First Impressions

The first assignment I was given was to prepare a presentation that would introduce me to the students. I knew that their ages ranged from 12-15 but I wasn't sure of their level of comprehension in English. I was also paired with many different teachers, so I estimated that it was going to take a while before I got into the groove with each one.

I kept this presentation as simple as possible. Its purpose was to give the students basic background information about me and the culture of the USA. I used a lot of pictures so the students would be able to associate a person, place, or thing with an image. I made the presentation interactive by asking them questions between slides pertaining to the topic of the previous slide. I ended the presentation with a short quiz to see how much the students retained.

How did it go?

Well, yes, I felt like I was gonna puke before I got up in front of the first class. But once I got moving, my theater skills kicked in and I quickly figured out how to get and hold the students' attention. By the time I got to my fifth go around with this presentation, I felt like a pro. One of the teachers I worked with said, "You were definitely in your salsa up there." After seeing the puzzled look on my face, she said, "your element! You were in your element." I don't think I could have received a better compliment.