Inquiry based instruction was seriously the hardest type of lesson to prepare because there are so many different ways that you can approach it and directions that you could take it. I think that although I was short on time this week was on of the best labs that I have done so far, however there were a few speed bumps along the way.
As soon as I started teaching I was confident, this was going to be the lab that really worked for me...since we all know that I have not had the best track records. Everything started off well until I starting passing out my articles to read. Don't ask me what I was thinking when I was printing but I did not print off enough and started to panic, okay what am I going to do to make this work? Put them in groups yes okay! I put everyone in groups and made it work, although it was challenging and I think it would have been more effective had I actually been able to count correctly! (That is what we in Jersey call a "Brittany Moment," they do not happen often but when they do...look out!) Once I had that figured out I ran into a problem with my pacing. When I practiced lab with my roommates everything went according to plan and it took me enough time to finish everything. As I was teaching I realized I was going too fast and even though I was using my lesson plan I would still forget little parts here and there that needed to be said or done.
So what exactly would I change when I do this lesson with my students come the spring you ask? The answer is A LOT!
My original plan was to have this be almost a 3 day lesson but I think I will tweek it and make it a two day lesson. Instead of having them just write procedures the first day I will have my students write procedures and conduct their experiment to see what happens. This was my downfall in lab, I second guessed myself on time and thought that I would not have time to complete this part but in reality I did. On the second day of this lesson I would give them the recipe to make the ice cream and have them compare both experiments.
There are a few MAJOR things that I know I need to work on...
-timing: this is a key thing I have 51 minute periods
-pacing: I think that this will help with my timing issue I just have to figure out what the right pace will be for each lesson and my class
-trying not to talk to myself: I talk to myself during my lesson sometimes when I am trying to think something through all the way...yes it makes me look crazy and I cannot tell you why I do it but I think that it is something that I need to try and get away from
All in all I thought it was a decent lesson. Was it my best, by far no! Was it my worst, ha well we all remember what happened during the demo lesson! I am really looking forward to trying the micro teaching and seeing what happens, I have a feeling it may go better because I will not be teaching in front of my peers who are fairly educated on the topics that I have chosen! Fingers crossed!!! :)
In teaching you cannot see the fruit of a day's work. It is invisible and remains so, maybe for twenty years. ~Jacques Barzun
