Final Lab Reflection

For pre-service agricultural education teachers at The Pennsylvania State University we must take AEE 412 our fall semester before student teaching.  This course is jammed pack with content and assignments.  It is nothing to take lightly!  All that said it’s a class where we get to grow professionally, learn together, collaborate together, and get to teach our peers along with high school students for a three day mini unit.   

With a semester of AEE 412 lab just under wraps it was a positive experience overall.  Each week I was challenged to teach a certain approach to presenting material to my peers.  While at times I did become quite stressed out.  The knowledge and skill I learned from creating these lessons like a solid interest approach, problem solving, and inquiry have strengthened me as a to be educator.  I now realize the importance of not just standing in front of the class lecturing from a PowerPoint and students never having the opportunity to get up out of their seats.  When teaching on Wednesdays I struggled with clarity specifically clarity in my directions.  Throughout the semester lab I became better at conveying my thoughts and directions across to my students.  I really witnessed this during my three day microteaching experience.  Wednesdays also taught me how much you have to be prepared to teach just a lesson let alone an entire school day!  I found myself preparing days in advance for my teaching.  I also witnessed first-hand how well my lessons would go if I had all my materials prepared and lesson solidly written before going into teach.  This in turn was a confidence booster and helped me succeed during lab. 

Individually, I have grown in the sense of becoming more familiar with teaching techniques and how you might incorporate them into certain types of material I may be teaching.  Throughout the semester and specifically during my microteaching experience I saw the powerfulness of having bell work, greeting students, and starting class with some type of interest approach.  I always thought bell work was dumb, but when looking at classroom management techniques having a consistent schedule set of procedures makes starting class that much easier.  The whole greeting the students’ thing just puts that personal touch on the class. 

Getting up in front of my classmates and being front and center built on my public speaking skills I already had.  Being able to own the classroom and speak in a teacher voice is essential when actually going out and teaching.  I also, learned how to manage students who might be disruptive, rude, or disengaged.  When we began role playing in class I have to say we gave each other a run for our money!  It was all in good fun and meant to only give us an outlook on what might occur while student teaching.  Professionally I have grown realizing that students will only take me as serious as I take myself.  Every day I must go in dressed for success and expect the same from my students while in my classroom. 

Coming into this semester I thought blogging was silly and it’s just another means of social media.  However, my viewpoints have somewhat changed.  Reflecting after pivotal moments in my short teaching career thus far is very important.  It is also just as important to reflect as soon as I can.  I have realized after completing any task worth blogging.  I have found that reflecting and putting my thoughts down into my blog makes me think about the successes, struggles, failures, and meaningful moments I had during my teaching lessons.  Blogging about it allows for me to share my thoughts with anyone.  Reading my cohort member’s blogs it made me feel good they encountered many of the same difficulties that I did.  And that in just a few short seconds I could reply to their blog and discussing anything.  At the same time I can’t imagine blogging on a regular basis when/if I had my own program.

As for improvements for AEE 412 lab

1.      Mix up lab sessions halfway through or quarterly.  This would allow for us all to observe and be a part of other cohort member’s lab.  There was a lot of comments left on the ThereNow website stating I would have loved to of been in your lab!

2.      Reflect on student performance immediately after presenting their lab.  I experienced this right after my IBI lesson.  It was very beneficial.  Discussion doesn’t have to be long, but reflect with the group and instructor after every time a student presents.

3.      The small lab groups made it very impractical to incorporate the things we had to into our lab and we were always improvising with the number of students we had.  Teaching to three students just didn’t give it that teacher student feel.  However, it is understandable nothing compares to the real thing and this is the closest we can get.

4.      Structure.  There just seemed to be a lot of confusion and hear say.

 

Early on in the semester we learned about the 5 characteristics of effective teaching by Roshenshine and Furst.  Early on these 5 characteristics were instilled into our thoughts when creating a meaningful lesson.  As a final assignment we had to create a video highlighting one of the 5 characteristics we thought we demonstrated strongly.  I chose to express variability.  I thought throughout all my lab sessions and microteaching experiences that I did a very good job mixing activities up and keeping student engagement in my lessons.  Below you can watch my short video.

LifeKnowledge Public Service Lesson

Yesterday I taught my LifeKnowledge lesson.  I chose to talk about public service.  I chose this topic because I think that public service is an important part of every community. 

                When I got there Mrs. Oberholtzer asked to have the first twenty minutes of class to review for a quiz they were having today.  During this time I got to observe the class dynamics and let me tell you what.  These students are not a lively bunch at quarter to eight in the morning.  It was like pulling teeth to get these students to answer a question or open their review packets up.  So, I realized it was going to be an uphill battle during my lesson and that I would have to be one step ahead of the students to get them engaged in my lesson. 

