BLOG #5 705 Lights, Camera, Action, Oh my! You would think after over a full year of being on camera every day seeing my own face on the Zoom screen that I would have just gotten used to it right? What is it about the camera that seems so different from the image I see in the mirror on a daily basis? I went over to my classroom to film. Luckily they had not started cleaning my hallway yet. It felt good to be in my traditional teaching space. I just get such a content feeling being in my classroom. The space holds all the beautiful teaching moment memories and all the future teaching hope for me. I dug around and found an adapter for my phone that I used with our school microscopes. Next I disassembled one of the lights that my husband had gotten for me to use while teaching online. It had a tripod attached that I discovered I could use with the phone adapter. Bingo! Now I had my phone camera on a tripod! Let the filming begin! It takes me a while to warm up to speaking in front of the camera. I felt very nervous to start with and so the “Um” monster was running full force. Sometimes I just had to stop, delete, and try again. Where is my assistant with the clapper board that should be shouting, “Affinity Groups, Take 5!” As I watch myself afterward I have to laugh because right before I turn off the camera I smile, surely I was thinking, “Oh so serious, you forgot to smile Betsy!” But it ends up being such a crazy little smile in silence right before I turn the camera off. I also cringe somewhat because I have a little bit of a sleepy eye on my right eye. I don’t usually think about it but sometimes in photos and videos I notice it more and get self conscious about it. The other challenge besides controlling my “ums” and general nervousness is that I did start to visualize the whole script in my brain. The challenge is that real life and my real camera skills are drastically different than what I was visualizing. This makes me feel kind of disappointed. I have seen my own students work through this same problem with group projects. They usually come up with very elaborate plans. Middle schoolers are still very idealistic and they will dream up the most amazing project plans. Then they start actually working on the plan and have to adjust and re-adjust their vision and goals. Even more challenging for my kids is the fact that usually there are 4 kids with slightly different visions and goals all trying to meld their ideas into one fantastic project plan, which still has to be scaled down smaller and smaller in order to complete it under the time and material constraints. This is when a little distance from the project helps. I know for myself that I am very critical of my own work right when I am near completion because those old visions of what I really wanted to create are still lingering in my brain. When I finally just push through and finish it, then let it rest and get away from it for a while, I am almost always pleasantly surprised at what I produced. I have seen the same pattern with my students. They are very critical until it is truly done and turned in. Then when we do gallery walks or presentations and they have had some space away from the work, they see it in a new light and usually feel accomplished and satisfied. I have shared with them one of my favorite sayings from a scrapbooking affinity group I belong to, “Done is better than perfect.” I wouldn’t want a brain surgeon to live by this motto, but for middle school science students, it works. Growth mindset is something I really believe in and I think I can do a better job with myself and my students by taking the time to reflect on the growth being made and celebrating that growth along the way instead of focusing so much on the final product. To be very honest, getting that phone adapter connected to a tripod for filming myself was a big high five in my brain. Also getting my media loaded into WeWideo was another little hurdle for me. I just struggle with technology. I use the same safe digital “pathways” all the time and when I have to learn a new trail to get to a new place I do experience the learning pit. I need some reminders for myself that it is a process and I will get out of that pit if I keep moving forward.
3 Comments
Janine Burt
7/5/2021 04:54:23 pm
Oh my gosh, Betsy! You always make me feel better after reading your blog. You are one of the most authentic people I've ever worked with and I'm smiling big time as I write this! I am steeling your catchphrase "done is better than perfect" through July 22. I connected with so much of what you are feeling and um.... there it is again. But you are so right that we are our own worst critics. I always think whatever you present is well done and on point. It's nice to be taking this journey together. Thank you!
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Jamie Allison Lutz
7/5/2021 07:41:31 pm
Betsy,
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Kelly W.
7/6/2021 11:25:15 am
Hi, Betsy!
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AuthorHello! Welcome to my blog! This will be a fun place to share thoughts about teaching and learning. I am a middle school science teacher at Redwood. When I'm not teaching, I'm hanging out at home with my family or enjoying nature somewhere in the valley. Archives
March 2021
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