Post Microteaching Reflection

To be honest, I started facing challenges with this microteaching from the very beginning when I was choosing the topic. I am actually more comfortable with things like table tennis or photography, but since those are not really classroom activities, I decided to choose magic instead. That choice brought two main difficulties. One was figuring out what kind of activities to do after teaching the trick. The other was how to tell if everyone had really learned it, because once the secret is revealed, any kind of test no longer makes sense.

Another question I kept thinking about was what it actually means to teach magic. Is it just about showing techniques, or is there something more meaningful behind it? I once read a book that explained the difference between teaching magic and simply exposing secrets. What makes a magic performance memorable is the mystery of not knowing how it works, and the most enjoyable part is the process of trying to figure it out. When someone tells you the answer right away, the magic suddenly loses its charm. That is the hardest part of teaching magic for me. I did not want to focus on tricks that rely on hand skills, but rather on the methods of deception in magic, such as how magicians lead people to make certain choices or shift their attention. However, I think I did not manage the timing and emphasis very well. Some people mentioned in their feedback that it was hard to follow the goal of the lesson, and I understand why. I wanted everyone to experience the idea first instead of being told directly at the beginning, but I probably did not highlight those key points clearly enough during the lesson.

Aside from that, most parts of my lesson went as I expected. I think this experience was very valuable because it helped me clearly see the gap between lesson planning and actual teaching. I really enjoyed the whole process, and I am very thankful to my group members. They gave me a lot of support and feedback while I was teaching, which made me feel encouraged and confident.