Lab Reflections: Inquiry on Inquiry

Inquiry on Inquiry Based Instruction


One of the big concept we were introduced to this year as a teaching strategy was inquiry based instruction.  Inquiry based instruction and inquiry based learning is something that I always thought I would want to implement in my classroom. My problem I can count the number of inquiry based lesson I have led in my career on one hand prior to this year.  My first real opportunity to teach inquiry based learning was on #DSA2017 where I taught an inquiry based lesson on nutrition.  

But this is now the final stages to student teaching prep. And as always we should be experts with all of this. So here are my reflections on my first official teaching experience with Inquiry Based Instruction.


Gems

What am I suppose to do!!!!!  Like for real this entire lesson my major take away was: "Wow, as a teacher I'm not doing a lot. I'm just standing here."  I kind of liked it but also didn't like it. The entire time I was standing there I was wondering what if they go way off track.  One of the groups did go off track a bit with the activity and I had to redirect them.  Which I found to be surprisingly easy.  When I think about my own style of teaching the thing I found nice about not doing a lot is that I could look a head and prep a little as the class went on. I like how inquiry based learning isn't really about how the teacher gives the students the information but I may give the students a topic and they have to find the information themselves.

Opps

My level of preparation.  To me I think my biggest challenge was I was teaching this with out a lot of preparation. Then I realized that while out student teaching I am going to be teaching a total of 7 different classes a day. I won't have time to prep. I need to be ready to just go and move. Some times its going to feel like to me that I am not very prepared but then that's why we have our pre student teaching contracts with all of those expectations.  If I change it I change it.  I have to have faith in myself as a teacher though.  

Looking Forward

I see the value of inquiry based learning and plan on using it a bit this spring. But I think I also need more practice with it prior to me becoming an "Inquiry Expert"

To Be Continued . . . 

Comments

  1. Tiffany MoreyNovember 29, 2017 at 7:56 AM

    George, you did a much better job helping students to stay on task and to keep them engaged! What are some things that you can do to help you stay prepped and organized for lessons? I suggest checking out CoP for suggestions on how to efficiently prep for teaching so many different classes each day.

    ReplyDelete

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