                I began my lesson with an interest approach reading them a story and leaving the ending out until the end of my lesson.  The first activity I had the students do was define the word civic, leadership, and come up with their own definition of civic leadership.  In the final quadrant of their folded up piece of paper I had them write or draw examples of what they thought civic leadership was.  During this activity I was impressed how well they only used their phones for looking up the words I had asked them to.  After they had all defined these words I had them group up and discuss if they had come up with different definitions or examples.  Even while they were in groups they did not speak much.  We continued on with the lesson and I passed out papers that had different public service organizations titles on it for example medical, governmental, educational, and service organizations.  During this activity I had the students come up with the professions that would be listed under these titles.  This activity went more successful than I envisioned it.  The students were quite interested in listing off the professions under each title.  We then talked about their importance in our society and without people who do services like this there would be no one to help the sick, represent our political thoughts, or protect our nation. 

                Some things that really worked for me that I carried with me from my microteaching were name tents, addressing students by their first name, thanking them for their participation, breaking directions up into sections, and allowing time for critical thinking.  While we all think name tents are the lamest thing.  They really help out the new teacher learning names quickly and efficiently.  Addressing students by their first name makes the classroom feel more personable.  Thanking the students and showing them that I appreciate their involvement in the lesson once again paid off for me.  A few students were brave enough to answer my questions and every time they did I said thank you and stated their name.  By the end of the lesson these students were very engaged in my lesson.  Using clarity eliminated student confusion.  Allowing for critical thinking time was a bit hard because sometimes the students just didn’t know the answer.  But I wanted to allow for them to take an educated guess.

                There you have it the successes and struggles I had during my LifeKnowledge lesson at Lampeter Strasburg High School.

Oh That Word Classroom Management..

Classroom management is a word when brought up in discussion that can make your body cringe or rub it off because it is just another word used in the educational field.  Either way it is something that takes time and something one will not master in a school year or two.  From our reading and my recent microteaching experience what I experienced lined right up with what was written.  I encountered many of the challenges a teacher faces on a daily basis.  I also, not knowingly incorporated some teacher tactics to properly manage a classroom full of rambunctious teenagers.  Here are some key points that I picked up from our reading and experiences that lined right up with our reading.

To begin with clarity and organization is vital.  I have struggled with clarity this semester during my weekly teaching labs.  I have seen the importance in being clear in concise when speaking to my students.  I have gotten better at this and my student teaching experience will be a good time for me to really hone in on clarity.  As for organization that is a no brainer.  Being organized will make things go ten times smoother.  I witnessed this first hand during my microteaching experience.  Having all my materials and plans set up in the order I planned to use them allowed for me to go right from one activity to the next.  This consistency throughout my three days teaching proved to me the power of organization.

Start out firm you can always loosen up later.  I have heard this statement numerous times and hey… guess what it is so true!  During my microteaching experience I never really had any big problems, but I did not start out as firm as I should have the first day.  Setting precedence is very important!  I learned this and it is something I will file away come student teaching time. 

Meaningful work is what you must provide to your students.  When students view the assignments you are presenting to them only as busy work students will begin to misbehave, cut class, and become disengaged in the material you are presenting.

Routines are the way it is meant to be.  We are creatures of habit.  When you start every day greeting your students at the door, have bell work on the board for students to complete when they come in, and possibly pick up their folder or notebook for the class in a bin marked for their class it makes starting class that much easier.  If every day was different you would have to tackle the situations that arise most likely in a different manner.  Having that routine greatly reduces the chances of misbehavior amongst your students.

Praise praise praise and praise some more.  Who doesn’t like to be praised when they do a job well done?  Let your students know how much you appreciate their interaction in your class.  When students are acknowledged for their good behavior and hard work they are more likely to continue to do so.  I noticed this first hand during my microteaching experience.  When I acknowledged students by their name and thanked them for their participation I noticed the power of doing those two simple things.  However, it is very important not to have favorites.  Students will pick up on this fast and become disconnected and begin causing issues. 

      We all know that there are going to be times when classroom management problems will arise in our classroom.  When they do, it is important to hit them head on and be straight, be blunt, be short, and move on.

      One final note about classroom management would be setting a good example.  Be a positive role model.  Typing this I think back to my high school career.  There were a few teachers I became to know very well in school and also out of.  These men stuck to the beliefs they believe in and have never led me astray.  Their perspectives, advice, and way they live life make me strive to be the best that I can be. 

