I spent all of last week in an 8th grade science class. We got through a chapter's worth of material. On Tuesday and Wednesday, my job was to cover the lecture and notes portion.
The thing that got me through that week was the other 8th grade science teachers. They were there for me. Especially the head of the department. They made sure I had the materials I needed. They gave me places to send misbehaving students. And as I was walking in totally cold, they made sure that I knew what lessons needed to be done.
For the lecture, the head of the department gave me a USB drive with the lecture slideshow on it.
The students got a packet of work. They finished filling in the notes in the packet from material taught to them via the slideshow.
On Tuesday for first period, I got the electronics (the projector, the computer) all working. We got through the first few slides just fine. And then I found that information that the students had in their packets was not on the slides.
Oops. I probably should have, I don't know, looked over the material before trying to present it.
Yeah, I felt like an idiot. In my defense, I thought that everything the students would need to know would be in the materials I was given.
Then I got a call from the head of the department. She had given me the wrong slideshow. She was sending the correct one right over.
I used the correct slideshow for the next group. What a difference! Everything that was missing from the previous presentation was there. And it didn't take all that much time to fix what period one missed when I met with them next.
Friday, April 26, 2013
14 comments:
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Everyone makes a mistake.
ReplyDeleteAt least it worked out in the end!
ReplyDeleteYeesh, you miss checking one thing and this happens. I'm glad it all got fixed.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your visit and comment
ReplyDeleteTeaching is a difficult profession and technology may not always be of help. Good Luck!
ReplyDeleteYes, it's much better when the technology works. But I wouldn't have much of a blog if I didn't encounter these little hiccups.
DeleteAh! I would have so panicked if that had happened to me. I tend to over prepare stuff. Well done for the quick recovery, how did your students react at the time?
ReplyDeleteEnough of the slideshow was correct that we were able to get through most of the notes. And I promised that the next day we'd fill in what they missed. Little did they know they'd get the full proper slideshow the next day.
DeleteI've never had to teach students - kudos to you for keeping going even when the slideshow was wrong.
ReplyDeleteI've only ever had something similar happen when presenting to management (I'm a project manager), we had one guy who used to like swerving off the topic and ask odd questions just far enough away from the presentation that I'd have to go scrabbling into my harddrive to find information in the middle of the meeting.
Sounds like that guy was trying to show you up. Sorry about that.
DeleteNot so funny when the wheels come off! Luckily this worked out ok in the end. Interesting post thank you Liz!
ReplyDeleteSusan Scott's Soul Stuff
Honestly I don't know how substitutes do it. You guys are amazing pinch hitters. You deserve your own appreciation day!
ReplyDeleteGlad it worked out! :)
Sounds like you got through mostly okay thanks to the support of the regular staff, even if there were a few mix-ups. :)
ReplyDeleteI did. Thanks for the comment.
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