New beginnings

Today was the first direct instruction lesson from the second group; Susan, Maureen, and Kristen. Overall, I thought the lesson went very well! Many of the comments that the class, and Dr. Smirnova have been making, have been incorporated into the lessons. There were many little things about this lesson that I really liked. I thought that the hands on your head for "yes" and finger on your nose for "no" direction was very fun and engaging for the students. This was a good way to get them more involved with the lesson while also serving as feedback to the teachers. I also thought that the questions that were asked were helpful because they encouraged students to raise their hand to explain their thinking.

There were also parts of this lesson that I think could have been stronger. The transitions were a little confusing, instead of having a lesson that continuously drones on it is important to chunk it up. By changing the pace, and introducing new activities the students become more engaged and the lesson feels more exciting, and organized. Also the guided practice was not very helpful to test the students' understanding of the lesson. The questions were too easy and almost all of the class knew the answers immediately. I personally liked this idea, but it was not as effective as it could have been because of the questions.