Piecing Together the Lesson Plan Puzzle

Writing a lesson is just like putting together the different pieces of a puzzle to obtain a finished product. There are many ways to go about planning a lesson. Today we will begin by finding out how to find our content objectives on the KSDE and the DESE websites. This is the first step in planning a lesson.

TEACHING SHOULD BE...

But first, I want you to respond to one of the following quotes from your textbook by telling me what you think it means. Choose the one you agree with most and tell me how you see this idea of teaching affecting your classroom and lesson planning. Then finally I want you to tell me if you believe it is possible to incorporate all 4 ideas about teaching in your classroom and tell me how you will do this.

"The first group believes that schools should equip students with knowledge that is lasting, important and fundamental to the human experience." 

"The second group believes that  the natural course of child development should be the basis for curriculum planning."

"The third group works backward from perceptions of society's needs, seeking to design schooling to prepare children to fulfill adult roles in the society."

"Finally the fourth group seeks to use schools to combat social injustice and promote social change." 

AUTHENTIC ACTIVITIES

What are authentic activities? Why should the activities you include in your classroom be authentic?

After taking a look at the content standards/objectives, make a list of at least 5 activities you believe are meaningful and you wish to incorporate into your classroom.

For Example:

Students will make reflection notebooks that allow them to record insights about the different genres we are reading in order to relate the experiences in the classroom to their lives outside of school and current events.

Students will create a vocabulary journal to track their expanding vocabulary throughout the school year. 

Students will participate in reading groups in order to discuss themes, concepts and ideas that we are reading with their peers.

LESSON PLANNING

Lets look at some sample lesson plans to answer the below questions.

Literature Land Theme Park

The Earth

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN A LESSON PLAN?

WHAT ARE THE STEPS TO CREATING A LESSON PLAN?

Microteaching Instructions

You will present a 10 minute portion of your 90 minute lesson plan. Your lesson plan should incorporate the things we've discussed in class such as authentic learning activities, cooperative learning, high engagement activities. You will present either July 29th or July 31st. Please bring all materials necessary for the students in our class and myself to participate in your micro lesson.

Classroom Management

How will you manage your temper while teaching?

Watch the below videos and then write a response to this question.

Angry Teachers

Write briefly how you will deal with the following situations.

1. A student who is normally on task and participates actively, suddenly becomes withdrawn and sleeps in class. 

2. A student never turns in homework. You've called home and can never reach anyone. The student is failing your course and other courses. 

3. A group of students in your class often say inappropriate things under their breath and disrupt your learning environment by laughing loudly. The other students in the class begin to mimic these behaviors.

Classroom Management Plan

What will your classroom moto be?

What is your teaching philosophy?

What are your 5 rules? 

How did you decide on these rules? 

What will you do to enforce your rules? What will your consequences be for breaking rules? 

How will you make your students understand the importance of the rules and get them to buy into the rules?

Beginning to develop your Classroom Management Plan.


Cooperative Learning to Enhance Student Engagement

Choose one of the cooperative learning strategies from "Looking in Classrooms" and describe how you could utilize this strategy in a lesson.

Group Investigation
Jigsaw
Student Teams-Achievement Divisions
Jigsaw II
Think/Pair Share
Numbered Heads Together
Pens in the Middle
Group Interview

Write a procedure that details how students will participate in this cooperative learning strategy.

What are some other ways to increase engagement of students besides cooperative learning?

Developing Rules and Procedures

Rules establish the expectations of classroom behavior. Procedures describe how to complete daily tasks. 


Watch the scene from "Stand and Deliver" and determine what procedures this teacher has in place.

Classroom Rules and Procedures

Come up with 5 rules stated positively. Come up with 10 procedures from the list we created as a class.

Teacher Characteristics

Choose 5 characteristics from the list we created that you will focus on developing in your first year of teaching. Explain why each characteristic is important to you and you believe it to be essential to having a connection with students and an organized classroom. 

Emotional Support

Motivation and Emotional Support

Questions to further your learning:

1. Consider the grade you teach (or plan to teach) and identify the ten most important skills, attitudes, or behaviors a teacher must possess in order to instruct effectively at this level. Keep this list so you can compare it with your thoughts after you have read the entire book.

2. To what extent do you think it necessary or advisable to use extrinsic motivation approaches (rewards, competition)? If you intend to do so, how do you plan to minimize their undesirable side effects?

3. What does it mean to say that a student "is motivated" or "has no motivation"? What evidence would lead you to make such judgements?



Emotional Support is a CLASS Domain. This domain is particularly important when considering how to set the tone or environment in your classroom. Think of those teachers in school that you loved. Why did you love them? What experiences did you have because of them? In this video, a teacher discusses her classroom. You are going to write down 3 take-aways from this video for your own classroom.

Ted Talks Kiran Bir Sethi

What does a teacher's attitude towards students and their job have to do with providing emotional support to children?

Connecting to Students

Save the Last Word Protocol

1. Each person in the group needs to letter themselves A, B, C, D

2. Student A reads the passage they felt a connection to while reading the text.

3. Students B-D respond to the passage keeping their comments under 1 minute.

4. Student A has 2 minutes to explain the significance of the passage after everyone else in the group has commented.

Repeat with each student in the group.

Shared Reading Activity

Shared reading is a strategy that can enhance reading for students of all ages. It allows students to hear and practice speaking with emotion. It allows students to reread a text for more clarity and depth. 

Read the following poem with a group and listen for the words that are repeated. When you are finished reading the poem through as a group 3 times, write what words or phrases you connect to and explain why. 

In Good Hands

a classroom is a magical place
In the hands of a gifted teacher
There’s a smile on each child's face
In the Hands of a Gifted Teacher
Creative Energy is Everywhere
In the Hands of a Gifted Teacher
There’s a Catalyst who Genuinely Cares
In the Hands of a Gifted Teacher
Desire and Wonder is Awakened
In the Hands of a Gifted Teacher
The Educational Agenda is Shaken
In the Hands of a Gifted Teacher
Self-Management Skills are Modeled
In the Hands of a Gifted Teacher
The Best of Reality is Bottled
In the Hands of a Gifted Teacher
Gifts and Talents are Refined
In the Hands of a Gifted Teacher
The Willed Future is Designed 

In the hands of a gifted teacher

Ultimate Cyan

Reflection Activity

Regie Routman discusses connecting to students in her book, "Reading Essentials." After reading this chapter, respond to the following questions in order to reflect on your learning.

Reflection on Learning – How does the poem connect to Chapter 2 of Regie Routman’s book? How does what Regie Routman says about connecting to students help you or confuse you? How do you plan to connect to your most difficult students?