Teacher Education Celebrates Second Annual Showcase Day Finale Event
On May 16, the Faculty of Education’s Teacher Education program celebrated its second annual Showcase Day Finale, which is an event that marks the end of the program’s Transition to Professional Practice (T2P). T2P is the final component of the Bachelor / Diploma of Education program — the third “placement” where teacher candidates chose and established their own volunteer experiences.
Following the ten-day volunteer opportunities, teacher candidates gathered at the Faculty of Education to share their experiences, celebrate their accomplishments, and visit with classmates for a final time before Convocation. Approximately 40 to 60 posters, slideshow presentations, and display boards about the organizations that hosted the T2P placements filled the foyer and hallways during the Finale event, and teacher candidates were invited to demonstrate their newly obtained skills or lead a short class.
This year, for example, teacher candidate Cinta Hernandez Sebastia offered an introductory Flamenco dance class, while Jake Donis and other members of the Technical Education class set up a photo booth and offered free pictures to their classmates. Incoming teacher candidates were also invited to the event and had the opportunity to attend a Q&A session with Jenny Howard, a current teacher candidate, and Anna Zuber, the Manager of Teacher Education.
The Showcase Day Finale ended with a final assembly hosted by Mark Henshaw, Teacher Education’s Student Council President, where highlights from the international trips were presented and the Student Council reflected on their year. Following the assembly, attendees took part in a “surprise sendoff,” where the candidates were given sparklers and had a chance to say goodbye in a fun, lighthearted way.
