Final Lab Reflection

Throughout this past semester I was grateful to have the opportunity to strengthen my skills as a teacher both internally as well as through my actions.  The lab for pre-service teachers was definitely a positive experience.   Through the lab I was challenged as I prepared lessons, gathered supplies, interacted with students, and received suggestions for improvement, and all of those challenges helped to make me a better educator. 

If I had the power to improve the lab component of AEE 412 I would do it by having the students present their LifeKnowledge lesson in the beginning of the semester, or perhaps have them do it at the end (or after) the Spring semester and then do a “round 2” in the early fall.  I think this will help the students to start conceptualizing how they can better utilize their future classroom, and also ideally measure progress!  I am a fan of the LifeKnowledge lesson, but I think there would be greater benefits to have it earlier in the pre-service preparation.

Personally I have grown substantially especially for having my lab session at 8AM I quickly learned the importance of timeliness and that as soon as class starts I have to be ready to go.  Additionally through the use of the ThereNow videos (the technology used to record me during labs) I was able to start identifying my little quirks and how I can improve.  My professional growth throughout the lab component is also significant as I was able to professionally accept constructive criticism.  This lab has helped to show me that I am not perfect, and that it is okay!  I was able to develop much appreciation for the feedback from my peers and instructor because they provided it to help make me better.    

Reflection was a significant component of the lab for 412 and by habit and constant repetitiveness that has made me both a reflective learner and a reflective teacher.  Through the use of the ThereNow videos I had the privilege of watching my performances as an instructor as well as many of my peers.  Having the ability to utilize technology for reflection was beneficial because it helped me to identify my own strengths and weaknesses as well as highlights from my peers. 

I think that in order to be a better educator I must constantly take time to reflect.  I can do this by preparing quality lesson plans, reviewing and revising the lessons before the day of presenting to make the cognitive connect to the previous lesson, marking the lesson afterwards with ideas for improvement for the next time around with that lesson, and reviewing my goals as a professional.  In the book that I read this summer “See me After Class” I learned that there is great value in reflecting and reassessing one’s progress and goals.  This is a skill that I was able to develop this semester and one that I hope I will always be improving!

One of the things that I wish would have been detailed more in depth for better understanding in the AEE 412 teaching lab expectations is just ease of access to information.  The lab packet provided great detail for each lab; however, the lab packet and the 412 packet sometimes had conflicting information such as dates or expectations.  I think that if they could be merged into one big packet that would better clarify all of the expectations.

In conclusion, this semester was one that certainly helped me to grow and has prepared me significantly for my future student teaching experience at Shippensburg High School!