"You have to know the past to understand the present."
-Dr. Carl Sagan
At this point in my education career, I have been blessed to have had experiences in a multitude of classroom settings. I share here a few real-life experiences and subsequent realizations I have be fortunate enough to live through during my time spent in front of students ranging from seventh grade to college seniors. Each anecdote is preceded by the time during which it occurred, the course in which it occurred, and the instructor under whom it occurred. Enjoy!
Unexpected/Unrelated Questions
Spring 2011, Seventh Grade World History, Doug Huitt.
During my pre-internship, I was tasked with leading class discussion on topics ranging from Ancient Egypt to the current military presence in the Middle East. Often times, students would pose questions to me that, while somehow related to the topic, came entirely out of left field. Luckily for me, I was able to handle the respond to the majority of their questions with information I had learned either in my college classes or through self-motivated research, but every so often, a question would leave me completely stumped. When discussing civilian populations living in Iraq, a student asked me, "How do they [the civilians] drink their water? Like, do they have water bottles like us?" I paused for a moment, quickly gathered my thoughts, and responded with, "I would assume so. They may not get it from a vending machine like you get yours, but I'm sure they have some sort of carrying apparatus similar to a bottle." Before I could even consider the seemingly random nature of the question, another student asked, "When was the water bottle invented?" The class was losing focus right before my eyes. While I appreciated their thirst for knowledge, I had to steer the discussion back to its intended route, which turned out to be a far more challenging task than I ever would have imagined.
Other times, I would have students ask questions that were in no discernible way, shape, or form, related to what was being discussed in class. Again while their thirst for knowledge was something to be appreciated, I had to explain to them that there was a time and a place for such questions, and that the middle of class discussion was probably not the best time. I also told my students that if there was anything they wanted to know, that they could come to me and ask. If I didn't know, I would help them find out, and if their inquiry was inappropriate, I would help explain to them why it was. This experience taught me that while students' questions can leave a teacher scratching their head, they are often asked with good intentions, and are symbolic of their desire to learn. It also taught me how to regain order in a quickly deteriorating classroom; a skill I'm sure to be thankful for in the future.
Unexpected/Unrelated Questions
Spring 2011, Seventh Grade World History, Doug Huitt.
During my pre-internship, I was tasked with leading class discussion on topics ranging from Ancient Egypt to the current military presence in the Middle East. Often times, students would pose questions to me that, while somehow related to the topic, came entirely out of left field. Luckily for me, I was able to handle the respond to the majority of their questions with information I had learned either in my college classes or through self-motivated research, but every so often, a question would leave me completely stumped. When discussing civilian populations living in Iraq, a student asked me, "How do they [the civilians] drink their water? Like, do they have water bottles like us?" I paused for a moment, quickly gathered my thoughts, and responded with, "I would assume so. They may not get it from a vending machine like you get yours, but I'm sure they have some sort of carrying apparatus similar to a bottle." Before I could even consider the seemingly random nature of the question, another student asked, "When was the water bottle invented?" The class was losing focus right before my eyes. While I appreciated their thirst for knowledge, I had to steer the discussion back to its intended route, which turned out to be a far more challenging task than I ever would have imagined.
Other times, I would have students ask questions that were in no discernible way, shape, or form, related to what was being discussed in class. Again while their thirst for knowledge was something to be appreciated, I had to explain to them that there was a time and a place for such questions, and that the middle of class discussion was probably not the best time. I also told my students that if there was anything they wanted to know, that they could come to me and ask. If I didn't know, I would help them find out, and if their inquiry was inappropriate, I would help explain to them why it was. This experience taught me that while students' questions can leave a teacher scratching their head, they are often asked with good intentions, and are symbolic of their desire to learn. It also taught me how to regain order in a quickly deteriorating classroom; a skill I'm sure to be thankful for in the future.
Speaking Can be Scary
Spring 2010, Western Michigan University English 2100: Film Interpretation, Dr. Casey McKittrick
While in my undergraduate career at Western Michigan University, I had the tremendous fortune to work with Dr. Casey McKittrick as a teaching assistant for his Film Interpretation class. Under his tutelage, I managed classrooms with populations ranging from thirty to over two hundred. While I had had a fair deal of public speaking experience, I had never spoken to such a large group of students at one time. Towards the end of the semester, Dr. McKittrick offered me the chance to deliver a lecture on the transformation of the Western film genre over the past eighty years, a topic that I was only somewhat familiar with. I spent several days preparing my notes and rehearsing my transitions, assuring myself that I knew the material and that I had nothing to be afraid of.
When the big day came, I gracefully stepped in front of roughly one hundred and eighty students, cleared my throat, and proceeded to plow through my notes. After completing my conclusion, I looked out at a sea of blank faces and realized that I burned through an entire class period-worth of material in under six minutes. I took a deep breath and opened for any questions, and was instantly met with one of the most painful silences I have ever experienced. Thankfully, a friend of mine who was sitting in on the class threw a softball question in my direction. I responded with the traditional, "That's an excellent question..." and began rehashing some of the points I glazed over in my faux-lecture. Over the next few minutes, several more students posed questions, and I managed to save what was moments before a smoldering wreck of a lecture. I've spoken to large groups since, and the last thing I think before beginning my lesson is always, "Stay calm, pace yourself, you can do this." While the mental-warm-up may seem silly, it has helped me stay relaxed ever since.
Stay tuned for more stories from the real as I make my way through my internship at Portage Central High School this coming Spring!
-Welcome- -Philosophy- -Lessons- -Focus Areas- -Recollections- -Resources- -About Me- - Legal-
Spring 2010, Western Michigan University English 2100: Film Interpretation, Dr. Casey McKittrick
While in my undergraduate career at Western Michigan University, I had the tremendous fortune to work with Dr. Casey McKittrick as a teaching assistant for his Film Interpretation class. Under his tutelage, I managed classrooms with populations ranging from thirty to over two hundred. While I had had a fair deal of public speaking experience, I had never spoken to such a large group of students at one time. Towards the end of the semester, Dr. McKittrick offered me the chance to deliver a lecture on the transformation of the Western film genre over the past eighty years, a topic that I was only somewhat familiar with. I spent several days preparing my notes and rehearsing my transitions, assuring myself that I knew the material and that I had nothing to be afraid of.
When the big day came, I gracefully stepped in front of roughly one hundred and eighty students, cleared my throat, and proceeded to plow through my notes. After completing my conclusion, I looked out at a sea of blank faces and realized that I burned through an entire class period-worth of material in under six minutes. I took a deep breath and opened for any questions, and was instantly met with one of the most painful silences I have ever experienced. Thankfully, a friend of mine who was sitting in on the class threw a softball question in my direction. I responded with the traditional, "That's an excellent question..." and began rehashing some of the points I glazed over in my faux-lecture. Over the next few minutes, several more students posed questions, and I managed to save what was moments before a smoldering wreck of a lecture. I've spoken to large groups since, and the last thing I think before beginning my lesson is always, "Stay calm, pace yourself, you can do this." While the mental-warm-up may seem silly, it has helped me stay relaxed ever since.
Stay tuned for more stories from the real as I make my way through my internship at Portage Central High School this coming Spring!
-Welcome- -Philosophy- -Lessons- -Focus Areas- -Recollections- -Resources- -About Me- - Legal-