Today Was THE Day

So, today was THE day. THE day I have been planning for about a week. THE day that consumed my life as I designed lesson plans and activities. This was THE day when I would I have my first observation from my OSTE (On Site Teacher Expert). My OSTE, who is otherwise known as my students' real teacher, has been prepping me for a few weeks for today's class. From passing out papers and grading tests, to teaching the kids how to perform a lab, I have been dreading today...THE DAY! And at 8:30 AM this morning, THE day began.

I was evaluated by my mentor during my entire lesson that I taught for 2 periods. My lesson was about the global changes in the atmosphere, and I informed the students about Global Warming, the Greenhouse effect, and the total effects of UV radiation. During the lesson, I pulled out to good ol' overhead projector and use transparencies to present my notes to my students. To have them follow along, I left blanks in their notes so that they had to follow along and fill in the words as we worked together. After the lesson, I played a review game with the students to see how well they were listening, as well as to see how efficiently I gave the information.

After the two classes ended, I finally sat down with my OSTE to see how well I performed today's task. Going over the notes, Mrs. Felix gave me a... 3 out of 4 :)

Looking through her notes, I saw the comments that retained my strengths as a teacher. Seeing these phrases and descriptions gave me complete hope that I am actually doing the right thing in my life. One comment that stuck out: "You're a natural!" Man, did that put a smile on my face :D

Looking back and seeing how I prepared for THE day, I don't regret anything. Though there are a few changes I would tweak for next time, this entire experience was rewarding and inspiring. Most of all, my students were learning from my lesson that I taught... and that's all that matters.

-Ms. C

Note: The activity that I did with my students at the end was derived from this website. For those of you who are interested in cool science gadgets, check out what I ordered online for my students.