The Micro-teach Session - Pleasure or Pain?

It is the eve before my second scheduled micro-teaching session as part of my new course and I find myself pondering on how I'm going to be feeling 24 hours from now. If my present condition is anything to go by, I think I'm in for an unsettling time, yet for the 100th time I ask myself why am feeling this way? Is it my chosen topic? No, I'm pretty happy with that and feel that my knowledge and understanding are at a sufficient level. Is it the learner group? Again no. This is once again being delivered to my fellow PCET partners in crime, to whom I'm sure will be gentle with me (although I may be wrong).

I think if truth be known, the only thing I am worried about is me, my own ability and self confidence levels which I am very much aware are not up to the normal everyday scratch at the moment. However, the effect it is having, is impacting on my ability to produce a certain standard of work which is slightly worrying, at least from my perspective. I have tried to justify these feelings on the fact that we are unable to use standard ICT tools for our sessions, no power point or any other type of presentation gizmo, but if I'm honest that has very little to do with it at all.

Today I witnessed three exemplary micro-teach sessions from three members of the group, delivered with such enthusiasm and confidence, and I don't think I'm wrong in saying it, with a certain amount of enjoyment and pleasure, which was clearly evident in their demeanor. I can only hope to draw upon their enthusiasm and hopefully use it to inspire my own motivation and deliver something as interesting and enjoyable, rather than the painful expectations I have at the moment.

I do take solace in recognising the purpose behind these micro-teach sessions, is for us to learn through experience, experiment with alternative teaching strategies and learning techniques and as such to make mistakes in an safe environment. So just like going to get vaccinated, I need to focus, take a deep breath and after a brief moment of pain, I can relax and enjoy the rest of the show with a lollipop.