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Professional Advice
Creating Teaching Materials
One of the greatest challenges experienced by Northern teachers is
the lack of appropriate teaching resources that reflect the local
environment. Teachers implementing Dene Kede and Inuuqatigiit, the
culture-based NWT curricula and Aboriginal Language teachers do not
have the option of leafing through catalogues or taking ready-made
materials off the library shelf.
The Department of Education, Culture and Employment has created a
wide variety of teaching resources over the years and many of them
are still very relevant and full of useful material that can be
adapted for use in northern classrooms across the NWT. The materials
are not always available in your school for a number of reasons. A
list of ECE materials is available in the resource section of this
binder.
Some searching will reveal that a variety of Northern resources are
available through the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in
Yellowknife and through various territorial, regional and local
agencies.
The reality is, you will still need to produce some of your own
resources so it is worthwhile to make them out of durable materials,
store them to be re-used and leave them for others when you move.
You will find it useful to collect:
- A Northern picture file (Northern magazines and web sites are good
sources)
- Information pamphlets on Northern animals and plants
- Local and regional maps from band offices and land claims
organizations
- Information on local heroes (many community projects have been
done to collect Elders' stories on audio or videotape; some have
been written out and kept unpublished; ask the adult educator,
long-term teachers, local DEA and other community members
- Thematic resources in kits
- Lists of local resource people, their areas of expertise and
contact numbers, etc.
Students can create resources in the form of book making projects.
Using readily available materials, their books become a source of
pride, with practice, which can be placed in the library for others
to sign out.
Parents, community members and local artists may also contribute to
the collection of teaching resources. People who are knowledgeable
in particular areas of the curriculum may be invited to share their
knowledge. You can ask to videotape their presentations for future
use. When inviting elders into the classroom, it is very important
to find out about the community protocol and the appropriate
remuneration before proceeding. Local school staff will be able to
give advice in this area.
Internet Resources:
Teacher Wellness
First year teachers should know that...
- They are going through a transition from student to professional
teacher
- Transitions are often difficult and stressful, but part of the
learning process
- They may be adjusting to being away from family/friends for the
first time
- They may not be able to achieve all their expectations
- Their workload may seem overwhelming
- These feelings are normal
- They need to find a balance between personal needs and
professional expectations in order to stay well and healthy
Causes of stress...
- Feeling torn between professional and personal responsibilities
- Having a desire for perfection - having the perfect lessons and
perfect class
- Feeling loneliness or isolation
- Having so much to do and not enough time to do it
- Experiencing conflicts on staff or in the community
- Dealing with situations or concerns that you don't know how to
handle
- Building tension and anxiety which may cause reality to be
distorted
- Feeling that you must do many extra-curricular activities
- Negative views creeping into your thinking
Stress reducers...
- Set priorities; learn to accept support from family and friends
- Realize that it will take practice and experience to have your
ideal classroom
- Understand that all teachers had to start at the same point where
you are now and they experienced the same stresses
- Realize that feelings of loneliness and isolation are also part of
the learning process;
- Contact other beginning teachers by phone, e-mail or in person to
talk about your concerns; it is very comforting to find that they
are experiencing the same stresses
- Keep a journal
- Plan your time in and out of school and accept that you can't do
everything you want to do right now but it will get more manageable
with practice
- Deal with conflict by first understanding your own beliefs and
philosophy, then try to understand where the conflicting ideas are
coming from. Don't take different views personally.
- Ask another for advice. It is not a sign of incompetence or
weakness; in fact it is quite the opposite. Asking early may help to
avoid a serious problem later.
- Exercise and interact with friends; have some fun; humour is a
great stress reliever;
- Learn to laugh at yourself; avoid negative thoughts; focus on
solutions not problems
- Don't be afraid to say no to excessive extra-curricular
activities. Concentrate on your teaching in the beginning years and
remember your first responsibility is for your students. Don't
spread yourself too thin.
