Every educator continually has a variety of
ideas, concepts, and challenges that they have going into a teaching season
(field or in-classroom) in which they must encounter, work through, learn from,
and to accept. Coming into the fall
teaching practicum with already four years of field educating under my belt, I
felt comfortable with the challenge of being given the opportunity to teach in
the field and on an outreach level. Some
challenges I knew going into this semester on striving to be an even more effective
educator than I already was included being more time conscious during my
lessons, making sure I had enough tricks in my bag for when attention was being lost or a brain break was needed, and making sure I was addressing my students in a personable, professional manner.
Confidently, I have a passion and foundation
on working with and teaching my students, and there will always be techniques,
traits, and tips to make me a better educator, but that working with a whole
new group of colleagues and relying on them in so many ways was something I did
not really take into a main focus of mine.
After completing my first practicum, there was one thing that I did not
take into consideration when viewing what I wanted to get the most out of,
until the practicum was over; that was community. Going into this program, I thought I
understood the idea of community; basically, going to class, working, teaching,
and living together in a beautiful place.
However, after these three-months with my cohort, my idea of community
has changed; it is much more than just teaching and working together.
For my fall synthesis, I wanted to visually
present my idea of community through drawing.
Its shows that my current community revolves around my fellow graduates
in the place that we live, go to class, recreate, and teach in. Of courses, teaching in the has only allowed
me to embrace my inner creativity and allow me to use my talents and passions, to
let me grow and learn from experiences and mistakes, but has taught me to step
out of a comfort zone and embrace the unknown with others around me. Whether that means teaching age groups and
topics I am unfamiliar with to getting to know and working with individuals professionally
and personally in a variety of settings.
Something I know I continually see as a challenge for myself, is to
allow others in, allow others to support me, and allow myself to continue to
grow with a group and not just me as an individual.
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| The 2013 TSS Graduate Cohort of the GYE - Black & White |
I believe this idea of community, is just the
start to my experience with TSS and helping me grow to be a better educator and
community member, and I am continually learning and striving for this every day. I believe that learning
about your new community and cohort is realizing that it is not just one
element (yourself) that makes this place and community special, unique, and
successful, but it’s realizing that you need everyone in this community and
rely on one another and support one another to have a successful and diverse
community.
Community is relying and supporting one
another, which compared to the community we teach about in many of our lessons,
is similar to how the local fauna live and thrive together in the Greater
Yellowstone Ecosystem. The one beautiful
thing about the TSS graduate cohort is that all strive and continue our desire
to learn, absorb new techniques, and we share the same passion to be outside. Throughout this practicum and as we move
forward, I believe we continue to learn from each other, accept and give
advice, gain new knowledge, and create bonds with each other. Demonstrated in my drawing as everyone is
represented as a local fauna in the GYE.
Each animal was chosen for each individual based on what I have learned
about each person.
When teaching with other graduates, I have
learned a multitude of things about teamwork and community balance: from
respecting personal needs to demonstrating professional collaboration. I have learned to be flexible, adaptable to weather,
scheduling, and limited resources issues and concerns, but to also have fun and
be willing to be creative, enthusiastic, and engaging with one another and our
students we teach.
I understand, now, and will continue to be
mindful as I experience the rest of my journey here with TSS, is that working
together and getting to know the fellow graduates, has helped me be a better
and more effective educator. Throughout
this practicum, learning to adjust and adapt to many different pulls of world,
in a different ecosystem, is like the Rocky Mountain flora and fauna community,
we all must rely and live together in a natural balance.
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| The 2013 TSS Graduate Cohort of the GYE - Color |
TheChristyBel
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