Prep for a better 4!

Today we spent a good amount of time talking about what, as a teacher, could we have done to improve our 4 minute lesson. (Refer to video in previous blog) This was a really good opportunity to talk with the TA's who have been through this and get pointers. For example I'm going to need a hook, I was thinking about using a quote that we could all relate to the activity. However I was also thinking about changing the activity to be more of a game type situation. for example, samewhere along the lines of, 1v1 and you only get one dribble to the basket! Not only will this give the students a lot of touches on the ball, but it brings in difficulty and competition in a fun atmosphere. This also teaches great moves to the basket to set up for a layup which we talked about last time I taught. I cant wait to try this out.

Professor Yang - How to Teach

Today in class for 255 Professor Yang kept the pace with last week. Right off the bat he had us in an instant activity and throwing the Frisbee around. This helped get us back into the mood we left in last week. He introduced what we were doing in the course and today he hooked us with the topic of Chinese new year. This was an interesting and different approach for a PE class so it was intriguing indeed. I cannot remember if there was a safety statement, however you could see the gym was sett up appropriately to keep students in a safe environment. Professor Yang also used visual aids; posters on how to throw a frisbee and decorations for the Chinese Year of the Dragon. He was very good at explaining the tasks and if there was confusion he would be certain to clarify it. The professionalism and ability that  Professor Yang has to keep the attentino of a group and to make them participate is extraordinary, we are very lucky to have a professor like this to model off of.

4 Minutes to Teach It

This was last week in our 255 class in which we had 4 minutes to teach. This was on the first day of class. I was very excited to start so quickly. I think this cideo gives a great description at some of my qualities. I like to keep the students active and keep their heart rates up. I also like to give out simple cues for kids to remember the next time they may be performing this task. With such little time and preparation I think the overall lesson was a success!

Welcome to 255

WOW! What a difference from 201 already! As soon as I walked into Professor Yang's classs today I knew I was going to have fun; there were footballs, basketballs, volleyballs and even soccer balls right at half court. I immediately knew we would be doing something interesting and of course we were. We got to teach right off the bat, and thats exactly what I love to do. I felt very comfortable in front of my classmates, seeing a few that i knew from last semester. This class to me looks very promising, hopefully I will learn quite a few things to better myself as a teacher. Cannot wait until Friday

Portfolio showcase

I had the opportunity to go see some really cool and well done portfolios. It helped get a few ideas for my own portfolio. I hope they can look as well done as theirs were. However I feel a few of them were a little too flashy. It kind of seems to me that the portfolios would be a little more professional than flashy. However I also think that having all of that extra work put into a portfolio will show how much dedication you have for the work you can do, so being a tad flashy could not be a bad thing. 

So Long Saint Mary's

Merry Christmas to everybody at Saint Mary's! The holiday spirit was in the air and the numbers this week were stronger than ever. The children can feel christmas around the corner. Especially when one of our classmates brought a giant excersize ball and wrapped it in christmas wrapping! This week my group, The 3 Teachaneers, interacted with the Pre-K kids again. Another huge success. We did something pretty unique in my opinion. Joe brought in ginger bread cookies with frosting, spinkles and gum drops! It was a ton of fun seeing some kids put a whole bunch somewhere and none anywhere else. All of the different ways their minds thought was a really cool thing to see. I got to read the book again and had a great timte doing it. The kids helped me out  a lot as I read The Gingerbread Baby. I think The games we had in the gym were a lot of fun as well. One thing is for sure they were running around getting that gingerbread out! What a great experience I had coming to Saint Mary's. I cannot wait for my next opportunity at SUNY Cortland!

Turkeys for Saint Mary's

This week at Saint Mary's was my best week of all! I really got into reading a story to the pre-k students. They really helped me with sound effects and good ears. I think they enjoyed the book as much as I did and that ALWAYS makes me happy. The kids really listened to what you said and the women helping out in the arts and crafts room were a great help. I think the younger kids just want to have fun, no matter who it's with. They always had a smile on their face which means this week was a SUCCESS.