrelated note: I believe that it is in most educator’s DNA to want to help new teachers and I am so thankful!) On top of all of the specialists and veteran educators I’ve connected with online, I have recently discovered the importance of have a mentor in your school. The best part about this mentorship is that the person helping you is easily accessible. You can open your classroom up to them, you can ask them all of your silly questions (and good ones too), you can also get insight on different students and how to approach them. Grâce à mon PIPNPE (programme d’insertion professionnelle pour le nouveau personnel enseignant) avec le conseil, je suis très chanceuse d’avoir un mentor innovateur qui prend des risques et qui cherche à faire autrement. J'ai tellement hâte de voir le cheminement que je vais faire avec lui aussi! Mathieu Glaude est leader pédagogique de l’école, il offre son appui dans plusieurs domaines dont il excelle, il veux toujours explorer des collaborations et il pense souvent à partager des documents en lien avec le PAÉ de l’école. Voici un document qu’il m’a partagé récemment qui évalue une classe centrée sur la performance VS une classe centrée sur l’apprentissage :

Bien sûr, nous aimerions passer de la colonne de droite à celui à gauche. Donc, où situez-vous sur cette pendule? Est-ce qu’il y a des aspects où tu es plus à gauche qu’à droit ou vice versa? Moi, je veux surtout continuer de m’axer sur – moins de connaissance, plus de compétences – moins de silence et plus de questions, collaboration et échanges. Je me sens à l’aise avec tout ce qui est dans la colonne à droite, mais je cherche encore à trouver des façons de mettre ceux-ci en action! ​

As September comes to an end this week, I look forward to finishing my month strong, reflecting on how it went and setting new goals for October. I am spending Thursday / Friday of this week in Moncton, New Brunswick presenting au congrès de l’ACELF with a focus on podcasting. I want to end with a something I have finished my blogs with in the past, and that is 2 GLOWS and 2 GROWS. A great strategy as well for how to frame feedback in the classroom. (Not my idea totally stole it from somewhere and someone).

GLOWS:

1. All of the positive vibes I have been giving and receiving so far this school year, that has allowed me to GLOW. 
2. Positive relationships I have started building with my students which will ultimately allow me to better connect and help support them in their learning throughout the semester.

GROWS:​

1. I didn't mention this in the space above but I am truly working on implementing the Historical Thinking concepts in my History class, as I work through the ins and outs of those concepts I look forward to becoming more confident in applying them. 
2. We have been talking about this a lot, online and in my school recently, but evaluating and assessing less and more efficient and effectively. 
   

As of, May 2nd, I have officially COMPLETED my B.ED!!  (Cue the CELEBRATION SONG!)
​This blog post comes a couple week later because I truly wanted to let the experience sink in before I shared my reflection. I also took a quick vacation at the most magical place on earth to celebrate! 
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For those who haven’t been following my journey but are tuning in now. I have just recently completed my 2nd year placement of 10 weeks at a high school in Cornwall, Ontario.  (You can read about it in the previous 9 blog posts)!! Et si vous avez tenu compte de mes blogues précédents, merci d'être de retour! 

What better way to end off this placement than create a list of the 30 things I learnt during my placement? Why 30? Well, it just seemed like well rounded number… I could have written 100 things but time did not allow it. I had created this (before the blog) to hand back to my associate teacher, but then I thought: Why not share it? 

​​This is what it looked like: 

1. It is so important to know your students and show you CARE in order to help build positive relationships
2. Patience is always key (in any situation)
3. You do not always have to use the “Atelier” to make a rubric
4. *Sometimes* just winging it works wonders
5. It is important to know yourself (strengths and weaknesses) in order to be a better teacher
6. Being vulnerable and open with the students is very valuable (and will be reciprocal)
7. Your lesson plan might not go as planned and that’s OK!
8. Connecting with other teachers helps you in so many ways
9. Coffee is a necessity...☕ 
10. ​A calm demeanour helps the overall feel of the classroom
11. Always have your curriculum handy!!!
12. Respect is the answer to most of your problems in teaching
13. Positive and authentic reinforcement goes a long way
14. Letting the students be the experts is exciting!
15. Your attitude in the classroom reflects the student’s attitude. So smile, be happy and spread the joy.
16. Being on top of your game with marking is SO IMPORTANT (especially in English)
17. You should always let the students surprise you (not hold grudges)
18. Questioning and reflecting on your practice helps you grow as an educator
19. You have to be adaptable to change (at all times!)
20. Il ne faut pas toujours réinventer la roue...
21. Reward the students and giving them a break (sometimes with a good Kahoot is FUN!)
22. making the students be accountable for their learning is I M P O R T A N T
23. You can’t say yes to everything in your first few years of teaching….. Oops
24. Teaching is a full time job that you end up bringing home with you every night
25. Finding balance is absolutely positively important - but not easy.
26. Technology will not always work and / or be on your side (prepare for a PLAN B,C,D…)
27. Repetition. Repetition. Repetition. x100
28. Being passionate about what you teach will always shine through
29. Taking the time to eat is beneficial (Still learning this one)
30. TEACHING IS A LOT OF WORK BUT IT IS SO WORTH IT

