Putting it all TOGETHER

The last teaching lab of the Spring 2013 was teaching an FFA LifeKnowledge lesson at our cooperating center--our opportunity to 'put it all together.' I traveled to Oley Valley feeling ready and confident after a positive experience with the three-day micro-teaching experience at Central Mountain High School the week previously. I used the lesson "What is the value of diversity on teams?" to base my class and then put my own personal touches on it. Overall, I figured it would be a great way to weave in a let's get to know each other activity and also touch on some international concepts...my favorite.
I got the challenge and benefits of teaching the lesson 2 times for the freshman Ag Environmental class. The added challenge was that it was the last day before Thanksgiving break, but actually I think it was a perfect lesson for that! They had a ton of energy (I'm getting the feeling that I like energetic students) and I had a lot of fun activities planned. Also, the fact that I had two lessons helped me make some improvements on the second one...cool!

I really loved the introduction activity...What motivates or characterizes you?! I had the students draw 3 things and then they presented as a form of introduction. It was so cool to see the diversity of experiences and interests in the class, plus it was a ton of fun and I could make connections with a lot of the students. Even with this initial activity, I had to use some class management techniques, but the students were all very receptive.

"What do you think of when you here diversity?" 

I posed this question and had them do a brainstorm speed-round with post-it notes. I varied it between the two periods, and actually wasn't overly satisfied either time, neither with the activity nor the review.

My favorite activity is when I divided the class into groups and handed each one a 'present:' toilet paper, a stirrup leather, a bar of soap, and a sponge. They had 2 minutes to think of as many uses as they could for that item. Wow! I pretty sure they convinced me that with those 4 items, that that was all one needed in life! Anyway, it was a great introduction to the value and challenges of working on a team.

Overall, I thought the lessons went very well. The nature of the lesson topic was very flexible for activities, so that was nice. To my surprise, I was able to have a lot of fun presenting this lesson and still maintain a respectful environment and was able to get their attention back very easily. There were some challenges though. The classroom has stationary science desks and sinks, which means the desks will always be in rows. Teaching-wise, my flow in the first period was choppy, but it improved a bit in the second lesson, especially in the introduction. In the first lesson, I really sped through the introduction, barely talking about the objectives. In the second lesson, I slowed this part down.

I am so thankful for the flexibility and coaching from my cooperating teacher, Mr. Deysher. Overall, it was a good start. I have a lot to learn, but I am looking forward to next semester!