Semester Reflection

The semester has finally come to an end.  I can’t believe how fast it went.  It was definitely an experience that I will never forget.  I learned an amazing amount of information.  Teaching Social Studies has always been a challenge and having techniques and skills in your arsenal is always beneficial.  I have learned so many different forms of technology to use that I will definitely be able to use with my students.  Using technology can help you to align with your students.  We are living in a society that is centered around technology and the more we know as teachers can only help you and your students to connect to the course work. 

            One of the most important things that I will take away from this class was how to effectively work collaboratively.  Cooperative learning is an essential tool to utilize with your students and I learned great skills and techniques for this.  I also learned how to give feedback effectively, which is so important.

            This class helped me to delve deeper into the different lesson formats such as: Direct Instruction, Inquiry Lessons, and Cooperative Learning.  I learned how to always be prepared for any situation because you never know what can happen.  I really enjoyed the size of our class because it allowed us to work more closely with one another and learn so much from one another.  I have never learned more information in one single class then I have in this one.  I am so grateful for what I will take away from this class.  There was an overwhelming amount of information presented to us, but once you sat down and really sifted through it, you took away so much.

            When I have my own classroom I am going to use many if not all of the things I learned during this class.  I am a firm believer of group work and see the most progress from peer work.  I am going to make my classroom a hands on learning environment where my students are never afraid to ask questions.  I want them to feel at ease and always know that every question is important.  I want students to really understand the importance of history and how it shapes who we are today and where we will tomorrow.