The good news is that the room setup is working out and the names are getting easier to remember. The desks move easily and are very conducive to pair and group work. Names are still tough but I have found that the more I repeat them in class the easier they are to keep in my head even across the 4 days since I last met with the kids. My memory is also a good indicator of who is participating in class.
Two remarkable events occurred today. The first was that the personalities of the classes became much clearer, the second was that the class plan I devised lost rigor across the three hours of teaching. On the topic of personality I can say that the first class of the week is more open and friendly. They generally show high levels of participation and motivation while displaying a greater skill level than expected. The second class (computer engineering) is quiet and withdrawn and the students do not like to engage in any form of conversation. They have a wide variance in skill levels and some have a proficiency below that necessary for the class. The third class is more like the first, but needs a lot more guidance, but this assessment could be based on the diminished amount of order I imposed on them.
This second issue caused the day to end on a bit of a low note. I had a pretty solid approach for the first class, and stuck to it very well. I devised clear questions, established groups and and gave clear directions that I applied evenly. By the third I was not doing this - class questions became vague or just different; sometimes I required hands to speak, sometimes not; etc - and the class suffered because of it. I also managed to forget an entire section of the lesson.
I watched some of a recording of class I made today and (when not cringing) I noticed that I look remarkably dickish. I also use a lot of non-verbal cues to encourage certain responses like answers in complete sentences, hand raising, pair work. I seem to apply them consistently in this video, but I know that in the later class some of that broke down, too. I 'll probably check that again tomorrow.
Also, it should be noted that I did not feel very well this morning. My throat started hurting last night and really hurt this morning, Now it is screaming. A regiment of honey is in order this evening.
Monday and Tuesdays are busy days for me with a full load of classes, start to finish. I find myself struggling to stay focused and on point much in the same way you described in this article. Being sick certainly doesn't help things, either.
ReplyDeleteI've found that I need to modify lesson plans for the afternoons of full days in order to give myself a little breathing room. If possible, tabling some part of the lesson until the next class has allowed me to proceed at a slightly slower pace and not feel rushed, so I'm able to focus on the basics and not confuse anyone. It's annoying to have classes moving at slightly different speeds, and can lead to complications if the course curriculum is packed to the brim, but maybe it's something to consider.
I'm curious about the computer science class you mentioned. You're at a university right? What is the nature of that class. Are you teaching computer science through English? If you are it sounds difficult.
ReplyDeleteAlso, when you say you look 'dickish', what do you mean exactly? When you gave your presentation last week you didn't come across that way.
@Mike
ReplyDeleteAt the university all the classes are organized by major and they take all of their classes together. This creates a lot of familiarity in the class, but the levels are set relative to the major, not to their ability. It is a pain...
As for looking dickish, I think I just look like a major asshole.
Well, that's what YOU think. But you're communicating cross-culturally. What matters is whether the participants in your discourse are put off by your persona.
ReplyDelete