The Power of Influence- First Class at Penn Manor


Yesterday I had the opportunity to travel to my cooperating center and teach a Life Knowledge lesson about influence and the opportunities for influence in the FFA organization. While planning for this lesson my cooperating teacher and I had decided that this lesson would take about 40-50 minutes, which would be perfect to allow time for the students to work on a project they were supposed to be starting that day. However, this was not the case, my 50 minute ma lesson ended up taking 75 minutes and I even cut out an activity near the end. 


When I talked to my cooperating teacher about this, he said that he thought the class was well paced and went well. We also discussed how this class in particular was notorious for dragging things out, something that he has experienced with them before. With this in mind, I have been accounting for more flex days while unit planning, because I have not doubt that what I think we can get over in one class is more material than we actually can.

 Anyway back to the life knowledge lesson, as I looked over my learner satisfaction forms I was surprised by some of the remarks. Some students would have prepared that we didn't move around there room and others said that I should not have played games and tried to make the lesson to fun because they were in high school. What?!?! 

At first I was not sure what to think about these remarks, sure I wouldn't use this lesson for a senior level class, but for an introductory level class I thought they would enjoy it. Then I got to thinking, this is a CASE course, these students are used to employing the scientific method and discovering with limited guidance, I guess these students are more advanced than I thought. 

When I reflect on my teaching abilities during this lesson, I saw the same thing that I always do, problems with the clarity of my directions. I have decided two things, one I need to regain the focus of the entire class before the give directions and two I need to provide my directions in multiple forms. Over the semester I have slowed down when giving directions and no longer feel overwhelmed to make every second informational during a class. Now don't get me wrong, I am not going to waste time, but it is ok for the pace to vary during a lesson, and slow during critical times, like directions.

 In addition, for this class I decided to only give verbal directions. From now on I will be sure to give verbal directions as well as written directions, either on a worksheet, through Google classroom, or via a PowerPoint presentation. I also noted that I have a difficult time wait for every student to be focused before I begin directions, which leads to me having to repeat the directions, or refocus students prior to them inquiring about the directions form another classmate. I know this all comes with classroom management techniques that I really have not practiced yet, but will very soon.  

Overall I was pleased with how my lesson went, I think that the students got something out of it and now have a better understanding of what influence is and the power that they have with influence.