Teaching Reflection

This week was the first week back from Thanksgiving break and my students are already counting down to winter break. Student motivation is beginning to decrease and it shows with their lack of class participation. In an effort to change things around and re-engage students, my mentor and I acknowledge that winter break is soon approaching and have a countdown for students. Seeing a number allows a student to pace himself/herself and they can see that they can put in all their effort in the few short weeks left. The countdown is also helpful for my mentor and I to stay on track for covering what’s needed on the midterm. In biology this week, I was showing my students the transfer of energy in photosynthesis and I had to draw a stick figure cow and people. While I wasn’t comfortable drawing because my artistic ability is nonexistent to say the least, my students had a good laugh out of it. Laughing aside, my students were able to effectively understand that all energy comes from the sun and energy is not created nor destroyed. The experience showed me that sometimes you need to be uncomfortable and try new things if it helps your students in the end. By letting my guard down, my students saw a different side of me which helps continue to strengthen my rapport with them.

Biology entails some memorization, but in order to take it to the next level, it’s important for students to be able to apply concepts. The best way for them to do so is to relate lessons to current events or current trends. Another thing is incorporating various activities whether it includes the use of their iPads for research, lab exploration opportunities, or something else of their choosing. I find that the option for a student to choose how they want to complete their assignment helps with accountability of their own learning. The way I see it is we have an end goal and the way they choose to get to that end goal if it helps them is fine by me. We don’t include much reflection activities for students, but I think that’s something I will want to incorporate with the students to help them be more aware of their learning. It will also allow my mentor and I to get their feedback and see their points of view.