Most of us have probably taught our first lesson by now. How did your first lesson go? What did you teach? How did the students respond to the lesson? Were you able to effectively manage the class? Did everything go as you expected? What would you change about it if you could go back and change it?
Eleanor McAloon:
ReplyDeleteMy first lesson went well! I had my cooperating teachers help me develop the plan because I did not want it to be too out of the class's routine. I also made sure it was short and there was lots of time for students to be working - too much time lecturing or asking kindergarteners to sit quietly will lead to distraction. My lesson began with a review of what the students knew about apples from the week they had been learning about them. I did a read-aloud of a book about the life cycle of an apple, I played a video for them that showed an apple tree growing from a seed, then the students completed a life cycle craft. The students were very well-behaved and they responded to having me as their teacher for the lesson. There are four adults in the room (including me) and sometimes it is a little hectic with a lot going on, but the other teachers made sure that the students knew I was in charge. Everything went according to plan and I enjoyed walking around the room to help the students as they worked on the craft I set up for them. If I could change anything, I would make sure to explain each step of the project to my students more clearly before they begin working and model how to put it all together rather than just showing a completed copy. This was a suggestion from Professor Kivlon and I agree it would have led to less questions as I walked around to monitor as they worked.
I have not yet taught my first lesson, but I am supposed to do a trial run later this week! I am a little nervous but I have established good relationships with both my cooperating teacher and the students, so I am hopeful that it will go well! My cooperating teacher and I have been working on making it known that students should treat me with the same respect as their teacher and it has been a lot easier for me to manage the class. I am excited to see how everything goes!
ReplyDeleteI have not taught my first lesson being observed by my supervisor, but I have been teaching lessons by myself which there were a couple lessons already and each time I improve by not just figuring out what works best with the students but also what works within the classroom. The students enjoyed the lesson and I was surprised by how well they were responding and participating.
ReplyDeleteDeanna-
ReplyDeleteI just had my first lesson and it went exceptionally well. I taught my fifth graders about dividing using 1- & 2- digit divisors by 3- & 4- digit dividends. I made sure guided notes were provided to all of my students and that my lesson was thorough and clear. I had some students struggle but once we did more practice, they all practically understood the lesson. I was supervised by Professor Lundquist & my cooperating teacher and my math lesson consisted of small note taking, independent practice problems, & an exit ticket at the end. My fifth graders were excellent and participated throughout the entire observation!