Bio

Hello, my name is David Londono. Since my earliest school memories, I have always liked school. So much so that I was considered a "teacher's pet" while in school. In elementary school, I would stay in for recess or help teachers mark tests or organize the classroom – I found doing "teacher's tasks" enjoyable. In fact, my grade 7 teacher, Mrs. Brunside, was the first teacher to identify my potential of becoming a teacher. She is the person I attribute to planting the seed of curiosity into my career path and how I got where I am today. Throughout high school, I followed a similar pattern, asking my teachers if they needed any help with marking (I mean, which teacher doesn't need help with marking?). Doing so kept my curiosity about becoming a teacher strong. I remember overhearing teachers talk about the lack of job opportunities and their hardships of finding even the smallest contract. It was then when I knew that I needed to pursue a career with more stability. So by the end of grade 12, I had decided and accepted my offer to Carleton University to study a Bachelor of Biomedical and Mechanical Engineering.

Throughout my engineering degree, I consistently realized that although I found the content interesting, I knew that the job expectations weren't something I saw myself doing long-term. I didn't see myself working a 9 to 5 job in an office designing, using CAD, or working on one project. At the same time, I realized and confirmed my passion for teaching through my Teaching Assistance opportunities during my undergraduate degree. I thoroughly enjoyed teaching Communication for Engineering Students. I saw myself more and more as an educator and less of an office worker. After four semesters of teaching this course, the professor gave me the freedom to design my own term project for her class. Thanks to Professor Cundell, this was the confirmation I needed to change my perspective of where I wanted to go career-wise.

By the end of my undergraduate degree, I had fully decided that I no longer wanted to pursue a career as a professional engineer and instead pursue a career within the education field. With little support from my parents initially, I followed an opportunity in the recruitment aspect of post-secondary education. I aided many international students in acquiring acceptance letters from different post-secondary institutions here in Canada and in the United States. I learned a lot about the application process of post-secondary institutions; however, I still felt that this career path was not what I wanted to follow –although I was helping people, it didn't provide me with the satisfaction I was seeking.

Then the pandemic hit. During the early stages of the pandemic, teachers who could retire did, and those who did not like the online aspect of pandemic teaching left the profession. It was here where I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to make the most significant risk of them all. I applied to various teaching positions as an uncertified teacher. Within days, I received a call from Mrs. Moss, the principal at Blessed Carlo Acutis, to offer me a long-term teaching position teaching grade 11/12 physics and grade 9 math. Within 12 hours, I went from helping potential student candidates acquire letters of admission to teaching physics and math. And so, my adventures of becoming a teacher began.

My first students were the sweetest, kindest, and most respectful students any first-time teacher could ever ask for. We built a community of learning, collaboration, and respect. I used multiple traditional teaching methods in combination with digital learning to try my best to allow for differentiation and provided scaffolding to students that required more structure. This experience, in addition to my experience at St. Isidore as a math and science teacher, was truly baptismal by fire, but I wouldn't trade them for the world.

I learned the most about teaching and found my vocation during these times. I would visit my high school teachers and ask them for advice. That was a bizarre dynamic change, let me tell you – from student to colleague. Mr. Coi, who taught me grades 11 and 12 biology, and grade 12 earth and space, became my mentor – not by choice but because I bugged him so much. He helped me navigate the necessary software and guided me in assessment and lesson plan implementation. He also helped guide me in completing legal documentation such as report cards. I owe him multiple coffees for his help (just like when I used to bring him coffee right after lunches during high school).

The biggest realization I had during this time was that helping students was my passion. But more specifically, it's seeing that moment when that lightbulb goes off in your student's mind. You can see in their facial expressions that "Uh-hu!" moment. That split second of realizing that the concept they were stuck on is no longer a challenge. Additionally, it's seeing students realize they're more than their grades and can achieve so much more when provided with the correct supports and tools.

After my opportunities at Blessed Carlo and St. Isidore were over, I decided to pursue a teaching career. So I applied to various teaching education programs and decided to accept my offer to the Teaching Education program at the University of Ottawa. Throughout my first year in the program, I saw how my previous experiences, although not perfect, could help me refine, develop, and perfect my teaching method to better aid students through their learning journey. I was finally being formally taught the pedagogy of a professional educator in today's world.

My practicum placement taught me the most about myself and my pedagogical methods and approaches. During this experience, Mrs. Cooke, my associate teacher, showed me a critical and modern perspective of being an educator. Mrs. Cooke emphasized the role of an educator to be more of a mentor and facilitator rather than a lecturer in her Communication Technology courses. I was fascinated by her approach and can say it is a pedagogical approach I will take forward in my career. During my practicum experience, I also confirmed that no two subjects can be taught the same. Although a teacher as a mentor and facilitator is ideal for a technology course, it may function differently in a science course, as seen in her grade 9 applied science class. The point is that being student-oriented is directly connected to their success.

All in all, as I get a step closer to becoming a certified teacher, I know that at the end of the day, I want my students to achieve their fullest potential and their goals. Therefore, my love for teaching spans more than just the curriculum. That is why as educators, it is essential to set our students up for success both academically and in our increasingly globalized world outside of their school environment. That's why I know that with my academic and labour experiences, I can facilitate student achievement both academically and socially. I believe this would, in turn, prepare students for the fast-paced and ever-changing world outside of their academic endeavours.