Today Rachel and I were both observed by our South African supervisor who works at the local University in Port Elizabeth. One twist we both were not expecting is that he asked our mentor teachers to step out of the room during our lessons so he could see how we managed the class on our own! YIKES!
I didn't know this was going on until it was already happening, but I am proud to say that no fights broke out, the classroom didn't catch on fire, and while the students were still chatty-they were very well-behaved.
I didn't know this was going on until it was already happening, but I am proud to say that no fights broke out, the classroom didn't catch on fire, and while the students were still chatty-they were very well-behaved.
My lesson was on plant parts and how they can be identified specifically in fruits and vegetables. My main focus was that students understood that fruits and vegetables are types of plants.
I began the lesson by explaining the definition of each of the four plant parts: roots, stems, leaves, and flowers/fruits. Then I explained where each part is found using the poster I drew with pictures of a flower, apple tree, and a carrot.
After the explanation time, I chose students who were sitting quietly to come and put labels on the poster. (see below the picture of the completed poster) I was very impressed with the students and the information they retained. It was their first time learning about plants and where they are found. They even knew that the part of the carrot we eat(the orange part) was a root!
The students asked some good questions about where seeds come from, and I was excited about the discussion we had. After the question time, I chose four students to come to the front of the room. I handed them a fruit or vegetable and asked them to identify what it was and how the plant was grown. The trickiest ones were the strawberries and the yellow peppers. Some of the other students in the class were able to help them out and explain how they grew.
I then sent the students to their tables and explained the worksheet they would be completing. I gave them a few minutes to draw their two favorite plants to eat and then allowed each student an opportunity to share with the class.
I have found that because it is a class of 24 students, very rarely are they all able to share their work in front of their peers. Even though it took a little longer than expected, and some of the students got a little restless, all 24 students presented their work. It was well worth it. I could see how proud each student was when they were in front of the class. One student even used my teacher moves and said, " I am going to wait until everyone is quiet." It was sweet and I know they appreciated the opportunity.
Even though I was not expecting my mentor teacher to be unable to observe my lesson, I am grateful for the opportunity. It helped to boost my confidence in the classroom and show me that the students respect me as a teacher and genuinely enjoy learning.
After the explanation time, I chose students who were sitting quietly to come and put labels on the poster. (see below the picture of the completed poster) I was very impressed with the students and the information they retained. It was their first time learning about plants and where they are found. They even knew that the part of the carrot we eat(the orange part) was a root!
The students asked some good questions about where seeds come from, and I was excited about the discussion we had. After the question time, I chose four students to come to the front of the room. I handed them a fruit or vegetable and asked them to identify what it was and how the plant was grown. The trickiest ones were the strawberries and the yellow peppers. Some of the other students in the class were able to help them out and explain how they grew.
I then sent the students to their tables and explained the worksheet they would be completing. I gave them a few minutes to draw their two favorite plants to eat and then allowed each student an opportunity to share with the class.
I have found that because it is a class of 24 students, very rarely are they all able to share their work in front of their peers. Even though it took a little longer than expected, and some of the students got a little restless, all 24 students presented their work. It was well worth it. I could see how proud each student was when they were in front of the class. One student even used my teacher moves and said, " I am going to wait until everyone is quiet." It was sweet and I know they appreciated the opportunity.
Even though I was not expecting my mentor teacher to be unable to observe my lesson, I am grateful for the opportunity. It helped to boost my confidence in the classroom and show me that the students respect me as a teacher and genuinely enjoy learning.
I hope everyone is doing well! September 1st was the first day of Spring in South Africa so we are excited and ready for some warm weather!
Love,
Casey
*A note from Rachel for her family about the observation:
Hello everyone! I'm excited to have my first guest post on Casey's blog and tell everyone about my experience getting observed today. I taught a lesson on symmetry, and it went very well. The kids all grasped the concept and had fun coloring in the different shapes that they had to sort. I absolutely love my class and my mentor teacher. Though a lot of days can be difficult, I would not trade this experience or the kids I get to work with everyday for the world.
The next lesson that I get to teach is a Spanish lesson. My class is OBSESSED with Spanish, and they always ask me different random words, so Kelly (my mentor teacher) offered for me to teach them a small lesson on it. I think it's absolutely hilarious that they love it so much, but I'm excited to teach them some of the basics. I think I will also get to do some science experiments next week too.
I will fill every one in on how the lessons and next few weeks go. Hope everyone back home is doing well! Thinking of you,
Rachel
Rachel explaining everyday symmetrical objects (with Ayabonga clearly not paying any attention)
Hayley and Leander working on sorting out which shapes are symmetrical and which are not
Rachel helping Sokholo out with her work
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