My experience with team teaching was informative. Since it had been some time since I have done group work with non-music education students, I was extremely surprised to hear the reservations of my group members to create our lesson from nothing, including the template. I find it is usually quicker to make up a work sheet or template myself rather than find one that exactly fits with my purpose. However, it is very possible this is simply because I have not explored primary/elementary resource websites in depth.
I found that the hardest part of the team teaching activity was trying to find away for all three group members to speak to the class without adding unnecessary instruction, for the single purpose of speaking to the class. In music education, especially in ensemble based classes, we are urged to speak as little and as efficiently as possible and focus time on the practical application of the activity, whether that is rehearsing a band piece or working on a conceptual activity involving theory or history.
When anyone speaks without purpose from an instructional standpoint, I loose focus and do not usually grasp what the teacher is saying. This is true presently, and has been throughout my schooling. I believe that teachers should say what is important, and only what is important. Using this technique, students will know to listen because everything said will be useful. I felt many groups talked too much and talked to the class in squeaky teacher voices. I did not want our presentation to reflect these attributes.
The math in our team teaching was far too easy for the grade level we set. We should have lowered the grade level or made the activity more difficult. I really liked using the concept of furniture in a bedroom to introduce bigger concepts like spatial sense and area. If I was to do this activity again, I would adjust the grade level and further search the curriculum guide to find more specific concepts to base the activity on.
I was frustrated with many of the presentations I observed. Many were unclear in their wording and open too much interpretation. How can there be a correct answer if it can be interpreted so many different ways? I gave up on a few problems because I did not feel I had adequate information to complete it. I imagine this would be a cause of frustration for elementary students too, especially those who excel in math.
I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about math and about the primary/elementary classroom this term. My mind has been opened to the developing schools of thought in math education and how they can be successfully applied in the classroom.:)
