Extra Post: January

Two things of note happened this month: Lesson 2, and the 20th.

Lesson 2 is the shorter story. I was nervous, the activity went well, I made time which was a big concern, and I got a flat P. Nothing worth talking about that I didn't talk about in the last post..

On the 20th, I decided I would do some teaching. Mrs. Sensei was there and she wasn't running an activity, so she took some pictures for me. Unfortunately the lighting in the room was off, she wasn't used to my phone camera, and there was motion blur.

Here are the best pictures she got. I'll organize them by group and write about each.

These are the older kids. They followed along really well. A couple flaws here and there but they got it. I think the youngest is about 6/7 and the oldest is 8/9. So they generally process new information faster than the younger kids.

This is the middle group, or about 6-7 years old. I'll go over each picture individually.

  First one I was telling them where to stand, so they don't run into each other and can watch me or others for help. The one kid I was gesturing to was standing in an ok spot, so he was thrilled that I said he was fine and didn't have to move.

  Second picture is my favorite. That girl is a few months in, and I can never tell if she cares or not. This picture and the last one are good examples. When it comes to respect, like bowing, she couldn't care less. I have my back turned, and she does her own thing. But she does do work, so I don't know yet. You can see the boy visually between us, and he's doing what he's supposed to do. He has more drive and has been with the class longer. It all just depends on the kid. This picture is a prime example of when my project gets annoying.

 Third and fouth I'm looking over my shoulder to see if everybody is correct. Right now, I see no flaws worth pointing out. A lot of their feet are wrong, but the correct leg is forward, so it's ok at that level. I think in the third picture the girl on the far left is switching her hand, or correcting herself.

Third group were the littles, or 4.5/5-6 years old.

 I was looking in Mrs. Sensei's direction. Some kids noticed she was taking pictures, some were doing their own things. That one kid on the far left playing with his belt will, without fail, untie it during class. He had me retie it right after the picture.

While there are noticeable flaws with this group, they did all right. I made it a point to always specify if the right hand or left are doing something, so hopefully the kids pick it up. I realized knowing right from left is very important in karate. It might even be "EQ Answer worthy" important. Some flaws might be the blonde boy in the third pic has the wrong foot forward. My hand left hand has some motion blur, so I think I was about to tell him to switch feet. Another example would be the boy of the far left is facing the wrong direction. This isn't worth fixing, because I know it's because he's following me, and his feet and hands are correct. So generally, things were ok.

At the end of class Sensei was watching me, and he said he didn't see any of the kids mess up once, and that either I am a good teacher or they are very smart. Mostly, this is encouraging the kids, saying they are doing well - very little of that statement is directed to me. However, little is still there. I was proud at the end of class that things went well and I got a great opportunity to teach.

And for more pictures to use besides the ones from October.

P.S I am allowed to show faces. How, I don't know. But there's no conflict. Not like I'm saying their names.

Blog 13: Lesson 2 Reflection

1. What are you most proud of in your Lesson 2 Presentation and why?
I am most proud of my activity. Lots of feedback saying people enjoyed it, it went according to plan, and the message was portrayed correctly.

2a. What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 2 Presentation (self-assessment)?
P-

2b. Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 2 component contract.
I believe I achieved proficient in all areas. Time went well, my research was sound, I spoke of my mentorship/experiences, and my powerpoint was decent. I was audibly nervous, however, so there was a problem with volume/enunciation.

3. What worked for you in your Lesson 2?
My activity, hook, answer, jokes, and research.

4. What didn't work? If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 2?
I misunderstood the presentation initially. I had to redo my powerpoint/presentation on Wednesday. If I had a time machine, I would help myself understand and have better work ready earlier. I wish I was more confident and my powerpoint was cleaner.

5. What do you think your answer 2 is going to be?
"For an instructor to have a thorough understanding of the content they are teaching."

Blog 12: Mentorship 10 hours check

1. Where are you doing your mentorship?
I am doing my mentorship at the La Verne Community Center.

2. Who is your contact?
My contact is my mentor's wife Mrs. Sensei. Her number is (909) 5**-97** and email is mrs.sensei.*******@gmail.com. She made the call on my mentor's behalf.

3. How many total hours have you done?
I have done a total of 57 hours and 45 minutes. 12 hours 45 minutes over summer, 21 hours 45 minutes for the mentorship, and 23 hours 15 minutes for the Independent Component.

4. Summarize the 10 hours of service you did.
My 10 hours consisted of mostly leading and judging games, with the occasional teaching. Notably, on the Fourth of July I assisted in keep the kids in line for a demonstration for the city.

Blog 11: Holiday Project Update

1. It is important to consistently work on your senior project, whether it is break or we are in school. What did you do over break with your senior project?
I continued to volunteer. Unfortunately I only had classes twice over the break, so my volunteering was minimal.

2. What is the most important thing you learned from what you did and why? What was the source of what you learned?
I learned my expectations for the kids are too high. This was because when I was given the opportunity to teach, I added new content when I thought the kids understood the previous part. My partner Anthony later told me I gave them too much, and should have stayed on one part.

3. If you were going to do a 10 question interview on questions related to your EQ, who would you talk to and why?
I would talk to my mentor a second time. As he has been a teacher for 43 years, he has lots of experience of instructing and teaching. He does things for the kids I look at as an (almost)adult and see how ridiculous it is, but it keeps the kids engaged. He has a greater understanding of the art and how to teach it than I may ever have.