Making Lessons Shine: Planning For Student Thinking and Interaction April 19, 2001 Making Lessons Shine: Planning For Student Thinking and Interaction Peter Brunn Peter_brunn@devstu.org www.devstu.org Introduction “you are not funny – peter really…” I don’t have lots of jokes – I am not Jamie Foxx – not signing and dancing either – but I am a teacher. And I bring with me a love of learning. What I plan to do is share with you some of the work I have been doing to help the teachers I work with deepen and enhance their practice. I hope to provoke – I hope to challenge I hope to learn with you- and if that is the case – it will be time well spent… Introduce Signal Making Meaning: Program Orientation

April 19, 2001 I did write this handy book – it is small and very pink Making Meaning: Program Orientation

What Makes A Good Lesson? Think about a lesson you taught (or observed) recently that went really well. What made it special? What happened that made this lesson stand out? With your partner jot down some key words or phrases that describe the lessons you discussed

What makes a good lesson…

Ten Qualities of Successful Lessons

Action #1 Teachers plan lessons with their students in mind (not just the content) Pause in places where students might struggle Spend more time building concepts students don’t know–even if it means not getting through all of the day’s content Move quickly through content students already know

April 19, 2001 Action #2 Teachers use a predictable lesson structure that allows students to grow academically and socially Allows us to consistently introduce both social and academic content Provides time for independent and group work Creates space for students to reflect on their academic work and social interactions Minimizes distractions and interruptions Keeps lessons focused on student thinking All of our different programs and materials have a structure to them. Sometimes they are not alike – which is confusing (nina planning with calendar – trying to make the day make sense.) A universal lesson structure help us put things in a sensical order. It also allows us to include the things we value in our lessons Social and academic Making Meaning: Program Orientation

April 19, 2001 Action #3 Teachers make listening to students’ thinking the heart of their lessons Notes from conferences or whole group conversations Students’ entries in writer’s notebooks Marks students make on their drafts of writing Sticky notes students place in their books Response notebooks/journals Duckworth Making Meaning: Program Orientation

April 19, 2001 Action #4 Teachers keep the body of their lessons focused on open-ended topics Rigorous thinking Creativity Risk taking Facts and content are only useful if we use them for and end. By themselves they are meaningless. Qustioning lesson plan Duckworth The virtures of not knowing Making Meaning: Program Orientation

Action #5 Ensure we cover necessary content Keep lesson focused Teachers never lose track of the lesson’s purpose Pace lesson appropriately Ensure we cover necessary content Keep lesson focused

Action #6 Probe student thinking Teachers use facilitation techniques to probe student thinking Probe student thinking Uncover students’ decision making process Use cooperative structures Ask open-ended questions Listen to and value student thinking

Action #7 Teachers listen and invite students to do most of the talking Allows us to discover what students know and where they are struggling Gives students a chance to express different ideas and interpretations Supports the growth of new ideas Gives students a chance to connect with one another

Action #8 Teachers set up students to work independently Apply and practice challenging content at their own academic level Gain stamina for high stakes tests Develop and grow ideas during this necessary “quit time” Teachers can pay attention to student thinking Teachers can assess or support individual students

Action #9 Teachers help students develop social skills for successful peer interaction Develops over time Allows for students to agree and disagree respectfully Establishes a structure for conversation and interaction

Action #10 Teachers work with students to create a sense of community April 19, 2001 Action #10 Teachers work with students to create a sense of community Essential for students’ academic success in school Creates the space students need to take the risks they need to be successful Making Meaning: Program Orientation

Reflecting On Our Teaching Think back to the lesson you described at the beginning of this presentation. What did you do to make the lesson so successful?

THE LESSON PLANNING PROCESS

Before You Plan Select the lesson you want to teach Math Program, Reading Series, Science Manual etc. Read the lesson carefully Gather all of the resources you need Books Handouts Materials

Lesson Planning Process April 19, 2001 Lesson Planning Process Step 1 – Establish the lesson’s purpose Academic focus Social Focus Step 2 – Create a plan for introducing the lesson What Background/Vocabulary do student need? How does this relate to yesterday’s lesson? What do I need to do to prepare students to work together? Put each step on an overhead Making Meaning: Program Orientation

Lesson Planning Process (Cont.) Step 3 – Decide how you might facilitate the lesson Which parts of the lesson will be done whole group, small group, or independently? What cooperative structures will I use? What facilitation techniques might I use? What questions might I ask to stimulate thinking? What will successful student actions look like? Step 4 – Think about how students will share and reflect on their work

Lesson Planning Process (Cont.) Step 5 – Revise my plan How much time will each section take? Where will I spend most of my time? Where might students struggle the most? What will I do when they struggle? What changes do I need to make in my plan? At the conclusion of the lesson – Reflect on what happened