So after my first day micro teaching I felt like I had a better handle on what was going to work for these students. I had gone home from the previous days and changed my lesson plans. I was still very nervous the second day but that odd calm hit me again and I went to work. we talked about wood products more in depth since I had introduced it the first day. We looked at various items I had brought in. The kids were defiantly into that and they asked questions and even kept me on task with their interest. It was a very simple activity but it seemed to resonate with them well. I also had them read again. but this time we read more of a fact sheet each person read two or three lines about pa wood. I walked back the rows as each child read. I was ale to provide help and use their names and then provide praise. I had another small but important triumph with the reading. after everyone had read one piece there was one row of facts left. I asked for volunteers to read those ones. A young girl in the middle, of whom I believe had an IEP and some difficultly with reading, raised her hand. she said she would read it for me. she read it nice and loud and stumbled on one word that I helped her through. I felt really good about this. it was clear that she may not have been so good at reading but she tried it. Seriously good moment.. Between going over the products and the reading that was the whole period. was a pretty good felt awesome.Day three we finished up with careers. I felt like I could have connected the importance to this better. I thought that it spoke for itself but you have to explain and connect everything for it to be relevant. I also decided to do an activity because that was something on my reviews from the previous day. the activity was alright. but it got to the point where doing an activity for the sake of doing one just isn't the best. These kids were interested in just learning than doing some activity. I think that I learned that just doing an activity because its in PSU's goods teaching tool belt, does not mean every class, everyday. You have to know those students and what is going to fit in that class. I had them finish up with a small quiz. I think that it may have cause some anxiety. some of the kids were not there the whole time and the stress was written all over their faces. I reassured them after seeing that in the first few minutes that it was just to see what you learned and that it was important to know, but it wasn't something to fear.
I also gave them a teacher evaluation. I did not want to do the quiz and the eval back to back. So I read to them a short piece about wood products put out by the PSU extension. I then gave then the form at the very and asked them to help me be better. I thanked them for their time and good behavior, and just like that they were gone. The whole experience was over.....I felt good, and crazy, and tired, and a million other things all at once.
