Sometimes we have to learn the hard way!

I co-taught my first observed lesson last week and I have to say it was fairly disastrous. Don't misunderstand, I am not upset, devastated, or  ready to quit or anything like that. I actually think it is quite funny. My lesson was on the solar system. It was an inquiry lesson with many moving parts. (Most likely more moving parts than should have been aloud for interns.) My field instructor and master teacher said the lesson plan was one of the best they had seen and should be a top notch lesson. I felt confident about the lesson and I was very excited to get started. I had lots of inquiry built in into the lesson with a hands on activity that allowed students to create a model of the solar system. I had three  KWL sessions included in the lesson one at the beginning middle and end of lesson. I was opening the lesson with an engaging question and moving it to a talk and turn. I had a lets go outside and do a 100 meter schoolyard model of the the solar system. It was a really great plan! So what went wrong? I can hear you asking this question... In a nut shell this would be my explanation...CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT!! I had none! That's right I totally goofed up right at the beginning and just never got it together after that.

What did I learn I will break it down in a KWL. I know middle school students can go a little quinky-dink quickly, need lots of directions and clear instructions, need expectations clearly presented, need to be held accountable, are fun and inquisitive, love hands on activities, love to have movement throughout the day.

I wanted to know what they already knew about the solar system? How engaged would they be with me? What did they know about building models to scale?

I learned do not let kids get moving until you have given ALL of the directions. Be clear! Very Very clear when you give directions. I learned it is not as easy as it looks. Middle schoolers smell fear.

More explanations. When I began my lesson I started what I hoped would be a great discussion I just did not get any response from the kids so rather than continuing to elicit a response I panicked and just moved onto the exploration part of the lesson and when I did that I forgot to give the directions so the kids were playing with balls and got a little of task. It did get better but I really never got the class back and I really never regained my composure and confidence over the next two hours.

This goes back to there are just some things you cannot teach. You just have to do it and make the mistakes to see how it goes and then do it differently the next time. I give the example of cooking. I am a cook and I have taught lots of people how to cook. You can teach people how to cook an egg,pancake, bacon, or potatoes but to teach them to cook it all at the same time and get all done at the same time is something they just have to work through. I feel like it is the same with learning to teach. I can be taught how to create great lesson plans and how to teach but the timing and the management of the classroom and the ability to adapt your plan as you go and use a different method when what you had planned did not work is something your just going to have to practice and learn from the mistakes you make along the way. All in all my lesson went ok. Judging from the assessment the kids did learn what I intended for them to learn so that was good and I learned a few things too.