April Bailey

March 11, 2020

This week is an exciting week! We found out our practicum placements and have been communicating with our Teacher Mentor about which topics to teach.  I will be teaching 4 lessons on Geometry in Math and 4 lessons on the nervous system in Science, as well as some French, Careers, or P.E. lessons. My partner and I are meeting our TM this Friday morning and we’re going to play an icebreaker game with the students and get to know everyone a little bit.  It has been challenging creating the unit and lesson plans because it isn’t theoretical – I will actually be teaching these lessons and will need to know my stuff!  Despite the challenge, I am excited to teach grade 6/7 because it will be a very different experience to teaching K/1 and I hope to learn so much about teaching!

March 26, 2020

Wow, what a dramatic past couple days!  We have received an update that our practicum this April will most likely be online now, which is completely understandable considering the world crisis we are all in.  I was not prepared for the drama that ensued from my classmates!  It was very hard to remain non-reactive and positive during this, and I am so thankful our program coordinator, Nan Stevens, stepped in and emailed the following out: “Educators must be flexible and responsive to unforeseen circumstances throughout their careers. It is our hope that this situation is an opportunity for you to learn how to be flexible, accommodating, and creative when events take place beyond your control.”  I am hopeful my classmates will be able to accept the reality and become more flexible and understanding through this pandemic crisis, especially as future educators.  It has been a difficult week for many reasons, we do not need ego-fueled rages to blind our sight and take over the love and kindness that we need so badly at this time.

April 5, 2020

Well, it’s Sunday afternoon.  I think this is my last post of the whole e-portfolio!  I am very very proud of myself for completing this assignment because technology is not my strong suit and I struggle with computers often.  This has been a huge LEARNING opportunity for me, since I began with no knowledge whatsoever of creating a website, and now I have done it! #winning

Nanny/Childcare Jobs – 2016-2019

My first full-time nanny position was in 2016 when I was first considering the Bachelor of Education program.  I was looking for a job and this one worked out to be a perfect match.  The children were so wonderful and we went outside everyday and played, worked on art projects, and inquired about how the world works.  I was so inspired by these children that I knew I wanted to become a teacher and work with children the rest of my life.  But first I wanted to go bike around Australia…where I ended up looking after several other families and children while living in Melbourne.  A few of these children were Kindergarten-aged so I was working with them on their early numeracy and reading skills, which was a really cool opportunity to see how private schools abroad taught those skills!  After I came back to Canada and had my own little guy, I looked after various children and continued to love the experiences I had working with them.  There is something so satisfying in the soul to witness a child grow and blossom.

Various Travel Experience – 2013-2017

After I graduated from my intial BA degree, I wanted to travel to the world and gain insight and wisdom, learn about other cultures, and live freely.  I am so lucky I had the opportunity to travel for so long and have so many incredible experiences around the world!  My travel experience was more of a learning opportunity for me, since I was constantly learning about myself and the many different cultures and languages.  Traveling in a country where they speak a totally different language, look and act differently to me, really took me out of my comfort zone and made me realize what it must feel like for international students when they come to Canada.  It is so important to understand that we all have different cultures and backgrounds, and this will in turn affect how we view the world.  As an educator, I will take all these learning experiences gained from traveling abroad and apply them to my classroom, to make a welcoming, multi-cultural, inviting and accepting space where everyone is honoured for who they are.

The pictures below are as follows, from left to right: my husband and I with a family in a small town in Nayarit state, Mexico; my friend and I with a an excited group of Malaysians in Penang, Malaysia; myself with the children at the POC orphanage in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Pedalheads Bike Camp – 2006-2008 summers

Working at a summer camp with children aged 4-10 was an incredible opportunity I had during/after high school.  I was a bike instructor, so I taught children the basics of bicycle riding, safety, and maintenance.  I would organize and plan lessons for each day of camp, appropriate for their age and skill level.  This job inspired my love of teaching children and that passion has only grown and developed over the decade!

Professional Development Day – February 2021

I had the opportunity to participate in School District 73’s Professional Development Day on February 5th, 2021. Due to Covid-19, this opportunity occurred on Zoom and we listened to presentations by Kevin Lamoureux on Education, Reconciliation, and Trauma and Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond’s report on Addressing Racism.

