The best way to explain what I’ve
been learning is how to improve rigor without over doing it in my lesson plans
and time efficiency. I’m much better at composing detailed lesson plans but
right now I feel I try to over-plan more than efficiently plan. I want to take
up all the time of the class but I don’t want to over pack the classroom with
information. I found a website about efficient lesson plans and it goes over a
lot we’ve read in our texts in the past years.
Teaching for the objective and the requisite
is one of the most important aspects to remember. One question I have is: "What do most people start with when writing lessons; activities, objectives,
essential questions, or something else?"
I’m teaching two units right now,
one on Fahrenheit 451 and one on Hamlet to seniors. Hamlet was the most
challenging simply because seniors don’t see how it’s related to anything in
their life and that’s my challenge this semester. We bought the audio to the CD
instead of having them read parts. It includes music, inflection in voice, and
more. I know exactly how long each act will last and I can time that into my
lesson plans as well. We have about to finish Act III and today was the best
day I’ve had in a week or two! They were engaged, 100%, participating in
discussion, and were beginning to connect how Hamlet could be related to their
lives. It was definitely a breakthrough I needed after this long week and a way
to remember why I love teaching English.
One thing I’ve been reflecting on is how
to improve confidence in the classroom while keeping the learning atmosphere
professional and at ease. I’m really good at connecting with the students and
getting to know them and their personal learning style. I’m working on tying
that in with their education so they feel safe in my classroom and learning at
the same time. I was really blessed to work with my CT who has been an
emotional and educational support through these busy times without holding my
hand through the process.
I’ve also been implementing the
Common Core Standards in all my lesson plans even though they haven’t finalized
the transition. This will give me a leg up on knowing how to apply them in my
regular teaching career. http://www.corestandards.org/ela-literacy
I have been accommodating to
standards more in Literacy, Reading, and Language than anything else in my
unit. My objectives fit closely with
finding figurative elements of a novel as well as comprehension and character
development. I think this will help them out in the long run of reading and
writing.
I’m starting interactive journals
this week that incorporate different subjects and themes in their writing and
reading. Here’s a Pinterest blog of different ideas you can click on and view: http://www.pinterest.com/mrsest/interactive-notebooks/
So far it’s going great and I plan
on adding it in to their bellwork daily. Thanks for reading!
Works Cited
Kizlik, Dr. Bob. "Five Common Mistakes in Writing Lesson Plans." Educaiton Oasis. Education Oasis, 2011. Web.
"English Language Arts Standards." Common Core State Standards Initiative. 2012. Web
Works Cited
Kizlik, Dr. Bob. "Five Common Mistakes in Writing Lesson Plans." Educaiton Oasis. Education Oasis, 2011. Web.
"English Language Arts Standards." Common Core State Standards Initiative. 2012. Web
Ms. C.,
ReplyDeleteI love the insight that you have given with valuable resources attached. It can be nerve racking trying to make sure that we have enough material for the classes to make sure they learn. I have learned that over-planning can sometimes be a detriment to us. Sometimes, we never get to that extra work that we had planned for them to do and they really needed that practice, or really needed that article (whatever the case may have been). It is good to see that you have taken the time to realize that you might have encountered a problem now before you started doing this in your own classroom.
I myself have also encountered the planning for multiple classes routine. I schedule for an Honors and a grade-level class. It may not be as stressful or as time consuming as planning for two classes, but sometimes I feel like I have to make sure I have differentiated enough for the classes to accommodate all of the students. That can be almost as time consuming as planning two completely different lessons. I find that this can be the most exciting part of education: making sure that you have not left anyone out of the lesson.
I love the ideas of the journals for themes and subjects. That is a different and innovative idea that would be beneficial to use in all of our classes.
Thanks for the insight and the resources!
Ms. Roseberry
Ms Vaughn,
ReplyDeleteSometimes, teachers forget that students are capable of more than we are asking them to do; however, that does not mean more assignments, it means higher quality. Our students get bored more than we think. They are not inspired or pushed and find it difficult to find purpose. I think the more we tie our curriculum to life skills, the more the students are apt to do their work and the more difficult challenges they will accept. Hands on tasks allow the students to have choices in how they show their understanding. There are certain skills we must teach, but I think teachers sometimes tend to forget that there are many ways to teach those skills. Just because something is project based, it does not mean it is not challenging and does not help develop critical thinking skills.
Have you ever heard of AVID’s WICOR? A good lesson plan has the following components (writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization and reading). If these are present, along with challenging, upper level questions and hands on time to complete work individually and collaboratively, then you have a rigorous lesson plan.
The hardest part for me is allowing the “messy” work-time it takes to allow for the process. It is hard to monitor all 30 students at a time when they all seem like they are in chaos. However, in my experience the most wonderful assignments I receive come from those times. Are there going to be times when they get off track, sure. However, so do adults. Look at inservices. This is where I think brain breaks and personal breaks come into play. I also think it is important to incorporate “fun” into the lessons, so that the more challenging components are not overwhelming. I have tried something new this year where I allow a five minute break, if they work hard the first half. They can check their cell phones, stretch, talk, etc. This has done wonders for my classroom.
I find it hard to write lesson plans because each class does not go at the same pace. You can have a glorious plan on paper, but many times the real world application does not work consistently for each class. Some students take a bit more time and others do not. I find this the most difficult to balance. I tend to plan in units. For example, I know I have this much time to cover the lesson and then take it on a daily basis. This tends to work best for my students.
I am glad you have found some success with Shakespeare. I know it has been challenging for you. I might suggest that you try to apply the real world and their lives to the play BEFORE you begin to read, not just as you go along. Also, daily journal prompts, which have nothing to do with the play but go along with the themes, might work. I know it is overwhelming and you want your kids to care, but remember there will always be those few that will not seem to care. Believe it or not, the ones who do not seem to care do. They just will not realize it until later in life. I am always shocked at the ones who come back and tell me how much they loved my class and they were the ones who seemed to not care or failed. It always baffles me.
Continue working on your confidence. It will come. I still get nervous because these students’ futures are in our hands. I want them to learn something they can use to make their lives better than what they have now.
As far as CCRS, who knows what will happen. Again, I say if you have WICOR in your plans, you have covered many of the CCRS and you will not have to worry about this aspect.
I am excited to see your interactive journals. Please share when you are finished.
You are a great asset to our students and care a great deal. This will get you far. The rest will come. Just remember to breathe and not lose your passion while dealing with all of the red tape and the individual struggles of each of our students. Also, remember that it is okay to change your path in your lessons. If something is not working, change it and let your students know you are re-vamping to do what is best for them.
Carry on,
Mrs. Quincy