Wishing is for the weak, planning is for the powerful.
Well crafted planning allows for the teacher to adjust when adjustment is needed.
Mental flexibility is part of planning. Planning for bumps in the road is part of the experience.
My lesson planning book.
I planned each lesson by objective, not necessarily by day.
My planning adapted according to how much the students learned each day.
Highlighting key concepts helped focus my planning.
Flexibility helped my students build on prior knowledge. I was also able to spend less time on concepts when students acquired the skills to move on to the next concept.
Pictured below: Final preservice teacher evaluation by mentor teacher. I scored a "4" on my instructional planning. Most student teachers aim for a 1, 2, or 3. This evaluation is one of my proudest moments of my student teaching experience! I poured my heart into my lessons and stayed focused. My effort in planning made all the difference.
I asked myself many questions when planning a lesson. Connecting Utah Common Core Standards to students in a meaningful way increased engagement and helped me assess student knowledge. If students needed more information or another lesson, I went back to the planning process drawing board.
Below: Multiplication word problem for 3rd grade. I planned a lesson based on familiar scenarios of students at Trailside Elementary in Park City, UT. The students were engaged and could relate. I worked out the problem a head of time to help with the instructing process. Please note the use of pictures, words, multiple means of obtaining and checking and explaining an answer.
Gallery of Pictures from the English Language Arts Unit: Who is the wolf in fiction? The unit was planned according to the resources available and the objective requirements of the Utah State Core Standards and Engage NY. Multiple folktales with wolves were read to my students.
Yampa Fraction Lesson for 5th Grade: I built upon students' funds of knowledge to form a more solidified background on the context. Students were unfamiliar with the concept of river miles. The students had fun working in teams planning out their trip down a stretch of river. The students and I bonded by sharing personal experiences.
