What a fun lab! Five great interests approaches were presented this go around. Overall, I felt even more comfortable teaching during this lab after the first teaching lab last week. I presented my interest approach for my lesson titled, "What are the causes of air pollution?" I started with a clear jar of water representing clean air. I handed each student a 'compound' that pollutes the air, such as carbon monoxide or particulate matter. After debriefing the students about not eating the hot cocoa mix or dropping food coloring on their clothes, I began telling a fictional story of my week and having the students come up to the front and add a pinch or a drop of their 'compound' as I told them that I drove my car, mowed the grass, painted my nails, and so forth. The jar of clean water turned into a nice, gross dark green color, and I asked the students that if we could see what is in our air, like how we can see the water in the jar, would we want to be breathing this air? No! Then I made a connection to the objectives.
| Vehicle exhaust releases CO, SO2, and CO2 |
As far as presentation, I felt more confident; however, the trouble students got me a little flustered again, and I tripped over some words or didn't say certain things as clearly as I would have liked. I think the key here is just practice! Good thing we have almost a whole semester of lab left!
Overall, I'm excited to use some of the ideas that my lab classmates gave me and also watch some of the videos from the other lab session earlier in the day.
Emily,
ReplyDeleteSounds like your lesson went well. Practice is a principle of learning so of course it will get easier with time! It is also great that your lab section is giving you a hard time so you will be better prepared for the students in the real classroom. Keep up the good work!
Perfect practice makes perfect! While it is hard to become the "perfect" teacher, we are having amazing opportunities to become better! You felt less nervous for this lab than the last one which shows that you are starting to become comfortable. Being comfortable will help you to be quicker to nip bad attitudes and will help with your classroom management skills. I know you will rock it out! Good job!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like your lab relay went well and I'm glad that your getting more conformable in the front of the classroom. Also that your class mates are giving you a real work out in classroom management, to relay prepare you, Great Job !.
ReplyDeleteEmily, I really liked this activity and how simple it was yet how powerfully demonstrative it can be for this lesson. I especially think its cool that the students are "holding" the chemicals/gases that you can dig into later into the lesson so they can ask "what is sulfuric acid?" or "what is nitrous oxide gas?"
ReplyDeleteI agree that you get flustered with some of the student problems (like me! sorry!) but you are getting better. Don't be afraid to own the room - you have to keep them under control if you want learning to occur! Good job making me stand and not giving in when I asked to sit :)
You are so right, I am learning a lot from these labs and am excited there are still many to go!