Online Microteaching

I was definitely nervous about my online teaching, starting my lesson I was still a bit nervous but as I got used to everything, I gained my confidence. I think my fellow peers enjoyed my lesson, however I did experience some technical difficulties during my lesson but I pushed over and over came these challenges. I also learned a lot from this experience and it gave me the confidence to be able to do it again and even better next time.

What did you like and dislike about online teaching?

I liked the platform we used, there were so many different things one could do to try and engage the learners and teach your content. I also enjoyed gaining new knowledge on how to teach online because I feel that it necessary for all teachers in today’s world. Something that I dislike about online teaching is that there is sometimes a delay when speaking as well as you cannot see the facial expressions of the learners nor can they see yours. Teaching sometimes is not just about what you are saying but how to express your face and body.

What new skills did you learn?

I learned how to make use of the features in blackboard, how one can share your screen, how to show a video as well as how to create a poll. I also learned that one needs to be well prepared because in an online class the teachers do most of the talking.

What would you do differently?

I designed my slides with animations in PowerPoint, I taught a mathematics lesson and made use of animations because I did not want my learners to see the answers. However, when making use of blackboard there is no animations therefore I had to share my screen but when I shared my screen I could not see the chat were the learners were communicating with me. So it was a bit difficult and for this reason I would not design a slideshow with animations.

Did you used appropriate tools to teach your online lesson, explain why?

Yes and no, I did make use of slides as well as a kahoot game. I believe these tools were appropriate because it engaged my learners to participate and also give me the opportunity to see if my learners understood the content. I also said no because as previously mentioned the animations in my slideshow made it a bit difficult.

How has your experience developed you for teaching in a school?

It has taught me to think on my feet when something is not going according to plan. It has also taught me to not give up and carry on because at the end of the day it is better to try and fail but you learned valuable skills rather than not trying at all.