Dialectical Journal for ED 335 Teaching Practicum
Date : 2 February 2017
Observations/ Account
(What Happened?)
I successfully managed to combine and
teach the two lessons I originally had
planned for the previous day and today. In
other words, I taught two lessons at one
extended time. The instructional mode that I
used for this lesson was Direct Instruction.
When I was talking about the novel, I wrote
some words on the board. Today is the first
time I wrote on the board while I was
teaching.
In this lesson, my students and I read the
novel Journey to Joburg together as a
class. I had my students stop reading at
some points to discuss some details. The
details include the meaning of a word, the
use of metaphor, and social justice issues.
One of the social justice issues I brought
from the novel was about a Master not
allowing her maid to go home immediately
after the maid knows that her daughter is
sick. Some students think that the Master
has done no wrong because the Master lets
her maid go home the next day. I stopped
asking another student because I already
had three students explain that not letting a
maid go home while her daughter is sick is
not a problem.
Name : Jeremia Alexander
Reflections & Critical Response
(What do I think of it? What went well? What could be
improved? How? What will I do differently? How does
this connect to the theory I have read from class?)
I knew from Instructional Alignment class that
Direct Instruction is the best instructional
mode when the teacher needs to cover many
materials. Now I experience that Direct
Instruction works very well when I need to
cover many details in the novel.
Today I had a chance to apply what a
professor in ITC taught me about writing on
the board. Having words on the board is
helpful especially for the visual learners. I
actually enjoyed writing on the board while
teaching.
I started to be able to feel the classroom. I
know who is not paying attention. I know who
is sleepy. I also feel communicating with the
students, not only speaking in front of the
class. I had my class totally in control, but I
was worried that the students were getting
bored. Yet, I am sure that students were paying
attention most of the time.
I should have had students share their opinion
by having them stand. If students thought that
holding the maid for one day is acceptable, I
would have them stand. If students thought
that the Master should let her maid leave right
away, I would have them sit. Now students are
more likely to talk and defend their opinion
because they had decided to stand or sit in the
first place. I probably could have had students
who argue that the Master should let her maid
go and check her sick daughter right away.