Video Teaching Reflection April 2019
I have discovered that I learn so much about my teaching from my video reflections. They are just as useful as the feedback I have received from my CT and other teachers. When we first did this activity it was difficult to visualize how I would complete it and what I would learn. Now that I have done this practice several times I am more comfortable with the process and I take away new things each time.
This particular video was done during a writing lesson. After watching the video I was able to tweak the lesson, focusing on what worked and what did not, what kept the students engaged, and what I could do differently. This was very helpful since I teach the same lesson to two more groups of students. It afforded me the opportunity to make the necessary changes before I taught the subsequent groups. My cooperating teacher offered valuable information to me after we viewed the video together.
I was able to see what students were struggling with the writing lesson that I had not observed during the actual lesson. I was also able to better understand their responses and gauge their involvement and engagement during the activity. While I was doing the actual teaching it was easy to miss these things as I was so focused on getting the information out there. I was also able to see some negative behaviors that were going on behind my back while I was teaching. These would be dealt with later.
I learned from past video reflections that the less I talked the better the lesson would go. I employed that knowledge during this writing lesson and I think that worked well for me. I taught a mini lesson and directed the kids to talk among their group to brainstorm ideas, examples, etc. I then did small focus groups while the other groups rotated through their writing centers. Standing in front of the white board too long is definitely a no-no with my fifth graders because they lose focus too quickly. My cooperating teacher reiterated the idea of having students turn and talk for better collaboration.
This video reflection showed me what students were getting work done and how they worked in their groups. As a result I was able to regroup my students so that they would be more collaborative. I was able to better assess who was completing the writing centers and what stumbling blocks they faced. I was also able to identify which centers just weren’t working out. In a way, the video was almost a form of assessment. I could better see which students were struggling during the activity instead of waiting to see their completed work to learn that they did not understand the concepts.
I really think that I will continue video my lessons occasionally. I learn new things about my teaching and about my students’ learning through these practices. I have heard of teachers who do this routinely. The videotaped lessons can also be used as a resource for the next year of teaching. After I got past the initial annoyance of seeing myself in film, I was able to take away meaningful points from my videos and I consider them valuable learning opportunities for myself to become a better teacher.
Video Teaching Reflection March 2019
This particular lesson was on making a hook for beginning the written piece of our animal research project. Overall, I felt that the lesson went really well and the students seemed engaged and productive. Despite this, I did learn a few things from watching my video. This activity afforded me a chance to see what was working well in the lesson and what things I could improve upon.
One thing that usually slaps me in the face after I watch a video of myself teaching is my choice of words. I often find myself saying, Did I just say that? I find myself using language and word choices that might be a bit above my students’ understanding. I can be a bit wordy at times and this is something I am trying to keep in check so I don’t lose my students’ attention. I have to constantly remind myself to choose words and phrases that will be more understandable to my students. This is something that actually caused my cooperating teacher to laugh out loud at when she watched it. She thoughtfully reminded me to use language and vocabulary that was understood by the students.
I have also discovered that I need to do more modeling. For example, I need to be displaying exemplary examples of the work we are doing as well as work that does not quite meet the expectations of the lesson. I have since made sure that I am displaying more modeling techniques and visuals to guide them. Although I often do have some sort of visual to accompany the lesson, I need to offer more examples of the kind of work I am looking forward to seeing come from the students.
I learned that frequently, I am doing all the talking. Time is always a constraint and I have felt that I needed to get in as much of my point as possible. Unfortunately, this maneuver leaves very little time for the students to share and learn from one another. As a result of learning this, I am implementing more turn-and-talks and group discussion so that the students can discover what each other has to offer.
A few things I think I did well were to acknowledge students’ questions and needs. I also tried to make eye contact with them, move about the classroom, and I often have some hands-on manipulative or foldable involved in a lesson. I am also prepared for the lesson and have my materials, overhead, and supplies gathered and ready to go. I had studied my lesson and developed my wording and approach to teaching the lesson. I always explain why students are learning to what I am teaching and how they will use the knowledge.
This experience has once again proved to be beneficial in helping me hone my teaching skills. When I first did this exercise I spent too much time focusing on how I looked or sounded but now I am focusing on how my words, lessons, and behaviors affect my students’ learning. I look forward to learning more from my videos.