Michelle Conway's Grade 2 class having a boogie moment during the morning 'Say Hello' song.--NEWS PHOTO SAMANTHA JOHNSON
reporter@medicinehatnews.com
In Michelle Conway’s class at Webster Niblock School, the Grade 2s begin the day at the table of their choice doing different activities.
“When the kids arrive, we do a soft start,” explained Conway. “We have a breakfast program at our schools, so lots of kids go and get breakfast. It’s a way to transition to our day in a welcoming and comfortable way for them.”
Conway has been teaching since 1996 and been at Niblock since 2012.
“I moved to Medicine Hat in 2008 and I was at Riverside for my first four years.’
She specialized in kindergarten to Grade 3 and did lots of early intervention and kindergarten before asking to move up to a higher grade. She is now in her third year of teaching Grade 2.
Grade 2 milestones are around becoming more independent with reading and writing, along with improvement in math skills. Conway’s favourite part of each year is seeing the growth in each child. By midway through the year, she starts to see significant increase in skill level in all areas and it all culminates with the students ready to move onto the next grade by year end.
“As a teacher, you are always learning yourself. Things change in education, methods change, curriculum changes, but the fundamentals of teaching don’t change. I think what we need to be consistent with is making those connections with the kids and providing a welcoming environment, and try to demonstrate to the kids what they are learning and how to make it meaningful for them.
“The other thing for teachers is to realize you are not super-human, you are a real person with a family and you have to keep your expectations for yourself and your time in check so you don’t burn out, because then you are no good to anyone. That’s always been a challenging part of the job.”
Conway was at the school this past Sunday for close to three hours. She will sometimes use the timer on her phone to remind herself it’s time to leave or even set a bedtime for herself to ensure she gets much needed rest.
“I think most educators are dedicated and passionate about learning, so you really do have to set those limits for yourself. ”
There is only so much time for talking to a teacher within an active Grade 2 class and Conway needed to answer questions and take attendance. She gave each child her undivided attention and calm understanding. After attendance and classroom cleanup from the starting activity, the class enthusiastically gathered in the corner for the morning song and story time.