Internet Resources:
Parental Involvement
Establish contact with parents early in the year. It is important to
get to know them on neutral ground before any issues arise. Contact
format may vary depending on the community:
- Meet the teacher evening (school or class)
- Set up a personal class web site if it is an appropriate way to
communicate with your parents
- Send regular newsletter to parents
- Call home to give parents good news
- Plan home visits in order to meet parents in their familiar
environment
- Invite parents to a class reception for parents
- Hold unit end feasts for parents/guardians and grandparents
- Display photographs in school or photocopy as part of newsletter
- Prepare carefully for parent-teacher meetings and invite principal
if it seems beneficial to have the presence of a third party
Internet Resources:
Community Involvement
In all NWT communities, teachers are a vital and visible part of the
population. Particularly in smaller communities, the new teachers
are a source of interest and curiosity each fall.
Although it may be disconcerting for people used to city life, this
is a natural part of small town living and it is considered
appropriate to take an interest in new community members.
It means a great deal to the community when new teachers are visible
and interested in life outside school. People generally will wait to
see if "the new teacher" is friendly, so don't hesitate to say hello
as you pass people on the street. Children will want you to meet
their parents and grandparents. By doing these things, you become an
individual rather than "the teacher." It takes time, and a
community's way of welcoming will vary.
Opportunities where teachers can meet the community:
- Sports activities
- Community radio - announcements of school happenings, interviews
of new teachers, etc.
- Community celebrations
- DEA meetings
- Local store, post office, coffee shops
- Outdoor activities - hunting, fishing, snowmobiling
- Local committees
- Church
- Arts and Craft classes
Remember, in small communities where there is a high turnover of
teachers, people may hesitate to invest time in a friendship which
they expect will be short lived. For that reason, you may need to
make the first moves in order to build trust and acceptance.
Staying isolated and moving only between home and school will give
the community a subtle message that you're not interested in them.
Interactions in the community open up all kinds of possibilities for
lasting friendships, and wonderful cultural experiences. Becoming
part of the community means becoming a full contributing member,
including the privilege of sharing good times and hard times with a
unique group of people.
Teaching Assistants and Student Support Assistants
Instructional assistants can be effective bridges between the
community and a new teacher and can be indispensable in the
classroom. Often your assistant has had many years of experience in
the school providing the only continuity in the classroom and he/she
can provide you with valuable information about students and
community if you ask and are ready to listen. Although all
professional decisions are the responsibility of the classroom
teacher, teaching assistants and student support assistants should
be treated as partners on the educational team. They need to be part
of all planning that involves the students with whom they work.
Teaching assistants and student support assistants are hired to
perform specific duties, and so it is very important to clarify
roles and responsibilities at the beginning of the year.
When everyone has a clear understanding of the expectations, it
helps to keep the lines of communication open and avoid
misunderstanding. (For roles and responsibilities in the NWT, see
ECE, Toward Implementation).
The following suggestions came from Mona Matthews in the Dogrib
region.
- Include what the EA has to do in your daily plans and give them a
copy
- Work as a team and discuss what works and what doesn't work and
try new ideas-- ask them for their input and try their ideas--good
for self-esteem
- Give them feedback as to how they are doing on a daily or weekly
basis-- communication is a big thing when working with and ea
- Write reports with their input--make them feel that they are
invaluable and ask to have a sub for them when they are absent
- It's important to communicate clearly to your aide what you want
them to do - never assume that they can see what needs to be done
Internet Resources
Working with Elders
Elders have a wealth of knowledge and experience and are an integral
part of NWT culture based education. They are the holders of
"traditional knowledge" which is not available, in many cases, in
written form. In NWT Aboriginal cultures, Elders represent societies
that historically have been oral cultures and have passed their
history on through storytelling.
In Aboriginal communities, the Elders are considered to be the
encyclopedia and the experts in the culture. "They have their PhD in
Aboriginal culture."
Because Elders are so essential to the program, it is important to
respect them by following the community protocol. This may include
an honorarium or a gift for their help in the school. A staff member
who is from the community will know this protocol and give advice on
approaching the Elders.
