From your lived Educational and/or Practicum Experiences explain a social factor that impacted you. by

jholmes20 — 2025-01-13 02:43:46 UTC

A Social Factor in My Practicum Experience

2025-01-13 17:07:57 UTC

From my lived educational and/or practicum experiences, a social factor I have identified and deemed vital is the "Teacher". From the beginning of my placement, my MT has established an engaging and inclusive culture in the classroom, allowing for all members to participate actively and feel seen and hear in a safe space. I am very lucky and fortunate to now be a part of that environment, learning from my MT and seeking her guidance on a weekly basis. An educator can have wondrous influence on the life of a student, a social factor that has been so prominent through out the course of my life.

David C

Cultural Conformity

2025-01-13 17:11:22 UTC

Cultural conformity impacted me during school by pressuring me to downplay my Middle Eastern identity to fit into my community. I often felt compelled to suppress aspects of my culture, such as my language, traditions, and experiences, to avoid being subjected to hurtful stereotypes. This need to conform not only led to a sense of isolation but also made it difficult to embrace my identity fully, highlighting how cultural conformity can stifle individuality and create barriers to authentic self-expression in educational spaces.

Tiana

Secondary Socialization

2025-01-13 17:38:38 UTC

A social factor that has impacted me from my lived educational and/or practicum experiences is secondary socialization. As a child, I was influenced by secondary socialization when associating with other students and teachers. As a student teacher, I am learning new forms of secondary socialization in the role of a teacher. Both experiences have presented me with different thoughts and opinions on how the class is structured.

- Serena

Behavioural Conformity

2025-01-13 18:43:10 UTC

A social factor that impacted me during my practicum experiences is behavioural conformity, particularly in how students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds adhere to or resist classroom norms. In both the public high school and elementary school settings in which my practicums take place, I have observed that students' behaviours were shaped by their home environments, which influenced their interactions with peers and authority figures. Students from lower-income families might display challenging behaviours due to external stressors, like food insecurity or unstable home lives, while others may adhere more closely to classroom rules as a way to seek structure or approval.

Despina

Practicum Experience

2025-01-13 19:20:28 UTC

During my practicum experience, I saw how my teacher's approach to creating a supportive and inclusive environment impacts student engagement. When students feel safe in their learning environment, they are more willing to participate in classroom activities and discussions. My MT uses student-centred learning approaches and makes students feel valued which encourages participation. Being in a positive and inclusive classroom where students feel more comfortable and confident in their learning helps me as a practicing teacher feel confident that the students will want to participate and have a discussion based on my lessons. Overall, my MT is setting a great example for me as her teaching methods helped me better understand that teachers shape not just the academic outcomes, but also the social dynamics within the classroom, which is a key idea that we have been discussing throughout this course.

- Olivia C

Conformity

2025-01-13 21:27:02 UTC

I went to a faith based elementary and secondary school. For the most part, I was expected to conform in terms of my belief system. With the exception of a couple of teachers, I was not encouraged, or even "allowed" to challenge or question the faith tradition. There were a few teachers who supported analysis, critical thinking, and questioning. Within the Christian community (who sent their children to the faith based school) there was an accepted way of being which rested on obedience and agreement.

Willem

Behavioural Conformity

2025-01-14 04:03:56 UTC

The social factor that has impacted me the most in my practicum is behavioural conformity. It is a part of socialization that focuses on the self-regulations of the student that is needed to fit into the school environment. For example, all the students need to raise their hand before speaking.

I have noticed that in my practicum experience, there are many factors that influence how the students behave and act towards others. For example, my mentor teacher teaches gym, the students are not in a traditional class setting with desks, chairs, and facing a board. They are encouraged to move around and interact with their classmates. Students tend to feed off of each other’s energies. If one student is being disruptive, interrupting others/myself/my mentor teacher, not paying attention, most of the time their friends will do the same. My mentor teacher has a lot of experience, she handles the situations perfectly and I have learned a lot from her.

I also notice that based on how those in authoritative positions act, it influences the student’s behaviours. Most of the time, when teachers come into the classroom enthusiastic, energetic, engaging, helpful, and welcoming, students’ behaviours are more positive. They participate more, are more attentive, do well in the class, and create a positive relationship with the teacher. When the teacher is monotone, low energy, doesn’t engage the class, doesn’t provide the best help, and is not welcoming, students’ behaviours are more negative. For example, when I was in high school, my gym teachers were my favourite, I loved going to class. They always greeted me when I entered the gym, always created a safe environment for everyone, & made sure we were prepared for every lesson.

Vanessa R

2025-01-14 14:45:53 UTC

One of the main social factors that affected me during my practicum at Urban Squash Toronto was seeing how socioeconomic status affects education. Although many students had to deal with obstacles including restricted access to resources and outside influences, their tenacity and resolve demonstrated how crucial fair support networks are to their success. - JASKARAN

2025-01-16 14:14:06 UTC

I was influenced by cultural conformity growing up. I attended a predominantly Caucasian school, and most of my friends were white. As a child who is half white and half Middle Eastern, I often felt the pressure to identify as just white in order to fit in with my friend group. Cultural conformity is definitely a significant issue in schools, and it can strip students like myself of their cultural identity and connection to their heritage.

-Jacob

A social factor that impacted me

2025-01-19 20:11:18 UTC

A social factor that impacted me was peer acceptance and belonging. As a child, I often felt insecure about fitting in due to differences in appearance and interests, which made me hesitant to engage in class activities. This affected my confidence until I later realized its impact.

During my practicum, I observed similar struggles in students who felt like outsiders, often leading to low self-esteem and disengagement. This highlighted the importance of an inclusive school environment where all students feel valued, as peer relationships greatly affect a child's sense of belonging.

Yashna

Claudia Chiodo

2025-01-20 18:20:22 UTC

Behavioural Conformity is a social factor that has affected me most in my practicum experience. Throughout my experience, i have noticed that the most challenging aspect for teachers, especially in Catholic or more traditional educational settings, is to have a set idea of how students should behave. This idea is displayed through values such as respect, order, and discipline, but can sometimes ignore the complex, individual needs of the students themselves. There’s a tendency to assume that all students will behave according to the same social standards without taking their backgrounds, emotional needs, or personal struggles into consideration.