| The teacher plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals. |
Fall 2007
Organization and planning have the power to either make or break an effective lesson. Planning ahead for all possible outcomes and preparing alternatives will aid in effective and efficient classroom instruction. It is essential that I know “how to take contextual considerations...into account in planning instruction that create[s] an effective bridge between curriculum goals and students' experiences" (Standard 7 Knowledge 2). Planning based upon student interest, needs, context, and circumstances will provide a much more effective lesson.
While circumstances don’t always work out the way I plan it is equally important to “believe[s] that plans must always be open to adjustment and revision based on student needs and changing circumstances" (Standard 7 Disposition 3). Perhaps the most common manifestation of this notion is allowing enough time to be sure that students are ready to move on to the next concept. A well-structured and concise plan is useless if it is rigid and leaves no room for flexibility. The minute that one student fails to grasp one concept, the plan begins to fall apart as more and more students get left behind. Consequently, I must plan “for learning opportunities that recognize and address variation in learning styles and performance modes" (Standard 7 Performance 2).
Fall 2004
Planning is essential to teaching. All teachers must be able to plan according to curriculum, materials, and circumstances. It is essential that "the teacher knows how to take contextual considerations...into account in planning instruction that create[s] an effective bridge btween curriculum goals and students' experiencies" (Standard 7 Knowledge 2). When I teach a class, it is extremely important for me to be flexible in the plans that I may have. Circumstances may prevent me from doing certain things when I plan to do them. As a result, I need to be resourceful and have alternatives to the original plan so that valuable teaching time is not wasted.
"The teacher believes that plans must always be open to adjustment and revision based on student needs and changing circumstances" (Standard 7 Disposition 3). In some cases, I may need to revise a plan because students are not ready to move onto the next level. If this happens, I need to understand why students are not learning the current topic and revise my plans and strategies accordingly to allow alternative opportunities for learning the material. It is important for me to "plan[s] for learning opportunities that recognize and address variation in learning styles and performance modes" (Standard 7 Performance 2). So I need to plan, in advance, for changes in the schedule and also in the methods of instruction. It is inaccurate to assume that students will learn all of the material the exact same way.
Planning has always been a strong characteristic of mine. I have everything planned out ahead of time and usually know what I am going to do and when. This is part of my very organized lifestyle. A challenge may arise when I have to alter my plans due to outside circumstances. I like to have things planned out long in advance. If circumstances prevent me from performing a planned event, my initial reaction is to look for alternative ways of performing the task. I also want to be able to allow leniency in the schedule if more time is needed to complete a project.
Many times in my classes, there are difficult or challenging projects that are assigned. When it is clear that many of the students are unable to move ahead, the teacher will often allow extra time to complete the project. I did have one teacher who would not change the syllabus schedule under any circumstances. That made it very difficult to focus on learning the material because we were more focused on completing the minimum requirements and having the assignments turned in by the due date or recieve a failing grade.