I never thought of myself as a teacher. I still don’t think I am or will ever become a teacher. I’ve taught sailing for the last three summers but I wouldn’t classify myself as a teacher. When we met with the education class last week, we discussed the many steps to giving a successful lesson: establish goals, decide what the students will know, decide how you will teach the topic, let the students apply what they’ve learned, and assess. When we were creating these lesson plans I though to myself ‘Wow this is a lot of work.’ But then I thought about my experience as a sailing instructor. When my kids arrive, I introduce the skills we will be learning that day and give a brief explanation of why they need to learn them. Then I show them how they are going to learn the skills. Then we go on the water and my kids do the drill or activity I had planned. Towards the end of the lesson, I cruise around to each boat and watch the kids demonstrate their new skills.

I realized that I use the same exact process that was being introduced to me in class. Although it was introduced in a confusing and seemingly tedious way, the process is actually very straight forward and completely logical.

After traveling to MUMS this afternoon and meeting with Jan, I am very excited to plan my lesson with Meg and prepare to go and teach 8th graders later this month. I think it will be a very different, but interesting and rewarding experience.