The
authors provide a list of eight tips to let you know your lessons are
appropriately paced. Look at the list and reflect on your teaching for the past
few days. How many of these tips do you think apply to your
classroom? Describe which ones could be observed and give
examples.
As I continue to read this book I find more and more extremely useful tips to use in my classroom. It is harder for me to keep the students on track and keep them enthused just because I do have high school. I like how the chapter went into saying though that just because you teach high school students there is no reason not to be enthused.
I know teaching with enthusiasm is something that I really need to work on with the older students. Its not that I don't love teaching and am not excited about it its just that with older students I seemed to be more reserved and intimidated by them. As the weeks are continuing on and I am getting more used to the students I am starting to act more enthused and not so set back. My cooperating teacher has already made comments about how much better I am getting with it. I also think that ensuring student involvement is something that I may need some work on. Although my classes only have about ten students at most sometimes not all students will be engaged or participate. I try to get them all involved but some just will not participate.
Reading this chapter though has shown me that students will participate and enjoy the lesson when you reflect things to real life or things they enjoy. Its very hard for me to get students to participate in some lessons, but other ones where its reflecting something they enjoy or have fun doing they all will participate and join in. I think reflecting the lesson to real life situations that is something I am really starting to get good at. I have been starting to do this for every lesson since I have seen the outcome and the students all do participate. I think I also am good at teaching students at their learning levels. In my classroom I have grades 9-12 with learning levels from second grade to twelfth grade. My co op has worked with me to show me things I can do to make sure they are all learning at the correct level. When I give them group work or a worksheet the students will get different ones. (ones for lower leveled students and ones for students that are at their age level). Since I have been doing this my lessons have been more and more successful.
Jordan, it's good to hear that other students were initially intimidated by their students as well. For me, I had to observe the classrooms for a few days to absorb the differences in each of them.
ReplyDeleteYou indicated that you initially lacked enthusiasm in you lessons. As you mentioned, meeting students at their level of learning is a daunting task. However, with the help of your cooperating teacher, you've made great strides. I believe students will respond in a more positive manner, thus minimizing the lack of motivation, when they have work that they know they can be successful at.
Jordan, I also think that I need to work on my enthusiasm. I think this is something that can really make or break a lesson. As far as enthusiasm, I struggle with showing it for every topic that I am teaching. I have 8th graders and I am currently working on lesson plans for PSSA prep. Even though I know it is not the most exciting topic for me or my students, I know that the more excited I act and enthusiasm I show my students, the more enthusiastic they will be and the more successful the lesson will be. I think the saying "fake it till you make it" that many of my professors have said can really be applied here.
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