My first day at Practicum feels like stepping into a whirlwind of energy and incredible momentum that has been brewing for 4 months. I can easily see all of the work and management that the team has done to arrive at this point – schedules that seem second nature to them, descriptions of children, problem-solving when wires and meetings cross. I am elated – there are many things happening here and I cannot wait to delve in and be a part of it!
Before my site supervisor arrives, I introduce myself to the Maureen and Robin at the front desk. They are very friendly and offer to help me if I need anything. I describe how my practicum came to be and they are very excited about the idea of dancing – they say the children really need that.
Dr. Lisa Gunderson (from here on in, Lisa!) is phenomenal! She has her eye on 18 balls and she throws in humour that makes me relax and smile. By the time we get to the third hour I realize I am only just beginning to understand the scope of what she is orchestrating. Our team has given her the capability to reach students and staff in a meaningful way. This is not an 8-month project. It is a long-term commitment to true and honest support in a vibrant and loving community.
Lisa describes the immense pressure the school is under to bring up literacy skills and she speaks to the work that the team is doing with the children and how to be aware of what the teachers are trying to do – how do we make our work support theirs and still do our work? One of the members relays a story about using the mini trampoline with a child and counting jumps forward and backward – it augmented the math class they had to leave – what a great way to improvise and work in the moment!
The school staff have told Lisa they do not know the team very well – they feel we are hidden in the storage closet – she would like us to take turns spending time in the lunch room, talking with others. We are to write a short bio with our photo.
I have been assigned 6 children – I am not 100% sure what this entails, however Chantal and Emily have been super supportive in painting a picture of what they do. I met Amanda first thing in the morning and she shared her experiences in such a positive way, my anxiety around being ‘good enough’ to work one-on-one with children began to melt away.
A major concern with one child based on a drawing, past experiences, and challenges at home required a lot of discussion in the meeting. I really appreciated how Lisa asked every one of us to look at the drawing (Val, special ed. teacher had taken a photo with her phone). Everyone contributed ideas to the interpretation and understanding of what might be going on. I was thrilled to see CYC values in action! There were no assumptions made and ideas were accepted, worked with, and used as information. Lisa’s modeling of showing respect for the team’s ideas and work made me feel strong and grounded – like I was in the right place.
In the afternoon we observed a Social Thinking class for the grade 4/5 students. The class was split into 2 groups to make the Social Thinking training more manageable. The teacher is from Little Steps, described on the Victoria Chamber of Commerce website as,
Little Steps Therapy Services Ltd can help you with assessment, treatment and intervention planning for individuals with a variety of learning and developmental challenges.
An interdisciplinary team works together to meet the needs of the individual to enable optimal communication, self-regulation, motor skills and learning within their daily environment. (http://www.victoriachamber.ca/Health-Medical-Services/Little-Steps-Therapy-Services-Ltd-4189)
I appreciated the Little Steps instructor’s focus on the program he was implemented. One part of his lesson included charades, and the children were very engaged with the game and one another – it was terrific to see! I was disappointed when I observed the teacher missing key opportunities to work with the children on ideas and scenarios relevant to them – they brought them up in their descriptions of reactions to photos (he presented them based on the ‘see, listen, think = smart guess’ model) that were presented. I also recognize he was being watched by 9 adults – that has got to be nerve wracking to say the least!
After watching 2 classes, we debriefed with Lisa to confirm our Mon. and Tues. times to take the Social Thinking training – we will team teach other classes based on what we learn from him and from observing, and we confirmed caseloads. I forgot to mention – Nichola, a student from City University is working on her Master’s in clinical counseling and she is also a part of the team.