Week 11...

Due to a severe migraine I was unable attend the session this week, meaning I missed the first of the microteach sessions; something I feel very badly about.

Looking back to the group presentation, I recognise that peer assessment is invaluable in one's development as a teacher. I strongly regret not being able to help my peers with this and hope that there is still a good turn out when I present my own microteach session.

I have decided on the subject of juggling for my session, which I intend to have as an interactive experience where learners will have the opportunity to try their hand at juggling up to three ball after a brief tutorial delivered by me.

I intend to provide everyone with a pack of three juggling balls which they can use in the session and also take away with them as a keepsake, should they wish.

I am both excited and terrified about delivering my microteach session.

Week 10...

This week we delivered out group presentations for Unit 1. Jackie (my fellow learner, not the old tutor) and I had developed our slides independently and sent them by email to Halah, who added them to her slides and brought the whole document to the session.

Halah presented her slides first, then myself and finally Jackie. Our tutor had provided everyone in the group with peer assessment forms with which we could note the things we liked or disliked about each other's presentations. Our presentation ran far over the designated 20 minutes (almost double!), despite each of us attempting to plan out the time it would take to cover each of the assessment criteria. I honestly could not say how long my section of the presentation took as it seemed to be over very quickly. In hindsight, rather than just guessing how long it would take me to cover the assessment criteria (and thinking "it'll be alright on the night") I should have actually practiced it beforehand.

All things considered, after reviewing the feedback from my peer assessment forms I think it went pretty well. My feelings that my personal experience evidence was strong seems mostly to be reflected in the comments from my peers. I was particularly happy to read some positive comments about how I delivered my part of the presentation, such as being clear and maintaining good eye-contact as I wasn't sure if I had succeeded with this at the time.

I certainly feel that I have learned a lot from this unit and intend to use the experience and the feedback I have received towards my microteach session (when I finally decide what I am going to do!).

Week 9...

Today we were given some more information about what is expected in Units 4 and 5 of the course. I have still not decided what subject to cover for my microteach session (Unit 4) though I am leaning towards a juggling presentation. My skill in this juggling is limited - amateur at best -  though I cannot think of anything in my professional role that I could deliver in a 20 minute presentation.

I didn't get the opportunity to discuss this with the tutor this week. We have quite a large group, even though a couple of people have already decided to leave the course and begin it again in January. I recognise from my own experience that teaching a group with too many people in it can mean that it it difficult to ensure that all the learners receive the necessary attention. That being said, I do need to make an effort to speak with the tutor in more detail soon.

Week 8...

This was our first week back in after the half-term break, and an additional week off due to our tutor being off sick. Upon our return we were greeted by a new tutor, Julie, who advised us that our old tutor (Jackie) no longer worked for the college and that Julie would be delivering the course for the remainder of its duration (this would also explain why I wasn't getting a reply to my emails and why I had been removed from the course Google group). No other information was provided, but Julie advised us that we could stay to work on our presentations or go leave if we wished to do research at home or in the library, etc.

I don't know what this change will mean for how the course will run from now. On the one hand I am nervous as some of the details we were given about Unit 1, such as not having to cover all of the assessment criteria individually, may actually be incorrect. Also, the content of the presentation slides may have been mis-advised to us. This is really not what I needed to hear when I already have my doubts about how the course has been going for me.

That said, many others in the group have taken the opportunity the speak up about how they have been feeling, which turns out to be similar to myself and actually makes me feel a bit better (in that there has been issues with how the course has been delivered and it's not that I have just misunderstood the material so far). Also, in the space of the lesson, Julie came across as a far more articulate and engaging tutor and immediately provided some good sources for research, further putting my mind at ease.

I suppose I will find out over the remaining weeks if the course has improved.