My Final Demonstration Teaching

March 04, 2011

Graduation day is almost near. I am very excited and happy. But now, I just want to look back on one of the most important day in my practice teaching experiences. My final demonstration teaching last September 23, 2010.

September 23, 2010

The day that every student teacher waited was the day of the final demonstration teaching. Some said that day was the day of the final verdict. That was the day that every student teacher felt mixed emotions. There were feeling of excitement and nervousness.

I woke up at exactly 3:30 in the morning. 30 minutes earlier than the usual time I woke up. I arrived at 7 11 before 5: 30. Janin and Jhoy were already there. We still waited for Ate PJ. When Ate Pj arrived we went to the jeepney terminal. While in our way, I was thinking that was the day I would conduct teaching in front of not only my class but also in front of the observers. We arrived in the school few minutes after six o’ clock. To our surprise Dr. Lapitan and Sir Maniacop already arrived in the school that very early in the morning. I was expecting that it was very early and they would come later than that time.

By the time that my cooperating teacher arrived and our building and room was opened because she was the one who was holding the key, I immediately prepared the materials that I would use in my final demonstration teaching. I started to prepare it because I was the second one to be observed. My final demonstration teaching started just after the first one, Janin, finished.

My cooperating teacher helped and assisted me in preparing for the final demonstration. She was the one who was busy preparing the classroom while I was busy preparing my instructional materials. My students were also helping me. They were cleaning the room. They arranged the chairs and wiped the tables and cabinet. They also bought candies for my finger foods for the panel. I was really thankful that they helped me. I was very happy that they supported me.

I observed that all of the cooperating teachers were busy assisting my co- student teachers for their final demonstration teaching, like what my cooperating teacher did. She was very supportive regarding my final demonstration teaching. After I had finished preparing my instructional materials, I arranged the folders containing the evaluation sheet and copy of my lesson plan for the observers.

It was already 10:00 when our professors went out of Janin’s classroom. I knew I would be the next and it was the sign that I was the next to be observed and it was the moment I started my final demonstration teaching. I felt my heart was beating so fast that it seemed I would have heart attack and faint, because of the nervousness that slowly crept in me.

My observers should be Dr. Lapitan; Sir Maniacop; and Ma’am Nepomuceno, my cooperating teacher. When they arrived in our room and gave a signal that I could start, I was really nervous, but I knew I had to give my best to make my final demonstration teaching to be successful. To lessen the tense and to feel lighter I took a deep breath and made a sign of the cross. I said to my self “You can do it, Just think that you and your students are only in this room, Just ignore the observers, Fight.’

We started the class by greetings. It was followed by an opening prayer. I was the one who led the prayer using sign language. It was followed then by a short review of our yesterday’s lesson, which was subtraction of 4 digit numbers without regrouping. I called them one by one to answer on the board. Since they were only six they all had the opportunity to answer. I could easily monitor if they really understood the previous lesson and that was the advantage of a class with small number of students. It was hard to monitor their performance and their developments if the class with bigger number of pupils, While their classmate was answering on the board I asked the remaining students to answer on a piece of paper. It went good because all of their answers were correct. As reinforcement I would say/ sign “very good”, “correct” or “right”.

After having a review, I presented a mathematical problem to introduce our new lesson which was subtraction of 4 digits with regrouping. Then, I discussed the problem, to explain how to subtract with borrowing. After discussing the problem, I gave another example for them to understand it well. Then, I posted on the board another set of examples I asked them who wanted to answer on the board. I was very happy that my students were actively participating. I was so happy that they got it correct. It meant that they understood the lesson. It made me feel better and lighter because they made the flow of the discussion to go smoothly than I expected.

As for their application, I posted their exercise on the board. Like in the review, they all had the opportunity to answer on the board. I called them one by one. While one of them was answering on the board, again, I asked the rest to answer on their papers. The last student I called was Unico. He had a hard time answering the board work. He could not count on his hands like the way his classmates did because of his disability. I allowed him to use the board to draw sticks, so that he could count and answer the exercise correctly. I did not stop until he got it right.

Then, I proceeded to the evaluation. I asked them to get a piece of paper. I was about to explain the direction in their quiz when one of my students asked if he could borrow a pencil. Fortunately, I was prepared in this situation. I immediately got a pencil in my organizer. Then, I continue on explaining the direction of their quiz. Afterwards I allow them to copy and answer their quiz posted on the board. While my students were busy in answering, I went around monitoring how they were doing. I checked if they were doing well. During that time I took another deep breath and noticed that I felt lighter than before I started the class.

When I noticed that all of them finished in answering I asked them to pass the papers to me. I was the one who would check the papers, but I smiled when I glanced at the papers and see that they got correct answers. I just put in myself that they really understood our lesson for that day. Then, I posted and explained the assignment and asked them to copy it . When I noticed all of them had already finished copying their assignment, I was going to dismiss the class, but to my surprise Unico was answering his assignment. I told him that it was their homework and he could do it at home. I just smiled when Dr. Lapitan said that I was an effective teacher because Unico did not want to stop answering because he enjoyed answering and he still wanted to continue on answering. She also said that it meant that he enjoyed our lesson. I felt happy when it was her perception on what Unico did. I felt I did a great job on teaching them. Afterwards, I bid goodbye and they also said goodbye to me. Since it was almost their lunch time I had allowed them to go out the classroom to take their lunch. I was really happy that my final demonstration had finished.

Dr. Lapitan called me and held my hand. She said that she was not congratulating me but she was congratulating Mrs. Nepomuceno, my cooperating teacher. I was very happy because it meant that it was a job well done. I became happier when Sir Maniacop said that there was always a room for improvement and I really improved. They told me that I was ready to become a real teacher. They also said that I should continue to focus on teaching students with hearing impairment. In addition, they also told me that if I would have an opportunity, in teaching in this school I should grab the chance. Mrs. Nepomuceno congratulated me also and said that I did a great job.

I believed that I did give all my best to succeed my final demonstration teaching. But I also believed that these would not be a success if it were only me. I passed these challenge because of the support my cooperating teacher. She helped me a lot in improving myself. As well as, it went well because of the cooperation of my students. Most of all because of the Almighty God!