Reflection 8 Shlomo Swan-azmon 1

Reflection #8 / Micro-teach Reflection 1 I finished my Micro-teach assignment last week and had mixed feelings about my performance. I had a lot of cool ideas that kept the students engaged and interested in the subject matter but I lacked clarity in my presentation. I tend to try to squeeze as much information as I can into a lesson which can be a downfall. I reckon, this is because I become very engaged in my topic and want to share everything I’ve learned. In comparing my micro- teach, and my inquiry project, to others, I can see the importance of balancing the load of information presented. Knowing and understanding the goals of each class makes teaching easier, I lacked that clarity with both of my projects. Consequently, I lacked a sense of direction, which influenced my ability to check in for comprehension of the concept, and avoid rushing through the presentation. Looking back, I would plan more specific goals for the class. With that being said, I am undecided on whether classes should be subject specific or interdisciplinary. It is probable, that because I was taught in a very interdisciplinary manner, in primary and middle school, that I have an affection for lessons with an interdisciplinary focus. At the same time, interdisciplinary focus causes me to bounce from subjects quickly like from the 5 senses to wind or from autism to sex-based teaching. Hence, clarity before, during and after class are essential to my ability to become a successful teacher.

A few things went wrong during my micro-teach, including my attempt to show that cold air sinks, and my ability to instruct the students on how to build the pinwheel. The cold air experiment was unfortunate, and mistakes do happen, but the important thing is my ability to recover from unforeseen circumstances. I could have taken more time heating up the water bottle, ensuring that the air inside the balloon was very hot before removing the blow dryer from under the bottle. Unfortunately, I was nervous and I rushed.

Another issue I had with the micro-teach was giving clear instructions. I struggled to teach the class how to build pinwheels. I think some of the struggle came from me wanting to make sure the pinwheels looked good because I thought avoiding some folds make the flower of the pinwheel look nicer. I certainly could have been more clear in my instructions and will be next time. I think pictures on the smart board would have been a good idea, and I will do that in the future.

I’ve also observed a lot from watching the other presentations during class. What I’ve noticed is that my mind wonders off very quickly. Many of the other students minds are the same and I think I lacked that awareness when I was presenting. In general, I need to be more observant of my students, understand that it is not easy to stay focused, take my time and breath.