DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.
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BSHS Classroom Practice Overview


It is in the classroom practice that teaching comes alive. Although classroom practice can usefully be divided up in to categories (teacher presentations, collaborative activities, questioning/discussion, and development of student skills, for example), I was also particularly struck by the interconnections between these categories.

 

Expanding my understanding of what constitutes a teacher presentation beyond the idea that it was a form of lecture (of which most college professors are so fond) was an important step for me in aspiring to meet Standard Four. While utilizing “teacher talk time” to convey certain content, I also became acutely aware of taking at students. Building in comprehension checks, using different modes of presentation, and providing students with materials helped me to change my understanding of a direct teacher presentation. Making the classroom more student-centered during teacher presentations will be an ongoing project for me.

 

I was surprised to find that scripting questions helped with questioning/discussion as much as it did. Being confident in my ability to interact with students, wanting to show sensitivity to the direction which students would take discussion, and a desire to remain fluid and focused on the development of skills and capacities all conspired to make me initially resistant to scripting questions. Like the rationale behind the practice based standards, I was only able to fully appreciate and internalize the lesson after having done it myself. I did use different levels of questioning and discussion, asking students recall questions ad well as prompting them to explain their reasoning, provide examples, and engage in high order cognitive processes. I also found that questioning as a prime mode of instruction was easier with smaller groups (with the teams I advised for their final projects, for example) and hope to extend what worked in that setting to the whole class setting during student teaching.

 

In structuring class activities I had the experience of working to create clear and explicit directions (for a Socratic Seminar as well as a Jig Saw activity). Again, it was in the smaller group settings that I found I had the most success in facilitating collaborative activities, getting them to work together as well as holding each individual accountable.

 

My teaching team and I were explicit about our desire for the whole course to be centered on the development of student skills throughout. Aside from the larger skills and capacities of critical thinking, making connections, and analyzing history, I also taught more specific skills. The lesson on the research process, for example, gave me experience in breaking complex understandings into manageable steps and encouraged students generate knowledge, test hypotheses, and explore methods of inquiry and standards of evidence. I also modeled the research process with a relevant example to help guide their work. It was reinforced by the course objectives themselves and by providing individualized attention during work on final projects. Exploring and evaluating standards of evidence was especially present throughout the course as students questioned sources of evidence and looked for different perspectives. Students’ final presentations/exhibitions served as a summative assessment and as a forum for them to demonstrate what they had learned and the skills they had developed. They were provided with clear criteria for attaining excellence in this and given the chance to self-assess.

 

Overall, I feel confident about my progress in Classroom Practice but recognize that I have a lot to work on during student teaching (and thereafter).


 

 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.