Finale

      A few months ago on the first day of the semester, I sat in front of my computer for my social studies course feeling extremely nervous and anxious about what was in store for me.  Now, being just a few days away from officially completing the class, I can look back in pure amazement at all I have accomplished in this short time.
       Prior to this course, I had a wealth of experience in small group and one-on-one instruction, but none in whole-class.  I was nervous to teach an entire class, but also so excited to finally have the chance to be a teacher to more than a few students at once.  I learned how to plan and implement direct, inquiry, and cooperative lessons.  I realized how important collaboration is when planning. I learned that being flexible is a necessity. Most importantly, I learned that I CAN do this.  Teaching whole class and receiving the positive and constructive feedback of my classmates and professor helped me better my teaching abilities and build my self-esteem.  I felt comfortable the second I started my first lesson, but making it through my fieldwork week and receiving the support I did built my confidence in extreme ways.  Thanks to this course, I am confident in my teaching.
        Planning the three different lesson types and using them with the second graders also helped me recognize the pros and cons of each, and when they are most appropriate.  For example, a cooperative lesson should not be done before a direct lesson on the topic with young children.  They need an introduction.  Using these lessons demonstrated how critical it is to allow students to apply and create their own knowledge.  Giving them chances to work with minimal support and with a group created meaningful contexts that can never be created with purely direct lessons.  Using cooperative approaches also reinforces the knowledge learned from lectures, etc.
          Thanks to this course and the wealth of resources I have learned about from it, I can honestly say that my social studies classroom will be based around collaboration and experience with a wide range of activities.  Students must be given the chance to work together and build upon their own ideas.  By doing so, they learn to connect knowledge, while also developing social skills.  I will certainly implement a current events lesson weekly.  Students will know that social studies is more than just dates and facts of history.  It encompasses our entire world and its cultures, people, etc. of the past, present, and future.
       Throughout the rest of my blog, you will find reflections on lessons I saw and taught and activities I completed.  I certainly gained a wealth of knowledge and accomplished a lot this past semester!

What I am most thankful for though, are the friendships I developed with my classmates.  I know they will all go on to become amazing teachers!