I Love the Kids

The overall experience at the academy was great. I think there was no better way for us to transfer our learning from the classroom to a real world environment. I think the task of teaching was constructivism in practice, for us, as teachers. We had a hands on experience that taught us what we should and should not do in the classroom. These are the types of things you can only learn by doing. I learned by both teaching and observing. My classmates had both positives and negatives that I plan to learn from. My experience as the teacher was a positive experience that I could not have achieved through lecture.
I learned that my expectations of my students can play a major role in the effectiveness of my lesson. I also learned that an affective opening can serve as a springboard into a beautiful lesson. In addition I realized the importance of questioning. Questioning serves as the guide to instruction as oppose to direct instruction. If I am aware of where I want my students to go, it is up to me to make the connections needed to get them there without giving them step by step instruction. Effective questioning can accomplish this goal. One thing I noticed is that, in some instances the students prior knowledge will be all they need, but in other situations I have to help students build a bridge to access the appropriate prior knowledge.
This experience tells me that effective planning is a must. The vital parts to the lesson plan are the same things that Dr. Mathews has stressed to us this semester. The components include an a good hook, an appropriate task, the anticipation of student knowledge, and the questions needed to probe students. I have gained new perspectives in teaching and I think they were much needed.