Plan, plan, plan, and then plan BEFORE you start planning for your lesson. I had a nightmare the other night (this has got to be a common theme for new student teachers) where I showed up to class, yes, fully clothed, and could not remember anything I was supposed to teach! We finished the pledge, and I had nothing. To boot, and further, it was a Maths class. I don't teach math but, I still felt terrible about it. I woke up in a sweat at the witching hour, three a.m. and spent the rest of the night trying to figure out how to improve my very first solo planned lesson, wondering if it was going to be good enough to make each student reach full potential for that day.
One of my early friends at USD for the history teaching masters, was a Naval Officer in charge of training Sub-killer helicopter pilots. On his free time (after running marathons, being a father, and husband) he was striving to be a teacher. He was a prof favorite (and I don't blame them) and would always say that his motto was KISS. Keep it simple stu- uh sir.
Overall learning has a way of coming back to haunt you in a good way sometimes. While in that MAT program he always suggested everyone KISS. Well, my first class included a lot of things.
First, I had the students walk into a classroom with Andean Music (we were starting a Unit on Meso-American and Andean cultures- and how the Spanish defeated the Incan and Aztec empire). I then handed out things I, myself had collected over my life through travel, that showed that these ancient groups had survived through the ages. You know, exotic things like corn, black beans, peppers, llama wool, and various teas. Ok, well, all but the llama and teas, which I brought back from Peru, I got from the grocery store. I then started a class discussion about what they knew before showing them a video clip, giving them a lecture, and finally, having them work on an in-class map. Well mapS to be accurate, four of them. If it seems like a lot well you need to REALLY understand that, I agree that is way too much for one class. KISS it wasn't; a good learning experience, it was.
So, I have identified a need for improvement. Timing and planning! My coop and I were talking and she mentioned that this was something I could spend some time looking at. She said that while I obviously put so much effort, thought and stuff into a lesson I was almost cheating myself by having to move on before I was done with a lesson. I do love thinking a lesson forwards and backwards and trying to wrench every second out of a class but this was just too much for the kids and while the first class was multi-sensory and, hopefully, lasting, it was rushed. One of the things I will and have worked on is finding that essential learning I want the students and sticking right with it.
One of my early friends at USD for the history teaching masters, was a Naval Officer in charge of training Sub-killer helicopter pilots. On his free time (after running marathons, being a father, and husband) he was striving to be a teacher. He was a prof favorite (and I don't blame them) and would always say that his motto was KISS. Keep it simple stu- uh sir.
Overall learning has a way of coming back to haunt you in a good way sometimes. While in that MAT program he always suggested everyone KISS. Well, my first class included a lot of things.
First, I had the students walk into a classroom with Andean Music (we were starting a Unit on Meso-American and Andean cultures- and how the Spanish defeated the Incan and Aztec empire). I then handed out things I, myself had collected over my life through travel, that showed that these ancient groups had survived through the ages. You know, exotic things like corn, black beans, peppers, llama wool, and various teas. Ok, well, all but the llama and teas, which I brought back from Peru, I got from the grocery store. I then started a class discussion about what they knew before showing them a video clip, giving them a lecture, and finally, having them work on an in-class map. Well mapS to be accurate, four of them. If it seems like a lot well you need to REALLY understand that, I agree that is way too much for one class. KISS it wasn't; a good learning experience, it was.
So, I have identified a need for improvement. Timing and planning! My coop and I were talking and she mentioned that this was something I could spend some time looking at. She said that while I obviously put so much effort, thought and stuff into a lesson I was almost cheating myself by having to move on before I was done with a lesson. I do love thinking a lesson forwards and backwards and trying to wrench every second out of a class but this was just too much for the kids and while the first class was multi-sensory and, hopefully, lasting, it was rushed. One of the things I will and have worked on is finding that essential learning I want the students and sticking right with it.