Teaching day TWO~ complete

           We finished our second and final day teaching! Today we did a cooperative lesson, and I think it went great! We had our setbacks during our first lesson, and I think that helped us to really do well today. We had a back up plan for everything and were prepared for other obstacles that could have
came our way. We did a little review in the beginning and then students got into their groups from Tuesday. Within their groups they created a poster for their mineral and we conducted a mineral show! After the posters were completed the students went from group to group to look at the other posters. I think it was a good idea that we kept the students in the same group as last time because this way they were all working with the mineral they worked with last time. At the end, the students voted on which mineral they liked the best with a raffle ticket. On the back of their raffle ticket they had to write why they chose the mineral, how there group worked together and the role they were assigned in their group. This raffle ticket acted as both their vote and their independent practice. The students really seemed to enjoy this activity.
          Teaching today we definitely felt a lot more comfortable in front of the classroom and with the students. Going first was extremely tough and nerve-wracking, but I think my group worked extremely well together and overall I am very proud of us! I think what makes us more nervous is that we are not only putting on a lesson for the class we are teaching but we are being observed by our whole class. Having so many people watching you and then later critiquing you is extremely stressful!
          Throughout this whole experience I definitely learned a whole lot. First, I learned that although technology is a wonderful thing to enhance a lesson, you cannot always depend on it. Next, I learned that you always, always need to have a back up plan. There might be some days where things do not go the way you expect. You need to always be prepared to have a plan B!
         We are lucky that the students in the class are very intelligent, willing to work, and for the most part well behaved! I wish the other groups luck in their lessons and hope they go well.