Continuing on with my journey…I have completed several hours
of observation both inside and outside the classroom. As we all know, teachers in Illinois
In the fall of 2011, as part of my observation, I taught a 5th
grade math lesson. During the
measurement lesson, I let the students work in pairs to pick to points on a map
of their town and find the distance between those two points. The students were laughing and having
fun. After the lesson, one student came
up to me and told me that I did a good job teaching the lesson and that she
learned how to measure. After that
statement, I felt I accomplished something profound. She said she learned how to use a ruler and they
had fun doing the activity. Watching the
students complete the lesson gave me insight as a teacher and made me feel
empowered.
Out of the classroom, I work on projects with my
nephews. I experiment teaching
strategies and activities with them. It
has come to the point that every time I see them they ask me what project they
will be doing. I am more at easy with my
family, so having the opportunity to experiment in a safe setting continues my
interest in teaching.
Below are a few activities that we have done together and a
short video clip.
Having trouble figuring out what you should be observing in
a classroom? Check out this checklist. It will give you some ideas to think about
when observing.
How do you think your observation of students in and out of
a classroom will influence you as a teacher?
Bernadette,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the link to the classroom observation checklist. It is very helpful considering I am entering the field of education for the first time. I do not have experience teaching since I work as a Consultant at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. I could sense from your field work experiences you encountered a very rewarding experience teaching mathematics to 5th graders. You must have been so excited leaving school that day with the feedback you received. I believe from your experiences with JA, classroom experience, family support you are ready for this. I am slightly nervous because of the unknown, but I found when I do my observations I tend to loosen up a bit and naturally become a participant within the classroom. You certainly are an inspiration to me since I do not have extensive experience in education. Thank you.