Our Lesson

Today was my first day back to classes since returning from D.C.. It's been a complete whirlwind. I made sure Sara and I signed up for our lesson before I left, and that worked out extremely well. It feels wonderful to have completed the in-class lesson, and now have the time to focus on the rest of the unit. Yesterday, I watched the video of our lesson. It is strange to watch myself, especially for that long. I start to notice all my little quirks, and hope that no one else does. I think Sara and I did a great job, and we had fun! In the beginning we were probably both so nervous we could puke, but as the class went on we both felt much more comfortable.
 It is so different from teaching a lesson in fieldwork. I don't get nervous for my fieldwork lessons really, just excited. I suppose its the fact that in Theory and Practice my classmates and professor are there to critique me. There is a certain level of pressure that is not present when teaching in front of sixth graders. In the beginning, it really felt like role playing with our peers. It was like acting, and our classmates were so kind to oblige us by participating (thank you everyone for bringing objects in!!!!). However, as the discussion carried on and we got into the demo and work time, it started to feel real. The nerves dissipated. As I walked around the room discussing student's ideas and watching them work, it felt so natural! They were so engaged and thoughtful in their exploration, and it was amazing to see how they took the parameters we gave them into new directions. I felt proud like they were really our students!
I think it is such a valuable experience for us to have these opportunities to teach and be observed. It's going to happen throughout our career, so I'm glad we're getting exposed to it now. Everyone gives such amazing feedback which helps us understand our strengths and weaknesses. It helps that we also get the chance to be students and see the lessons from that perspective as well. I have enjoyed being a part of everyone's lessons so far and I'm excited to see what the rest of the semester brings!