Only 2 days left in the quarter, and my head is spinning. I seem to remember that at some point, when I was browsing for teaching certification programs, one of the primary things I was looking for was one that was quick. That seems ironic in hindsight – now I feel like I can’t cram everything in.
Saw some more microteaching today, and a lesson I’m definitely learning through this process is that running out of time during a lesson is something you can definitely count on happening. Part of that is because we have so little time to present our lesson plans; but I’m sure, and I’ve seen with my own eyes, that time does run out in the classroom. I imagine a way to solve this is to install “crumple zones” in your lesson plans – i.e., designate the most important learning goals, the ones without which you absolutely cannot proceed, and be willing to sacrifice others if necessary.
Also got to hold a brain in my hands today – professor brought in a bunch of organs. (Yes, I wore gloves.) It was surprisingly heavy. Also got to play some mind-games with myself – reading color-words that were in a different-colored font from the color the word described, for instance. The whole idea was to show us the tricks our brain uses to make perception easier – the way it makes some processes automatic so they don’t need to be “thought” about. This was both creepy and fascinating when combined with the experience of actually holding a human brain.
I’m left wondering what’s the best way to teach a lesson like this in my own class. Obviously the best way would be to get to know someone who has their own brain in a jar (you know what I mean), but short of that, maybe I could buy (or make) some sort of brain-replica…
Ten Thousand Small Steps 