Lesson Six: KISS (Keep it Short and Sweet) or in my case (Keep it Simple Stupid)

Success! I have finally planned an impromptu lesson in under an hour! Before entering this experience, we had our unit plans outlined and planned out. However, I have had to almost completely scrap my initial plan as my expectations were very different than my classroom reality. I have learned to keep it simple and allow your unit to be emergent (develop according to student interest). I have been told that this "is what real teachers do anyway." It is good to have a general idea of where you want to go, but it is unrealistic to have a unit completely planned down to the last detail.

Lesson Five: Go Outside of Your Comfort Zone

Although I am talking about this lesson within a classroom context, it is such an important lesson in life. I was once given advice from a professor in my second year, "Every chance you can, make yourself uncomfortable, there is no other way that you will learn about yourself faster." As teachers, it is very important to have this self awareness in a broad variety of situations. If anything, teaching is unpredictable, and for the sake of your students, it is important to be adaptable. Every time I have taken this advice to heart, I have learned in a deeper way than I ever could have imagined.


Today was very similar to my previous experiences. I am person who craves order and planning, so it was outside of my comfort zone for students to create their own groups and make a healthy food commercial. There was so much noise in the classroom, conflicts within the groups, and some students who simply could not self manage. However, in the end, the student products were amazing. The conflict ended sorting itself out and the students had a blast! The learning was rich and the positive attitude developed towards learning was so important.

Lesson Four: Have Fun

It just so happens that as soon as I decided to truly make this a learning experience, rather than trying to be perfect, I had a great day! My lesson went significantly better with the students when I was more relaxed and they were able to learn in their own way without me trying to control everything. In addition, the afternoon presented us with some free time. My teacher could have used it to catch up on work, or expand on a lesson. Instead we spent the last hour dancing, playing games and just chatting with the kids. Although we might not have gotten ahead in our planning, we built important relationships. These relationships are the foundation with which we do our teaching and they are so valuable!


When we educators get hung up with organizing every little detail (whether a lesson plan, unit or school system) we do well to remember that the world is effortlessly self-organizing in its own chaotic way.
~ Adapted from Gary Turner by David Gray

Lesson Three: Stop Trying to Be Perfect... You are Messing Everything Up!

So it was midnight, and based on my traumatizing experience yesterday with my out-of-control class, I was trying to make my lesson perfect. I had spent three hours looking for a video that they might like, as well as  finding visual props and re-arranging my lesson over and over. Finally my helpful, but tired and frustrated, boyfriend came up to me and yelled, "Stop trying to be perfect, you are messing everything up!" At this point, I would only get six hours of sleep, I was sick and I was not getting anything accomplished. The point of this experience is to learn -- in fact in education, teachers are learning all the time.


Take Chances, Make Mistakes and Get Messy! ~ Mrs. Frizzle

Lesson Two: Shut Up!

Today I had the students do a Canadian Food Guide Exploration. We started off by reviewing our ideas about influences by making an idea web. I had them talk about an influence in their life, then they grabbed onto an end  from a ball of yarn, and tossed the ball to someone else with an idea. Eventually we had a huge web going around the whole classroom! It was great. Afterwards, I introduced the Canadian Food Guide with a PowerPoint, which took about 20 minutes and then we did a serving size demonstration which also took about 20 minutes. Throughout the PowerPoint and the demonstration, the classroom energy was extremely high. The students were not following instructions and were extremely chatty. It was the last class of the day, and they could not focus on what I was trying to teach them. In addition to the regular end of the day excitement, I had a surprise visit from my faculty advisor at the University. This was an additional distracting component for the students. I felt like my head would explode and my cooperating teacher had to step in four times to help control the class. I was embarrassed that I could not control the class in front of my faculty advisor. 


After everything was said and done, I ended my lesson and tiredly made my way over to my things. I looked at my faculty advisor and he said, "well how did you think that went?" I just sighed and lifted my hands, shaking my head. This is when he asked me an important question. "How old are the students?" My class is composed of eight to eleven year old students. This means that for each year they are old, that is their average attention span. I had gone way too long with my PowerPoint, and also with my demonstration, despite the hands on nature and student involvement. Reflecting back on the lesson, I had talked for almost an hour! No wonder the students could not focus! My lesson of the day was to allow the students to formulate some knowledge for themselves, and allow them to be children! They need to share their ideas, explore and have fun.  If I would have shut up for a while to allow them to explore, my lesson might have gone a lot differently. 

Lesson One: Be Flexible

Ahhh, exhale! My first day is over. It was a very busy day and my focus was introducing the students to my topic, nutrition and physical activity. The junior 3, 4, and 5's started off by exploring influences in their lives that impacted their ideas or decisions about healthy living. The initial discussion and activity were a success. To expand on their ideas, I wanted the students to do a "speed interview" of one another (similar to speed dating) where they compared ideas about their influences. There were four steps: 1) Make two standing circles, 2) One circle of students stands around the first circle of students, 3) The inside circle and the outside circle face each other, 4) The outside circle stays in one spot while the inside circle takes (x) number of steps to the left or right to get a new partner every few minutes. However, what I thought was simple did not work for the students. After many puzzled looks, "I don't get this" comments, and numerous failed attempts, I said, "OK, everyone just sit down!" Afterwards, the students sat down, we had a group discussion and it was great!


I had to make the decision today to be flexible enough to abandon my planned activity and do something that was meaningful for the students. Instead of wasting time, trying to force learning, I had to step back and let the learning take place in a way that made sense to the them. It took me outside of my comfort zone, but it worked for my student and helped me in the long run. 

The Day Before

Hello all! This is my first blog post.... ever. I am a pre-intern and I am about to enter the school setting for three weeks. Prior to entering the school, I have my first week of lessons prepared.I am excited to begin this new part of my journey, but I am still very nervous at the same time. I worry that my students will not learn, or that they will be bored. Luckily I have the support of an amazing and supportive cooperating teacher, and I know I will be ok. I love my students as well as being in the classroom, and I will hold onto that love to get me through tomorrow!