Most issues of Global Connections highlight the experiences of OCENET international students studying in OCDSB schools or educators participating in one of OCENET’s teacher training programs.
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Lidia
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A vice principal in Ferrol, Lidia is currently a teacher of English for advanced students at an Official School of Languages. During her time at OCDSB schools she had the opportunity to observe classrooms at Henry Munro MS, Gloucester HS and Colonel By SS. In the many classes she attended she saw the ways in which OCDSB educators teach ESL, English, Spanish, Core French, among other subject areas. She found the teachers at all three schools she visited to be welcoming and helpful, and was particularly interested in strategies teachers used, including games, to motivate their students. She definitely will use many of the pedagogical techniques she observed in her own teaching in Spain. She also observed that she was surprised to find the Canadian system tends to allow teachers more flexibility than in Spain..
“I wanted to learn about the educational system in Canada and was interested in the different types of schools. All the lessons I attended were highly enriching and will help me with my teaching methods in the future..”
- Lidia, vice principal and teacher from Galicia
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Arcadio
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Arcadio hails from Ourense, but is currently working in A Coruña, a beautiful port city in the northwest of Galicia. At his school in Spain, Arcadio teaches Ethics, Philosophy and Psychology to students from Grades 7-12. During his time in the Ottawa area, Arcadio attended Bell High School and observed Grade 7-12 classes in a wide range of subject areas, including ESL, French Immersion, Music, Arts, English Politics and Science. He was very appreciative of all the teachers at Bell HS, and especially the mentorship of immersion teacher, Allison Fuisz. He applied to attend OCENET”s teacher training program to improve his English language skills and learn new teaching methodologies. He finds that Canadian teachers have more autonomy in the classroom than in Spain. He very much enjoys Ottawa and its diverse population.
“I have learned some practices to foster a creative environment and an effective partnership between teacher and students that supports students’ leadership through deep learning tasks.”
- Arcadio, teacher from Galicia
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Auria
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A teacher of adult students in a large language school in Galicia, Auria was assigned to observe at Brookfield HS and was notably impressed by the ways in which her mentor teacher, Michael Kellerman, motivated his students in his English classes. She also appreciated the opportunities to visit ESL and French classes. In the second part of her placement she attended ESL classes comprised of students new to Canada and also saw how language classes could effectively be taught through online instruction. She feels she learned more skills about how to be an empathetic and effective teacher. One big difference she noted is that Spanish language instruction is more focussed on content and correct grammar whereas Canadian language teachers stressed skills and applying the language. Auria wishes to return to Ottawa again.
“It is great to see what other educators are doing in other places doing different things and how they deal with other realities. This experience has been important for my professional development.”
- Auria, teacher from Galicia
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