First Attempt at Teaching...Ready, Set, Go!

         On Wednesday, August 27^th, 2014, I took part in my first AEE 412: Methods of Teaching Agriculture lab. This lab, the reflective teaching lab, was a basic 15 minute laboratory exercise that allowed the instructors to gauge where we as pre-service students stand at as far as basic teaching ability. On the first day of AEE 412, Monday the 25th, we randomly drew a lesson out of a packet and this was our assigned lesson to teach during lab on Wednesday. We were not given real specific instruction but were expected to teach the lesson to our peers to the best of our ability.

            I had to teach an informative lesson about tiki gods and the shape of their eyes. Each of the three shapes represented a different sentiment. After teaching the lesson, I had to give an assessment to my classmates, who were acting as my students, and determine if they were able to successfully identify the eye shape to its matching sentiment. Lastly, I had to hand out a learner satisfaction form for my classmates to complete and assess my teaching ability.

            I was really nervous to watch my video once they were uploaded on thereNow. After lab was over that day, I reflected upon the whole experience. I did not think I did a satisfactory job in lab. Watching my video reiterated this belief. The first thing I noticed was that I have a habit of saying “um.” I did not realize I said it as much as I did. I know this is a habit I will need to break. I think part of the reason for this was because I was not very comfortable with the material I was teaching. Yes it was a short lesson but I did not have previous knowledge of tikis. To help guide my lesson, I think a powerpoint would have been useful.

            Personally, the biggest reason why I feel like I did not perform well in lab is because of my lack of self-confidence. I have always struggled with this for as long as I can remember. I’m typically a shy person and I have a hard time believing in myself. I know this is one bad habit I need to break, especially before student teaching. I think that if I let my personality shine through and stop worrying so much, I will be just fine. I have come a long way since beginning college, with the help of professional organizations and other opportunities I have participated in. I know that AEE 412 lab will help me grow as a future educator and “break out of my shell.” Becoming an excellent teacher does not happen overnight but with every experience and opportunity, I am one step closer!