Assess
your teaching using the self-observation checklist on pages 496-498 in
your textbook. Discuss anything you feel comfortable sharing that you
learned from this self-observation.
(This post earns you 1 points).
(This post earns you 1 points).
The Classroom:
ReplyDeleteI would say I consider the classroom as much as possible. The class I currently teach is taught in extra office space in an apartment complex. The room is far too large for my small class of ten and it is often hot, stuffy, smelly, and sometimes loud (there are often people working on the building). I do move the desks into one portion of the room and try to ignore the unused space, but I don't think that solves the problem completely. Unfortunately, I don't think there is much to be done about this particular issue.
Presentation:
I am not convinced that I help students use new skills or concepts long enough so that they are retained and thus future application is possible. What I mean is, the class I teach is only two hours long (at the most) and we meet once a week. I try to teach concepts and reenforce them as much as possible within the class period but often times they have already forgotten everything by the next class. It's a work in progress..
Aptitude and Perception:
I have to admit, at times I get stuck in a rut and I'll provide the same "type" of exercises for several classes in a row. I think it's partly the easy way out, and partly that I just know what works and doesn't work with my students. Sometimes it's just easier to provide assignments that you know will work especially when you're on a time crunch.
Interaction:
My class is far too teacher-oriented. I really need to work on more student-centered concepts and get my students to interact more with each other without my primary role as a guide. I need to make my lesson plans so that they're more suitable for real interactions among students.
My activities also need to be more consistent with my students. What I mean is, I need to make it challenging enough for the higher level students but easy enough for the lower level students to follow along. I find that I have problems finding this happy medium.
Relationship to Students:
ReplyDeleteI feel I had a great relationship with my students. I would walk around and was conversational partners with everyone, so eye contact was always established.
The classroom:
The classroom was a not mine and could not be altered, but I have heard that this situation is common. I do feel that altering the classroom for group and pair work would have been a good idea.
Presentation:
I know my handwriting is quite illegible, so I will always avoid having my students try and figure out my handwriting by using power points and printed material. The program I was involved in had a set course so varying the exercises was not allowed.
As we discussed before in class, I think that this would be a good teaching assessment only if it is done by a fellow teacher, but as a self-observational checklist, I am not sure I would be able to do this accurately without recording myself during class.
Learning Environment:
ReplyDeleteOne of the most difficult things I faced this past semester was that the space where I was teaching was incredibly noisy. I found myself having to modify lesson plans mid-swing to avoid listening exercises where my students wouldn't have been able to hear me properly. I feel that I did fairly well with adapting to this scenario.
Presentation:
Perhaps the most difficult aspect of teaching has been my inability to provide a variety of explanations for what I am teaching. I think I have improved in this area, but at the beginning I would find myself nearly speechless if the one explanation I'd given for something didn't turn out to be clear for all the students. I've really tried to take time to change this as I've continued learning to be a better teacher, but it's definitely a work in progress.
Reinforcement:
One thing that I noticed about my teaching this semester was that in my attempt to avoid giving negative feedback I went too far in the other direction and basically praised students if they did anything at all. I quickly realized that this removed the significance of the reinforcement because the students knew that I was going to react positively no matter what. I'm still in the process of refining the way that I react to student responses - this is a big challenge because it requires split-second action and I don't have a lot of time to think before my response is made, so I feel like this is an ongoing development.