This Wednesday in our AEE 412 "methods" lab, I taught my first day of school lesson! I think it went well as it was my second time teaching in lab and this go-round was much better and less nerve racking than the first. I found some "Gems" and "Opps" that I'd like to share. Gems are positive things that I did well and opps are opportunities where I could have done better. Here it goes!
Gems
- I feel that I was upbeat and enthusiastic through the lesson.
- I transitioned well from greeting students at the door into bell-work and onto my expectations.
- I did well at keeping student's on task when taking an introductory quiz. Some students were trying to talk instead of staying on task, others were sleeping. I tried using engaging questions and proximity control to keep them on task.
Opps
- A few of the students probing questions could have been answered with more finesse. Some of these situations were downright hilarious and it was rather hard to keep a straight face and answer them correctly. Side note, the students were actually my fellow #PSUAgEd18 cohort members.
- I wanted the students to introduce themselves using an activity with a large plastic ball which I would have written questions on. I could not find a ball at the local Walmart so I had to settle on a snowball game. It worked really well but it wasn't exactly what I was hoping for.
Please comment and let me know how your first day of class usually goes. How do you respond when student's ask you awkward personal questions? What activity do you use to introduce yourself to the students? I look forward to reading your comments!
Hi! Sounds like you had a great first day! Would love to hear more about the introduction questions. How long was your class period?
ReplyDeleteI'm awful with remembering names. I write all my students names on a notecard and have them write down if they go by something else. Then I have students interview a partner and write down the answers on the notecard. Then I can study them later and try to make connections to help me remember names. Speeds up the process for me.
My recommendation is to always save the syllabus for day 2 and do introductions/ a lesson day 1. This is easier with block scheduling I realize but I find it helps overall interest in the class and helps them realize this isn't just like all the other classes they have.
For our lab we taught the first 10 minutes of the first day of school! A very short time period. I've been wondering how I will begin into my lesson. Lots of thinking to do!
Delete@Meagan Slates, how do you handle it when students ask if you are married?
DeleteAngie, your "gem" and "oops" moments were an honest reflection of your lesson, and I hope you continue with the same ethusiasm level throughout the semester. Think back to what we discussed about how to handle personal questions, or look to CoP or the Agriculture Education PLN Facebook group for advice. Creating a Glog, Padlet, o short video is a fun way to introduce yourself to students and show off potential technology that they can use throughout the year.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your lesson last week Angie. Although you weren't able to get a ball for your intro activity, I thought the snowball activity was just as effective! Not only was it a way for you to start remembering students names it was a chance for students to learn more about their peers! I noticed you using proximity control during your lab, it worked!! Looking forward to reading your reflection about today's lab!
ReplyDeleteI was super proud of my proximity approach!
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