Assignment #8:Module 4, Visual case study #2

Case study of Tammy

          Strengths and Concerns: Tammy appears to be a very positive student who communicates well with her teacher(s). From what I observed in the two videos, Tammy is serious about wanting to succeed in school, and is taking the advice and suggestions of her teachers seriously. I think that this a valuable strength, because it suggests that positive action can be taken, and that Tammy will do her part to be a successful student in class. The 2^nd video highlighted what Tammy views as impediments to the successful completion of her coursework. Tammy states that her parents want her to study in out-of-school programs, and that these programs are contributing to her overall workload. She has self-identified as taking longer than average to finish some of her work, and she believes that is both the volume of this work and the time she has available that are causing her to fall behind in her school work. Both the school administration and Tammy have identified that her written work, i.e. essay writing, is her biggest struggle.

          At the same time, Tammy has been demonstrating great understanding and skill in other areas. In the first video, her teacher noticed she was doodling, rather than taking notes or reading her textbook. Tammy’s interest in creative projects is again highlighted in the second video, when she receives a compliment on the quality of her contributions to the school’s recent drama production. I see one of the major concerns regarding Tammy being the difference between her apparent ‘giftedness’ for some activities, and her struggles in written work. Second to this concern is the fact that Tammy’s father – via a telephone conversation – has expressed his lack of interest in Tammy’s creative skills, to the point of labelling them ‘a waste of time.’

Step 2: What might be happening and why: Generating hypotheses

The two videos show Tammy as a student who may have both strong and weak skill areas. The accompanying articles for this case study remind us that students who can show indications of ‘giftedness’ are not immune to simultaneously having a learning disability. This is likely one of the general hypotheses I would make regarding Tammy; That she struggles in written language skills. Additionally, she may have difficulty focusing in a conventional classroom environment. The following are some of the questions that may help uncover more about Tammy’s strengths and areas of concern at school:

1.   What types of activities does Tammy do at home? In her free time? Is she very creative at home? Is she very quiet?

2.   Is Tammy’s struggle in written work representative of her understanding? That is, can she show what she understands in some other form more successfully?

3.   How much opportunity does Tammy get to demonstrate her knowledge in non-written means?

4.   Does Tammy speak a second language at home?

5.   How does Tammy view her work in school? What does she think of these separate subject areas? Does she make the larger connections between the disciplines?

6.   How is Tammy spending her time at home on homework? What assignments and classes take up more time? What type of work is finished quickly and easily? What work doesn’t require homework at all?

7.   What skills of self-advocacy does Tammy know? When does she speak up with questions? What causes her to ask for help?

8.   Are their social influences in Tammy’s school that are contributing to her strengths or her weaknesses?

Step 3: What you need to find out: Checking hypotheses by collecting more information

          Having an in-depth conversation with Tammy will help answer many of these questions. Going deeper than simply blaming Tammy for poor performance in certain areas of her school work, I would try to ask more meta-cognitive questions about Tammy’s learning styles, and the ways in which she is thinking about her learning. From my practicum experiences in the last few years, I have noticed that teachers who engage students with genuine questions about the class get much more powerful results. Instead of offering ultimatums, i.e. ‘Why aren’t you successful in my class’ one and only teaching style?’, I’ve been lucky to see classrooms which legitimately offer students many different modes of expression and communication for their ideas.

          Above and beyond this, some teachers go further and ask students for their feedback on what went well with a particular type of work? Where do student strengths lie? And why do they enjoy some types of work, while not others? I think that asking Tammy these same types of questions may help unmask some underlying issues, perhaps even a learning disability. Some of the accompanying readings to this case suggest that in certain cases, students with giftedness can be overlooked when it comes to learning disabilities, since their particular strength may make it more difficult for teachers to notice a student struggling. Since Tammy herself stated that some of her school work simply “takes more time” than her classmates, another potential hypothesis is that Tammy has a learning disability of some kind.

