Experiencing Group

 

The first thing I would like to say is that everyone did a great job, but there were some things that needed to be fixed so that when we all become teachers our students will not "eat us alive." This video shows some great examples.

I have been performing for many years; as a child my parents had me signed up for plays and musicals at our local theatre. Theatre is where I learned to thrive in front of an audience. I also was in choir from 5th grade until my senior year, and I performed my piano skills since 1st grade. I am not bragging, just giving my background knowledge to help those who need to sharpen their skills.

Here are some guidelines I find helpful.

1.) Always be confident and stand tall

2.) Know what you are presenting and do it well

* this means practice it until it flows*

3.) Never fidget, but use your hands to help guide your presentation

4.) Make eye contact and project to your audience

5.) Wear clothes that are comfortable, and shoes that you are able to stand in

*if you are not comfortable then neither is your audience*

These five tips will help you present more clearly.

I know that seems really harsh but many of us haven't performed in front of thousands of people, so we are unsure of how to speak and act. We talk about code switching in my early childhood class, but as teachers we will also have to code switch as well; we will have to use our "teacher talk" and our "outside the classroom talk." As educators we need to learn how to do this before we ever step foot into the classroom.

I really enjoyed working with my group members; I felt that we had a dynamic group of people who were ready for this project. I loved how we were all on the same page the whole way through this journey. Everyone knew what we were doing and did it very well. Our ideas flowed well together and our presentation benefited from the group's hard work ethic.

Joining groups at first is always scary; you never know how well your members are going to work. I was a little worried at first, but once we started talking, our ideas started to flow very well. I know that we put a lot of hard work into this paper and presentation, so in the end it was all worth it. Overall, everyone's presentations came together at the end. I enjoyed this process and now have a better understanding of collaboration.

~Katie~