Self-voyeurism in the classroom
The other day I had the opportunity to watch myself on videotape as I taught. This was a novel experience for me, and one that I looked forward to with some trepidation. I do not feel as though I am a novice teacher, since I have spent countless hours teaching as a summer program leader, substitute teacher, and outdoor educator. But how can you really know if you are good at something until you watch yourself perform? So after my formal observation, I grabbed the videocassette and watched myself teach.
The tale of the tape revealed no major surprises, fortunately. The person I saw was obviously confident and in control of himself and the classroom. I am standing straight and tall with my chest out, and give the impression that I know what I am doing. This is reinforced by the fact that I do know what I am doing. Even when relying on students to be the centers of attention, as I did in this lesson when I told students to dramatize vocabulary words, I keep control by urging effort and reigning in potential disruptions.
There were of course areas I can improve upon. At times my voice would trail off as I completed a sentence, making it difficult to hear and leaving onlookers wondering if what I said was important. I also frequently put my hands in my pockets, making me look less assertive and more non-chalant. Perhaps I could have something in my hand at all times to make myself look more confident, ala Bob Dole's pen during the 1996 presidential campaign. I will try to refrain from referring to myself in the third person, as Dole often did.
Overall, watching myself teach was a positive experience. I saw myself as a confident professional, which is exactly the image I want to project in my classroom. I also saw some areas I could tweak to improve my craft. By making some adjustments, I can make myself a better teacher, which is my goal every year I spend in the profession.
The tale of the tape revealed no major surprises, fortunately. The person I saw was obviously confident and in control of himself and the classroom. I am standing straight and tall with my chest out, and give the impression that I know what I am doing. This is reinforced by the fact that I do know what I am doing. Even when relying on students to be the centers of attention, as I did in this lesson when I told students to dramatize vocabulary words, I keep control by urging effort and reigning in potential disruptions.
There were of course areas I can improve upon. At times my voice would trail off as I completed a sentence, making it difficult to hear and leaving onlookers wondering if what I said was important. I also frequently put my hands in my pockets, making me look less assertive and more non-chalant. Perhaps I could have something in my hand at all times to make myself look more confident, ala Bob Dole's pen during the 1996 presidential campaign. I will try to refrain from referring to myself in the third person, as Dole often did.
Overall, watching myself teach was a positive experience. I saw myself as a confident professional, which is exactly the image I want to project in my classroom. I also saw some areas I could tweak to improve my craft. By making some adjustments, I can make myself a better teacher, which is my goal every year I spend in the profession.
posted by Joel Hebert at 10:07 AM
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