Each May, UBC Okanagan teacher candidates swap their traditional classrooms for real community experiences. And this year, the Rotary Centre for the Arts (RCA) had the pleasure of hosting two outstanding Faculty of Education students who brought new perspectives, great energy and talent to our programs and left us with a practical new teaching resource for our instructors.

Over the course of their placement, Nicole and Elise didn't just observe from the sidelines, they became part of our community, partnering closely with our Educational Program Coordinator, Angela Roy, immersing themselves in our programs, and really listening to what our instructors needed to develop a comprehensive orientation training program.

Their goal? To help our artist educators turn their creative practices into engaging, accessible, and well-structured learning experiences for our students.

Designed by Educators, for Educators

This orientation was more than just building a teaching tool, it was about creating a roadmap grounded in educational theory and shaped by real-world experience. The UBCO students developed strategies to engage diverse learning styles and group dynamics, along with a flexible structure to support instructors in planning lessons, managing classrooms, and assessing learning in creative, adaptive ways.

The result? A practical, easy-to-use guide that our instructors can start using right away, whether they’re leading a painting workshop, dance series, or youth theatre program.

Engaging the RCA Teaching Community

As part of their final contribution, the students presented their program to a group of our RCA instructors, walking them through the tools and strategies they developed.

We were curious about the impact, so we asked our instructors what they thought.

May, one of our Arts Blast Summer Camp instructors, shared how the session enhanced her understanding of teaching. A recent graduate and current BFA Acting student at UBC Vancouver, she shared the value of connecting her experience as a student with her role as an educator:

“It was really awesome to kind of hear the educational strategies and the concepts behind them and connecting, my experience being the student kind of moving into more of a teaching role and connecting why those concepts are important, how they're working in a learning environment. One thing that really stood out to me was just the notion that behaviours are a form of communication and it's really expressing that there's a need that's not being met and kind of shifting a mindset into curiosity and trying to connect those gaps in communication.”

Charmaine, a seasoned performer and instructor who teaches clowning and improv to students of all ages at the RCA, brought her own perspective to the training.

“The instructor training was really helpful in solidifying and laying out the various aspects of effective teaching. I loved how they included the BC teachers’ training about incorporating First People’s knowledge and learning. That’s especially important—we all have lots to learn from them about living on this land and in this world. I would definitely recommend that all of the instructors at the RCA go through teacher training like this. It puts everybody on the same page and gives everyone a chance to collaborate with ideas and feedback. If there’s consistency in how instructors approach things, it’ll make the experience for the students that much better.”

This project is a prime example of what happens when community and educational organizations work together.

As Jody, a UBCO faculty member shared:

“The way in which you two brought all of your scholarly, pedagogical learning into that forum was exceptional. It is absolutely wonderful to see this ongoing partnership between OSE and the Rotary Centre for the Arts.”

And Darlene echoed this sentiment:

“Your slide deck highlighted your learnings, reflections, and developing scholar-practitioner identities in a way that made it easy for RCA instructors to see alignment with what they do for their students.”

So Why Does This Matter?

The Community Field Experience gives UBCO students a holistic approach and teaching experience outside the traditional networks. It also helps them build professional networks and make a meaningful, lasting impact within the community. At the same time, community partners like the RCA benefit from the valuable ideas, energy and dedication that the teacher candidates bring, enriching everyone involved in ways that extend far beyond the classroom.

To the UBCO School of Education: thank you for connecting us with these talented future educators. To the teacher candidates: your initiative, creativity, and professionalism have left a lasting mark on the RCA.

We look forward to continuing this valuable collaboration, and we’re excited to see where your journeys take you next.

 

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