- Once again, I am having troubles with filler words, rocking back and forth, and playing with the lesson plan in my hand. I am a very fidgety person, so these habits are hard to break. I can practice effective questioning before the lesson to eliminate the crutch of a lesson plan, which will eliminate my fidgeting hands and filler words.
- I did a really good job of introducing the topic through personal experiences. To start, I could have shared on of my experiences to warm students up to the idea of sharing. I had to prob some students to get answers. I should practice with the effective questioning because that could have been a problem as well. Having effective questions will allow students to think deeper.
- Time for absorbing. I gave the students about a minute to read the scenario to themselves. Instead of telling the students to stand up when they are done, I just asked if everyone was ready. I realized at the end of the last scenario that students didn't get enough time to read through the full scenario.
In the end, I have made tremendous improvements in teaching over these seven weeks. Problem solving can be a boring lesson in the classroom if it isn't confronted with enthusiasm. The students loved how I was excited and started the class with a funny video on customer service fails. They also enjoyed the hands on approach to solving a customer service scenario. Instead of acting out the scene I could have had it typed up and every student would have to work through the situation on their own, but this experience got them thinking on their toes. It was by far one of the best lessons to teach this semester, so far.
Always remember.........
Erin, I really like your images throughout your blog post. They added something extra! It is great you recognized that you can improve on effective questioning because (I have heard) that if you pose effective questions then other parts of your lesson go smoother. Keep working hard!
ReplyDeleteErin,
ReplyDeleteI truly enjoyed watching your lab video. This creative lesson allowed student to actually engage in customer interactions! Well done, I enjoyed these purposeful role playing activities. In regards to filler words and fidgeting, with time, practice, and confidence they will start to diminish. I can completely relate that when watching your own video, it seems so distracting, but to others it's not nearly as noticeable! Great job Erin, look forward to seeing more in the future.
ERIN,
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I enjoyed your lesson plan ideas and thought that everything was very well though out and you put a creative spin on it which I hope your students enjoyed! I have the same problems with filler words and actually my last PSA lab, I held my lesson plan the entire time which was very new for me! Just know that your students may not notice that you are fidgiting because they are focusing on what you are teaching NOT your lesson plans! Keep up the great work! I know you are going to rock out no matter what you do :)
Erin,
ReplyDeleteAs a student in your lesson I had so much fun. I think the scenarios given to students really can get students having fun in the class. There is no "right" answer to the scenarios, but it gave students the opportunity to think through a problem and figure out how they could approach it. Great job relating it to real-life situations that students could encounter (and not just in Ag!). Just as an improvement tip: Maybe give more directions on the scenarios - maybe have it timed or some other cue to let students know when the scenario will reach an end. Great job!