Grace & Growth: #AEE412 Problem Solving Approach Lab Reflection

I really enjoyed learning about the Problem Solving Approach last week as well as trying my hand at using the problem solving approach in a lesson! One of the reasons I like the problem solving approach is because it seems to do a great job of generating interest from the students and letting them guide their learning a little bit by determining (with effective questioning from the teacher guiding this process) what they need to learn to solve the problem.

This week in lab I taught a segment of a lesson I created on fermentation to demonstrate the problem solving approach. The problem? - a local silo with silage inside caught on fire and all of the farmer's silage was ruined. What caused the silage to catch on fire?

Here are some gems and opportunities for improvement that I took away from this week's lab!

Gems

Overall, I liked the problem solving approach that I used for my interest approach. It was a problem that everyone could see the value in solving, whether it was because a student has a silo on their farm and/or they had the opportunity to help someone else. I also asked students to help determine what we need to learn to help the farmer and figure out what caused that fire in his silo. While I think I still have work to do concerning asking effective, guiding questions, the general process was there.

Opps

One thing I keep forgetting about is to check the time when I start my lab so that I can keep track of how long everything is taking! I have a hard time staying on track when I don't know how long students have been working on an activity.

I also noticed that I wasn't very enthusiastic during class. I'm not sure what was going on that day, but I would like to work on being more enthusiastic about what I'm teaching. It's not that I'm not excited about what I'm teaching, but instead I think I overthink things sometimes and get too caught up in making sure everything is going according to plan. Goal for next time: Relax and have more fun!

Thanks for being a part of my journey, I really appreciate it!

4 comments:

Cheyenne MyersOctober 13, 2017 at 7:26 PM
I believe that you did a good job at this lab!! Keep it up!
Wright_KarlieOctober 15, 2017 at 9:40 AM
Rose! I think your lab was really good. I am have some of the same problems you are - keeping track of time and remaining enthusiastic. Those are things I surely need to work on as well.
UnknownOctober 15, 2017 at 1:02 PM
Being enthusiastic when you are tired or stressed is always a challenge. I always think of a “switch” turning on when the bell rings. You’ve got to set the tone for the class. Sometimes it’s hard, but think about the switch, and turn it on when you walk in the door. Turn it off, when they leave.
Tiffany MoreyOctober 16, 2017 at 5:10 AM
Rose, I really enjoyed the problem that you chose and the way you presented it. To help with timing, you can set a timer on your computer or watch for certain portions of the lesson to keep you on track. Students also like a timer when they have a certain amount of time to complete a task. Relax and enjoy what you are teaching and your enthusiasm will shine!