PLEASE POST ABOUT: (1) 3 TIPS FOR TEACHING/ CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT/ PLANNING GLEANED FROM MICROTEACHING. (2) GIVE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES FROM YOUR OWN OR OTHER LESSON OBSERVATION.
1) Less is more
After going through a myriad of lessons, i can safely say that the lessons that were most memorable, engaging and effective were those that were simple. I am sure many could attest that Brennan's and Liz's lessons were one of the most effective ones because of its simplicity and clarity (thank God, i didn't have to teach right after them). Those that had a lot to offer however, tend to stray off their learning objectives (main purpose of the lesson) and often risk being confusing for students. Let's face it, after spending time and effort preparing for lessons, we would be very tempted to execute everything that we have planned for. But like what Liz has proven (with a hard subject matter/theme like gender performativity), sometimes, spending more time to engage and arouse students' interest in the text proved to be more worthwhile; she didn't complete all that she has planned for but I still learned much more than those who had a lot to cover. There's no point completing the lesson or executing all that you have planned for if no one is following you. Every lesson is a journey. We need to bring all our students to the end point, even if it means slowing down so that others can hop on the bandwagon.
2) Action speaks louder than words
Andrea had an excellent pre-activity which made us visualize and experience how it is like to be discriminated. Similarly, Brennan's post-activity was just as effective and it made us see the impact of perspectives. Both of these activities had one thing in common: the use of movement. Whether or not it is a pre-activity or post-activity, the use of actions can be very helpful to ensure that students understand the intention of the lesson. Too much information and brain activity can cause students to forget what they have learned during lesson even though they have paid attention - short term memory. But while their minds are tired, their body might not and hence, getting them to move around to illustrate the main point of the lesson might prove to be an effective way to summarize what is about to be taught / what had been taught.
Similarly, in teaching literature, those who used dramatic reading proved have executed their lessons effectively as well. For instance, Jodee's and Pepper's lesson which got us to dramatize the play and make literature come alive in the classroom was engaging for visual learners.
3) Classroom Management
I don't think there is a "one size fits all" tip for classroom management. But here's what I learned from my classmates.
Authoritative Tiying - The strict and firm nature of her voice and disposition made everyone pay attention to her so that she could carry on with her lesson proper.
Nurturing Melissa - This was a shocker! Melissa can be quite scary especially when something un-politically correct politically incorrect is mentioned. Having said that, she really did surprise me with the nurturing tone of her TEACHING voice which made me listen on to what she has to say/teach. Her voice is quite soothing to be honest. Andrea, Kit and Shumay also had this nurturing tone.
Cheerful hunky-dory Brennan - Ever the charmer, Brennan made every heart melt and eyes focussed on him. On a serious note, Brennan's disposition and tone did inject some positive energy into a class of bored and tired students.
That's all I have.
Happy Holidays Folks!!!!
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