Growing up, we knew this day in the classroom as "Career Day", but today it is known as "The Great American Teach-In." During the Great American Teach In, people from the local community come into elementary school classrooms nationwide to talk about why education is important, what their career is all about and how children can grow up to be that profession. Yesterday we learned about an music engineer , a nurse, a businessman/black belt in taekwondo, USF flag twirlers, and a DJ. As a learner of the Great American Teach In, I learned the steps it takes to put a song together, what areas have the most germs in our daily lives and how to prevent germs as much as possible, the 5 components of taekwondo, and a few karate moves.
Although this day was fun for the students and I won't deny that I had fun as well, but when the school day was over, I asked myself, "Was today beneficial for the students?" "Did they learn anything" and my answer was no. As a teacher, we were given a schedule of each person's last name and what time they would be in our rooms from. That schedule was given to us the morning of the Great American Teach In. As a teacher, I would've loved to plan with the professions coming to my class and discuss their presentation, tak about classroom management ideas, and what words they would need to go over in order for the students to understand. For example, the music engineer kept referring to the studio and that panel with all those buttons and knobs and the students had no idea what he was talking about, the businessman/black belt was using words such as CPA of his company, integrity, spiritualism, and more for students to find their balance and they had no idea what he was talking about. I would've loved to plan with these speakers before they came to speak to my students so that my students could truly tap into their informal learning experience.
The USF flag twirlers and DJ came after lunch. This was just a big party because the students learned nothing from the USF flag twirlers because they just sat and watched and with the DJ, they just danced to the music. It was heartbreaking to leave the Great American Teach In thinking that my students really did not take away anything from a day that could've been so beneficial with some planning, prepping, and organization.
Although this day was fun for the students and I won't deny that I had fun as well, but when the school day was over, I asked myself, "Was today beneficial for the students?" "Did they learn anything" and my answer was no. As a teacher, we were given a schedule of each person's last name and what time they would be in our rooms from. That schedule was given to us the morning of the Great American Teach In. As a teacher, I would've loved to plan with the professions coming to my class and discuss their presentation, tak about classroom management ideas, and what words they would need to go over in order for the students to understand. For example, the music engineer kept referring to the studio and that panel with all those buttons and knobs and the students had no idea what he was talking about, the businessman/black belt was using words such as CPA of his company, integrity, spiritualism, and more for students to find their balance and they had no idea what he was talking about. I would've loved to plan with these speakers before they came to speak to my students so that my students could truly tap into their informal learning experience.
The USF flag twirlers and DJ came after lunch. This was just a big party because the students learned nothing from the USF flag twirlers because they just sat and watched and with the DJ, they just danced to the music. It was heartbreaking to leave the Great American Teach In thinking that my students really did not take away anything from a day that could've been so beneficial with some planning, prepping, and organization.