The planning template I used this week was very descriptive. Although it may not be a realistic lesson plan in terms of the amount of time it took to complete, it was helpful in various ways. Primarily, it was good for me to reflect upon my current teaching practices. It gave me a chance see where I may have gaps in planning and how I can develop richer lessons. I do not normally go into such detail when planning a lesson. Additionally, I understand the needs of my students and tend to modify my teaching without writing a great deal into my lesson plan. This is my seventh year teaching science, and through experience, I am able to predict what students will need as well as what activities will be appropriate for certain classes.
A major component of the lesson plan is the use of the 5 E's (engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration, evaluation). This method guided my lesson to include inquiry. It also directed my planning to address student misconceptions, guide them in building upon their knowledge, and assess their learning.
The lesson I wrote included a guest speaker. The logistics of inviting a guest into the classroom takes some work, so if I were to implement this lesson it would take extended preparation and planning.
Overall I am pleased with how my lesson plan is written. It was a tedious and time-consuming process, although I was able to learn a few new components to include for future planning.
How do you not create lesson plans and differentiate effectively? Although I do not write out my lesson plans, I find it necessary to document differentiated activities and higher level thinking questions to challenge students.
ReplyDeleteGreat question. It can be a challenging task to differentiate a lesson. I do believe that differentiating takes planning and thought. Like you said, it is necessary to document the activities and questions that help in this process. As I plan my weekly lessons, I make sure I have included support for my students who are struggling. This may be partnering, providing one-on-one conversations, or having example work or extra copies of notes available. Additionally, I write in techniques that apply for students who need more challenging work; I provide bonus questions (or extension questions), discussion groups, and extra credit opportunities. In the lesson I specifically wrote about, many of the previously mentioned differentiating strategies can be applied.
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