Step 4: What you think is happening: Arriving at tentative judgements

Recently – and unrelated to this particular case – I have been reading some criticisms of the modern education system on a website called ‘reddit.’ One particular article was commenting on the expectations we have of our students to seamlessly jump from subject to subject in our schools. Made more pronounced in junior high and high school, we also change the teacher of each subject, so that students are in reality constantly adjusting to different teaching styles and subject matter. Regardless, we as educators expect their fullest concentration and demand a high level of accomplishment. Along with this practice is the separation of the subject matter itself. Very little time is spent, in my understanding of school administration, to connect and make clear the significance of each discipline with regard to the next one. In fact, almost all of the work in class X is created, assessed, rewarded or punished exclusively in that class, with little to no connection with other subject areas.

I think that such a problem(s) in our planning is likely behind at least some of Tammy’s struggle. In video #2, two different teachers comment on Tammy’s success in subject areas that could be closely tied to written English, but for reasons of school structure and instruction, have been quite coldly separated. Tammy’s struggle may appear in only one or two skill areas, when just as coldly diagnosed by teachers and administrators at the school. Given that Tammy is a keen and positive student who appears to really want to succeed academically, it strikes me as odd that a solution could be placed only in one classroom or in one subject. If Tammy is indeed struggling with essay writing and writing in general at the expected grade eleven level, she can be challenged and supported in this skill in all subject areas, not simply in English class, as might be the case.

          If he struggles persist as a problem of her ability to focus or digest information, as suggested in video #1, Tammy and her teachers could practice study skills and strategies that best suit her. However, these are skills that Tammy needs to connect with her life, not simply with succeeding in science class, English class or in math class.

Assignment #7: Module 4, Visual case study

Case study of Mrs. Janes and Salim

          Strengths and Concerns: After watching the first video, it is clear to me that Mrs. Janes knows very little about Salim and his background. The principal comes with Salim to meet Mrs. Janes, presumably for the first time. All that Mrs. Janes knows at this point in time is that Salim and his mother are living on 7^th avenue in a hotel while waiting to hear about their refugee status. The principal even admits that she knows very little about Salim’s background, and the conversation with Mrs. Janes suggests that Salim and his mother have very recently arrived in Canada.

          After seating Salim with three of her other students, Mrs. Janes notices that Salim doesn’t immediately engage in the work of the class, and instead moves to a different seat and begins spinning in place. From the first video, I was not given the impression that Salim is interested in the academic portion of being at the school nor is he immediately interested in socializing with the other students. From the video, it is unclear whether or not Salim can speak English.

          In Mrs. Janes’ position, I would really want to know – as soon as possible – about Salim’s past school experiences, his level of English fluency, as well as his past life experiences in his home country. I would characterize Mrs. Janes’ impression of Salim as mostly one of concern. She knows very little about him after the first encounter, and is likely looking for ways that she can start learning about him.

Step 2: What might be happening and why: Generating hypotheses

The two videos from this case study provide little insight into Salim’s life story, but there were many suggestive statements made in the video to imply that Salim and his mother came to Canada in a hurried way, perhaps to escape troubles in their home country. Mrs. Janes may be able to learn about Salim by looking for answers to some of these questions:

1.   Could Salim be still affected by things he witnessed before coming to Canada? Was Salim involved in a civil war?

2.   Where is Salim’s father? Does this play a role in current refugee situation? What role does Salim’s father play in Salim’s life?

3.   Why did he and his mother move to Canada? What is the nature of their refugee claim?

4.   Does Salim come from a country where English is spoken? Does he have any experience speaking English?

5.   Has Salim attended a school before? If he has attended a school prior to coming to Canada, what was that experience like? How often did he attend?

6.   What is Salim’s family history? Does he have siblings that didn’t accompany him to Canada?

7.   What was Salim’s and his mother’s motivation in coming to Canada? What is their plan for the immediate future?

8.   What is Salim’s mother’s impression of living in Canada? Does she have a particular opinion about her son attending school in Canada?

