Life Knowledge Lesson

Nearing the end of the semester, everything is coming to a final conclusion. One of the last labs that we had to participate in was conducting an FFA Life Knowledge lesson at our cooperating center. I was excited to get out into the classroom at my school, especially to see the students and begin my teaching journey. My teacher, Mr. Boyer, had no real parameters for my lesson I had to teach, so I chose one I thought would apply to his freshman Ag Sciences class. I thought, since it was getting down to the end of the semester, the students might need a little help with MOTIVATION. Once I found my lesson on motivation, it took me little time to get my lesson accomplished and gain confidence in my subject. I found out, before my lesson, that the class I was teaching was his first period class, a 40 minute period, including morning announcements. I was going to be pushed for time, to say the least.

As the morning of my lesson came around, I was ready. I was very confident I had enough material, and I knew I was going to make connections with the students to show the importance of motivation. I was very excited, hoping to show this freshman class that I could be an effective teacher. As the class started, the principal walked in, and I realized he was going to be doing my evaluation. I had a moment of "OH CRAP!", but I took it in stride and jumped right into the lesson. 

The class went by ridiculously fast. I had the students engaged with questions, defining motivation, writing motivation factors on the board (increasing and decreasing motivation factors), and filling out their own individual factors of motivation. Every objective I had on the board was met, and I got great interaction from the students. During my evaluation from teacher and principal after class, I was told that I engaged students in class who rarely talk, if ever. I was so taken back by this statement. I had made a difference in some of those students, and surprisingly got them motivated to participate!!!! 

  I wish the class was a full period, though, because I was not able to completely get all my student evaluations filled out, but I really think it was productive for my TEACHER CONFIDENCE and student understanding. The FFA Life Knowledge lessons are full of great ideas and ways to incorporate different subjects into the specific subjects of our content areas. I really did enjoy this lesson and it was a great first impression on the class because I will have them again in the spring during student teaching. I know not all lessons are this positive, but it only takes one class to produce that great feeling of teacher accomplishment and drive to come back the next day to do it all over again.