I began the Provincial Instructor Diploma Progam in September 2018, not really knowing what to expect. Over the past 9 months, beyond meeting alot of great people, I have been able to participate in a wide variety of experiences from the perspective of a student, many of which will impact my future teaching. For some of these experiences, I have been more of a “fly on the wall”, imagining things from the instructor perspective such as when students did not take note of due dates or contact the instructor about late assignments. I have also appreciated being able to witness the delight of an instructor when a class activity went well or when the instructor indicated that they had learned something new as well.
I have also experienced things purely as a student…frustration at changes in assignment or inconsistencies between the course website and the material provided in class…or that feeling of disappointment at a mark or comment. I recall students telling me that “this grade isn’t fair…I worked really hard on that assignment” and my reply being that the grade isn’t for effort, but for meeting the criteria. And yet, I found that I experienced that same sentiment of feeling that my grade didn’t match the investment of my time or effort.
However despite a disappointment or two, I have thoroughly enjoyed being able to experience things from the student perspective again. PIDP 3260: Professional Practice is my final PIDP course before the capstone. I look forward to completing this leg of the journey and then starting out on the next one, although I’m not sure what the next destination will be. 