Weekly Writing #4

Last week we got to write our first lesson plan and our first unit plan. I don't know if I was more stressed or excited as I worked through both assignments. We always hear about how important objectives are but as I working on these assignments it all really clicked for the first time. Objectives are the road map to each lesson. They keep you on track and everyone is on the same page when it comes to the end destination. 

Not only is it important for the teacher to create solid objectives for each lesson, it is important for these to be shared with the students. Listing the objectives and stating them aloud to the students gets their brain going and they know what to expect that day. It is also important to make sure the verbs you are using in the objectives are measurable and attainable. There are verbs that fit perfectly with the various cognitive levels (remembering, processing, creating and evaluating.)

Our readings for this week also focused on group teaching techniques which I found very interesting. I thought that the basic group teaching techniques were something I can definitely see myself using in the future. 
1. Lecture
2. Discussion
3. Demonstrations
4. Field Trips
5. Role Play
6. Resource People
7. Cooperative Learning

Out of the seven, field trips is the one that really stood out to me. We often think about lecturing, having discussions in class and doing demonstrations but I haven't really thought about taking my students on a field trip. 

The article from the University of Florida was really beneficial in breaking down how to have the most effective field trip for your students. I enjoyed how it broke the whole trip into three parts: pre-trip stage, trip stage and the post-trip stage. Each stage is equally important to the success of your field trip. The one that really stood out to me was the post trip stage. I believe that it is so important to debrief from the trip with the students and reflect on not only what you did but why you did it!

"A good plan is like a road map: it shows the final destination & usually the best way to get there."

~H. Stanely Judd