1. What classes did you teach this week and what was the topic?

I taught Tech 8 (starting the actual build of the project), Junior Auto (bearings and lubrication + demos + CO2 cars + Large motors) and Junior Wood (Building the box, demos on the next project).

2. What is going well? What is one thing about this week that caused you to feel good?

A lot of things went well this week; I’m feeling much more comfortable teaching Junior Wood, and even Junior Auto I feel much more confident in teaching. The midpoint meeting also went very well. I’ve received many compliments and encouragement from my SA and FA, and it has helped me grow exponentially and become a more confident teacher and educator.

3. Did you experience any critical incidents this week? Describe at least one.

My biggest critical incident this week was the midpoint meeting, and the lessons leading up to the midpoint meeting. Even though I felt much more confident and comfortable this week, I was unsure how my midpoint meeting would go. How would my FA react? What if the lessons don’t go as well
during the midpoint observation? What if I am not up to the standards of the people watching me teach? All these worries were in my head, but during my observation, I taught exactly how I was teaching throughout the week… and it went great! The students were on enthusiastic and on task, my demos went smoothly, the assessment of students was good, and all in all, it was very good class. I also received very positive feedback from both my FA and SA, and I have to say, it’s really boosting my self-confidence.

I hope to continue to grow and develop my teaching, and hopefully show that I can improve more and more throughout the practicum.

4. Where do you think you could use help? In what ways can we (school advisor and faculty advisor) help you?

My FA has been great in giving me ample advice on fixing up lesson plans and implementing better hooks and conclusions. I feel that continuing to give me feedback on my lesson plans will help me in the long run.

My SA has also been awesome by continuing to show me demos and helping me go through subject matter that I am unsure in, and I hope that he can continue to support me that way.

5. Identify feelings that you experienced this week and what caused them e.g., what are your thoughts and feelings about your students and colleagues this week?

My overall feeling throughout this week was excitement. It excited me that I am improving throughout my practicum. It excited me that I’m learning new subject matter, getting better at it, and actually being able to teach the subject in confidence.

I also felt that the students saw my excitement and enthusiasm in class. Students were very engaged in the lessons and demos that I did in class, and asked me a lot of questions throughout class time if they were unsure.

6. What question(s) are you pursuing this week? And have you found the answer and what is it? (For example: How does the international student system work in the school? What supports are in place for students who do not speak English?)

The main question I will be pursuing the following week is “What kind of hooks should I use in class?”