This 4 week practicum flew by. I was placed in a kindergarten class in French Immersion in Terrace. Being in a kindergarten class reminded me that this age group is learning how to operate in a structured group setting. Most of the day, the learning involves how to make transitions smoothly and efficiently. The instructional time is utilized not only for the learning standards but also to establish healthy routines. Thankfully, my coaching teacher had done the hard work of setting routines and expectations and was able to jump into her shoes quite easily while using her prompts.
Teaching a second language to young kids comes with its challenges but it is so amazing to see children pick up the language at such a fast pace. It was a fine balance between using the key words knonw by the kids and them understanding and to go to far and them not getting it. At first, it was challenging to know when to switch back to English but as the time went on we developed non-verbal cues.
I feel that it was a steep learning curve and I can appreciate seeing that kids need routines and thrive within them. This experience will be useful despite the grade I end up teaching as the school day is full of transition. I enjoyed teaching French as a second language and I am looking forward to continuing to do so.
For my next practicum, I hope to be placed in the same class and develop my skills further. I would like to work on integrating French in a more efficient way using the word list that the students should know. I am looking forward to making a unit plan and taking on a bigger role that include most of the steps. I would like to develop better organisation skills for the students work and bring the learning outcomes to final assessment.
