Self Assessment & Accomplishments
I found that my Junior Field Experience was extremely beneficial to my goal of becoming a mathematics teacher. In the beginning of the semester, Jennifer Banner and I observed Ms. Murphy’s 7th grade mathematics classes. I have learned so much from our co-op and I have found this experience to be very beneficial. I learned several different ways of maintaining control of the classroom as well as different methods of teaching middle school mathematics.
Then in the middle of the semester, Jennifer and I developed a three week unit called Geometry in the Plane. Through developing the unit, I learned that there is a lot of work and many things to consider when developing lesson plans. Jennifer and I researched and developed good ideas for teaching geometry to the students. We made up several worksheets for class work and homework for our different lessons. In addition, we developed assessments such as journal entries and quizzes. This process of developing a unit was really valuable and I will use the skills that I have learned in student teaching as well as when I become a teacher in the future.
Prior to teaching our unit, Jennifer and I began to teach mini lessons to Ms. Murphy’s students. I remember the first time I went over a homework assignment with one of the classes. I was very nervous and I was shaking. I was so concerned about myself and if I was doing everything correctly. However, I found that the more I got up in front of the class, the more comfortable I became.
Throughout teaching the unit, I have learned several important things that I will take with me when I student teach. I learned that it is important to make connections to what you are teaching to “real-life” situations. This way students will have a reason to want to participate in the activity and make an effort to learn. I also learned that it is important to involve all of the students in a lesson by having them help pass out/ collect materials, calling on them to answer questions, or having them demonstrate their ideas to the rest of the class. In addition, I have learned that it is important to always have back up activities or problems for students to work on. I have found that you can never be too prepared and have things ready for students to do if the lesson goes by quickly. Furthermore, I have learned that one of the most important parts of a lesson is the summary or conclusion. It is important to always “wrap up” a lesson and have an effective and memorable summary.
Throughout my Junior Field Experience at Fisher Middle School, I thought that I did many things well. I was arrived at the school early and was well prepared to teach the lesson each day. I also had all of the materials that I needed each day and I always made copies of worksheets and assessments in advance. I communicated well with my co-op and we were always on the same page about the lessons and how they were going to be taught. One area that I would like to improve upon is developing better assessments. I think that the assessments that Jen and I developed were a little too short. I would like to have developed longer ones so that students had more opportunities to demonstrate their understanding of the material.
In summary, the experience of teaching our unit is one that I will never forget. I think that I have grown and improved a great deal throughout the three weeks. I got to a point where I was no longer so concerned about myself when I was up in front of the students. I was more concerned about them and if they were on task and understanding the material. I think that this was an important transition for me to make and it has made me a better teacher. I hope that in the future I will continue to grow and become an effective teacher.
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