Mini lessons

This week we are creating mini lessons to share with the class, but instead of these lessons being on the topic we taught at Sacred Heart they are on a different part of the Earth Science curriculum. We were all divided into five groups and set off to find out what each group member knew and where they were least knowledgeable. I thought that this was a fun way to get to know my colleagues better, and it gave us an opportunity to provide some insight into the topics the others were not so knowledgeable on. We then were told to write a lesson on the topic we were least knowledgeable on, and I think that this is great. I love having the opportunity to brush up and learn different ways to teach topics that I am unsure of the material. This I believe will help me be more prepared when I am expected to teach this to a class. I like that we have been given the opportunity to practice our hands at mini lessons and at figuring out a lesson on a topic we are not 100% on.

My group chose severe weather and within that lesson each person will be presenting a different type of severe weather that can be paired with a web quest if the class would like to use this lesson and follow it up with an inquiry lesson.

I am excited to get the chance to present my lesson to the class and to get their feedback on the lesson. I think that it is hard enough to make a mini lesson in a day alone, but with three other people that you don't see on a daily basis is even tougher. I am happy that we can communicate via email,text and goggle docs I think that makes it easier to collaborate with each other. I do think that the lesson is going to go well, but it is going to be awkward teaching with them because they are not the colleagues I have been teaching with throughout the semester. It is hard to form a teaching relationship with people within a few hours and it took my last group a few meetings before we were flowing well together and all knew how each other taught and their ideas on teaching. I think that it will be difficult but it will be an experience I can not wait to have. I am excited and nervous all at the same time, but I am sure the minute I am in front of the class I will be alright. I get very nervous to teach until it comes down to teaching and then in the moment I am comfortable and relaxed and able to handle it all. 

Collaborating is a big part of teaching, and having those skills is important to become a teacher. I am happy that I am able to practice these skills with my class and get to develop them throughout the semester with different assignments. Collaboration never ends in the classroom and I believe that these skills are very important to learn and to utilize the right way so that the students will get the most of the lesson/ class. I feel that there are always areas that need improving. I know that I am not the best communicator and that is something I am working on in this class. I am on a very tight and limited schedule so sometimes it is hard for me to express my ideas as clearly as I would like to, and this is a goal of mine for this project. I would like to express my ideas clearly and have more feedback and input in the lesson plans. I think that I will meet this goal and I hope that my group members will help me in achieving this goal.