School is tough when students get bullied and I was one of those students. The teacher that helped me through the difficult times was one that gave me an opportunity to be part of a classroom that was welcoming and where expectations for all students were the same. The high expectations of the classroom community helped foster a communal learning environment in which helping each other was absolutely necessary to make the class successful. At the same time this teacher gave his students freedom to participate in as many or as little class activities because the amount of effort you put into the class is the amount of learning you will leave with. This Rec Leadership class was the first of its kind at my high school and my mentor built it from scratch, which made it an honour to be a part of because he hand picked his first batch of students who would be the test group. I returned to the class four years after graduation to be a volunteer chaperone on their year end white water rafting trip and it was a very emotional trip for my mentor and myself because his class had come full circle with a student from the beginning and his current learners. This was a fantastic learning opportunity for me because I was able to speak to and learn about what the grade 12’s were able to take from this class into the world of post secondary and their futures.
My Metaphor – A farmer
I chose a farmer as my metaphor because farmers are an integral part of communities just like teachers are. Farmers work together just as educators work with each other and their departments to ensure success. Farmers provide nourishment for growth in the way of food which translates to teachers providing knowledge for learners brains to grow. Farmers also face a wide range of diversity in the conditions they are given to farm and the amount of care required to grow animals and crops. This piece directly relates to students varying abilities in the classroom. Overall, It is like a circle, the animals provide nourishment for the land and crops and the crops provide an essential source for the animals. The educators provide for the learners and the learners also provide for the educators, it is a constant circle of learning.
