I don’t know what it is with me. Like I mentioned at the start of my presentation, give me a room full of kids and I’m fine – dynamic, charismatic, dramatic, passionate about my subject matter. But give me a room full of my peers and I clam up. My (psychologist) husband says I sabotage myself with feelings of inadequacy. In some respects he is right, as I have always feared the judgment of others – that I won’t measure up to the rest of the group or even to my own expectations. Regardless of the reason, though, my nervousness always seems to get the better of me. Why reveal all of this personal analysis in my reflection? Simple – my trepidation hampered my ability to express myself as well as I would have liked. This is not to say I am completely unhappy with the way my presentation went, but there are several things I wish I had done differently, and probably would have done differently, if I were not so nervous about giving the presentation:
- I used too much time giving the pedagogical theory behind the lesson. I could have stated it in a few sentences, but my Writing Project training coupled with an intense desire to express the purpose of the lesson drove me to overly rely on theory. The result? Less time on hands-on activities.
- I stood behind the desk too much, creating a wall between me and the rest of the class.
- I relied on my notes a lot, even though I would have been fine without them. I feared I would misspeak and not explain things well enough. Unfortunately that is exactly what happened because I was so focused on my notes.
- We didn’t get to discuss “A Rose for Emily” because I ran out of time (see number 1). I would have liked to see and hear how my classmates communicated Emily’s destruction at the hands of the very ideology to which she clung.
- We didn’t get to discuss the merits of using alternative learning strategies in a literature classroom, nor did I get to hear from the class their thoughts on the lesson’s ability to help a student connect real life to classroom study (again, see number 1).
The presentation wasn’t a total loss, though:
- I was able to try out a lesson I had never done in a classroom setting, and it was good to see that, though my explanation of what we were doing was a little convoluted, people got the general idea.
- My classmates highlighted elements of the illustrations in Olivia which I had never noticed before (such as the contrast between Olivia as a pig and the dancer on her wall as a human).
- I was able to share a children’s story I enjoy and I believe I read it in an entertaining manner.
- I had a good handout which I am confident explained the course of the lesson much better than I did during my presentation.
- I was able to remind myself that, when faced with a 20 minute time limit, I should get to the heart of the matter and not focus so much on theory.
Overall, the teaching presentation was as much a learning experience for me as I hope it was for everyone else. I’ll know better what to do next time and be able to face the situation with less anxiety and more conviction.
-Ginny
Hi Ginny,
I think you may be giving yourself too much of a hard time–I definitely wouldn’t say you "clammed up" during your presentation. I thought you were very articulate, and your passion for teaching showed. I love the idea of using children’s books to teach older students. I use Dr. Seuss’ Yertle the Turtle and the "Humpty Dumpty" nursery rhyme at the begging of the year to help my 10th graders practice interpreting "difficult texts."
Ginny,
I really liked your lesson! It is a great idea to begin with an easy text to ease students into analysis. I use Cinderella, in many different forms, and "What are Little Boys Made Of" in my college classes. One Poly Sci teacher that I know uses lots of fairy tales.
Rememger that you were doing a type of hybrid. We needed the pedagogy to understand why you chose that lesson. You would probably skip most of this in a real teaching situation.
I actually use the idea of images (specifically the tableau section) when I teach this story. I even draw it on the board!
This is a great idea that I may borrow.
Edith
I do tend to be hard on myself. My own worst enemy syndrome, I suppose :)
Glad to hear the idea was useful and applicable to your teaching situations.
Ginny – I really enjoyed your presentation! Don’t feel bad about where you stood though, because I really didn’t find a comfortable standing spot in the other class. I was too afraid of blocking the projector or not really facing other students. (I’m definitely keeping this handout as well!) If we had more time we could’ve talked about the short story longer; that was only because of the time limit. Looking back on my high school experience – this lesson would’ve been GREAT in class! (PS – I’m getting a lot of free reading done this weekend too.) :)
Ginny,
How have you used wikis in class? I’m shopping for more ideas ; )
Edith
You did not clam up during the presentation. If you’re worried about relying on notes, don’t bring them up to the podium/desk. Remember that the class has no idea what you’re going to say. We(students) may have read the material, but you are the expert presenter.
If you happen to make a mistake, there’s a good chance the class won’t notice. If it is noticeable, come back to it later on, and you’ll find that the audience won’t dwell on the matter.
The small group discussions were helpful and provided some insight into the children’s book. My group was dealing wit the same questions you tackled in your presentation.
Ginny,
Perhaps own worst critic would be more accurate than own worst enemy. =)
I really liked how you incorporated visual literacy into the exercise. We’re all bombarded with imagery on a regular basis, but so rarely are students encouraged to look critically at imagery to see what isn’t being said.
Ginny,
I appreciate your comment about feeling that you were behind the desk more than you like during your presentation. You must remember, though, that you had no time or opportunity to alter the classroom. You had little choice but to be behind the desk, given our circumstances.
In a real teaching situation in most classrooms, I’m sure you would figure out a way to position yourself so you could be out and about more. I always rearrange the furniture in my classroom before each class precisely so I can do this. In Innovation Hall and/or especially in a situation like ours when we were there so briefly, that just wasn’t an option.
Re: standing behind the desk…I teach two undergraduate classes in that very room, and every day I wrestle with that same question of where to situate myself. The desk (more like a command center) is truly an obstacle, and the swivel-hinged monitor doesn’t help. Usually I end up more in the center of the room, sitting in just a regular chair.
Ginny, I did not think any of that negative stuff. What inadequacies? Your lesson was great. I liked the kid book. I liked it all and thought that it flowed well. The desk was a nothing. What were you supposed to do? It’s in the way. Liked the cupcake. Yum. Thanks. LC