I am so glad to be finished with Jamestown! YAY. Nevertheless, I thought Blood on the River and 1607 were fascinating. The thing I appreciated most about both books was that they were honest about the unsettling way Jamestown became America’s birthplace. I also enjoyed the activities that followed our groups presentation. As Kelly stated, I appreciated that we could work with our hands and examine the documents with our groups.
The best thing I took from today’s lesson was the information about the lesson plans. I know that I mentioned that I think the classes would benefit from a hard copy perfect example of what the professors are looking for in a good lesson plan, but the feedback ya’ll gave about the purpose of the lesson plan helped me understand. However, I have also been very discouraged during the entire process. I worked really hard on this lesson plan and it was the worst grade I have ever received. I think the lesson plan format could be adjusted to not be so negative for students. Honestly, it makes me worried about my future as a teacher and my confidence is at an all time low. I appreciated the idea of everyone working on a single lesson plan generated in class and working to improve it. The most helpful tip I took was that I literally need to spell things out in the lesson plan. I’m hopeful that I can get better at this process moving forward.
Molly, I am very glad you found value in reading the fiction and non-fiction accounts of Jamestown. You were able to build your own content knowledge and that is a great thing! I hope building a lesson plan together in class will be beneficial to all!