March - I know exactly what you're talking about! After a year of only teaching elementary kids, I was scared out of my mind to teach AP Art History to 11th and 12th graders! I literally had my stomach in knots and couldn't eat until lunch after 1, when the class ended. While I love art history, and unofficially minored in it, I rarely felt confident to lecture on the material. Presenter notes in powerpoint saved me! First semester was especially bad because I was least familiar with the content and nervous about the class. For the first two months, kids challenged me every day about the amount of homework, the difficulty of the tests, and their low grades. It was a psychological battle every day. Thankfully, I'd already learned to admit that I didn't know everything and told them sometimes I didn't know the answer, but I could help them look it up.
Though I have only taught k-6 art in the past 8 years, I remember my student teaching days when I had the chance to teach high school art classes. I remember that nervous feeling as well (as also stated by Stephanie.) I got better with more experience, but there was always that feeling of "the kids know more than me". Even at the elementary age, kids seem to ask more questions, which is good. When that happens, and I don't know the answer and it is relevant to what we are learning, I usually bring that student aside before the end of class and we look it up together. Or, I try to find out before the end of class and let them all know.
( The previous comment was accidentally posted as anonymous so I re-posted it). Though I have only taught k-6 art in the past 8 years, I remember my student teaching days when I had the chance to teach high school art classes. I remember that nervous feeling as well (as also stated by Stephanie.) I got better with more experience, but there was always that feeling of "the kids know more than me". Even at the elementary age, kids seem to ask more questions, which is good. When that happens, and I don't know the answer and it is relevant to what we are learning, I usually bring that student aside before the end of class and we look it up together. Or, I try to find out before the end of class and let them all know.
My friend who teaches elementary school in Virginia had a HMMMM board in her room. When she did not know an answer to one of her student's questions, she would have the students write it on the HMMMM board. Then during some free time, the students would look it up and share the answer with the rest of the class.
I'm not sure if this was supposed to be humorous, but I laughed out-loud when I read this! This brings so much to fact that even though we are educators we doubt, we second guess, and sometimes we are wrong....could this be what I'm getting from yours?
March - I know exactly what you're talking about! After a year of only teaching elementary kids, I was scared out of my mind to teach AP Art History to 11th and 12th graders! I literally had my stomach in knots and couldn't eat until lunch after 1, when the class ended. While I love art history, and unofficially minored in it, I rarely felt confident to lecture on the material. Presenter notes in powerpoint saved me! First semester was especially bad because I was least familiar with the content and nervous about the class. For the first two months, kids challenged me every day about the amount of homework, the difficulty of the tests, and their low grades. It was a psychological battle every day. Thankfully, I'd already learned to admit that I didn't know everything and told them sometimes I didn't know the answer, but I could help them look it up.
ReplyDeleteTest for Heather
ReplyDeleteThough I have only taught k-6 art in the past 8 years, I remember my student teaching days when I had the chance to teach high school art classes. I remember that nervous feeling as well (as also stated by Stephanie.) I got better with more experience, but there was always that feeling of "the kids know more than me". Even at the elementary age, kids seem to ask more questions, which is good. When that happens, and I don't know the answer and it is relevant to what we are learning, I usually bring that student aside before the end of class and we look it up together. Or, I try to find out before the end of class and let them all know.
ReplyDelete( The previous comment was accidentally posted as anonymous so I re-posted it).
ReplyDeleteThough I have only taught k-6 art in the past 8 years, I remember my student teaching days when I had the chance to teach high school art classes. I remember that nervous feeling as well (as also stated by Stephanie.) I got better with more experience, but there was always that feeling of "the kids know more than me". Even at the elementary age, kids seem to ask more questions, which is good. When that happens, and I don't know the answer and it is relevant to what we are learning, I usually bring that student aside before the end of class and we look it up together. Or, I try to find out before the end of class and let them all know.
My friend who teaches elementary school in Virginia had a HMMMM board in her room. When she did not know an answer to one of her student's questions, she would have the students write it on the HMMMM board. Then during some free time, the students would look it up and share the answer with the rest of the class.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if this was supposed to be humorous, but I laughed out-loud when I read this! This brings so much to fact that even though we are educators we doubt, we second guess, and sometimes we are wrong....could this be what I'm getting from yours?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous was me March!! Heather! It worked:) thanks.
ReplyDelete