Jessica Smith

D-098 4501 37th St. N.W. Calgary, Alberta T2L 2J5

1(250) 443-9387
jjsmit@ucalgary.ca

Teaching Philosophy

Teacher’s hold within their hands the ability to help develop the minds of tomorrow, and to
empower students to enact meaningful change. I believe students learn best through authentic,
inquiry based learning, which allows them to construct knowledge in their own unique way.
Therefore, I will strive to always put my students and their learning needs first by designing a
learning environment that allows students to learn through questioning and investigating the
world around them, using skills applicable in the real world. Students learn in different ways and
at different rates. Therefore, I will ensure differentiated instruction for the various learners in my
classroom. Additionally, I believe it is crucial to design ample formative feedback loops
throughout my lessons and units, including assessment for and as learning, in order to ensure that
all learners are at the desired level of understanding. If learners are not I am then able to adjust
my instruction accordingly. Assessment for and as learning will always be of the utmost
importance in my classroom.

Practicum Experience

Grade 9, Grade 10, and Grade 11 Social Studies Practicum Teacher

W.G. Murdoch School, Crossfield, Alberta November 2017 April 2017

 Formed trusting and professional student-teacher relationships that allowed for an

understanding the unique and diverse personalities, learning styles, and needs of students,
and for the appropriate adjustment of instruction to fit individual needs.
 Facilitated respectful, cooperative learning environments.
 Assisted in the coaching of the Junior Varsity Girls Basketball team.
 Participated in professional learning days.
 Designed, planned and implemented a unit for social studies 9 covering the Canadian
Charter of Rights and Freedoms and Canada’s immigration system.
 Designed, planned, and implemented a unit for social studies 20-1 covering
internationalism, focusing on foreign policy, responses to the international community,
challenges to internationalism and contemporary global issues.
 Facilitated respectful and insightful class discussions on various subjects including
current events, residential schools, and doctor assisted suicide.
 Designed and marked numerous assignments at each grade level in order to gain a
thorough understanding of the process of creating assignment rubrics and making a
reasoned judgement using said rubrics.
Grade 12 Social Studies Practicum Teacher
Notre Dame High School, Calgary Alberta March 2016 – April 2016

 Formed trusting and professional student-teacher relationships that allowed for an

understanding the unique and diverse personalities, learning styles, and needs of various
students, and for the appropriate adjustment of instruction to fit individual needs.
 Facilitated respectful, cooperative learning environment.
 Planned and implemented a range of lessons that explored a number of concepts
including the Cold War and its relationship to and effect on Liberalism, societies
changing views on Liberalism, and preparing for source analysis on diploma exams.
 Marked minor assignments to gain an understanding of the process required to make a
reasoned judgment such as that.
 Developed useful strategies for facilitating effective classroom management.

Education

Bachelor of Education 2015 - 2018

Werklund School of Education
University of Calgary
Specialization: Secondary Social Studies

Bachelor of History 2013-2017

University of Calgary
Concentration: Canada and Western Europe

High School Diploma 2009-2013

Grand Forks Secondary School
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Work and Volunteer Experience

Tutoring Teacher October 2016 – Present
Sylvan Learning Centre, North West Calgary

 Opening and closing the centre and unlocking and locking Ipads.
 Minor administrative duties including checking and responding to emails and phone
messages, inputting attendance, and adjusting the schedule.
 Delivering lessons according to the student’s needs; in the form of an Ipad based lesson,
or paper based lesson for writing skills and beginner readers.
 Teach and reteach concepts and lessons as required for the student to demonstrate
mastery of the skill.
  Assist older students with homework in subjects including social studies, English, and
biology.
 Taught one complete session of coding and robotics 101 using Tynker and Lego Robots.

Volunteered in Debra Klockenbrink’s classroom January 2013 - February 2014

Dr. D.A. Perley Elementary School, Grand Forks British Columbia, grades 1 and 2
 On and off – specifically, when I was in Grand Forks.
 Assisting students with their class work.
 Teaching the introduction to a volleyball unit in P.E.
 Walking with students to out of classroom activities.

Volunteered in Kristen Mary’s Classroom February 2014

Grand Forks Secondary School, Grand Forks British Columbia, grade 8 and 12

 Assisted students with class work.

 Assisted teacher with slides and other lecture materials.
 Led a test review session in the form of playing Jeopardy.

Professional Development

 First Aid and CPR/AED Level C, Canadian Red Cross, (2017)

 Social Media in the Classroom, (2017)
 Working with Parents to Support Student Success, (2017)

Interests

 Exercising: I enjoy going to the gym and exercising, I find it helps my concentration and
allows me to think more clearly. I try to go between 4 and 5 days a week.
 Reading: I have loved reading since I was a child, and have gone on many wonderful
adventures as a result of the books I have read.
 Hiking and Exploring: having grown up in a small town in British Columbia, I spent
most of my childhood outside. To this day I love getting out of the city to hike and
explore the surrounding area.
 Basketball: I played basketball throughout middle and high school. I developed many
relationships as a result, therefore basketball will always hold a special place in my heart.
 Volleyball: I played volleyball throughout middle and high school. I was the captain on
the senior girls’ volleyball team and some of the best memories I have from that time in
my life are on the volleyball court.
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 References

Edward Pike – Field III and Field IV Supervisor

Phone: (403) 547-1441
Email: Edward.pike@ucalgary.ca

Greg Overguard – Field III and Field IV Partner Teacher

Phone: (587) 227-1406
Email: goverguard@rockyview.ab.ca

Frances Sitek – Director of North West Calgary Sylvan Learning Centre

Phone: (587) 968-5253
Email: frances.sitek@ualberta.net