My first official observation is done and I feel one step closer to this goal! My Field Instructor did an excellent job of calming my nerves as she let me know this was a learning experience and I was to have fun in the lesson, first and foremost. This thinking allowed me to prepare a read aloud lesson that opened the door for kids to enjoy the beauty of the book while thinking about the meaning of the text. I've been reading to my daughters their whole lives and I've always enjoyed the drama of reading aloud. It's impossible for me to deliver a story in a flat way! There must be voice! There must be pause! There must be emotion! My FI commented on this aspect of my lesson - it was obvious to her that my students enjoyed the reading and were engaged fully in the lesson. Yea!
For the most part, I'm happy with how the lesson went but I do wish I had a video to watch so I could see what my students saw. Was I clear? Talking too fast? Repetitive? Making eye contact? Like any movie star, I'm sure there would be moments when I would cringe at my delivery, but there's a lot of value in seeing one's self from the outside. Sitting in front of 26 kids, fumbling with trying to read a page while showing an illustration and reading a cue card to remember what my point was can be nerve-wracking! I had considered using the document camera to show the pictures but there would have been some fumbling there, too. It's about experience. My FI pointed out that my face was hidden at times by the large picture book (Just a Dream by Van Allsburg) and students were unable to see my expression. One group of students saw more of the book than me due to their location on the rug at my feet. My Cooperating Teacher moves around a lot as she reads - standing, walking, scooting around on her stool with wheels. For this first lesson, I was most comfortable seated near the chart that contained my teaching point.
The teaching point I had was excellent, according to my FI. The learning targets fit and the path I'd laid out was good. So, why did I deviate? In the middle of my lesson, crazy ideas were popping into my head and rather than holding them back, I started throwing them into the lesson. Yes, the story had irony but that wasn't part of this lesson. My FI pointed out that there will be opportunities in the future to say to my students, "Remember in Just a Dream when the smog-producing manufacturing plant was in the business of making medicine for sore and itchy eyes?" I can't do it all in one lesson. Note to self: Make a plan for driving home the point of the lesson and stick to it.
This first observation and the feedback I received from my FI gave me a huge shot of confidence. The skills I know I already have showed through and the skills I need to improve upon give me attainable goals to work toward. The challenge of taking constructive feedback and applying it to my next lesson is helping me to zero in on teaching traits that I will need every day in my classroom.
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