My first pre-service teaching experience is just around the corner! Although I have taught in the past, it is always a mixture of excitement and nerves when meeting a new group of children and teaching your first lesson to them. In just two weeks, I will co-teach a unit on the life cycle of butterflies to a second grade class in a local elementary school. I am excited to invest in these students and share some spectacular life science with them!
The science unit that will be taught reinforces the process skill of observation as students will track the life cycle of the Vanessa cardui, also known as the Painted Lady butterfly. I am excited to put into practice the lesson plan that my co-teacher and I are in the process of developing. It will be a great learning experience for me as I use this lesson plan as a guide while teaching and as I practice the art of co-teaching. I also look forward to making connections with the students and indulging their curiosity for the interesting lifecycle of the butterfly. Although you might think I would be nervous about being observed, I actually anticipate the constructive feedback from my instructors and appreciate the opportunity to receive any helpful tips regarding my teaching style.
So what am I nervous about? Well, probably most of the things that I am excited about! First of all, I hope that the time allotted for each part of the lesson will work out smoothly given the time period we have to teach the children. I also hope that I will use language that is easily understood by a second grader. This reminds me that I always need to keep my audience in mind when teaching. Co-teaching is also a new concept for me. I look forward to working with another adult and I am reminded of the importance of developing a script so that the lesson flows smoothly as we team- teach. Finally, I feel that making positive connections with the students is key to creating a successful learning environment. Each of these areas roll into a ball of nervous excitement! Yet overall, I am simply looking forward to taking on the role as teacher and receiving the opportunity to invest in students, grow in the art of teaching, and benefit from the advice of those more experienced in this field.Let the teaching begin!
Maria - What a nicely written post! I agree that it is such a great opportunity to be able to receive constructive feedback. I feel this is going to be an incredible learning experience for us all!
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ReplyDeleteYour pictures are making me soo excited about the unit!! I can't wait to start but as you similarly mentioned I think that I am more worried about the students than the observations! You also make such a good point about bringing the language down to the second grade level. Although we may drift off at times and think of things in terms of a higher level vocabulary, I think that we will be able to work well together to keep each other in check. I am so excited for this great experience and I am glad that I have the opportunity to work with you!
I know you and Katie will be a great team. We are all nervous and concerned about doing a good job and teaching a lesson that students will actually learn from. I think you are teaching an interesting lesson and the students should really have fun. I know there is a lot going into the planning of this lesson with the timing of everything, so this is not an easy task. In the end I'm sure you will have a happy class releasing their butterflies. Hope I get to see it.
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