First Day of School!

Welcome to my teacher reflection blog. I plan to document my progress in teaching a computer class for the first time. I hope to reflect on my lessons and teaching methods to help me become an effective educator.

Last week’s KIS Faculty Inservice was an awesome time for me to get situated into KIS, the elementary school department, and especially my computer classroom. This would not have happened without the presence of Mr. Page (Mark), my master teacher and the person I am taking over for the 1st and 2nd grade computer class. He has taught me the procedures of running the computer lab, numerous classroom management skills, and the different teaching strategies that would make my instructions more effective. Additionally, his energy and passion for educational technology motivates me to become the best computer instructor I can be.

Well, I did it! I finished my first day of school. I met my awesome new students and I am excited to start a yearlong journey with them.

The lessons I taught did not go exactly as planned. It was great however that I was able to teach 2nd grade twice today because it gave me the ability to make some necessary changes to my lesson. For example, in my first class, some of the new students who did not have any experience with the computer lab before were having trouble logging in and out of the computer. So for the next class, I made sure to teach every step slowly and in simpler terms. After, I asked each new student to come up as a “teacher” and demonstrate how to log in and out. I made sure to stay beside all of them during the demonstations to guide and facilitate them into completing the task. I saw that they gained more confidence, especially accomplishing it in front of the class as a “teacher.” It can be daunting for a new student to perform any task in an unfamiliar environment, particularly in a setting with technology.

Mark observed me during my first class and had some helpful suggestions:

• Explain white space for the log-in process (this was helpful in the second class because there were fewer students who were having trouble logging in)


• Mention Pop-ups


• Make sure to stop a student when his or her comment is off topic


• Ice breaker to learn names if there is time left

The presentation I presented to the class about myself seemed to have created a connection between the students and me. I presented pictures of my family, interests, and my dog, Muffin. I think the presentation made me relatable, which is not always the case in a teacher-student relationship.
One day down, 191 days more to go!