Practicum Report #4

A. Time Spent This Week: 4 (Sunday School, Worship)

B. My Class This Week:



1. Switched Up: Well, I have still yet to meet my true practicum supervisor. He is still down in Mexico or Florida (I think). So instead, I met a new practicum supervisor, because the guy I have been under for the past few weeks is on a ski trip. So, my advisor has been switched up, and when I came to Sunday school this morning, my classroom had been switched up as well. This has kind of been an unorganized experience. Instead of meeting in the building we normally meet in, we met in the main church of College Wesleyan. It's really been kind of crazy not being able to settle down. I haven't gotten to get to know many students as well as I would have liked to. I haven't been able to receive much advice or suggestions relating to my teaching or relational skills as I would have liked. It's really just kind of been a melancholy practicum. This is actually an experience I have felt before. And I'm sorry, but this is kind of turning into a practicum rant than a response. But I really am starting to doubt the usefulness of practicums. Anyway, I will move on to something else.



2. Class Time. My supervisor for this week was named Pastor Dave I believe. He was dressed in a suit and tie, and it looked like some of the students knew him. He began with a game of hangman that had nothing to do with the lesson, and then sat down. If there is one thing I have noticed during this practicum is the fact that high school students (and myself) are hard to keep their attention. We can develop cool looking PowerPoint slides or use awesome videos, but regardless of what we do, there are still going to be students that don't care. I noticed this today when I was observing. There were a few students that really got into the conversation, and that was exciting to see. But the majority of the students just sat and did nothing. I was included in that group of people, but mostly because I just wanted to sit back and watch. I could not figure out how I could encourage students to answer. It just kind of seems like one of life's greatest mysteries.

C. My Questions This Week



1. I know that this really doesn't have too much to do about local church education, but what are your opinions about practicums? There are days where I can see the benefit of them, but there are also days where I just can't understand how staying in a church for 4 months to get credit is helping anyone. It doesn't help the students, and it doesn't really help you. If it does help someone, it is usually for selfish reasons (i.e. I get a credit hour for ditching you at the end of the semester). What do you guys think?

2. Are attention spans a hopeless cause? Have you guys ever seen a youthgroup where everyone is fully engaged? If so, how did that happen? How did the facilitator actually accomplish that? What sort of materials did they use, or were they just blessed with a group of super bible kids? Help me out here.