In P.E., we had a project where we were asked to teach another class using our oral French skills. My partner and I chose to lead a “Fitness Friday” activity. It was a challenge to communicate clearly and confidently in French so that everyone could understand. I also found it difficult to motivate the students and to get their attention when starting the activity. Most students, not wanting to have a fitness day, were talking or not doing the exercise properly. I found it helpful to go over to the stations and remind them to be on task as well as to talk to their teachers to find out what they do to get the students’ attention and motivation.
Our plan was also to use the inside of the gym, though we ended up doing our warm-up outside and then transition into the gym. This took much more time than originally given and we had to adapt our exercise time.
Despite these challenges, I believe my partner and I were well prepared. We created a clear lesson plan, communicated with the teachers in advance, and practiced our instructions before the day of the activity. On the day of the lesson, I felt that both the student teachers evaluating us could have provided clearer expectations for the class, and it would have helped if we had reviewed those expectations together beforehand.
Overall, I learned a lot about communicating in another language and leading a group. This experience helped me improve my confidence and ability to adjust when things don’t go as planned.