Step 3: What you need to find out: Checking hypotheses by collecting more information

In an ideal situation, Salim and his mother would be capable and willing to answer most or all of these questions. Like the other teacher mentioned in video #2, the local immigration center could provide a translator to help in these conversations, if neither Salim nor his mother speak English. Likewise, Salim and his mother’s immigration proceedings are all well documented, and if shared, these documents would also make clear some of the factors and influences that brought Salim and his mother to Canada.

However, refugees to Canada could be sceptical and distrustful of Canadian governmental authorities, and may not want to share too much personal information if he or she gets the impression that someone in Canada may use that information against them. Because some of these questions and their answers lie not in Canada, but in Salim’s birth country, it may not be possible to seek out accurate or trustworthy information to fill in as much of the picture as Mrs. Janes would hope.

Step 4: What you think is happening: Arriving at tentative judgements

I’m not exactly sure what judgements you could arrive at before having some of these basic conversations with Salim and his mother. Having a conversation with another teacher – like video #2 – can give Mrs. Janes a good understanding of what might have been Salim’s life back home. This is assuming that Malik and Salim are even from the same country. And if this were true, which I’m assuming it is, (why else would it be included in this case study), it doesn’t necessarily mean that the two students led equally difficult lives before coming to Canada. Trying to assess Salim’s English ability could be useful, but I believe it would be far more beneficial to begin learning about who he is, and what his life was like up until coming to Canada. In conversation with Salim’s mother, I also think a great deal can be learned about how the two of them feel about living in Canada, and what their goals for being in Canada really are. Once Mrs. Janes can understand what factors from the list are relevant to Salim and his mother, she can begin the work of inviting Salim and his mother into the school in a manner that has meaning to both of them.

Assignment #5: Module 3 Case Study 1

Case study of Monisha Khan

            Monisha is concerned that if she makes special accommodations for a student in her class who has been diagnosed as learning disabled, that his classmates may perceive the accommodations – and by extension, her – as being unfair. Currently, Monisha struggles in making lessons that engage her grade 9 students, and her class also has some behavioural concerns. She is also a relatively new teacher, having recently graduated from university. The student with a learning disability is named Brian, and Monisha feels a desire to assist Brian in his learning.

            Being a new teacher myself, I have a lot of empathy for Monisha’s dilemma. Even considering the possibility of offering Brian special accommodations and support in class, Monisha is cautious of the effect it may have upon how other students perceive her teaching. If I received complaints similar to those suggested in this case, I would likely undergo the same struggle that Monisha is facing.

            Monisha should open the discussion of equality and fairness to the whole class. Without being intentionally specific to Brian’s learning disability, she should speak with her students about the guidelines for in-class behaviour, and perhaps just as importantly, the reasoning behind these expectations. For example, why would a teacher enforce a rule in the class such as ‘raising your hand if you have a question,’ or, ‘not speaking when another student is presenting to the class?’  Having the students explore these relatively standard classroom expectations will get them understanding the universal idea behind such guidelines, which is closely connected with any accommodations Monisha might make to help Brian. Every student is attending school to experience success in the different subjects and disciplines. At times, this goal necessitates an unequal treatment of students in order to achieve the outcome. Why should any student be left to knowingly suffer or struggle in this environment, when action can be taken to help support a student? Why would a teacher allow a whole class of students to talk over an individual student’s class presentation? Why wouldn’t a teacher allow students – without waiting or listening or asking – to shout out questions during class time? Monisha’s dilemma can have an easy answer, if she is deliberate in how and why she is supporting Brian.

            The question of whether there is a possible situation in which accommodations made for a student with a learning disability would be unfair to those students without a disability brings up a good point. What if Brian’s classmates require teacher support, but are unable to get it because Monisha is spending her time solely with Brian? I believe that this situation – which could be described as unfair – raises a good point about student advocacy. One of my previous professors in education Dr. Field made frequent mention of the concept of N+1 as an important educational concept. In Monisha’s dilemma, there is a possibility of Brian’s classmates complaining. In and of itself, this type of communication is showing the advocacy skills of Monisha’s students who don’t have learning disabilities, and who may see something possibly unfair unfolding in their class. What could Monisha say to these students to help direct their advocacy into a more productive form? Do they need help? Are their comments a desire for answers to particular (unasked) questions? Why isn't Ms. Khan helping us? "Ms. Khan, I have a question, but have been waiting here for 20 minutes, not asking."