Overall, I think that this placement taught me more than words can describe. Having the opportunity to live a real and true placement by building units from the ground up, creating different types of evaluations, dealing with different types of behaviours, staying late after school and working during lunch really showed me the beauty, along with the blood sweat and tears of teaching.  I have reflected a lot and grown throughout this journey (and luckily have documented it all here!!) 

Au début, je dois avouer que je n'étais pas trop certaine si l'école secondaire était véritablement faite pour moi. Étant quelqu'un qui a toujours adoré être avec les petits, les "plus grands" m'intimidaient, par contre, j'ai rapidement grandi avec eu et nous avons créés de relations de confiances. Ces élèves avaient non seulement de la confiance en moi, mais aussi de l'empathie et du respect. Et puis, gagner le respect des adolescents n'est pas toujours facile. Mais à la fin de mon stage, il va sans dire que ces liens étaient très forts, car ils étaient tristes de me voir partir. Bref, j'ai travaillé très fort à  les connaitre, à parler souvent avec eu, les récompenser et leur montrer que j'avais à coeur leur développement en English, leur succès et leur bien-être. En fin de compte, j'ai essayé très fort pour toujours TOUT faire ce que je pouvais afin de garantir leur réussite et leur bonheur. 

J'ai aussi adoré le contenu. Ce n'est pas toujours facile enseigner les langues, mais cette matière est très flexible. J'ai capoté sur le fait que j’étais capable de faire les choses autrement en English et incorporer plein de nouvelles idées, technologies et stratégies d’enseignement. J'ai beaucoup appris de moi-même (points forts et faibles) de mes connaissances dans la matière elle-même. Les élèves m'ont aidé à apprendre des nouveaux mots, concepts, principes historiques, etc. Ceci m'inspire à apprendre davantage chaque jour afin de continuer mon développement en tant que nouvelle enseignante. 
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Finding balance. Finding balance. Finding balance. Finding balance. Finding balance. 

Almost every teacher I spoke with told me that the first 1-3 years of teaching are always the most difficult. Don't get me wrong, teaching is already super energy draining and exhausting if you are a veteran teacher, let alone having to build units from the ground up, get to know your curriculum, build your resources and teach a full course load in your first years. That being said, since you spend a lot more time planning and prepping (and figuring your life out) in the first few years of teaching you can't necessarily take on 101 other projects (sigh). I know that this is going to be difficult for me (who is someone always looking to get involved!!). However, I know the importance of knowing your limits, taking time for yourself and not burning yourself out - because that is the LAST thing I want. So, I can admit that I am still working on finding that balance in my life (professional and personal). 

I am also still trying to figure out if I am suited for elementary, intermediate or secondary. ​I JUST LOVE THEM ALL, HELP! What level do you teach at and what do you love  about it? Let me know in the comments below... 
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Ultimately, I can say that this placement really made me excited to have my OWN classroom one day! It is never the same when you come into someone else's classroom, start teaching someone else's students and someone is watching you; it is never 100% natural. I look forward to the day I can say I have my ​everything! (This may be sooner than later, but who knows.. I am simply excited for this new journey!) 

Finally being able to say that I am wrapping up my 2nd degree.. But not only that, my teaching degree is exciting but nerve wracking and a huge relief but still overwhelming. I would have a very long list of people to thank who have mentored me, helped me, spoken with me and shaped me into the educator I have become and continue to grow into. You all know who you are - so finally - Thank You. 

