Mock Teaching
...written on 03.12.03, @ 2:08 a.m.
Wed March 12, 2003
Today all the American teachers had to present a demonstration class for either a "Welcome Class" or a "First Lesson Class" for 3-6 year olds. We did this for our boss, and some other Japanese teachers.
I was up first to do a welcome class for the 3-4 year olds. I started the CD and as the music started to play, I began to sing and do the actions to the song. My audience was being so lackluster about their participation however, that I turned around, stopped the CD and gave a little speech:
"Ok look, all the American teachers have decided that we will begin and end each pre-kinder class through second grade class with this song, so I think this is a good opportunity for you all to learn it." I said, sweeping my eyes around the semi-circle of stoic faces.
The fact was, was that I had given a similar speech just the day before to the other American teachers. You see, our boss wants us to sing in every class, a thing which I do with no hesitation whatsoever, but which my co-workers are having immense problems coming to terms with. Yesterday I piled them all into a room, turned on the Super Tots song and ran them through it at least six times. By the end of the musical torture session their voices were stronger and their movements more sure. I also alleviated a great measure of their discomfort by giggling over the fact that the next day we would all get to see our boss going through the same motions.
Well, the boss came up to me right before the "show" today and said that he didn't want to participate, he just wanted to observe the classes, and I said that was fine, but that he first had to do the Super Tots song, then he could observe all he wanted. I must tell you that the look on his face was not one of pleasure.
"So, let's start again, shall we? Just follow me." I said as I restarted the music and the accompanying movement routine. The first time was bumpy as can be imagined, but we did it another four times before I dove into the rest of my presentation.
This time around, I not only showed them my ideas, I explained them. Usually in mock teaching, we are to pretend that we are doing an actual class and the other teachers are the students, but I stopped and gave the reasons behind my activities and strategies. I knew I had little time, but I also knew that it was the best opportunity and that I had to use it. I was the only one in the room with any considerable experience of teaching the target audience and I had to make it clear that 3-6 year olds learn differently than older students. I apparently used my time to great effect as my boss paid me a huge compliment by thanking me afterwards and saying that he had learned a lot. When I left work this evening, he was poring over the copy I gave him of the words and gestures of the Super Tot song which I could hear emanating from the CD drive of his computer.
I don't have a degree or extensive training in the education field. I just spend a lot of my free time either on the internet doing research, going to professional presentations on the topic of teaching children, or reading books on the subject. I pass lots of meeting information on to my co-workers who have yet to go with me on these ventures, and I always bring back copies of handouts and other materials to share when I get back.
I enjoy all the effort that I put into my job and my personal and professional growth in the field, and I really would like some support from my co-workers in this area. I know they are new at it and will need more time to develop some skills, but I would like to see them exhibit some curiosity and initiative and help me out more.
I want to do a write up on what I talked about today. I think it would be a great training tool, not only for our teachers, but for the parents as well. If we, as teachers don't understand how children learn, how can we expect parents to know? How can we teach effectively if we don't know how students learn? How can we help parents to have realistic expectations of what their child can accomplish in a one hour a week class? How can we help parents help their children learn? So many ideas now, yet so much sleep in my eyelids. Oyasuminasai.