            According to the facts of this case, Monisha is having difficulty creating lesson plans that engage her class. Could Monisha’s concerns regarding student complaints be alieved through redesigning her lessons to strengthen individual student control and direction of their learning? The way in which this case was written suggests that students in Monisha’s class may be motivated to complain about Brian’s accommodations in part because Monisha’s lessons are not engaging.

            I think that teachers should always communicate to students that the goal of the school environment is to support students to produce their best. This should be the goal for every student in every class, for which the curriculum is a great resource to exploit. In the case of most of Monisha’s students, who don’t have learning disabilities, this means that she should support them through well-designed lessons that don’t put any upper limit on what students can produce. A student who complains to Monisha, saying something along the lines of “Ms. Khan, I’m finished, now what do I do?” is communicating a legitimate complaint; that the lesson had a finite end that was likely within their zone of proximal development. Additionally, Monisha may be planning herself into her lessons, as a necessary component, which doesn’t allow her the time she would wish to spend helping Brian.

            For Brian – or any student with a learning disability – I think that the expectations should be exactly the same, that each student be given the opportunity and expectation of doing his or her best. If that requires an unequal allocation of resources, I believe this only reflects the reality of an inclusive classroom and an inclusive society; not all people are identical. In the case of any student, Monisha should develop strategies and skills for student self-advocacy to make sure that she is really putting her students in charge of their own learning.

Assignment #4: Module 2 Case Study 2

Case study of David Jackson

            David Jackson is a high school mathematics and science teacher who is having difficulty teaching two new students in his class. John and Ben Alexander are twin brothers who were transferred to his classroom in January, both having been diagnosed with a mild learning disability.  After observing and assessing the Alexander brothers, David understands that his teaching methods are not helping the twins learn. This is a new experience for David, and he realizes that he will need new strategies in order to support John’s and Ben’s learning in his class. His dilemma is specifically that his instructional techniques to engage these two students are ineffective in helping John and Ben learn, and that he will need to learn strategies to help the two brothers.

            Since the twins’ learning disability has been described as mild, I don’t think it’s reasonable for David to ask that they be removed from his class. Allowing such a decision without considering the motives involved is precisely what agreements like the Salamanca statement are opposed to. Whenever possible, teachers should be encouraged to include and support all learners in the classroom. David’s particular dilemma is that despite having eleven years of teaching experience, he is now faced with a challenge for which he doesn’t have an effective answer.  He likely has help in his school, such as special education teachers and more experienced colleagues from whom he can learn. I don’t think that his realization of his own ineffectiveness is in and of itself enough justification to remove John and Ben from the class.

            David should seek out information on John and Ben’s particular learning disability(s) from the support staff that he has in his school, and find strategies he can use to benefit the design of his lessons. What changes can he make regarding use of technology in his class that might benefit John and Ben? Is there something about the classroom environment itself that David could use to support the students? Do they focus better in a certain environment, and is there something David can alter in his current classroom? Do his lessons emphasize a particular learning style or strength, while underutilizing or ignoring other options?

            I think that David could take advice from special education specialists in his teaching community and begin looking for ways to use this advice in the delivery or design of his lessons. Additionally, David may need to adjust the resources he typically uses to engage students. If there are materials and resources that might facilitate John and Ben’s learning that David is not currently using in his class, this may mean a new difficulty for David. After teaching for eleven years, David may be pushed into an uncomfortable space of having to learn these new approaches and resources. But if was a justification for removing John and Ben from David’s class, wouldn’t many new teachers like myself teach to empty or near empty rooms?

