Reflections on a Lesson Plan

            Reflection is key to true understanding.  As a future teacher, I must accustom myself to reflecting, analyzing, and critiquing my work.  After writing my first lesson plan, I am amazed at the amount of work used to create a lesson.  However, my main concerns with my lesson are the lesson’s length, creativity, and detailed specifics.

            My first concern with my lesson plan is the length.  After reexamining the lesson and listening to my colleague’s opinions, I cover a tremendous amount of ground, especially concerning new material.  I think my lesson plan would work better as a two-day lesson.  I realize that my learners may not grasp all the concepts right away and I do have to acknowledge that I am in a first-year high school Spanish classroom.  Therefore, I can not move at the same speed I have become accustomed to in college.  Perhaps it is better to gradually introduce the new material, or at least pace the class a little better.

            However, this leads to my second worry: I am afraid of being what every first year teacher doesn’t want to be -- boring!  My first concern would be pacing a class so that the subject does not become tedious.  Then, my major struggle is creating a lesson that makes grammar exciting and enjoyable.  Nevertheless, one of the lessons I learn from planning a lesson is the logistic element of planning and creating.  As my mother told me, a teacher can not expect every day to be like a circus.  Some days have to be like PBS television: informational and education, but not necessarily enjoyable.  Nevertheless, as a teacher I must be able to balance intrinsic motivation with required discussions.  Again, my mother offered exquisite knowledge.  Once the student starts to grasp material, the teacher is able to explore alternative, enjoyable methods.  Yet another question appears in my mind.  How can I let the students know that they have to get through the difficult, boring material to get to the later, fun stuff?  For instance, my lesson plan was heavily weighted with worksheets.  Is there a way to let the students know that after they complete the worksheets and the preliminary material the class will move onto games and interactive activities?  As a teacher, I find difficulty in planning lessons that balance introducing new material without demanding the students complete “busy work” to comprehend the material.

            My difficulties with planning engaging activities are founded on my difficulties with teaching.  First, I worry that I don’t really understand what it takes to fill up fifty minutes (or more).  I hope after a semester’s worth of being in a classroom and aiding I’ll have a better idea of what the student’s can handle and what must be worked on a little more slowly.  Second, one of my colleagues worried about my high standards for the students and possibly pushing them too far.  Is there a way to mix a college-level standard that still appeals to high school students and keeps them moving at a regular pace where no one is left behind?  I want my students to actively engage in learning, but I also don’t want to spend eons of time on a single topic (like we tended to do in my high school classes).  Finally, I worry that my lesson does not have a practical application in the real world.  As a student in a high school Spanish class, I always wanted to learn in real-life situations.  Most importantly, I always wanted to know why I need to learn this material and what use it will have.  How can I introduce material in a real-life way when the learner does not have a grasp on the material at all?

            I hope as the semester progresses that some of these worries and questions will be put to rest as I learn what a teacher does and participate in a classroom.  Furthermore, I think some practical application in the classroom will be beneficial to aid me in preparing to enter the classroom as a teacher in a year and a half.

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