For AEE 412 lab this week, I prepared my lesson and instructed my classroom as if it were the first day of school. As part of the lab, I had to create an introductory activity for me to get to know my students. I also had to create classroom management posters: classroom expectations, procedures, and consequences. In the 10 minutes allotted, I had to complete my introductory activity and go over all three classroom management posters. Oh and one more twist was thrown on us: my fellow student teachers were each given a random card which described potential types of students we may have in our future classrooms and had to role play this student for the duration of lab.
Each instructional lesson is videotaped and then sent to the corresponding student teacher. I received mine today and just finished watching it. I must say, it went better than my first lab. I felt more comfortable in front of my peers. That being said, I still have a lot to work on. The first thing I noticed is that I said “um” and “uh” entirely too much! I think it’s a nervous habit but it is something I need to work on. I almost wanted to pull out a pen and paper to keep track of how many times I said it. This will definitely be at the top of my list of things to improve upon.
I also thought that I just awkwardly stood at the front of the classroom while students completed their bellwork. I feel like I should have interacted with the students more, even by simply walking around and observing what they were writing. As far as my introductory activity, it would have helped to have the M&M’s prepared ahead of time rather than taking time to give the M&M’s to each student, one by one. For the PowerPoint I used in class, I should have posted learning objectives for the day. That is something I will be sure to do next time. One other major thing I recognize and need to work on is my enthusiasm. I was kind of bored watching my own video! How can I expect kids to be excited to be in my classroom if it doesn’t even seem like I am?
That being said, I believe there were some positive aspects about my lab performance. I did like the M&M idea as a way for students to introduce themselves and for me to get to know a little bit about them. I also think using the M&M’s was a good idea because who doesn’t like candy?! I think I did well with explaining my posters. I didn’t just read word for word each individual line and then move on; I expanded on the ideas and gave examples as well. Also, I asked students if they had any questions several times. I hope that this gesture shows students I do have their interest in mind and that my classroom is inviting and open.
Overall, I know that I have my work cut out for me this semester in lab. I am trying not to be too hard on myself but am being critical enough to recognize the improvements I need to make as I develop into a young professional. I hope that I can work through this awkwardness that I bring upon myself when I stand up in front of my peers to teach. I feel that I put too much pressure on myself and as a result, I do not perform as well as I would like. I hope to reach a point where I can stand up in front of a classroom, feel confident in what I am about to teach, and make it through my lesson with enthusiasm, clarity, and confidence. I know lab will continuously provide me with the opportunity for growth and I cannot wait to experience it as the semester rolls on!
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