1. Lesson Planning for Learning Best Practices ~ 2014

2. 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

4. Continual Improvement

5. 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?

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

7. 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

8. Top 10 for Planning for Learning

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

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

20. 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?

21. 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

22. 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

23. Lesson Plan Template … going beyond the sticky note

24. There is never enough time

25. There are never enough resources

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

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