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 todayLack 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 soonMotivating feedback onlyInaccurate 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

More Connections to EE

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 …ReflectingLearningCollaboratingEnjoyingBeing nice to yourself