      There you have it classroom management in a nutshell. 

Recap on My Entire Microteaching Experience

I spoke with you exactly a week ago about my microteaching experience at Central Mountain High School.  I valued every minute of it.  It was exciting and at the same time nerve wracking to be the teacher.  I spoke in depth about my first day in the classroom.  It being a week later you might have been like was it so bad he was asked not to come back.  No… my brain has been going a hundred different which ways and it just hit me now as I am unpacking from my recent journey to Minnesota that hey!  I’ve got to finish reflecting on my microteaching experience.  As I was unpacking I thought back in my head about what stuck, what was important, and what I should file away moving forward.  Here you have it.

The important things that stuck out to me to file away moving forward in my teaching career.

·        Time!  There are not enough hours in the day, but you can never plan enough especially when your school is 50 minutes away.  Anything can happen.  I was fortunate, but I created hundreds of scenarios in my head while driving that could have made me late.

·        The office ladies are people you get to know!  Got it?  These ladies knew who I was by the time my micro teaching experience was over.  The door was already being unlocked for me before I got to it.

·        Use students’ names.  By doing this it makes it a more personal learning environment.  And it helps you get to know who’s who in your class.

·        Clarity is vital.  When giving directions to your students break statements and tasks up.

·        Allow for think time.  Do not just spoon feed them the answers some silence is okay.

·        Don’t be afraid to reprimand students when they are getting out of hand.  Hollering over their voice is not a successful means of controlling your classroom.  Be straight, be blunt, be short, and move on.

·        Forty five minutes goes by super-fast!  To get through the material you have set forth for the day set time limits and stick to them.

·        Have fun!  Find your groove.

Hopefully, now you have a better understanding on how my second two days of micro teaching went.  It is an experience that is very beneficial and the feedback and constructive criticism will pay off tenfold. 

 

Microteaching Lets Learn All There is to Know About Rabbits!

Today was the first of three days microteaching at Central Mountain High School in Mill Hall, PA.  Going into the first day I felt a bit nervous, overly anxious, and questioning myself if I had prepared enough to go in and personally have a good experience, but also rely the content I wanted to get across to my students.  My topic of choice was rabbits!  Now for those of you who know me probably wouldn’t say that rabbits are my forte!  However, sometimes we have to step out of our comfort zone and this microteaching experience is a great time to do something like that. 

Day one began very well.  I got to the school in ample enough time to set up my camera go over my lesson plan one last time and shuffle through my handouts to make sure they were all there.  Shortly after that was when I hit my first snag.  I had drawn a complete blank and could not for the life of me remember where to press the record button on my camera.  If it had been a snake it would have bit me.  Literally, fifteen minutes prior I had pressed the record button out in the hallway while setting up.  I guess the reality of teaching in front of 27 students sank in as they sat in complete silence watching me fumble around looking for the record button. 

After what seemed like an eternity I had found the record button and it was time to begin just a few minutes behind schedule.  I would have to say that it took me probably until my second activity to get myself calm and recollected and that is when I felt like I had gotten into my groove.  With the clock ticking I shortened my first activity and somewhat rushed my students on the next activity of writing key facts on the big post it notes.  One thing to note is that 45 minutes goes by really fast!   When you’re already rushing yourself and have a mound of content to get through it can be a little stressful.  I noticed that while they were presenting their post it notes the students needed a bit extra time taking notes about the rabbit industries from their peers. 

Throughout the entirety of the lesson I think that I made good use of the classroom not standing in just one spot.  I think that I also succeed using my teacher voice.  There was a few times where I should have told students to be quiet and continue with the activity they were doing.  This sounds hypocritical from my statement earlier.  I liked the fast pace of my lesson in the sense that my students were not doing one activity for a very long chunk of time.  I think this worked in my favor and I did not lose disconnect with them.  I also failed to state my objectives at the beginning of class, but luckily remembered to do it at the end during my wrap up.  Something to work on tomorrow and the next day is stating at the beginning of class what we will be doing.  I also thought having the students give me a thumb up or a thumb down was a good way to gauge the success of my lesson. 

I am excited to go back tomorrow.  As long as I come prepared and keep them engaged things will be good.  Microteaching day 1 is officially in the books.