Assignment #3: Module 2 Case Study 1

Assignment #3: Module 2 Case Study 1

Case study of Joan Martinez

The facts of this case are that Joan has been teaching fulltime for three years at the elementary level. She has taught the same grade – grade three – for these three years, and has developed a sense of comfort from working in the same school. She is now being asked to move to a grade 8 class at the Atlas middle school. Joan is feeling anxiety as part of this transition, and her fears of teaching at Atlas middle school are made worse given the fact that several of her students have behavioural exceptionalities, and have IEPs. She realizes the importance of starting the new school year in a positive and supportive manner, and she wants to implement a positive classroom management strategy.

In preparing to create a positive experience for herself and her students, I think that it’s possible to understand classroom management as having both proactive and reactive aspects. Joan will likely have control over the layout of her classroom, and can therefore create a classroom environment that supports the students most effectively.  This would be a proactive strategy. For example, a student with Tourettes, may need frequent breaks from classroom activity to release TICs. Arranging the classroom environment and seating plan to allow for this student’s easy entry to/ exit from the classroom would send a thoughtful message, and help lessen Joan’s overall anxiety.

Classroom rules and expectations at the beginning of the year might start out as an example of a proactive strategy, and then again, they may develop reactively as the year progresses. The middle school students in this case study are new to Joan, so she is likely not to know much if anything about them. Her anxiety and discomfort at teaching in a new school is only heightened by the fact that some of her students have behavioural exceptionalities. Therefore, it is likely that some of what Joan will use as classroom management throughout the year will have to develop as she learns more about the individuals she is working with.

I think that some strategies and planning that might start out as a good idea may need tweaking and adjustment, and that exceptions should be made at appropriate times for students with exceptional behaviour. (I mean exceptional here in any quality.) Rules and procedures for a class might need specific explanation in the case of allowing one student – with TICS, for example – the right to excuse him or herself from class at any time. I think I understand the difference between equal treatment and fair treatment in this way; Joan’s goal is likely to support her students to succeed academically and socially in school. Fair treatment and fair classroom management might then likely include exceptions for students with behavioural exceptionalities, rather than simply expecting them to adhere to static rules and procedures.

To alleviate as much anxiety as possible before the first day of class, I think that Joan should learn about her students’ behavioural exceptionalities, and begin arranging her classroom to benefit her students – and herself – as much as possible on day 1.

Hello 6A!! Here is my travel journal so far! ^^

 I have been in Tokyo for one week now, and I really like the school I'm at. Tokyo greater metropolitan area has a combined population of over 30 million people. In approximate numbers, that's about the same number of people that live in all of Canada! Inside Tokyo, there are several large cities that have their own names and areas. I live in a city called Saitama, which is in the northwestern portion of the greater Tokyo area. It's not a dense as downtown Tokyo, and it feels to me a little more like a suburb than a super busy city. The first picture is one I took from the classroom where I teach. Because I'm outside the downtown area with skyscrapers and tall apartment buildings, i can get a great view of this mountain. It's the most famous mountain in Japan, and it's actually a volcano.

Student artwork on perspective drawing

The school I volunteer at is very similar to schools in Canada. Each classroom has a group of students who are about the same age, and are all in the same grade. Every morning, the teacher in my class, Mr. D, puts the day's schedule on the whiteboard just like Mr. Hansen, telling the students the order of the classes, including recess breaks and Phys. Ed. Just like in Canada, I think that these two times are the most popular events each day! hahahhahah My class is a grade six class, so they are studying topics that are the same or similar to what 6A has been studying in Calgary. In math, we're working on geometric shapes and in language arts, students are reading individually, in groups and with buddies from another lower grade. Mr. D is also reading a book aloud to the class everyday. I was surprised to see that it was a book some of you were reading, "The Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen!

The job wheel!