​Sarah Anne Lalonde

I feel like I have been writing blog posts out the wazoo lately… but I am SO close to the end, why stop now, right? Ladies and gentlemen, we have made it to week 9!  Thanks so much for staying along for the ride.  You've all been so awesome and I truly feel as though I have a cheering squad behind me as I go through this placement. 
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Il me reste encore la semaine prochaine, ainsi que 3 jours lors de la semaine d'après à mon stage. Pour moi, il est absolument nécessaire de poursuivre avec mes billets de blogue et de terminer en force. Commencer et finir une tâche ou un but, pour moi, est fondamental à ma philosophie personnelle et professionnelle. Aussi, j'ai bien hâte de retourner lire ces billets de blogues dans 2,3 ou même 10 ans! 
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This week was my first week taking on all 3 of my English classes (4U, 3C and 2P). What a challenge it was. Thankfully, I had spent my whole weekend preparing and felt good about where I was at. The Monday I was originally supposed to start was a snow day; yes - in April. But it was a great opportunity for me to really catch up on my marking, plan my lessons more thoroughly and have some quality time with my AT's of course! That Monday night, I was utterly nervous... But it just so happened that I was watching Zootopia when this song came on (& I tweeted about it the next day): ​
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For those who are not as big Disney fanatics as I am... This song, I believe is the perfect representation of the GROWTH MINDSET. Disney - you always know what to say...
​Some of the uplifting lyrics are:

Il y avait de quoi avec le fait de donner le cours de 4U... Est-ce que je ne me sentais pas assez confiante? Peur de ne pas assez stimuler leurs intérêts? Peur de ne pas être capable de répondre à leurs questions... I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Par contre, après que j'ai entendu cette chanson, je me suis rappelé du concept de la mentalité de croissance.  Je n'avais rien à m'inquiéter parce que c'est correct si ça ne va pas bien ou comme on l'espère la première, la deuxième ou même la septième fois. Je dois avouer que c'est beaucoup plus facile parler de la mentalité de croissance, mais véritablement le vivre chaque jour à chaque instant est un défi.  

Entre autres, je crois que le tout s'est bien passé. Le beat est tellement différent avec un cours de 12e préuniversitaire que c'était plus familier! Les élèves ont aussi été géniaux avec moi, très respectueux et à l'écoute. Heureusement, le groupe a toujours envie d'apprendre! Ce qui fait en sorte qu'on peut passer à travers beaucoup de matière et avoir de bonnes discussions! 

Something I have been always reflecting on as these weeks progress is how comfortable I am in front of the class, in the content I am teaching and with the relationships I am creating with the students. I've noticed that I can finally, absolutely positively say that I have little hesitation, little doubt and little anxiety with (at least) the two groups that I have been with for the majority of my placement. We (my class and I) have grown so much since the beginning of my placement and I can attest that I actually feel like my student's teacher, and I think that they truly feel as though I am their teacher as well. Why has it taken this long? Well, I believe that good things take time. And, I feel as though everything I have build up these 9 weeks have finally solidified, (However, sadly there is not much time left!) So now, I am wondering how I should end my last 1-2 days with them ? Any suggestions? 

It’s officially been ONE week this morning since I was on stage, microphone in my hand with 450+ pairs of eyes watching me and listening to me attentively during the Ignite speeches at the EdTechTeam #OntarioSummit in Cambridge at Jacob Hespeler Secondary School.

Some may wonder why I did not write this blog sooner, you know, when there was still some buzz going around the Ontario Summit. Still, I decided I wanted everything to sink in and see the “long term” ripple effect before I truly wrote down my impressions of it all.
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Let’s talk briefly about the weeks before the Ignite. I’ll be honest, sometimes, it wasn’t pretty. But, as I mentioned in my talk… You always have your PLN supporting you on your way down. Considering this, I need to take the time to give a ginormous shoutout to Stephen Hurley, Derek Rhodenizer, Kim Pollishuke, Emily Fitzpatrick, Sandra Chow,Jen Giffen,  Hélène Cormier, Joannie Girard, and Stephane Hunter who truly helped shape my Ignite into what it was last Sunday. I truly could not have done it without their support. You all believed in me when I didn’t necessarily believed in myself.