Play is the Way Workshop- December 2019

Play is the Way is a practical methodology for teaching social & emotional skills using a unique program of physically interactive games that both require and develop personal and social competencies.  All Play is the Way workshops have a strong connection to Aboriginal Education. Each workshop has a focus on traditional stories and Truth and Reconciliation. In British Columbia this workshop fully meets the requirement for the ministerial order around Indigenous Professional Development.  I am personally so excited to use my new knowledge and skills in the classroom!  This was an incredible learning opportunity for me as it was taught in a hands-on way that is discussed in our course work at TRU, but I haven’t had much opportunity to experience in real life yet.  This 5 hour workshop incorporated all the core competencies which was amazing because I hadn’t yet seen them taught so directly.  The Indigenous content and connection was so strong and incorporated so seamlessly, it really motivated and inspired me to use everything I learned at this workshop in my future lessons and unit plans.

Secwepemctsín Language Workshop – November 2019

Ted Gottfriedson, Language and Culture Department Manager for Tk’emlups te Secwépemc, taught the basics of the Secwepemc language in an hour long workshop at the local library.  It was very informative for me, since I am both new the the area and to the culture and language of the Secwepemc people.  Ted handed out an alphabet chart with the many sounds in the Secwepemc language, and went over every sound with examples and stories.  This was a wonderful learning opportunity to see how a local Indigenous person taught about their language and culture.  There was significant learning about cultural differences in teaching and learning in our courses at TRU, so it was very helpful to experience the difference firsthand, as well as learn some Secwepemctsín words, phrases, and stories!

Mindful Communication – January 2016

I took this 3-day workshop because I wanted to improve my communication with myself and with others.  Susan Chapman was the teacher (and author of the Mindful Communication book), and she focused on the practice of nonjudgmental awareness, which can help us communicate more effectively and meaningfully with others in our personal and professional lives.  This workshop has helped me in so many ways since 2016, and I have since incorporated many of her teachings into my everyday life.  I believe this workshop has inspired and motivated me to become a better communicator and this will help me immensely as I move towards a teaching career.  Communication with students, parents/families, principals, support staff and volunteers, and other teachers are so important in the teaching profession, and I feel confident and ready for this aspect of the profession.

The Way of Council – January 2013

Some of my more memorable experiences have been the certificate training I received, particularly this one.  The Way of Council training was an exploration of open, heartfelt expression and attentive listening of both gateways to deeper communication, as well as intercultural understanding and the non-violent exploration of conflict through the demonstration and teaching of a myriad of forms of council.  I learned how to respectfully hold the ancient council practice of sitting in a circle and how to respectfully and mindfully host and participate in this ceremony of discussion.  By matching an intention of open heartedness with full and authentic speaking, we can move toward the possibility of true community where every voice is heard, which is so important in the classroom!  The ultimate goal of this workshop was to create direct experience of many forms of council for use in the classroom, in school meetings, in the family, and in the community and begin to acquire the basic skills needed to call a council.

This resume is a reflection of where I am today.  I have so much experience traveling and working/volunteering with children; however, my experience working in schools as an educator is very limited.  I hope to gain experience and wisdom during my practicums next year, where I will spend 13 weeks in a classroom, teaching up to 80% of the course load.  Although my experience in a classroom is currently limited, I have taken several workshops and seminars to improve my communication, mindfulness, and skills as an educator.  I am a well-rounded individual who practices respectful communication everyday in my personal and professional life.  I challenge myself to try new things and step out of my comfort zone, even if I make mistakes, for that is where true learning occurs.

B.Ed Cohort Representative – Fall 2019

For the first semester of my TRU Bachelor of Education program, I volunteered as my Cohort Representative.  The cohort representative is a leadership role where a Teacher Candidate represents the voice of the students in their cohort. It involves consultation with peers and faculty to problem solve, while upholding the BCTF Code of Ethics and the TCB standards of professional practice.  I attended monthly faculty meetings with my co-representative and discussed any arising problems or concerns from my cohort.  I learned a lot about the BCTF Code of Ethics, standards of professional practice, and professionalism within the education field.  I am honoured to have had the opportunity to serve my fellow classmates as well as be a liaison between faculty and students.  This was a great opportunity and I will bring this experience forward with me into my teaching career.

Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary – 2018-2019

During the fall and winter of 2018 to 2019 I volunteered at a local nature sanctuary in Victoria, BC where they offer nature educational programs for all ages that encourage responsibility for the care and protection of the natural environment. a living classroom fostering an understanding and appreciation of nature through direct experiences.  I assisted with a few open houses and nature educational programs for children, both of which were incredible opportunities to learn firsthand how nature education is implemented and how much JOY the children (and adults) have when learning outside.

