Lesson Observation

Observing a lesson in progress is much easier than actually teaching the lesson. Many teachers stress how difficult and time consuming developing a lesson plan can be. One cannot by any means understand until they have had the experience of what it is like. It may be easy to jot down the standards but what has to follow is a test of one’s dedication to the term. The social studies lesson taught as a requirement for EED-465 was a history lesson drawn from the topic Trail of Tears. This was a broad topic but careful planning helped me narrow it for the time slot I was allowed to work through. Some terms were hard to pronounce, therefore an attempt to make sure the terms were pronounced properly I sought a pronunciation key prior to the lesson from an internet source. Teaching felt right because I enjoyed what I was doing. The students seem interested. When students are eager to learn teachers must be eager to teach. A lack of interest on the teachers’ part will surely be conveyed to the students Chapin, June (2013) Elementary Social Studies: A Practical Guide Eighth Edition (p. 31). Whether students are eager to learn or not it is the teacher’s responsibility to encourage their interest. On this note my teaching strategy was hinged upon Activating Prior Knowledge. Since the students had studied about pioneers earlier this year they had prior knowledge of how transition and maps work to trace cultural movement. This activated what they knew and made for a more exciting note of discussion. This was a demonstration of students using recurrent patterns in and across content areas that help them understand the concept of how what they know can be applied to what they are learning. The prior knowledge strategy brings with it the term metacognition. Metacognition is the awareness and control learners have on their cognitive process. The metacognition process consists of students recognizing when they have a problem learning and spotting inconsistences and incompatible assumptions in their own thinking. Knowing when to consciously use a variety of problem solving strategies to explain why they made a particular decision and applying self-monitoring techniques. Although students are definitely un-aware of these spotlights teachers must know the process. Teachers are the “guiding beam” that can help students develop metacognition: they can share and model the self-monitoring process, explain strategies that students can use, clarify why particular strategies are helpful and useful, and clarify and model when particular strategies are appropriate. Although, students may not understand this concept, they can enhance their own ability to develop metacognition. They can learn to “track” their thinking process in a lesson by asking, “What did I do?” learn to change their thinking patterns to work more effectively for them by asking, “How could I improve?” and learn to use other resources for increasing skillful thinking by asking, “What help do I need?” My lesson was built upon my own metacognition. This help me better understand how to develop my lesson plan. There were many ideas pointed out by the teacher who observed the lesson in progress. She pointed out that to become more proficient in my lesson planning it is important that proof of my strategy is made clear. More research of the Activating Prior Knowledge strategy can help me become a more through teacher, after all the goal of a teacher should be to make sure the student entrusted in their care is provided the knowledge they need to help them get to the next level. Social studies has been put on the back burner in some states and reading and math has become more at the fore front due to the, “teach to test” method. In order for students to be able to function in the in the United States which is a democratic society, social studies must be considered a necessary interest of elementary field of study. Social studies helps students gain more knowledge and become a better participant in our changing world where they will be confronted with different religions, multiethnic groups, multicultural groups and many other diverse groups. Social studies can also help students develop better relationships and become a well-rounded citizen. Teaching the lesson on the Trail of Tears helped some students understand the suffering of the first Americans. Some students were sadden about what they saw in the pictures and were also disappointed that Andrew Jackson, who was the United States President at the time, would allow such cruel events to happen to the Native American People. This opened a door for discussion about respectful principles, dignity, and the rights of individuals and their families, and the common good. The lesson was not design to degrade, discourage, or cause anxiety but to inform the importance of rights, values, trust, and promote critical thinking. This was a very challenging lesson for me to teach, but it helped me understand the process of delivering important information that students could learn from. My mentoring teacher was very helpful. She did not go easy on me about certain things because she know the importance of making sure the information I deliver is clear enough for students to learn from. Doing the research before one approach any task is vital. I believe that doing research and learning how to apply what you have learned from the research is the key component to becoming a proficient teacher/student. My goal is to make sure I give the students what they need. A teachers’ reward is not in the salary she take home but when “little John/Jane Doe” take home a report card that proves he/she have mastered what is taught. My mentoring teacher has taught for many years but she says the common core standards have become a challenge. The work days are crammed with staff development/common core and technology training but she continue to enjoy teaching. A quote to remember form the pages of Howard Gardner reads “Unless the curriculum embodies good models of thinking (without the teacher) and students have plenty of opportunity to practice thinking, there is no chance that students will learn to think better.” Howard Gardner, ASCD Curriculum Update, June 1992.

References
Chapin, June (2013) Elementary Social Studies: A Practical Guide Eighth Edition (p. 31)
Gardner, Howard, ASCD Curriculum Update (June 1992) Retrieved April 6, 2013 from www.eedstate.ak.us/tlsframeworks/sstudies/part3a5.htm www.socialstudies.org/postions/powerfulandpurposeful
https://lc-ugradl.gcu.edu/learningPlatform/user/users.html?token=TPC%2B5T2b13WHUD

References: Chapin, June (2013) Elementary Social Studies: A Practical Guide Eighth Edition (p. 31) Gardner, Howard, ASCD Curriculum Update (June 1992) Retrieved April 6, 2013 from www.eedstate.ak.us/tlsframeworks/sstudies/part3a5.htm www.socialstudies.org/postions/powerfulandpurposeful https://lc-ugradl.gcu.edu/learningPlatform/user/users.html?token=TPC%2B5T2b13WHUD