The State of California has set standards teachers should follow when creating and teaching lessons. Keeping those standards in mind, teachers need to create lesson that present material in a manner that spark student interest. To help foster student interest and growth, teacher should use various teaching methods that include hands-on learning, manipulatives, visual and performing arts, music, diagrams, technology, oral presentations, group work, and thematic units. While student teaching, I discovered that my students responded best to my lessons when I created a positive environment that motivated the students and encouraged their academic and social success. During my student teaching, I created a hands-on science lesson on matter called Gooey Gunk. The lesson gave the students an opportunity to learn how matter can change from a liquid to a colloid (a substance that has properties of both a liquid and a solid). The students thoroughly enjoyed getting involved with the lesson, getting their hands "goopy," while learning that matter can change properties.
Since students learn in various ways, I create lessons that include a variety of teaching strategies so that all students will be engaged in the learning process. In my EDMS 552 class, as part of a collaborative group project, I helped create a SDAIE (Specially Design Academic Instruction in English) thematic unit that included various teaching strategies to make the content accessible to all learners in the classroom. The unit contained hands-on activities, art, diagrams, oral reports, presentations, and group work. Although I have not yet had the chance to use this lesson in the classroom, I am confident that students will be engaged in the material, and enjoy themselves while learning.
