Standard Seven:
Planning for Instruction
The teacher draws upon knowledge of content areas, cross-disciplinary skills, learners, the comunity, and pedagogy to plan instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals.
Artifact: Student Action Plan
Performance: 7(b) Plans how to achieve student learning goals, choosing appropriate strategies and accommodations, resources and materials to differentiate instruction for individuals and groups of learners.
7(f) Evaluates plans in relation to short-and-long-range goals and systematically adjusts plans to meet each student’s learning needs and enhance learning.
Essential Knowledge: 7(i) Understands learning theory, human development, cultural diversity, and individual differences and how they impact on-going planning.
7(j) Understands the strengths and needs of individual learners and how to plan instruction that is responsive to these strengths and needs.
Critical Dispositions: 7(n) Respects students’ diverse strengths and needs and is committed to using this information to plan effective instruction.
7(p) Takes professional responsibility to use short-and-long-term planning as a means of assuring student learning.
7(q) Believes that plans must always be open to adjustment and revision based on learner needs and changing circumstances.
Description: At the beginning of my student teaching placement I went through all 82 students PowerTeacher Gradebook information and determined their current standing in the class. Using this information I created a document that showed students what the current teacher pace was, where they were in regards to teacher pace, all assignments and assessments needed to be completed, and a plan with a goal date of completion. This action plan required the students to sign it and use it at the beginning of each class as a way to guide of what they should be getting done each day.
Rationale: This artifact allowed me to learn about each student and develop and individual learning plan and goal for them that took into account their individual needs. As I was just beginning my placement I made this my short and long term goal to get and keep all students on pace by helping build accountability and responsibility in the students. I provided students with suggestions and a plan to help them achieve their goal and complete the course. This artifact also guided my large group instruction helped me balance individual needs and made me realize that my planning needed to be flexible in order to meet each class’ needs.
Artifact: Daily Planner (External Artifact) and Calendar
Performance: 7(a) Individually and collaboratively selects and creates learning experiences that are appropriate for curriculum goals and content standards, and are relevant to learners.
7(c) Develops appropriate sequencing of learning experiences and provides multiple ways to demonstrate knowledge and skill.
7(d) Plans for instruction based on formative and summative assessment data, prior learning knowledge, and learner interest.
Essential Knowledge: 7(k) Knows a range of evidence-based instructional strategies, resources, and technological tools and how to use them effectively to plan instruction that meets diverse learning needs.
7(l) Knows when and how to adjust plans based on assessment information and learner responses.
Critical Dispositions: 7(q) Believes that plans must always be open to adjustment and revision based on learner needs and changing circumstances.
Description: Throughout the semester I kept a small daily planner and a large desk calendar with all of my plans for each class on each day. I used my planner and calendar as a guide and a way to set different goals for myself and the students in regards to content completion and long-term assessment planning.
Rationale: The daily planner and calendar helped to keep me organized with long term and short term goals in mind when conducting daily instruction. The artifacts also helped me to document snow days, late arrivals, and other disruptions to the schedule and to help me adjust my plans in order to meet my students needs based on these disruptions. Working with my mentor we discussed expected class time needed for each content section and used this to plan long term but adjust if the expected time was either shorter or longer than expected. Through planning and thoughtful sequencing of topics I was able to provide students with stronger instruction and more meaningful classroom experiences.