What... is... that? IBI Urinalysis

On Monday I presented my inquiry based instruction lab.  I’m still not 100% sure on how to present an inquiry based lesson of instruction, but Monday was a great day to start integrating inquiry based learning into my lessons.  I chose to teach a lesson on urinalysis which correlated with my renal system unit which I will be teaching in my vet science 2 class in the spring.  However, there are five things I know about inquiry based instruction that make it what it is they are 1.Question 2. Evidence 3. Evidence 4. Explanation 5. Communication. One things for sure about inquiry based instruction and that is it takes lots of preparation and planning!  Getting my materials list around and envisioning how I would like the lesson and lab to occur in my head and then formulating those thoughts into statements in my lesson takes time.  I enjoyed teaching this lab and wandering around the room and discussing with my students what they were observing and making notes of.  I can definitely see instruction like this could be very enjoyable in the spring if managed properly.

In my lab I had five different urine samples for the students to observe and then later use supplies provided to make educated guesses about what was occurring in these urine samples.  The urine samples ranged from the patient being dehydrated, having a urinary tract infection, pH being irregular, or blood in the urine to name a few.  I think one thing that I did well was allowing for the students to observe the samples and then go over some important definitions used in urinalysis.  This gave the students clarity and the ability to fill out their health chart report given to them after our brief PowerPoint Presentation.  However, at the same time inquiry based instruction is very student structured and allowing for them to formulate questions, so this is something I will need to work on. Maybe I should have had them construct questions and see where it led from there. 

Successes:

·         Preparedness.  I think that I came in ready to teach about urinalysis.  I had my materials laid out and handouts ready to be dispersed at the proper times.  I’ve come to realize preparedness is a large part of the battle. 

·         I think my clarity shined this week.  My students were rarely unsure of the directions I gave them.  I have struggled with clarity of my instructions this semester and I think this week I did much better.

·         I think I did well floating around the classroom speaking with students about their observations, but allowing them to decide what they think might be wrong with the patient.

 

Areas for Improvement:

·         Have enough supplies for all my students!  I realized if I taught this to an entire class the single bottle of pH strips would not have been enough and would have caused learner frustration and most likely disconnect with the activity.  Also, multiple samples and splitting students up into small groups.

·         Make it less teacher structured and allow the students to tailor what it is they are learning and observing.

·         Incorporate more critical thinking questions into my lesson.  Have the students draw on previous knowledge to answer my questions.

 

All in all I was very on edge going into teaching this lesson.  But, my preparedness and confidence helped make this lesson successful.  #sighofreliefafterteaching.  Doing the lab on Monday and watching the video it wasn’t that bad and I am on my way to successfully incorporating inquiry based instruction into my classroom.  I look forward to teaching this lesson again in the spring. 

Inquiry- the dynamic process of being open to wonder and puzzlements and coming to know and understand the world

When you combine curiosity, the scientific method, and critical thinking skills into your classroom what do you have?  What you have is inquiry-based teaching.  With this method of teaching students encounter problems they do not yet fully grasp or have no prior knowledge on.  This type of instruction allows for students to formulate questions, explore the problem by digging deeper into the root of it, observing, and applying new information to find meaning to what they are questioning. 

Students partake in five activities while engaging in inquiry learning.  These activities have no set order and they can go back and forth from one to another.  Also, applying new information they learn upon their journey or pull out previous knowledge and skills they already have to assist them in solving the root of their problem or question.

1.      Question

Students ask what it is they are trying to solve.

2.      Investigate

Students begin to examine and explore what it is they are questioning. 

3.      Use evidence to describe, explain, and predict;

Students formulate what they gathered from step two.

4.      Connect evidence to knowledge; and

Students find meaning between what they observed and already know.

5.      Share findings

Students explain what they witnessed.

However, inquiry instruction does not end there.  True, great inquiry instruction incorporates the 5-E Model.  This model emphases engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration, and evaluation to complete classroom objectives and focus in on specific concepts the teacher has set forth.

·         Engagement

Have a solid interest approach.  Grab your students!  Make them use their brains, but also give them that desire to want to.  During this stage as well questioning and investigating begin.  Students draw on prior knowledge they have. 

·         Exploration

Immediately following engagement students transition into exploration.  During this time students cross reference materials, make discoveries, and possibly share their findings with their peers or teacher. 

·         Explanation

During this stage the teacher has his/her students share out what they discovered and explain it to the class.  The teacher will also possibly introduce relevant concepts, principles, or theories as the need arises.

·         Elaboration

Students apply real world experiences to the situation they were studying more about.  They also go beyond memorization and use their critical thinking skills to answer the problem or question being set forth for them. 

·         Evaluation

The teacher assesses how the student performed.

In conclusion inquiry based instruction allows for students to take control of their learning experience.  Done right it is a great way to add another teaching technique to your tool box of instruction.