Today in class we shared informally about our experiences on the field. I shared on the teacher’s apparent lack of self confidence. She repeatedly mentioned that, “She does not know what to do.” She also was not able to offer any support regarding what subjects or topics my partner and I would be able to teach because she had not yet familiarized herself with the syllabus.
I was not impressed with her approach towards the class. There seemed to be little or no structure in place. For example, at one time she distributed workbooks to the students and told them to find a page that they didn’t do and work on it. The teacher then sat down by her desk. Some students did assignments, others did not. A few of them were unsure of what they had to do and they kept calling on my partner and me to assist them.
In all fairness to the teacher, I believe she had no intensions of teaching that day as the afternoon was a Carnival related activity. I believe she was forced to find something to teach because we were in the classroom observing. I may be wrong in my inference, however, it seemed to be the only logical explanation to understand the teacher’s behavior.
The second part of my Practicum class was co-teaching or team teaching exercises. My lecturer’s original intent was to see how well we (each peer teacher set) synchronized in teaching a lesson. Unfortunately, some partners were absent. My lecturer therefore divided us into two groups. She gave us a topic and allowed us two minutes to brainstorm on how we were going to deliver it. She then gave us ten minutes to present. My group presented on MUSIC OF CARNIVAL. Our lesson was tailored for a Standard Four class in Port of Spain. The other group had to share on CARNIVAL [BANDS/COSTUMES], for a Standard One class in Cedros.......an Urban area versus a Rural area.
This exercise helped me realize how dearth my cultural knowledge is. While I do not partake in Carnival activities, as an aspiring educator and intellectual, it is my responsibility to be knowledgeable about the culture of Trinidad and Tobago. This was one instance where if I had to stand before an actual class of students, chances are that the students would have been more knowledgeable on the topic than I was. I was appreciative of this exercise although I was uncomfortable with the topic. However, it showed me where I needed to improve, and how much I have taken for granted.
Thankfully, the lecturer was pleased with my group’s delivery. She stated that with team teaching, the key is to know your partner’s strengths and weaknesses and be able to support them appropriately. Partners need to plan together and communicate. There must be an element of synergy and trust.
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