Assigned Blog: Personal Evaluation of Video Taped Lesson

Around the last week of summer school, the June session, we were instructed to video tape ourselves teaching a single lesson. I chose to do my on screen performance during a lesson focused on the Declaration of Independence, and also, on a lesson that I was being formally observed. The lesson, overall, was very effective and successful, but there were many things that I noticed while watching my performance that echoed the comments I received from my instructors after being observed. It is one thing to listen to advice when it is being given, but it is a completely different thing when you personally see yourself doing the things that are being critiqued. My post evaluation conferences made much more sense after seeing what was actually being graded rather than looking back on my lesson as a whole. There is definitely room for improvement, and this is why I really liked the assignment. Much of the advice that has been given from our numerous and various instructors became clear after seeing myself teach first-hand. Now, I can take that advice and actually apply it to my teaching in the future.

During my lesson, there was a simple, normal schedule of instruction. It began with an introduction or set, followed by a lecture, followed by a graphic notes organizer (which I've come to find really does work wonders), followed by an individual "fun" assignment, and ended with a closure. It worked, but there are many things I could have done differently, and that is why I think this assignment was really beneficial. First, I did many annoying things while teaching that I noticed while watching, but had no idea of while teaching. I loudly clicked my pen way too often, I annoyingly tapped my heels while walking and/or patiently standing, and I turned my back on the class while writing on the board quite frequently. I noticed myself doing the latter while teaching and would attempt to write on the board like a contortionist in a traveling circus a few times, but I continued to repeat the process too much. My student, when my back was turned, would stretch, yawn, look out the window, or flip his pen in the air like any normal middle school student would, but I gave him too many chances to be distracted in the course of my lesson. How will I successfully delay this event in a class of 30 students from happening in the fall? Good question. I'm thinking about growing eyes in the back of my head, so I'll let you know how that works out.

Another thing that I noticed that hindered the effectivenss of my lesson, was my "wait time", which is what we in the teaching profession call the amount of time given to each student to answer a question after it is asked. "What is a preamble?" Then 5 seconds later, after I wasn't quickly fed the correct asnwer; "You know... that first part of the Declaration, what was it?" Then another 5 seconds would pass. "What is the first part of the document Johnny?" In essence, I did not give the class enough time to think of the answer before spoon feeding it to them. Instead, I followed one question with another question, and then another, and then sometimes another. Maybe it is because I want them to succeed. Maybe it is because I want them to get the right answer so they can, I don't know, feel smart. Perhaps I gave them these leading questions because I had to, for the sake of time management at least. Either way, I have to let them find the correct answer themselves, because I am now beginning to think, that that is the only way they will actually feel smart.

Earlier in the summer, when the program began and when we first years had just started teaching, we heard a lot of advice that sounded, well, silly. Now, after watching this, the advice seems more realistic, and easier to apply. Great teaching is reachable, but only if we attempt to improve, which I have no doubt we all are and will continue to do so. Thanks for the beneficial assignment Dr. M, and thanks for all of the various advice instructors. Lesson learned.

Don't alleviate, but initiate their thought process.  Lifelines are not allowed.  No Johnny, you may not phone a friend.