A week later and a reflection

So I did my lesson, it was observed and I settled down to do the post self evaluation. Something I struggled with as I didn't remember everything that happened. I got some very good hints and tips from my fellow teachers ranging from, scrawl a note to yourself during the lesson if you a) remember to and b) have the time and it won't interfere with the class, to go through the lesson plan and think it through in your minds eye, trying to replay the lesson and make notes of what happened at each stage both good and bad. The good bits are also hard. I'm relatively sure I'm a good teacher, can I do better, well of course I can, I wouldn't be doing this course if I couldn't. Were my students engaged, well they got on with it, with only a few minor hiccups (down to me being nervous), and they completed the task in the allotted time and were not galloping out the door 2 minutes before the end of lesson bell, nor even when the bell had rung. So it was then down to the minutae. The self eval was sent and I'm scheduled to meet with my tutor tomorrow for my feedback face to face. I prefer it that way although she did offer telephone and skype options as we both have tight schedules. So what have I been doing since. Reading a lot. I am an avid reader, but I have found that each author has their own agenda when writing a book and obviously sometimes the direction they take in disclosing their thoughts and information is not the same way I'd lay it out. Ha ha.. as if I'm even close to being in the league of being able to critique a professional. Perhaps I should say as I am still on this learning curve I sometimes take a while to absorb the information and realise it is relevant to what I want to say. I'm juggling the balls of my pda 2 - reflection, beliefs and action plan, etc., whilst planning ahead to my first LSA which is to be a skills lesson, also pulling together my experimental practice, the topic of which is fairly much (is that even grammar) decided upon and of course Module 3, what am I going to do it on. All of which will take place over the next 8 weeks. How those who do the intensive DELTA manage all of this is beyond me. But they do and many come out the other side smiling, so I will just stick my nose in some more books, note down some more quotes and thoughts and get on with it. Obviously the down side to the part-time DELTA is the fact that life has an awful habit of getting in the way. Pesky work, how dare it demand my time, and make me tired. Family, fancy them having to cope without me for hours on end, even though I'm physically in the house, busily tapping away at the computer or far and away in the world of an EFL book. Clothes still need washing, drying and ironing, food doesn't magically appear on the table, children don't grow up without love, care and the occasional reminder that they have to consider other people when making choices in their lives. Bills need to be paid too. Bugger, knew there was something I'd forgotten to do. Note to self, pay the gas bill as October nearly November is not the time for the heating to suddenly grind to a freezing halt. Time to go back into the work of Richards and Rodgers (1986) and Stern (1983) whilst I think about what it truly is that I believe and begin the journey of my own personal development.