Working with Volunteers
Volunteers can offer a wide range of talents and experiences to your
classroom. They may listen to children read, work with small group
projects, help with sports events, sew costumes, share their art or
music, tell stories about their jobs or the past, help out with fund
raising or help with breakfast/lunch programs. They may also help
with the library, band program, help students with diverse needs or
provide extra playground supervision.
Volunteers often generously give of their time, but they need to
know that their efforts are appreciated. This can be achieved
through a "Volunteer Appreciation" event, through student-made gifts
or cards, or by students helping volunteers with chores.
Preparing for a Substitute Teacher
It is inevitable that all teachers get sick and have to depend on a
substitute to replace them from time to time. Don't wait until you
are sick in bed to prepare! There is nothing worse than being too
sick to teach, yet having to leave your "sick bed" to prepare for a
substitute.
In some schools there is an established protocol for substitute
teachers. If there were none in your school, it would be a good idea
to prepare a substitute folder, which contains:
- Up-to-date daily plan book with the level of detail necessary for
a guest teacher to
- follow
- If you believe the substitute would have difficulty following your
daily lesson plan, leave a one-day activity list in a special folder
- Class list with phone numbers
- Names of helpful students
- Classroom timetables
- Seating plan
- School map including fire exits and escape routes
- Supervision schedule and guidelines
- Notes on procedures and classroom routines, if you have these in
your computer, it makes it easy to update and access for a substitute
- Attendance sheet
- Classroom rules, expectations and responsibilities
- Information about students with special needs
- Information about teaching assistants, if applicable
- A collection of interesting supplementary activities to be used if
prepared plan leaves extra time or is too difficult to follow, e.g.
books to be read aloud, word searches.
- A form for the substitute to write comments about the day
- Try referring to substitutes as "guest teachers" when speaking to
your class and remind them about how to treat guests.
Internet Resources:
Advice from Northern teachers
Living Advice
- Have lots of energy - it's hard work
- Have a positive attitude
- Take breaks once in a while.
- Be prepared: come with eyes wide open.
- Research and read, find out about your community.
- Be clear about your living expenses, cost of travel, rent, moving
expenses and utilities.
- Get commitments in writing.
- Secure adequate long term accommodation.
- Once in the community, keep busy: get involved in the community.
- Be adventurous and independent.
- Come as a learner and a teacher, do more listening than talking.
- Come to make a difference in the community as well as the school.
Teaching Advice
- Be firm: let the kids know who's boss the first day.
- Be willing to accept the challenge; it is lots of hard work.
- Make sure your homework policy is realistic and consistent with
your educational goals.
- Be very flexible: willing to try new things personally and
professionally.
- Be patient: diplomatic and learn to go with the flow.
- Don't take things personally, be thick skinned.
- Don't expect too much from yourself: there's room for improvement.
- Get organized early in the year, set up your filing systems, class
lists, storage routines right at the start of the year.
- Be ready to work with individual differences.
- Be prepared to adapt the curriculum to the academic needs of your
students.
- Leave all your preconceived notions about cultures at home, accept
people the way they are, don't try to change things.
- Bring lots of teaching materials with you particularly resources
on multi level instructions, special needs, learning disabilities
and classroom management.
- Read Harry Wong's The First Days of School.
- Be patient: go with the flow and be willing to adapt.
- Move on from negative incidents and be positive.
Travel Advice
- Always check to make sure you have the correct departure time of
the plane that is flying TO the community, not flying FROM.
- If you are not sure that you are being met at the airport, accept
any offers you get. In many communities, the airport is a fair
distance from the town site.
- Make sure you bring in food supplies for the first day or so. You
may arrive after the community store has closed and there may not be
any place that serves food after hours.
- If you are traveling in the winter, practice all the winter safety
rules, bring warm clothes, a sleeping bag, candle and matches, sand,
shovel, a tow rope, extra gas, northern roads are not always well traveled.
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