Educators contribute to the profession.
I think I got very lucky to take so many great opportunities to develop myself as an educator and member of the educational community. My parents always told me “Victoria, you have to take every opportunity that is given to you. It will help you grow and develop a better understanding of the world.” To this day I follow my parents’ advice and I take opportunities, but not only to grow but also to give to education.
I was a part of the ASSAI program where I assisted the YOGA teacher and students in the afterschool activity. It was a challenging and short experience but I enjoyed spending time with children, seeing how different they are and how much they went through. I felt for each child and only showed them the support that they needed.
I was a member of the Education Club at UNBC as a Member at Large. I attended and participated in meetings, gave suggestions and helped to make decisions. It was unfortunate that due to Covid-19 we were not able to meet in person, as it was much easier to communicate that way than on Zoom. However, I am glad we were still able to connect.
During my last practicum, I participated in SOGI club meetings which were big eye-opening to me not only as an educator but also as a human. I have realized with the help of intermediate students how they feel and who they prefer to be and called. From the first meeting, I started to work on what words and pronouns to use when I talk to others. To say the least- it is not as easy as I thought, but I can’t be selfish so I will continue working on that.