Teaching is an ongoing process. What we might teach one day in one FYC class can change the next day. Same topic, different approach. Or, same topic, same approach, but different discussions. From what I’ve learned in the classroom, discussions are organic. Every student brings something different to the material and can not only spark new ideas with their peers, but with the instructor also.
I remember having students discuss examples of Goya’s artwork I brought in so they could analyze the same paintings referenced in a poem in two different classes, and everyone interpreted Goya’s art in relation to the poem is so many different ways. What I learned, was that their analyses helped shape my own. If and when I try this in-class project again, I plan to bring my former students’ analyses into the discussion after my new students have had their say, and see what new discussions and ideas they can come up with.
I often reflect on the things I’ve taught in the past, and wonder how I can improve on a lecture, what worked and what didn’t, and the level of engagement a poem or text elicited from the students. Once I decide on what worked best in a previous class, I can revise my lesson plan to see if it works better, worse, or the same. Even if something doesn’t work out as I had planned, it’s helpful to reflect on why it didn’t work, and improve it for another class.