During the couple weeks before the summit, I lived a rollercoaster of emotions. There were low lows and high highs. Don’t quite understand what I mean? Here are some concrete example of things I thought / did…

• DOUBT: “Am I crazy? Why did I decide to do this? I am not capable. I can’t do it.”  
• FEAR: “What have I gotten myself into? I’m
• CONFIDENCE: “Okay, I can actually do this… I’ve practiced it a couple times without screwing it up. Maybe I will be alright?”
• ANXIETY: I would visualize myself on stage just simply screwing up, time after time...
• EXCITEMENT: “I can’t wait to be on stage and spread my message!! This is my chance!”​

​It’s funny because my Ignite was about taking the JUMP, taking the RISK, saying YES and how it’s not easy, you go through tons of emotions, your PLN will support you and in the end it’s worth it! Well, I lived that whole process from the moment I agree and said ‘Yes’ to Emily Fitzpatrick. That was my jump. Brainstorming, drafting up ideas, getting feedback, building the visuals, getting more feedback and practice, practice and more practice was the free fall until I presented it and I began to soar.

Now I was to focus on the summit weekend itself. My Saturday morning Starbucks run allowed me to receive a message from the universe that deeply affected me. Who would have thought, right?

​Have you ever seen those “Take what you need” boards? I found a message that resonated with me quite flawlessly; it said:  Inhale Confidence. Exhale doubt. I will admit, I believe in the power of “it was meant to be” and I truly believe that was meant for me to find and pick up.
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Saturday flew by! There was so much energy in the building. There were so many rich conversations being had. There were so many smiles brightfully showcased on everyone’s face. There were so many IRL meetups happening. There was so much LEARNING going on. There was so much coffee flowing… (I should have made that into a poem).

Considering how quickly Saturday came and left, that means that Sunday morning arrived even more rapidly. I hadn’t eaten and barely wanted to drink my Americano. I will always remember that morning, Emily asking me if I had eaten and how important it was to do so. I took her advice. (Who wouldn’t?!)

We did a full run through Sunday morning alone in the gym. I had the cold sweats. And, I was the last presenter. Everyone was going up, 1 by 1 and delivering their Ignites like experts. I loved, in this moment, that I felt as though we were a little family. Encouraging, supporting and clapping for one another. Although I had just met 80% of them for the first time, I felt safe to fail in front of them, because I knew they had my back. After I presented, I knew that next time I was going to be on stage, there was going to be a full house.
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Then there was me:

Throughout everyone’s presentations I was so inspired. I was also telling myself how EXCITED I was to go and speak rather than focusing on how NERVOUS I was. This was thanks to Chapter 14 of Mel Robinson’s book 5 second book that Helene Cormier had me listen to on the way up to Cambridge. What I learnt was the nervousness and excitement are the some feelings, so if you trick your brain by telling yourself how EXCITED you are, you will feel so so so much better - and I did.
I don’t think I can put into words the feeling you get when the person that went before you hands you the microphone. I took a deep breath, counted backwards from 5 and I jumped.

​After it was all done, I had goosebumps. The flood of congratulations and connections that I made was unreal. The best part of this whole experience was not only getting to talk on stage for 5minutes. Rather, it was all of the connections after the fact! I encouraged the educators in the room to be accountable and share their #Jump with me, and did they ever. As I mentioned, the connections after the fact was overwhelming. How could I, a Teacher Candidate have inspired educators to take action? I still wonder… 

Having been given this opportunity to make a difference and inspire others on such a large scale still gives me chills because my thoughts, my words, my voice actually inspire people to do something and that is the power of these summits.

If you’d like to hear the other inspiring Ignites, you can find the audio below, thanks to Stephen Hurley! 

This week, I wanted the focus of my blog to reflect on The Profile of a Modern Teacher (created by Reid Wilson @wayfaringpath) that look on the habits of mind. This is an image I have had saved on my phone for quite some time. On Monday of this week, I looked at this graphic of a modern educator and throughout the week I tried to work on 1-2 of these aspects. It was kind of fun!

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​For example, on Tuesday I focused on “Allowing students to teach each other” and “Step outside of their comfort zone”. I did this by creating Literary Device experts, where students represented their literary device and had to lead a discussion on an element of their device in the novel. This was empowering not only for them, but for myself, to see them take the lead and explain the device in their own words showed me mastery.

I would love to take a deeper dive into each of these different habits and aspects of a modern teachers (Wilson), but due to a time crunch and a Hamlet Unit waiting to be constructed, I will simply showcase two aspects of that I believe to handle well and 1 that I need to improve on. A fun name for this is: 2 GLOWs and 1 GROW. I want to start doing this with my students… Having them reflect more. I do it, but I realize that I do not have them do it enough.  

