Many things happen in a day. There’s so much we want to say, but so little time to say it. The moments that go into the school day - they are more than just time slots, childcare, and subjects of study. They are, honestly, our world. We reflect on them, we draw meaning out of them, and we strive to constantly build better ones. We continuously replay them in our minds, and use them to fuel us further. Being right there, on the front lines, while your child overcomes challenges, strives to do better, takes ownership over their choices, discovers something new, or shines in a way that naturally complements their uniqueness and personal qualities - these moments are what we live for, what we work hard for, and what we believe in. They are us. So, to better get to know ‘us’, your teachers, the team you trust to teach your child, wrote out our thoughts about teaching. First, we wrote them separately, and then brought them together to create this post. Here’s how it turned out. Sincerely, Your Via Vita Teachers Adele, Alicia, Meghan, Ryan, Yolanda, & Zoe Year II I choose to teach your child because I choose to keep learning, and since they want to keep learning too, we make a great team. I want them to realize how fun learning can be. I love to be curious with them, explore with them, investigate with them, and create with them. I choose to teach because I want guide your child in discovering who they are, and to help them to see their worth both as a learner and as people.
The reward I get from my job as your child's teacher is a daily surprise--sometimes the reward is laughter, sometimes it's a shared eureka, sometimes it's a double high-five out in the backyard. It is getting to continue learning right along with them everyday! It is getting to watch as they transform and overcome obstacles that they never thought possible. When I see your child smile… it warms my heart that they are building a positive relationship with school and learning. When I see your child smile, it sparks an already familiar feeling: being in the right school, for the right reasons. When I see your child smile, it helps to remind me why I chose this profession. When I see your child struggle, I step into the role of co-pilot; I'm not there to fly them around of their struggle like an avoidable detour, but rather, to help them through their struggle, mostly by reminding them that they're not alone. I work with them to build their own understanding and help them create meaning in the challenges they face. When I see your child struggle I know that I must work extra hard to help them to see their own value and to believe in their ability to overcome any obstacle. What gives me joy every day is to be part of a school that feels ever more like a big family that's addicted to learning. It is to see students come back each and every day excited to learn and do more than they did yesterday. It is watching students help each other, spread kindness, and form lasting bonds. What pushes me to keep going when the going gets hard is a penchant for perseverance, which I aim to inspire in my students every day. What keeps me going is knowing that we are teaching students to love learning so that they want to continue it throughout their lives. It is knowing that I have the unique opportunity to influence the life of a child in a positive way, and that in return they may influence others in a positive way. What I love seeing every day happen at Via Vita is our Morning Meetings: a daily gathering, co-hosted by students, where we table discussions about how we're doing as a community, and how we can do even better. What I love seeing everyday happen at Via Vita is, honestly, the learning! It is fluid, looks different each day, and happens differently for each student. I love seeing the wonderful mentorship fostered between older and younger students and the multi-age bonds that are created. The students really are like one big family. The difference I already notice in one month is the amount of support I get from our students, regardless of the task at hand. They are ready and willing to help, and I am constantly encouraged by their will to build a culture of cooperation in our school. In just one month, I notice is the significant increase in confidence and leadership skills for so many of the students. I notice how supportive and accepting everyone is of each other. Some of us have only known each other for a short time but it already feels like family.
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Please welcome our guest blogger, Ms. Kaylea. She joined us for a day last week to observe our teachers, gather ideas, and learn what we do! As a teacher in a small school as well, Ms. Kaylea was hoping to gain insight into how she might be able to apply some of our philosophies to benefit her students. We were overjoyed to offer Ms. Kaylea some professional development that she could immediately apply to her own teaching. After her visit, she wrote us this little note to post on our blog. that we were eager to share with you! Enjoy the read! Hi! My name is Kaylea and I am a classroom teacher at a small school in rural Nova Scotia. I am currently teaching a class of students from grade primary to grade three. I contacted Adele for the opportunity to visit Via Vita Academy to learn how they run their multiage classrooms.
