Teaching Experience
Neepawa Area Collegiate Institute - John Hodge (Music Director)
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My first student teaching placement took place at Neepawa Area Collegiate Institute with the amazing John Hodge. During my time at NACI, I was able to help Mr. Hodge with various ensembles ranging from grade 6-12 in preparation for their final spring concert. In addition to the concert bands and jazz band, I was also able to assist with and participate in the pit band for their school musical "Once on this Island".
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" Alyssa has approached her placement with professionalism and dedication. She is well-organized and prepared for every lesson."
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"Her ability to detect and remedy musical errors with a variety of strategies, and to give accurate, relevant and constructive feedback to students has improved and will continue to develop..."
"Alyssa has a good personality in front of the class, especially for the younger students, and her ability to use humour and to relate to students personally will serve her well."
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-- Barbara Dowsett (faculty advisor)
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Sisler High School - Alexis Silver (Music Director)
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My second student teaching placement was at Sisler High School with Alexis Silver. I taught concert band, jazz band, and drama for grades 9-12. This placement occurred during the pandemic which caused me to learn many skills such as teaching ukulele, flexibility/adaptability, assessment strategies, and more. Most of all, I learned about my own values and philosophies as a teacher as well as an awareness of my pedagogical strengths and areas to improve.
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"Alyssa has all the qualities of a very good music educator. Her musical knowledge and personal qualities are consistently displayed in every class I observed. She has shown herself to be receptive to new ideas and more than willing to put in the effort to plan her lessons with careful attention to detail. Having witnessed her at work with the students at Sisler High School, I have complete confidence that Alyssa will do well in this profession."
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-- Stewart Smith (faculty advisor)
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​École Leila North Community School - Pam Godfredsen (Phys. Ed/Classroom TAA Teacher)
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My third student teaching placement was at Leila North School with Pam Godfredsen. I taught gym and TAA (shops) class to grades 6-8 students. This placement pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to explore different ways of teaching, especially due to how I was teaching a brand new subject. My CT created a shops class for photography, sustainability, and sustainable wildlife. I was able to gain knowledge on a new subject as well as learn how to create course content from scratch in collaboration with my CT.
" Alyssa has shown great enthusiasm and passion for teaching and learning in her practicum block at Leila North. She has gained an excellent reputation with staff and students alike as an amazing student teacher!
She has the ability to assess and evaluate her own lessons and make any adjustments needed whether it be during the lesson or for the next lesson. She critically thinks about each step of her lesson while she is planning it as well as while the lesson is going on. This has helped her to adapt lessons for different classes and different groups of students allowing learning for all learners.
Alyssa uses a variety of teaching methods including written, visual, physical etc. This is especially important in the courses she is teaching, using a hands-on approach and recognizing that all students learn in different ways."
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-- Pam Godfredsen & Eva Brown (Co-operating teacher/faculty advisor)