Pursuing a Bachelor's in Education at St Francis Xavier University
How are you getting on at StFX?
I love the university and the community here in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. I decided to do my Bachelor of Education at StFX after finishing my Bachelor of Human Kinetics here this year. Students develop fantastic relationships with professors and the connections you make at this little university are endless!
What have been the highlights and challenges so far?
Being able to maintain a full course load on top of extra-curricular activities is still challenging, even though I did it throughout high school. One highlight was getting my X-Ring. This is a special graduation tradition for all StFX students, with parents invited. The ceremony was so meaningful.
Do you feel DAA prepared you well for university?
It definitely prepared me for my core classes and even though I took only a few IB courses, I found the high school-level classes still prepared me for what I wanted to do. I understood the core material and had the learning skills necessary to be successful.
You got to meet 2017 Global Teacher Prize winner Maggie MacDonnell – how was that?
Listening to her speak was amazing. She started the presentation by asking, “How could a gym teacher be worth a million dollars?” But after sharing her story and all the work she has done for so many communities, it was very understandable and she was truly inspirational. Maggie really emphasised how building interpersonal relationships with your students is crucial for them to be engaged and make real-life connections that help to prepare them for life outside school. The part that I loved most – with physical education being my teachable subject – is how getting to know your students, and making PE applicable to what they like, will keep them engaged in physical activity for the rest of their lives.
What are your aspirations for the future?
I hope to teach internationally after I complete my Bachelor of Education in 2021. I loved growing up overseas and being a Third Culture Kid, and I hope to continue to grow and develop and practice my profession in global environments. I am so excited to teach PE – I hope to bring a new and fun pedagogical approach, all while being inclusive and generating a safe learning environment for my students to maximise their physical fitness and understanding of physical literacy.
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