Lesson Planning for Learning Best Practices ~ 2014

Participant (you) will …  Reflect on how you currently plan lessons  Identify the top 10 list for lesson planning for learning  Describe the decisions that when made result in quality lesson plans

Continual Improvement

Think and Share  How do you currently prepare for a lesson?  What do your current lesson plans look like?  How has your lesson planning changed throughout your career?

Why do I need to write a lesson plan? I already know what I want my students to do.

Why Lesson Plan …  Increases the chances that all of your students will learn what you want them to learn  Increases the chances that you will make purposeful decisions and be prepared to support your students through the learning process

Top 10 for Planning for Learning

What do I want my students to learn? Common Errors: What do I want my students to do today Lack of specificity and clarity Too much content Too few opportunities for varied practice Unclear focus – leaving it up to the students to figure out what to pay attention to

How will I know when learning is/has occurred? Common Errors: Assessment is not important … I will just know when it happens I can keep track of who can and who can’t I provide opportunities for learning but I can’t control if they learn

To be called teaching learning must occur - without assessment we don’t know if learning is occurring - therefore without assessment it can’t be called teaching

What will my students do and say to support their learning? Common Errors: Planning a series of unrelated or disconnected activities Planning for ‘filler activities’ Limited opportunities for varied practice Rushing from one activity to another

What will I say and do to support student learning? Common Errors: Too much, too often, too random, and only one mode of communication Use of language without supporting it Giving feedback – moving on too soon Motivating feedback only Inaccurate feedback Internal focus only

How am I going to create high opportunities for authentic, purposeful, and varied practice? Common Errors: Too few opportunities to practice Lack of varied practice opportunities Not considering all of the variables that could be varied Practicing only in a closed environment

How am I going to make the content relevant and meaningful to my students? Common Errors: Limited attention given to identifying strategies to help students make connections to the content Not taking the time to activate prior knowledge

What am I going to do if some students already can while others can’t quite yet? Common Errors: Limited attention given to planning and preparing for variations Whole class planning as opposed to individual student planning

How am I going to foster high level learning, problem solving, and collaboration? Errors: Lots of low level learning – recall, identify, define Not taking the time to plan out questions Assuming students can’t handle it – without differentiating and supporting Step in or move on too quickly

How am I going to focus students’ attention? Errors: Expecting students to know what to pay attention to Limited reminders Using only one mode or one sense Explicit instruction of self-regulation skills

How am I going to maintain a safe environment? Errors: Only considering physical safety

PROCESS TIME!  First of all … Celebrate Yourself!  What did you learn, remember, think about, or consider?  What will you take back and use as you start the school year?  What can you share with someone that will make them better?

Connections to EE  Knowledge of content/pedagogy  Standards-based  Authentic tasks  Progressive tasks  Interdisciplinary connections  Knowledge of students  Differentiation  Setting instructional outcomes  Clear learning targets  Rigor, challenge  Student learning NOT only student activity  Alignment  Differentiation  Assessment  Knowledge of resources  Designing coherent instruction  Variety of tasks and strategies  Alignment of activities to learning outcomes  Connections to prior learning  Structured, allowing student choice  Designing student assessment  Formative, on-going  Opportunities for student success  Modifications, supports for assessments  Clear expectations

More Connections to EE  Establishing a culture of learning  Variety of modalities  Communicating with Students  Cues, feedback, questions  Formative assessment  Opportunities for students to collaborate, discuss, share  Engaging students in learning  Alignment between objective and activities  Relevant learning tasks  Students ‘working’ not just ‘sitting and getting’  Lesson pacing  Student-directed tasks  Organizing physical space  Using assessment in instruction  Differentiation, modifications planned  Self-assessment, peer-assessment  Authentic assessment  Higher level learning, critical thinking  Alignment to lesson goal  Demonstrating flexibility & responsiveness  Student interests and daily lives  Formative assessment  Multiple instructional strategies

Lesson Plan Template … going beyond the sticky note

There is never enough time

There are never enough resources

There is never enough me …learning how to be present, purposeful, and positive

 Keep …  Reflecting  Learning  Collaborating  Enjoying  Being nice to yourself