From Struggle to Success! (PSA Lab Reflection)

I have to admit that this Problem Solving lab caused me the most stress of all the labs so far. I was struggling to come up with a topic (I explored three options, before finally resorting back to my original idea!), struggling to find information and struggling to format my lesson and questions. In other words, I was driving the struggle bus!

Despite all the hardships that I had with this lab, I definitely think that it has been my most successful thus far. I chose to utilize the problem solving approach to analyze and improve a swine operation's biosecurity measures. A 'friend' emailed me, saying that she needed help improving her biosecurity after an outbreak of TGE in her operation. She provided me with the protocol she uses for new swine, the protocol for visitors, the blue print of her facility, as well as some information in the email. I asked the students to use the provided information to come up with ways to improve her biosecurity measures.

When I first began presenting the problem, my 'students' didn't seem that interested (mind you, that I did not begin with bellwork, or with explaining the  importance of biosecurity for lab!). However, as the lab progressed, they seemed more and more engaged. They started to bring up points that I never thought of, which was awesome! I was actually amazed that this happened, and it made me feel good that multiple people commented after lab that they felt as if they were actually in my class! I even noticed that their behavior roles seemed to disappear, as did side-conversations during the activity. I am really proud that I created such an engaging, relevant and applicable lesson!

Despite all of the positive aspects of my lesson, it did have some shortcomings. I noticed that I have some habits which are quite annoying. I have improved on my filler words, but continue to hold my lesson in my hand. I would really like to work on this! I also noticed that as students talk, I say "okay" a lot. It was to the point that it annoyed me in my ThereNow video, so I can only imagine how  my students feel. I want to show them that I am actively listening, but I need to find another way to do it. Additionally, I really need to work on my questioning. This is something that I struggle with on every lesson that I write. Although it is hard, I know how important questions are, especially in a lesson like this one!

As the weeks go on and I watch my ThereNow videos, I see myself becoming more and more confident in front of the "class". I am glad that we have the opportunity to practice teaching to our lab sections, and I hope that I continue to improve and create engaging lessons!