And just like the students of Hawkwood, the students here at my school really care about their school environment. This last picture is a 'job wheel' that the class made to ensure that their school environment is taken care of. Each day, certain students are resposible for different tasks in the school. Because they are the oldest students in the school, they get many responsibilities that are unique to grade six. For example (it's difficult to read the writing in this picture), some students are responsible for organizing and cleaning up  the sports equipment everyday. Another job, the blue wedge, assigns certain students to turning off all the electronics at the end of the day, so no elecricity is wasted overnight at the school. Because students in Japan eat their lunch together at school - and it's cooked by the school - there is even a wedge for who gets to help serve the food everyday at noon! It's really amazing to see everyone working together to almost run the school by themselves. It reminded me of the leadership groups at Hawkwood, and I told my partner teacher here in Saitama all about the different groups that you have. He was surprised to hear about the differences, like the fact that they don't have patrollers at this school, but they do have lunchtime helpers.

That's all for now 6A! I'll write some more soon, once I get to travel into the big city and take pictures of what I get up to. Hopefully, this blog helps you understand a little more about what I'm doing here, and gets you excited to travel overseas one day!

またね

Assignment #2: Module 1 Case 1 (due Jan. 25)                                              

Case Study of Christopher Melrose

The facts of this case study are that Christopher is having difficulties meeting the curricular demands of the grade he is currently in. He is currently underperforming academically when compared to his classmates, particular in math and language arts. Chris’ mother is opposed to having Chris leave the classroom to study independently with a special education teacher.  Finally, there is someone or some group of people (school representatives) who came to the conclusion that Chris would benefit from being excluded from working in the general ‘mainstream’ classroom.

The dilemma of this case is conflict between what Christopher’s mother wants for her son – for him to NOT be separated from his classmates – and what the school likely thinks is the most beneficial or effective way for Christopher to meet the curricular expectations in math and language arts. Stepping back from this one case study, the dilemma could also be described more broadly as the conflict between historical education practices of special needs education and the more current model and practice of inclusion. In which cases - or ever? - is it a good idea to take students out of the normal class environment and supply special education isntruction? How much support should be given within the class before reaching the limits of inclusive practice?

The school may want to place Christopher in a special supportive learning environment for a variety of reasons. His learning disability may have a negative effect on his classmates, or he may be aware of his learning disability and suffer a lack of confidence when working with his classmates. Maybe his struggles in the classroom lead to disagreements with classmates and even fights. Perhaps his disability requires support and expertise that the classroom teacher is unable or unwilling to give, or the school may have several other students who perform at a similar level, and is able to place Christopher in a classroom of students whose confidence and abilities wouldn’t constantly be in question. Fundamentally, the school’s motivation for placing Christopher in a different environment is to provide him more support in order for him to meet the curricular goals of his grade level. They are not considering other factors that are obviously of value to Christopher’s mother.

These other factors include Christopher’s social development and how he is viewed by his classmates. Being seen in a classroom as a student who struggles is different than being seen as a student who needs to leave the room to receive additional teacher support, and who is labelled as having a learning disability. Mary Melrose may be concerned that after being placed in a classroom for students with learning disabilities, her son may have difficulty socializing outside of class, at recess and outside of school. She may think he will be labelled by his former friends, and that he may even see himself as someone of less worth or ability.

Before a decision can be made regarding Christopher’s placement, school representatives and Chris’ mother should consider what is in the best interest of the whole student of Chris. Beyond simply his academic success, school officials should consider the social consequences of removing him from the classroom. This means considering the severity of his disability and the accommodations that could be made inside the class he is currently in. It would seem appropriate that only when Chris’ disability negatively affects the achievement and progress of his classmates or exceeds the supports that could be given in class by the teacher or by special education support teachers, that he should be considered for removal from his class. Additionally, since the school’s position is likely predicated on having special education teachers, we should also consider Chris’ particular learning disability and the school’s resources for supporting him. If the school is only likely to offer minimal benefit over and above his regular classroom, it may not counteract the negative consequences of labelling him a learning disabled individual.

