• BC Curriculum: Learned how to navigate the BC Curriculum and understand its components, including core and curricular competencies, content, and connection to lesson planning. 

• Lesson Planning: Practiced making lesson plans using Adapted Lesson Template using BC Curriculum and incorporating learning targets, assessment methods, and success criteria.

• Different Pedagogies: Explored land-based, place-based, and people-based (collaborative activities) learning and how to apply them in the classroom.

• WordPress Portfolio: Learned how to create and manage a WordPress website, add hyperlinks, embed YouTube videos, and customize pages and blogs. 

• Learning from Videos and Readings: Through assigned videos and readings, learned about teaching methods, challenges, and assessments.  

• Formative and Summative Assessments: Developed an understanding of formative and summative assessments, their differences, and how both are essential for student success. 

• Professional Standards: Gained clarity on BC Professional Standards, especially standards two, five, seven, and nine. 

• First Peoples Principles of Learning: Explored Jo Chrona’s insights on FPPL and learned about OECD’s seven principles of learning. 

• Inclusive Practices: Explored Universal Design for Learning, strength-based learning, and tools like ARC-BC to support inclusion. Also, learned about anti-racist education and how to incorporate practices that promote equity and diversity in teaching. 

• Community Resources: Integrate places like libraries and art galleries into teaching, enriching student learning experience. 

My metaphor is a paintbrush. This is an old one that I got from my mother. She wanted to encourage my interest in painting. Painting is just my hobby, but the paintbrush has special meaning to me.

I chose it because it reminds me of how my mother tried to help me grow as a painter by giving me this paintbrush, just like teachers try to bring out unique qualities in their students. A paintbrush helps bring colour and life to a blank canvas, and in the same way, teachers help students bring out their potential and creativity in the classroom. Just as an artist uses a paintbrush to create beautiful paintings, teachers help students shape their learning and express their ideas. The paintbrush, to me, symbolizes how teaching is a creative process. Each student is given the tools to learn, grow, and express themselves in their own way. The patience and guidance my mother showed me are what I hope to give my students.

The paintbrush is a powerful metaphor for teaching because, just like an artist uses a brush to mix colors and create art, a teacher works with many students, each with different strengths and backgrounds. In this metaphor, the different colors of paint represent the diversity in the classroom. Some students may need extra guidance, while others are more independent. A teacher, like a paintbrush, helps blend these different colors into a learning environment where all students contribute something special.

Teaching is also about giving students the tools they need to shape their future, just as a paintbrush helps an artist bring an idea to life. The teacher is there to guide and support, but students must take their own steps to learn and grow. This process of mixing ideas, helping students understand concepts, and supporting their creativity is what makes the paintbrush the perfect metaphor for teaching.

“My metaphor for teaching has changed. initially, I chose an iPad because I was absent for the first class and was unsure about the concept of a metaphor for teaching. After reflecting, I decided to change my metaphor to a paintbrush, as it better represents my teaching philosophy.”

As part of our EDUC 394 course, we visited the Prince George Public Library to explore the concept of place-based learning. Learning doesn’t only happen in classrooms; it comes from the people we meet, the land we live on, and the places we visit. In my personal experience, I’ve learned many things by living in different places, India, the UAE, and now Canada. Each country has given me the opportunity to learn about its unique culture, language, and laws. Living in these places also allowed me to meet people with diverse knowledge and perspectives.

I’ve observed how politics works differently in each country. For example, India is a democratic country, while the UAE is ruled by the kings of each emirate. In Canada, a federal system gives each province its own rules, which feels somewhat like the UAE but without a monarchy. I’ve also seen how different countries address global issues like climate change, with each using unique strategies to combat it. These experiences have also taught me about education systems, safety measures, advancements in technology, and the role of science in daily life.

Similarly, visiting the Prince George Public Library gave me the chance to learn how public libraries are structured and how they contribute to building knowledge. Libraries provide a calm, peaceful space where we can read and explore various topics. Growing up in a rural area in India, I didn’t have the opportunity to use a public library. The one was far away, and transportation was a challenge. Even when I visited, the library was noisy and not ideal for focused reading.

When I walked into the library here, I thought about how fortunate people are to have such a resource nearby. A library is more than just a collection of books, it’s a place where people can relax with their favorite stories, find professional resources, explore new ideas and take a break from traditional classrooms. As an educator, I believe it’s my responsibility to build awareness about the value of libraries as reading is a critical skill that builds knowledge, helps us think critically, and exposes us to diverse worldviews. Encouraging students to use this resource can help them develop reading habits, expand their knowledge, and become well-rounded individuals. It also improves storytelling abilities and creates opportunities to connect with like-minded individuals who share a love for books. 

Personally, I enjoy sitting in the library, surrounded by books. The calm environment helps me focus and complete my work productively, which is why I often visit the UNBC library to study. These visits make me more productive and keep away from distractions. I’m not someone who enjoys reading on gadgets, I love the smell of paper. 

Place-based learning reminds us that knowledge isn’t confined to classrooms. By exploring libraries, museums, and other community spaces, we can gain new perspectives, broaden our understanding, and develop skills that make us lifelong learners.

“Nature as a Teacher: Reflecting on Land-Based Learning”

In our EDUC 394 course, we visited Cottonwood Park as part of a land-based learning experience. While there, we developed a lesson plan on climate education that focused on the big idea that human practices affect the sustainability of ecosystems. Our guiding questions was: What impacts have humans had on the land? To engage students, we decided to organize a nature walk where they observe and record human impacts on the environment. They work in small groups with specific roles—reporter, recorder, and facilitator—and share their findings through words or drawings.

This experience of teaching while being in nature was eye-opening. I realized that the land itself plays an active role in shaping how we learn and teach. Observing elements such as litter around dustbins or the structure of bridges led to meaningful discussions about human impacts on the environment. The land provided real-life examples that enhanced the lesson, making abstract concepts like environmental sustainability more tangible for students.

One key takeaway for me was how powerful land-based pedagogy can be. When students are actively engaging with the environment, they can connect more deeply with the lessons being taught. Instead of simply learning about human impacts in a classroom, students could see and interact with those impacts firsthand, which made the learning experience more impactful and memorable. This hands-on, real-world connection is a vital part of land-based learning and something I plan to incorporate into my future teaching.

Reflecting on this experience also made me appreciate Indigenous perspectives on the land. Indigenous peoples see the land as a living entity with its own knowledge, and this approach aligns with the way we used the land as a teacher during our lesson. I am inspired to learn more about how I can integrate Indigenous knowledge into my teaching to offer a deeper, more respectful connection to the land for my students.

Looking ahead, I am excited to explore more ways to use land-based pedagogy in subjects like math. By using nature as a source of learning, I hope to create meaningful and engaging lessons that inspire students to think more critically about the world around them.