‘Future teachers’ learning lessons

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This article was published 26/02/2025 (205 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The kindergarten to Grade 4 students at Brandon’s Earl Oxford School had new presenters in their classrooms for the first three weeks of February — teachers in training from Brandon University.

Two dozen BU students who are in their first year of the bachelor of education and bachelor of arts integrated program are going through their practicum, or work experience, at Earl Oxford, said Heather Hunter, an academic instructor in BU’s Faculty of Education.

“They’re getting early experience, valuable in a first year,” Hunter said, “They’re making the connections to the real world of the classroom.

“And the practicums usually don’t start in the first year. So, if they we didn’t do this, the education students would just be in their own classrooms on campus.”

There was another tie-in with inviting the BU students to immerse themselves into the elementary and junior high school this month.

February is I Love to Read month, recognized and supported by the Brandon School Division, and proclaimed by the Manitoba government.

A proclamation was released Feb. 1 by Tracy Schmidt, the province’s minister of education and early childhood learning, and Nellie Kennedy, minister of sport, culture, heritage and tourism.

Together they stated that reading helps people gain a deeper understanding, empathy and respect for others and connects diverse cultures, experiences and perspectives.

Kristin Peterson is in her first year at BU and said she is “all in” when it comes to being a teacher.

“I love it so far,” she said.

Her past experience as an educational assistant was beneficial, but now Peterson said she can take the reins of responsibility and use her knowledge to gauge the students’ maturity level, as well as their “learning and reading comprehension.”

“I picked books like with Robert Munsch or Dr. Seuss, where there are action words that kind of get a little silly. Because if a grown lady is making funny noises, it’s bound to get someone’s attention.”

Peterson added she wants to be a teacher to help students who have learning disabilities, including dyslexia.

“I really want to be someone who makes a change, someone that students can look back on and say, she really helped me to overcome that barrier,” said Peterson.

Grade 4 teacher Sarah Hay, a graduate of BU, has been teaching at Earl Oxford since 2018. She said her students were “super and visibly disappointed,” when she told them that their practicum time was almost up.

“The future teachers, that’s what I’ve been calling them, were great. They were very engaging and got to know the kids really well and seemed to enjoy my group,” Hay said.

“And there is no secret to teaching,” Hay added. “Everyone has a different a different style, and what works for them. It’s just about showing up every day and giving it your all.”

The teachers-in-training were sent to Earl Oxford for their class called power, privilege and positionality, said Hunter.

“These education students should see themselves as leaders in the classroom. They need to look beyond what they may think what it means to be a teacher, being able to make a difference in the work that they’re doing and make a difference in the lives of children and families too,” Hunter said.

BU students Allee Hrechka and Haydn Tolton stood in the hallway of Earl Oxford comparing notes about reading to each of their Grade 4 classes.

Hrechka, who’s from Dauphin and is in her second year of the integrated program, admitted that it was a “little bit challenging,” trying to figure out how to find a mature book for students who are nine and 10 years old.

She said while it may have been a bit of a learning curve, there’s no question as to why she is pursuing an educational career.

“I want to be the teacher that I never had as a kid,” Hrechka said.

It’s important to learn how to handle a group of kids at this stage of the degree, said Tolton. “It teaches us how to keep them calm, keep them entertained, and how to make activities more engaging.”

Hunter has 20 years experience as a teacher, counsellor and principal, as well as working with the provincial government in education research.

She said that after seeing how her students were reacting to their experiences at Earl Oxford, she couldn’t wait to share her thoughts with the university’s dean of education.

“The first day here with the students from Brandon University, sharing with these children at Earl Oxford, the receptivity we had, the co-operation and the partnership with the school marks one of the best days I’ve had in my entire career. It was really remarkable.”

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