In my understanding of inclusive practices, I think a student should only be removed from a regular classroom setting due to physical behaviours that clearly and significantly affect his or her classmates, and which the student is usually unable to control. In such a case, it is likely to be in the student’s best interest to be removed, since the stigma and labelling that accompanies a disability is likely to be less harmful than both the labels given to a student who hasn’t got control of the most basic social faculties, in addition to the unnecessary and likely significant obstructions to the progress of other students.

Arriving in Tokyo

I came to Tokyo three days ago, and am really glad I chose to take part in TAB. Coming back to Japan has totally rejuvenated my love of travel, and at the same time started to give me a great opportunity to reflect on my past teaching experiences. After a relatively short flight from Vancouver to Narita airport, I encountered all of the small individual things that I really love about Japan. First off, the flight arrived one hour early, and I was whisked through the 'foreigners only' lineup at the airport's immigration. (Boris, are you reading this? hahah) To get to Saitama, I booked a ticket on the airport limousine bus service. This is some sort of private bus company that runs direct buses from the airports of Japan to individual cities and busy suburbs. It's relatively cheap, extremely fast and convenient, since they load all your baggage, tag it for the correct destination, and unload it for you too! The money to pay for this trip came from an ATM literally 20 meters away from the ticket desk, meaning that after exiting customs, it took me about 5 minutes to arrange my trip to Higashi Tokorozawa, the area of Saitama where I now live and student teach. Japanese convenience and planning is really top shelf, and something I enjoy every time I come here.

I called the school from the airport, and Aki and Ryan were at the train station to meet me when I arrived. The school and my apartment are about 5 minutes away from the station, in a surprisingly rural neighbourhood. Oh, and I guess the picture lets you know that I must have brought the snow with me from Calgary! ^^ From what I've heard, it's unusual to get snow in this part of town, and we just got a big dump of it on Friday. A lot of teachers tried to blame me, but I reassured them that if I had brought snow, it would also likely be minus 30 degrees or so. Jaws hit the floor at this point. The second photo is the entry to the elementary school. The junior high/ high school are seperated from the elementary by a large gym, which the two schools share throughout the day. After getting the tour from Mr. Barrie McCliggott - the principal of both schools - I spent a few days with the various elementary teachers, getting to know the students and staff, and the school's routines.
Other than that, I'm just settling in and preparing for next week, when I'll start planning with my partner teacher exactly what I'll be doing here for the next few months. Already, there has been interest in having me teach music classes. In my classroom, there are a few students who will likely benefit from having my direct support. Seeing that the topic of my coursework this semester is inclusion, I think that I really found a great volunteer placement from which I will learn a great deal over the next three months!

One more Semester!

To finish my studies in education this coming term, I'll be student teaching overseas. This opportunity is part of the University of Calgary's TAB or Teaching Across Borders program. I am one of the last students in the final year of this program, and am very glad to have had the option of participating in TAB as it winds down. I'd like to thank all the professors over the years that have made TAB possible, starting with Gavin Peat and Jim Paul. It was through these two gentlemen that I first learned of TAB, and I was immediately committed to the idea of traveling abroad to volunteer as a teacher. I'd also like to thank Dean Sumara and Dr. Olive Chapman for their efforts to make sure that TAB placements were made available for me and several of my classmates.

I'll be heading to Tokyo next week to start my placement at a Canadian International School in Saitama. The school's name is the Columbia International School. Here is a link to their website, where you can get a great idea of what they're about. It follows the curriculum of Ontario, and employs teachers from Canada, as well as native English speakers from a variety of other countries. After several conversations with the principal there, I have been building a genuine sense of excitement to learn from the staff there, and to stretch my experience from general elementary education into the realms of my first degree, music! I hope to spend some of my time working on the school's music program, and have found a few local resources that will hopefully add to the school's current music repertoire.

The greater Tokyo area has a population which rivals Canada's - around 32 million people - Saitama being just one of the many cities that make up the Kanto plain. I last visited Tokyo over 5 years ago, and I'm looking forward to the beauty and busyness of Japanese culture. I also hope to visit some of the friends I have made there over the years.