Leading a class for the whole class time, independently, was a new and daunting experience for me. I have some serious anxiety when it comes speaking independently in front of large groups. This experience was helpful, in allowing me to combat some of that anxiety. I found that each time I spoke to my classes I gained more confidence, and felt more comfortable.
When planning for my solo sessions I put great thought into my lesson plans. I tried to really connect the lesson to what the students were working on in class at the time. For example, they were reading a dystopian novel at the time of our first session, so I really researched the main themes of this novel. I tried to work the themes into specific points of the lesson as examples of particular learning goals I had.
Looking at the actual sessions. I feel like all of my classes went well and that my teaching improved with each session. One hiccup I experienced was for my Day 2 classes, there was a snow day the day before, and it was unclear if the university would hold classes the next day. Therefore, I felt slightly at the mercy of the weather, and unsure what the next step would be should the university delay or close.
Overall solo teaching was a great learning experience for me.
I am actually really glad that you had the experience of the snow day- our schedules as instruction librarians are subject to a number of variables including inclement weather, and it is important for us to be able to be flexible and adaptable when the schedule unexpectedly changes! Good job, Claire!