This one was a no brainer. I have been reflecting / questioning / thinking about my practice, my lessons, my conversations, my interactions, my time management, my enthusiasm for my lessons, the way my body is feeling, etc. My brain has been working overtime! But questioning everything, not only fits in with reflection. But just asking more questions about everything. Whether it be in the content your teaching or the way you’re delivering it. Literally asking yourself, why am I doing this this way? How can I improve on this matter? What could I have done differently? What should I have asked that student instead of…. Questioning things is a skills I have improved on!
 

​This habit of the mind is something that I have essentially embodied. I have come to terms with just not knowing everything, not knowing what is going to necessarily happen during a lesson, while students are working on a project, etc. I’ve embraced the fact that you can’t prepare for every question the students may ask. For example, while giving a lesson on capitalization this week, I was asked “Why season were not capitalized, while days of the week and months were?”. What a great question! And I wasn’t prepared for that question and I didn’t know the answer. I believe that being comfortable not knowing what’s going to happen also goes hand in hand with the other aspects like: being vulnerable when something does happen and you don’t know what to say or have the answer.
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​Here is the thing… It’s not that I don’t believe I can learn anything with the right attitude and effort. Don’t get me wrong, I have a very open and growth mindset. However, I believe I need to improve on this habit because I often feel very overwhelmed with the AMOUNT of things I need to learn (for a certain lesson for example). I know this is just the reality of starting out as a teacher, but it can definitely feel as though you’re trying to overcome a very large mountain in a very short period of time. So, continuing with the right attitude and effort will allow me to overcome these feelings!

I want to know, what your your 'GLOW' and 'GROW' when considering this profile?
 

​This week was short and so is this reflection. I have to give an IGNITE Sunday and that is where my energy and brain power is currently going to. 

​This week, I learnt that walking into your classroom every day and treating it like a blank canvas is so important. That means, not bringing in the feelings from the day before, not bringing in the conversations you may have had a lunch, not bringing in the emotions from your personal life… You have 75 minutes per day with these students. You have to make them count; giving them 100% of yourself: your energy, time and love. Not starting with a blank canvas does not give the opportunity to surprise you and inspire you. All I can say is, let things goes…

​Spring has sprung, well.. kinda… which means I have started to re-appreciate all of the little things I took for granted before winter, like the grass and the warmer weather. That being said, I also realized that appreciating these little things the earth gives you, as an educator can be a great strategy for combatting stress!  
  
It is so easy to be overwhelmed by all the things that we have to do as teachers - dare I name them all? No. Because of all of this worry to accomplish everything looming over your shoulders and checking off our To Do List, we often forget to appreciate the little things in life. I live this constantly. I often become stressed, but when I overthink all of these things and feel my anxiety building up, I simply take a big deep breath and be grateful. I think about all of the things I can be thankful for and appreciate. 

​Here is a list of some of the things I have been appreciating recently:

• Hearing birds singing outside my classroom window
• Holding a warm coffee cup in my hands
• Smelling the warm FRESH spring air
• Standing sunshine, rays of light, getting
• Taking the first sip of coffee in the morning
• Being able to listen to the radio when I get into my car and drive home
• Coming home to a hot cooked meal  

 
Actively feeling grateful for these things make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside; they seem to give me the energy to be perseverant and carry on. I want to know, what are some things that you can reflect on and be thankful for?  Inspire others and let me know in a quick list below :)

Cheers to the 4 day weekend! And, Happy Easter everyone ! ​🐰🐰​
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Quelle belle semaine! Wow.. Je dois avouer que c’est la première fois depuis semaine 1 que je me suis sentie confiante, authentique et dynamique devant mes classes. J’ai trouvé un rythme de travail qui me convient, j’étais plus préparé et j’étais aussi plus proactif pour des imprévus. ​

