Demo Teaching Lesson

Demo Lesson Update
My demo lesson was on Monday, May 18 a couple of weeks ago. I think things went well. Most everyone was happy: my co-teacher[s], principal, and superintendent. The students behaved nearly perfectly.


We had 20-30 people observing our class. The quarters were definitely tight, but I was thankful we were able to use the classroom instead of the library!


Teaching as a team makes such a difference!


Mrs. Ko


During the speaking activity: controlled chaos.

After the lesson, my co-teacher felt so relieved and happy. I thought I would be too... but actually found myself feeling disappointed/frustrated. The feedback session that followed our lesson was entirely in Korean (except for when I was asked to give an impromptu speech). It seemed that feedback was positive from the body language/atmosphere that I could observe. But I had no idea what was going on. I heard references to yeonga seonsaengnim [English teacher] - I knew they were talking about me but had NO idea what they were saying! I was mostly frustrated because I would have liked to hear their feedback. I found it ironic that the handout they gave to all of the teachers that attended said Teaching English in English.


During the feedback session - my principal is the woman standing in white.

Although I was really frustrated, the next day, I was reminded once again that God has blessed me with an amazing group of teachers. All of the English teachers went to the Outback for dinner after school in celebration of our demo lesson being finished. It was a special treat. The food was good, but the time spent with the teachers was even more meaningful. My main co-teacher had taken notes of all of the things that were said during the feedback session after our demo lesson. She translated them for me, which was SO encouraging and helpful. After spending so much time and energy preparing for the demo lesson, it was nice to hear feedback. Even more meaningful, each of the English teachers shared [in ENGLISH] their own thoughts and feedback about the demo lesson Mrs. Ko and I had. It was a blessing and encouragement to me.

I definitely learned a lot from the whole demo teaching experience. I'm thankful for the relationship that grew between Mrs. Ko and I. I'm thankful for the opportunity to experience what it's like to actually co-TEACH and co-lesson plan. I'm thankful for the new classroom supplies that found their way into my classroom. I'm thankful for the new resources in our little English library. I'm thankful for the opportunity to grow as a teacher. I'm thankful for the opportunities to learn more about Korean culture. Definitely a good growth experience...