Interest Approach Attempt 1: Floral Design Elements #AEE412

This past week we spent some time reviewing interest approaches and why they are important in the classroom.  Interest approaches help students answer the question: "What's In It for me?".  When we create interest in the classroom tied to the content we will teach it hooks and anchors students into where we are going and helps develop a felt need to learn.

This week was my lab experience teaching in front of my peers.  During lab each of us plays a student that might be in a high school classroom, from an 'average-joe' student to the 'bully'.  This creates space to apply not only the topic at hand, but also classroom management.  I chose to teach off of one of my Floriculture lesson plans. The lesson was an introduction to floral design and principles.  Previously the class would have done an overview of floriculture careers so this was their first time with floral design.  And I realized a few things in a short ten minutes...allow me to explain.

1. Being a Constant 'developer' is annoying sometimes
I know that I am the type of person that thinks of an idea, planning to commit to it, but the more I think about it, the more I wonder 'Is this really the best way?'  I know this question in and of itself is good, because if I am continuing to change an idea like an interest approach it's because I want it to be better for students and grab their attention.  It is frustrating sometimes though, because it tends to leave me unsatisfied.  I left lab knowing there were so many things I could change or do differently, which makes me wonder if this will be how I process most days.  I think a journaling or  reflective practice of some sort will help me process this and not make it frustrating, even if it is just jotting down a few notes and walking away.

2. Don't pull out the stops every time
This is something many of us talked about before and after our labs.  Interest approaches can be 2-15 minutes, and they vary from content to content and where in the unit the class is.  This was helpful to work through a little bit larger of one to see how it might connect, but also realize that they should be varied throughout the unit.

3. Time Management is Key
I have always struggled with this, I tend to overestimate myself and what I can accomplish in a certain time frame. This lab helped to remind me of that.  I think when I actually use this lesson plan I plan to change or cut out part of the interest approach because in the 10 minutes we had I did not reach the most important part to tie it to the class objectives.

4.  Directions
I had two of those moments in this lab where I knew my directions were not clear.  The first time was when I gave students supplies before all of the directions.  I know that mind before body is important but sometimes forget and then it's too late which turned into a little more explaining on my end.  The second was when a student said "wait what are we doing..." Clarity! Clarity! Clarity!


5. A few wins
It is easy for me to pick everything apart and reflect on everything I did wrong, but there were a few wins.  Working one on one with students and a group and helping create a frame for what we know now and where we are going was good.  I also implemented some of my classroom management policies right away, which I know will be uncomfortable at first in the classroom, but necessary.