Microteaching 2

Well, my microteaching lesson unfortunately not entirely captured on camera, went rather well considering.  I was glad to see students analyze the primary documents they were reading and discuss their opinion on violent and nonviolent protest. When I began I was calm and confident and finally used appropriate wait time! And guess what, it works! The students were active and engaged and seemed to really think about the prompts and questions they were given.  The beginning portion was
"filmed" twice and the second time was not nearly as affective as the first.  I was extremely uncomfortable and nervous.  The whole thing seemed contrived and not authentic at all.  Which was extremely disappointing because I felt that I had been taught my best lesson yet. I finally was able ot take what we are learning and apply it.  The majority of the "indirect" portion of indirect instruction was not captured. Students were not as nearly engaged because at that point, we were running late and the information was no longer new to them. They did not need to analyze the pieces and discuss, but merely try to recall what they previously said. It felt very staged and my performance as a teacher lacked. 
What I did learn after feeling very agitated and nervous about the whole thing, was that when we teach we have to overcome our emotions and continue on with the lesson regardless of what we are feeling at that particular moment.

What is school for?!

Today's lecture really got me thinking about the question "What is school for?" Many have their own opinions and philosophies about the purpose of school and how the school system should be operated. While observing a history class, I gathered that Central Falls high school is for fostering good citizens, encouraging students to graduate and go to college, and to prepare students to be a part of the their community and society.  Students were exposed to the news and issues involving citizens' rights and the importance of defending those rights.  Students worked in groups and pairs while researching information for their assignments. Giving students opportunities to work together prepares them to work with others in whatever career they pursue. Students are taught problem solving skills and the correct way to research certain topics, which is a skill they will need in college.   Tomorrow, students will present their findings. Presenting is another important skill for college and career readiness and for being an active outgoing member of society.
Overall, I was impressed with the lesson and how well the students engaged and remained on task. As a class we agreed the goals of CFHS are to get students to graduate high school, become part of the society, give students exposure to choices, encourage students to go to college and to promote self-reliance. 
While the goals of CFHS are not exactly aligned with the theories of Dewey and Illich,  I feel as though CFHS is doing an adequate job of incorporating student interest and choice in decision making.  Although it is institutionalized, the school still provides options for students with different interests and allows them to empower themselves to certain degree.