I wonder how many times in this Blog I've mentioned covering less information in more time . . . hmmmmm
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Drinking from a Firehose
I guess sometimes I forget that as hard as teaching every day is for me, it is also hard on students, who are on information overload. I could see it today - that sort of glazed look. We need to stop for a minute and take stock of everything we've experienced - in content focused parlance everything I've "covered" -- and I need to stop pushing so hard!
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4 comments:
I think you were right on with the glazed eyes. I know that I, for one, was definitely in information overload yesterday. It is very difficult for me to absorb so much so quickly, and I want to remember everything as I don't know what may be useful when I am the teacher. I hope when I am teaching that I can remember to stop and notice how my students are reacting to my lessons. I think so often teachers just plow ahead with their lessons regardless of how students are responding, and what good does that do if they aren't 'getting it'. Being a good teacher demands so much of us, including flexibility!
I agree with Penny. I was just completely overwhelmed. I think it hit me yesterday that I am student teaching, taking this class, methods, and English 700. How am I going to do all of this! How much more do the students feel this? I want to absorb everything in this class, but I feel so overwhelmed that sometimes it is hard to stay in tuned longer than my 4 year old brother. :) Thank goodness for planners and organizational strategies!
I have gotten that look a couple of times during my student teaching experience, and I have taken your strategy of getting everyone up and stretching for about 30 seconds, then I take it a step further and ask the kids to teach me what I just taught them. If they can reteach me what I just told them, then we can move on. If not, I ask them where I lost them, and we talk about it as a class. It seems to have really helped my classes.
What a great idea! Maybe I should have done that last night with you all - say, around 7:30???
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