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The lesson made me reflect about one aspect of the program that I find might be lacking. We are so excited about the lessons we want to teach. We make connections with the students prior knowledge, we try to scaffold what they have already learned, and possibly introduce a new concept or idea in the process, while still trying to assess the students knowledge and cover all our own objectives on the adept form. It appears we are being to rushed to get our lessons completed, to get all the pieces in place in a short period of time. Do the students retain anything we teach, are we just going through the motions, for ourselves? I guess there is really no way to tell if we are making an impact. It really is a short period of time to be with everyone. Once a week for three hours. It makes me realize how I am really ready to be in a classroom. That way I will be able to reflect on my teaching in a more authentic situation.
Teacher in Training
Heather
Very timely post! As a faculty this semester we have been meeting to discuss changes to the field courses. Most of us agree that going out once a week for a couple of hours doesn't allow you to get a good enough feel for what it's like to be a teacher on a daily basis. We are working really hard to come up with a new structure for the field experience courses. In fact, we are thinking about restructuring the third field so that students would go out for a whole day each week, or maybe even two consecutive days each week. We are also looking into programs that send students out for a few weeks consecutively towards the end of each semester, after they've learned all of the "content". Your feedback and ideas would be GREATLY appreciated in this process.
ReplyDeleteI find it hard to really build a strong relationship with the students in my field being there three hours a week. If I had more time, I feel that I would be able to build more trust and a bond with the children. If I was able to spend en entire day with the kids, I would better grasp the class dynamics. I would really like to see them, for example, at lunch, recess, and special areas, not just sitting in their desks all morning. If I'm not mistaking, our field three takes place in the afternoon instead of the morning.
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