Peers' Feedback
"Never learned before, happy to learn finally,how algebra tiles work," was one of the various responses we got from our peers as feedback for the use of algebra tiles in our micro-teaching lesson, and it was just satisfying for our group to know to have achieved one of the teaching objectives. Almost all of them appreciated the use of manipulative, the algebra tiles, with which we were able to engage all of them actively in the process of teaching and learning. One of the observers pointed out the idea that connecting factorization visually to the area of rectangle can prove to be a different kind of learning experience for a student.The observers also liked the idea of using the website resource, the virtual manipulative, to make the lesson more interesting.
Although the lesson was a good one, but it lacked the proper time management, pointed by almost all of them. The introduction, no doubt, was very appropriate, but, was too fast, and I strongly agreed upon their view that it can be hard for a grade 10 student to follow. The pace of the lesson was fast, and students were not be able to get time to think before they could answer any question.
Self Reflection
I also found my group's lesson to be an excellent one, but, no doubt, it lacked the time factor. This was the reason that we had to be fast,and the observers couldn't follow the instructions at the beginning of the lesson. A teacher has to be very particular regarding the time factor. Indeed it was a different kind of experience to teach with manipulative, to make it possible for the students to make sense of the mathematical situations. I also found it very useful to connect factoring with the area of a rectangle, and making it possible for the students to enjoy this connection as a new learning experience. At the end of the lesson we arranged for expressing their views regarding their self evaluation, that is, what they learn today, to be responded together with the question sheet provided to them,and this was indeed, very useful as a teacher as you got to have some insight of your teaching at the end of the lesson.Truly, micro-teaching was a fruitful experience for me as a teacher candidate.
Good work Raman. You've written a thoughtful assessment of what was a pretty successful lesson. The time factor needs lots of attention at the start, as you've said, and it can be particularly tricky when working with new materials and co-teaching for the first time.
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