Microteaching II Reflection

What went well?

I thought that this was an interesting lesson and my classmates also seemed to be interested in the genetic disorders discussed. All of my classmates participated in reading, analyzing, and discussing the articles that I gave them. 

What area of weakness needs addressing?

One group finished reading and analyzing their article before the other group and had nothing to do for a few minutes.  I should have made sure that the articles were the same length or I could have had something extra to give to the group who finished a little early.

Which objectives were met? What is the evidence?

The objective for this lesson was “Students will work in groups of two or three to analyze a scientific article on a genetic disorder and discuss what they have learned with the rest of the class.” I believe that this objective was met because all of the students read their articles, learned about the genetic disorder that they read about, and discussed what they learned with the rest of the class.

Which students did not meet objectives?

All of my classmates were able to meet the objective of this lesson.

Was time managed appropriately?

Other than one group completing the activity before the other group, time was managed appropriately.  Next time I give a lesson like this I will be sure to have some back up questions or activities to give to groups that might finish a little early.

Did any teacher mannerisms or actions detract from the lesson?

I’m not sure if any teach mannerisms or actions detracted from this lesson.  I have a tendency to say “um” during pauses but I’m not sure that this was a problem during this particular lesson.  I would appreciate any feedback that my classmates have on this.

What were the strengths and weaknesses of classroom management?

Similar to Microteaching I, classroom management was not an issue in this microteaching lesson.  Considering I was in front of a small group of my own peers, management was not a problem at all.  However, this will definitely be something that I will have to consider when moving on to teach lessons in front of a classroom of actual students.

Was the lesson engaging?

It seemed as though the lesson was engaging because all of my classmates were participating.  Again, this could be different in front of a group of students who might not be as interested in what I have to teach them.

What did I learn from feedback my peers gave me?

I would like to get more feedback from my peers on what I could have done to make this lesson better.  One of my peers suggested that I need to speak up a little more while teaching and this is definitely something that I will do the next time around, especially when I am in front of a larger group of students.

How will this experience influence your professional identity?

Similar to Microteaching I, this was another experience that allowed me to practice planning and implementing a lesson.  I was able to do it in front of my classmates who I have already developed a mutual respect with.  It will be very helpful to hear any feedback that they can give me on what I can do to improve for when I move on to teach students in practicum.

How will it influence how you plan/teach/assess in the future?

I will take the advice and feedback my peers give me to help me improve my lessons for the future.  When I plan a lesson like this in the future, I will be sure to have back up questions or activities for groups that might finish before other groups.  I will also be sure that all of the articles I choose are close in length so that there is a better chance of all of the groups finishing around the same time.