When I walked into the school I was greeted by the warm, smiling faces of the staff members. I could tell right away that they were oozing with passion as they engaged with students and parents. We started the day with a morning meeting. All teachers should run their mornings this way! There is a bullet point agenda written by the students on the front board. What makes it unique is that every person has an opportunity to add their thoughts, ideas and concerns to the agenda. I noticed immediately that teachers didn't have to waste time ordering students to pay attention and listen to one another. I couldn't help but smile while I watched all of the students sitting around comfortably. After we sang Oh Canada every student dispersed and knew exactly where to go and what to do. While I floated around for the day, I was able to see students bake, do yoga, read, write, complete individualized math activities and work on their term projects. I had the pleasure of watching a presentation from a student in grade 8, a theatre class, chore time AND I enjoyed delicious cupcakes to celebrate the April birthdays! I was amazed by the teachers’ abilities to question. They let their students draw their own conclusions and only ask more questions to allow them to dive deeper into their thinking. It made me realize how much more questioning I could be doing in my own classroom! As a public school teacher visiting Via Vita Academy, I left the school feeling jealous but also inspired. They're on to some big things and will be graduating students who will be ready for life beyond school. I can't thank the staff and students of this wonderful school enough for the inspirational experience! Please welcome our newest member to the Via Vita team - Ms. Yolanda McLean! We are excited to announce the hiring of Ms. Yolanda and formally welcome her to the Via Vita family. She has been working with us now since mid-January and is already deep into new projects with her students, while quickly getting to know each family. Please take a read and learn about her first week observing the busy halls of Via Vita. We are lucky to have such a passionate and caring educator join our school! Photo: Ms. Yolanda posing for a picture with her students in Kisii, Kenya. The words “Via Vita”, meaning way of life, fully encompasses what I have observed student’s experiencing during my first week here at Via Vita Academy. Walking through the doors on my first day, I saw students busy working together with the support of their teachers, encouraging them along the way.
The community built inside this small school is like nothing I have ever experienced in a school before. Seeing students supporting one another throughout the day - during a math activity, learning a new sport, standing up in front of others, opening a snack, putting on boots - honestly, the whole day - it warmed my heart. These kids have learned the skills to to speak up for themselves, motivate each other, and help others through tough times. They've really created a feeling of safety and acceptance. What strikes me the most about this environment is really getting to see how much each child cares deeply for each other. In such small class sizes, these students accept one another for who they really are, the things that they have in common and even more so, the things that make them different and unique. The feeling I got from working with the students was that they could feel more relaxed and free to make mistakes and take risks because they were not being judged. Their engagement and attitude is fantastic! They create questions, find information on the topic and teach the class. Seeing the students take the lead in their learning is inspirational! Their curiosities are explored and they have the opportunity to see their own success. As a teacher, I feel that students having a blend of responsibility and independence are necessary to develop confidence and a desire for individual growth. Students at Via Vita are given this responsibility through every day. Older and younger students are paired together to help clean the school and work in buddies throughout the week. Seeing older students being so compassionate with younger children’s needs during break times, outings, in the kitchen or during chores reminds me why I love teaching so much. These younger students see the older students as role models and love getting to spend time with them, while the older students gain a multitude of skills that are so difficult to teach. It's a great balance and support network for all students involved. From my observation, Via Vita is fostering a learning environment where students can feel safe to be themselves while continuing to challenge themselves each day to grow and develop. The skills these students are learning will help them not only today, or throughout their schooling, but for the rest of their lives. There are so many responsible, kind and inquisitive young minds at work at Via Vita and I’m so excited I get to be a part of it! |
Welcome to Our BlogEach post is written by a supportive member of Via Vita Academy, be it a teacher, parent, student, community member, who is invested in the topic of education. Take a read and comment below! Archives
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