Buena Fortuna – 2015

In Febraury-March 2015 I had the privilege of volunteering on a permaculture farm in La Ribera, BCS, Mexico.  Southern Baja is mostly desert, yet this farm existed because of an underground river which had in turn created an oasis.  I learned so much at this farm!  It was a very hands-on experience and I was able to learn through doing.  This experience taught me how invaluable hands-on learning is and my goal is to bring this knowledge into my future classroom.  I want to have my students get their hands dirty by planting a garden, nurturing the plants, and see how they grow.  This picture was taken at sunrise, when we would take a walk of the garden and pick what we needed to make a big, healthy breakfast for all the volunteers and workers.

POC Orphanage – 2014

In January-February of 2014 I had the incredible and humbling opportunity to volunteer at an orphanage in Siem Reap, Cambodia.  I was only there for 3 weeks, yet those children had such a long-lasting impact on me!  I was encouraged to teach the children (aged 2-18) English, so I went to the store and bought as many books, paper, pencils, crayons, games, and lesson ideas I could afford.  I had no idea what I was doing at the time, resources were very limited, and most of the children only knew a few words of English.  Some of the older children were sponsored so they could go to school a few days a week, and those children had a massive advantage over the other children who could not afford to go to school.  The 3 weeks I spent here with these amazing children was so , humbling, and inspiring, and as an educator I will always remember the experience I had here.  I hope to bring my awareness of multi-culturalism, privilege, and different educational needs to my future classroom.

Wilderness Skills Club – 2009-2012

In 2009 I started the Wilderness Skills Club at the University of Victoria.  The goal was to get people outside and engaged with learning survival skills!  The club was actually way more successful that I intended and we had over 1000 members by the last year I ran it in 2012.  Each week we would meet and learn a new skill.  The first year or 2 I was mostly an administrator/organizer of the club since my wilderness skills were lacking, but as I learned more and attended workshops and trainings, I began to plan and teach the weekly lessons.  Although the meetings were for young adults, I still loved the teaching aspect of it and grew more confident in my lesson planning as the year went on.

MUN Fundraising Committee – 2010-2011

In 2010-2011 I was on the Fundraising Committee of the Model United Nations club at the University of Victoria.  The picture below was taken at NMUN (a very large, international conference) in New York, which we fundraised for our club to attend.  Both the MUN conferencees and the fundraising aspects of the club was an amazing learning opportunity for me, and I will bring forward my experiences and wisdom from this into my teaching career.

ES 480 – Environment, Education and Political Change

I took this Environmental Studies course in the winter of 2011 at UVIC, when I was still on the trajectory of wanting to go to law school.  The readings and discussions from this course really inspired me to think about nature education as an alternative.  I fell in love with all the philosophical  arguments for caring for our children, for creating an education system that inspired and encouraged children to pursue their dreams, and to allow children to be free to play in nature (our greatest teacher).  I  kept one of the readings, a book titled “Last Child in the Woods” by Richard Louv, as a reminder how powerful and nourishing nature education is for all ages, and especially children now.

HSTR 328 – Indigenous-Settler Relations

I took this course in the fall of 2018 at UVIC when I was applying for the B.Ed programs and needed one more Canadian History class. I was not prepared to have my world blown!  I went into the class with an open mind and heart, feeling that I was pretty aware of Indigenous-settler relations in Canada and would have a lot to contribute.  I realized after the first class I had so much to learn!  The instructor and classmates were so encouraging and inspiring, the readings were mind-blowing, and the 3-hour class discussions went so deep it was a challenge to keep up.  I am so thankful I had this opportunity to learn more deeply about Indigenous-Settler relations in Canada and I know I will be bringing this knowledge, perspective, and humbleness with me into my teaching career.

Math 1901 – Principles of Mathematics for Elementary Teachers

I took this online Math course for teachers in the winter of 2019 through TRU, as a pre-requisite for the B.Ed program.  I was initially worried about taking math online, but I ended up loving the course and learning so much!  After the course I was so excited to teach math to students.  This course gave me the knowledge, practice, and tools I needed to feel confident and comfortable teaching K-8 math.   I will for sure be taking my learning from this course with into my teaching career.