Saturday, May 9, 2015

Video Critiques I and II --A Reflection

Video Tape Reflection I

           

            The first video of myself teaching was filmed while I was introducing a lesson for a clay sculpture project. I had an introduction, a historical component with slide show and went over lesson requirements, rubric and a demonstration of the first steps of the project.  My cooperating teacher recorded me for the full 15 minutes going over all of these things.  What an eye opener!! I found that I was pleased with the volume and tone of my voice, as well as inflection. I was also pleased with my reactions to disruptive students and how I handled the introduction after the interruption.  The students were engaged and were answering pre-assessment questions I was asking…but the silence in the video spoke loudly to the objectives that needed to be addressed.

            The video was also very forthcoming with areas I needed to work on in my presentation portion.  One thing I’ve been concentrating on very hard is not addressing the students as “you guys”. For some reason, this has been the single most difficult personal auditory default for me to overcome! I counted in my video, and in a period of 15 minutes, I said, “you guys” SEVEN times! Yikes. I was working on this during field experiences as well, and it remained one of my biggest hurdles when addressing a classroom. I also noticed that after the disruptive student interrupted the introduction it took me a little longer than it should have to find my place in the lesson. I wasn’t completely thrown off track but definitely rattled a bit…which resulted in a few “Um’s” before I got myself straightened back out.

            My goals for the next video is to maintain and become more proficient at the things I feel I was successful at accomplishing and to eleviate those things that were not successful. I’m working on “ladies and gentlemen” as my common reference for the students as a solution to my “you guys” problem! Stay tuned…


Video Tape Reflection II




            The second videotape experience (four weeks later) recorded me doing a lesson objective review (post-assessment) and the beginning of the project critique. The video was eight minutes long. I am very happy to reflect that not at any point in the video did I refer to the students as “you guys”! I maintained a commanding tone and volume as well as understandable inflection while speaking. I was much more relaxed in this recording…as at this point I had learned each of the students name and was able to “squash” and behavior issues by addressing the individual student directly by name, which was helpful.  I was just visibly more comfortable in the role. I was also happy with the absence of “um’s” during my speaking portions. All together I feel much more comfortable with this video and with my instruction. Watching myself on video was painful to endure, but I will admit, was incredibly telling as far as different ways I needed improvement in the most raw way possible. I will continue to pay close attention to “ladies and gentlemen” versus my mental default address to students. I am confident that I can overcome, as I have noticed very few times in the last few weeks that “you guys” has slipped past me.

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