Week 1: The Snowflake

 Welcome to my first post! My name is Justine, and I'm a third-year student at the University of Regina studying BEd in Middle Years. This blog and future blog posts on this page are specifically designed as weekly reflections for ECS 401. 

Our first week was an interesting experience. I had a blast meeting a new group of colleagues and settling into a new class environment. Throughout this Wednesday's class, I felt that we explored our individual beliefs and pedagogies. Our Poll Guru time was mostly answering questions directed at us individually (e.g. "How do you feel coming into this class?" or "How do you feel about Mathematics?"). Understanding that this is the first class, it's no surprise that we are sharing information about ourselves and our feelings. Like Chris said, we were getting to know our staff. We also completed Multiple Intelligence assessments and Growth Mindset surveys that also pushed forward the idea of understanding ourselves. I've previously done a Multiple Intelligences quiz, but I'm surprised at how different my results are. On the side, we completed our first Assessment Literacy quiz. It is my understanding that we will revisit this quiz for a second time later in this course, and I look forward to seeing my growth throughout the semester. 

I've chosen the snowflake as my symbol for this week's reflection. What do we know about snowflakes?

There are rarely two snowflakes that are truly alike.

As we wrapped up this week, I learned that our staff is made up of unique and diverse individuals who have experienced different events or pathways in life. Honestly, our different experiences and values are things I look forward to. It's a comfort and thrill to share and receive knowledge from others. 

(c) Google Images

Learning about each other and being self-aware are two important things to implement in the classroom. In those first days of the school year, the students are possibly meeting you or their peers for the first time. It's important to establish a meaningful and accepting connection with everyone in the classroom. I think that this time is especially important for setting goals. Through self-awareness, we can begin at the starting point. For example, after I completed my first Assessment Literacy quiz, I saw where I stood in terms of assessment. Now, I can set goals and use this quiz as a guideline as I navigate through this course. 


Works for this week:















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