After taking a week off from reflecting publicly during March Break, I had time to look back on the 4 blogs I published prior to this one and how I envision the 5 upcoming weeks. Oh, and if anyone was wondering where I went on vacation or what I did during my week off, let me tell you: unit planning, lesson planning, grading, eat, sleep, repeat. I am so proud of the work I did. It allowed me to set myself up for success for the last half of my practicum. Keep calm and carry on was my motto. 
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During the March Break, I caught wind of a podcast called: Truth for Teachers, hosted by Angela Watson. It just so happened that one of her recent episodes caught my eye. It was called: 7 ways teachers can push past imposter syndrome.  Take a listen to it by clicking on the title. 
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Believe it or not, Angela describes what I have felt throughout my practicum title the Imposter Syndrome: “It’s that feeling of being a fraud, an almost panic-inducing sense that at any moment, other people are going to figure out you have absolutely no idea what you’re doing and have no business being given the level of responsibility you have.”
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At the beginning of her podcast, she reads some quotes that pertain to self-doubt and shortcomings. This one by Dr. Margaret Chan, former Chief of the World Health Organization really stuck with me: “There are an awful lot of people out there who think I’m an expert. How do these people believe all this about me? I’m so much aware of all the things I don’t know.” That last part – I’m so much aware of all the things I don’t know. Wow. Isn’t that the truth? Why have I been focusing so much on the things I DON’T know during my practicum instead of congratulating myself for all of the things that I DO know and that I do WELL? However, Angela also gives me an answer to this… In her podcast, she says: "Anyone who is analyzing their work and striving to be better is going to feel like an imposter at times. Reflecting on your shortcomings is an important part of growth and improvement, so don’t shy away from it because you’re worried that you’re not going to measure up.” 
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​This made me think even more… Are my reflections creating this feeling within myself and diminishing my confidence? I am evidently striving to be the best that I can be, I am very self-aware and I am always looking to grow and better myself. As much as I need to be aware of these shortcomings, I also need to continue to have good self-talk and inner dialogue

Help me out? Have you ever felt the IMPOSTER SYDROME? Is this a real thing? What did YOU do about it… 
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​An EDU-Hero, warrior and inspiration to me also posted a tweet that highlighted how self-doubt can impact you towards reaching your goals. Mentally we have to make sure we aren't getting in our way of reaching our goals. 
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Now, looking back on this past week. Well, this week was special, I taught some tougher lessons and some really engaging lessons; I received my first evaluation and finished the week at a conference in Montreal.
 
Comme je l’ai mentionné ci-haut, je La dernière partie de ma semaine (jeudi et vendredi) j’étais au REFER à Montréal.
 
Premièrement, un gros merci à Nathalie Couzon pour l’invitation de collaborer avec elle et les élèves du Collège Durocher Saint-Lambert de la ville afin de promouvoir la #voixdesélèves. Pendant les 2 jours de la conférence, j’étais choyer de travailler alongside une collègue dont j’adore : Joannie Girard. Notre équipe dynamique a travaillé fort pendant le congrès afin d’animer une activité de clôture vendredi. Je suis tellement fière des élèves qui ont pensée, réfléchit, coopérer et discuter de sujets qui leur tiennent à cœur. Le tout a été très bien réussi. Bravo les filles! Voici quelques idées de ce qui a été dit :
 
Deuxièmement, j’adore réseauter pendant ces congrès. Plusieurs gens m'ont donné une nouvelle énergie! En interagissant avec des leaders pédagogiques comme Maude Lamoureux, Marius Bourgeois, Jean-Pierre Dufresne, Marie-Andrée Ouimet, Stephane Hunter, etc. Ils continuent de m’inspirer à travers les beaux projets qu’ils animent et leur ouverture à discuter avec moi. 

A couple weeks ago, I was approached by Emily Fitzpatrick, the Director of Professional Development for EdTech Team Canada asking if I would be interested in giving an Ignite presentation at the upcoming Ontario EdTech Team Ontario Summit in Cambridge, Ontario, April 7th and 8th. For those who are unaware of what an Ignite speech is, don't worry I didn't know about them until that email!! Ignite Presentations describe themselves to be the following:
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​IGNITE IS A SERIES OF SPEEDY PRESENTATIONS
Presenters get 20 slides, which automatically advance every 15 seconds.
​The result is a fast and fun presentation which lasts just 5 minutes.
Ignite events are held in cities around the world.

Considering the featured image of this blog post, you can assume that I didn't refuse this once in a lifetime opportunity! I quickly agreed to take the jump and present at the summit in front of +450 educators! 

Don't get me wrong; I have asked myself quite a few times... "What have I gotten myself into?" I am knee deep in practicum readings, plannings and marking...  But, so far, the experience has been so exciting. I am absolutely thrilled and honoured to have been asked to present this year along with so many inspiring educators (A big shoutout to Jen Giffen!).         ​In my tweet below, I mention how it has been on my Bucket List to present at a conference: ​

​This morning, I was lucky enough to score an interview with Stephen Hurley and Kim Pollishuke on VoicEd Radio! We spoke about our perspectives on education and how we are preparing for the Summit Ignite event! ​Check it out bellow ⬇️⬇️ 
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For more information, (speakers, location, and ticket info) be sure to visit:  events.edtechteam.com/Ontario2018