Navigating the ever changing dynamic that is teaching in a COVID world, was quite the challenge this week. Finding ways to promote student engagement when we were not meeting in a formal school setting as well as move forward with content was a new and unique obstacle within itself. I learned A LOT from this experience navigating the varying levels of access and internet capabilities each student faces as well as their ability to learn in a digital setting. Moving forward, I plan to find activities that do not seem as though they are "work" utilizing things like online break boxes, content based games, or simply sending them on a scavenger hunt through their house for things that might have the same labeling as pesticides.
A win for this week was seeing the excitement in my students faces as they learned that I soon would be taking over their courses. Next week, I will begin teaching in my Introduction to Agriculture sections as we discuss SAEs and how they play a role in student's success. I'm excited to share with my students the impact that my SAEs have had on me and the many things they can accomplish through their own SAE project. Another win, after a particularly rough speech work day in my SAE/FFA class, a student shared that though her classmates are not particularly thrilled about writing a speech she is! She has been waiting to do Prepared Speaking ever since she was a freshman and recited the creed the FFA Creed. She wanted me to know how happy she is about what we have been learning in class even if her classmates were not as thrilled.
Though I would say that this week was not a picture perfect week of student teaching, I would argue it was not a failure. I am a better teacher because of it all and have many new ideas of how to improve throughout the remainder of this experience thanks to the help of my CTs and Dr. Curry. Next week, I plan to implement a time to demonstrate stricter timelines of when I expect tasks should be completed throughout the class period. I also plan to be direct with my direction sets, avoiding yes or no questions. I'm excited to see the progress I make over the next few weeks and how my students and myself grow throughout these experience.
Questions:
How do you effectively communicate direction sets to your students, avoiding the use of yes or no questions?
Hi Megan,
ReplyDeleteI love how you utilized the online breakout boxes we learned about during pre-internship to help you during online days! I also really liked your other ideas of incorporating games and scavenger hunts into this instruction (I may be stealing these ideas). As for your question, I am also struggling a little in this area but I am going to try to have my students repeat my instructions back to me before beginning the activity. Asking questions like "So how much time do you have for this activity" or " What are you supposed to do after completing the research section" should help to reenforce the directions. I also think using a countdown clock would be beneficial to enforcing those stricter deadlines throughout class periods. You can set it for different milestones throughout an activity and then take a minute to check the students work up to that point.
Good luck next week!
Hi Megan! As long as you are growing and reflecting, no week is ever a failure! I like how you are trying to reshape your virtual classes - I think kids would enjoy going on a scavenger hunt in their house. I bet no other class has them get up out of their chair and run around - might even prompt some parents to ask what were you learning in that class?
ReplyDeleteSomething I am trying to implement after giving direction is asking a student to explain the directions back to me. In my high school, teachers often asked "Nicole, what are we doing? And how long do you have to do it? Go! Also, a way to avoid yes or no questions is to always start with a question word (why, who, what, where, when, etc.).
Good luck with your horticulture crime scene! I'm hoping to see pictures in next week's blog!