Weytk! My name is Bram Walker, and I am a Teacher Candidate in Thompson Rivers University’s Bachelor of Education program.
Working in childcare is an incredibly fulfilling experience, because each day your objective is to make a positive impact on the children that you work with. In some cases, I have been a part of cases where children with different diagnoses have made incredible progress in their socialization skills and ability to collaborate with others. These cases are incredibly validating, because unlike in some jobs there is a reward that goes beyond a paycheck and a sense that you are making a small, but positive impact on society.
I currently work at BGC (formerly Boys and Girls Club) Kamloops, and have worked with them for two years in their after school program as well as in their yearly summer camp. At BGC, I have worked with children in grades K-7 who come from different backgrounds and cultures.
I believe that my experience with BGC has prepared me in many ways for becoming a teacher. In my job I am constantly running activities, implementing them, working with parents, dealing with conflicts, and engaging in group/classroom management. While my position at BGC definitely does not prepare me for 100% of what being an elementary teacher entails, it has given me time to work on a lot of skills that a teacher requires to be an effective educator. In my future practica in the Bachelor of Education program, I look forward to working on some of the skills that my work does not involve, such as teaching the curriculum and assessing.
Other previous experiences I have had working with school-aged children include volunteering in a classroom at St. Ann’s Academy and working as a science camp counsellor in high school. My experience at St. Ann’s was very eye opening, because although I had worked with elementary-aged children in high school, it was my first time in an elementary classroom since I was in elementary school myself.
Since then, I have had my first practicum in the first year of my program. I learned a lot during this experience about classroom management and routines, as well as effective ways to deliver content and assess. Once again, I really look forward to my future practica to get more hands-on experience with what it is like to run a classroom.
Academically, I am very drawn to English and Social Studies as subjects. I am very interested in History in particular because of the stories and exploration of a constant human nature throughout time. Even more specifically I enjoy ancient Sumerian and Egyptian History because of the element of mystery that is involved in our current knowledge of the dawn of civilization and the written word. I also love Roman, Mesoamerican, Medieval European, and Japanese history.
My hobbies include travelling, music, film, and especially hiking and being in nature. I am not the fastest or most experienced hiker in the world, but I enjoy challenging myself and I am looking forward to climbing Mt. Fuji this summer.
As I continue in the Bachelor of Education program, I eagerly anticipate further growth and the opportunity to merge my academic experiences with practical teaching experiences to become the best teacher that I can be.