I can't believe we have five weeks completed already in our student teaching. The time is flying by and I'm sure it will just continue to get faster. The most valuable experience I had this week occurred Friday when I was with a substitute. I took responsibility for all the classes which showed me the reality of being a teacher even more. First, I have to admit that I did not do much of actual instruction. All the classes either took an exam or had a project to complete. Friday's experience was beneficial to me because it showed me the importance and necessity of having your whole day planned, activities ready to go, and materials copied. The classes I usually teach right now are all in the afternoon and as long as I'm not helping my co-op with his classes in the morning, I use that time to prepare for my classes or update grades. On Friday, I didn't have that morning time to make sure I had everything together for the afternoon; that had to be done before the students arrived for the day. I was grateful for how the students behaved as a whole; it was as if my co-op was there the whole time. I think this helps to show me that they do see me as their teacher and an authority figure in the classroom.
On Thursday I started with my third class and second section of Money and Banking. Our current topic is our currency and its security features. The students are working on a project where they are redesigning the $100 bill and I wanted them to consider features for people who are visually impaired. I prepared a mini lesson that included a Power Point to get them thinking in that direction. I gave them ideas to include on their redesign for those who are blind and could have better access to using currency. This was my first lesson with this new section of the class and for some reason I was so nervous to have the new group. I don't know why I felt this way; I had already helped my co-op with them and know them all. I flew threw the lesson with them; so much I think I confused them more than helped them. If I could change something about the week, this would be it. I should have just calmed down and not felt that way in hopes of the students understanding the information better the first time around.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Casey, sounds like you are having great experiences. I picked up my third class on Monday as well and it took awhile for me to get comfortable actually teaching them as well. I helped with the class before like I was teaching but actually being up in front of the class made it more important to be prepared, especially since it is an Accounting class. I definitely agree with you, this time has gone by so fast already. Good luck in week 6!!
ReplyDeleteI have had the experience of having a substitute and having to teach all of the classes. The first time I knew that my co-op was going to be gone so everything was planned. The second time I did not. My co-op makes sure that her lesson plans are clear, but having the surprise of her not being there was a new experience. I agree with you that making sure that you have all of your materials taken care of before hand is a must. It sounds like you are having a good experice as I am. I agree that this time is going fast.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you about the importance of having to be thoroughly "planned up" so to speak. I had an experience this past week that, although I had a pretty good lesson plan, and relatively good activities, I didn't make the time to plan as thoroughly as I should have and that caused my lesson to not go as well as I would have liked.
ReplyDeleteAlong with that point, I find that planning, planning, and more planning, can replace a lower confidence/experience level. In my experience, although I obviously don't have years of experience as a teacher, I have had a few lessons which I felt very confident about and successful with, all because I forced myself to plan and re-plan. It is the times that I don't do that, that my inexperience seems to show through.
As usual, I'm sure you're doing great. You seem to be well aware of what you're good at, and what areas could stand some improvement. In my opinion, that is what defines a good teacher at our stage of the game. Awareness is the first step to success :)
I had a sub this week too! It is so great that the students behaved for you like your co-op was there. I had an adventure trying to keep my students in line, but in the end I prevailed.
ReplyDeleteAlso, you’re not alone in being nervous picking up your new class. I think we probably all feel that way, at least I know I was nervous picking up my accounting class this week. I don’t think feeling a little nervous is all bad. I know when I am nervous I make sure I am really prepared for my lesson. Sometimes this makes my lesson be even better! I am sure your nerves will go away in no time and you will be back to ripping it up in the classroom.
You are connecting so many dots Casi so early in the Professional Semester. Having the whole day as your responsibility is a "wake-up call" for all of us. Also, it is the reality to what everyday will be like next year. I think you are really going to enjoy teaching Money and Banking. The students in that class seem very nice and I really like how you gave the assignment a spin with accommodating a visually-impaired citizen. This gets the students to "think outside the box" and appreciate all of us in the world!
ReplyDelete