Observed Lesson Plan

Last Thursday I had my observed lesson plan. I felt that it went very well...so well that I stayed until 1 o'clock so I could teach 4 classes instead of 2. I was a lot more at ease this time because I was prepared with my own lesson plan, materials, and resources compared to my 1st taught lesson plan when I followed the 'History Alive!' teacher's manual. It was interesting to witness on a first-hand basis the difference from one class to another especially when you're teaching a class for the first time all year. The first three classes did an excellent job taking part in my entire lesson plan and review game. However, when I taught the fourth class it was an entirely different situation. I went from having two students with IEP's in each of my first three classes to having seven students with IEP's in my fourth class. It was an entirely new scenario...one that I have never been in. The students tried to screw around, didn't want to take part in the intiating activity or the review game., and were very disrepectful. Luckily, my cooperating teacher stayed seated at his desk, instead of intervening, and gave me the opportunity to handle the situation myself. I immediately got control of the situation and classroom. The students realized that I wanted to have an enjoyable class but I also meant business at the same time and that their poor behavior would not be tolerated. In the end, the lesson plan went very well for all four classes and the students were well prepared for their upcoming test.