Classroom Lessons Aligned to Academic Standards
It’s not enough that we do our best;
sometimes we have to do what’s required!
Winston Churchill
The first part of this chapter jumped out to me due to the
favorite lesson that had always been taught and the teachers feeling the need
to continue the TRADITION. We all have
been a witness to the favorite teacher lessons that are carried on year after year,
that may or may not even address the TEK.
So I want you to think about a time when you either taught or received one
of those oldies but goodies and how it made you feel afterwards? Also, after you are programed with
information only to find out that you do not need it, how does that make you
feel?
The chapter then talks about the alignment of lessons to
academic standards and that most of the times we have average alignment at
best. Our main goal this year as a
district is to focus on instruction and ensure that it is of the highest
quality. Therefore, it will require time
and effort being put in to ensure that we are focusing on the verb of each TEK,
delivering instruction at the highest level of Bloom’s, ensuring that the
instruction is relevant and incorporating Marzano’s High Yield Strategies in
all areas of instruction! Doing the
mentioned steps will ensure that we at least have a well thought out lesson
plan that places the proper lesson cycle on paper. In order for a system to be exceptional it
takes the will to dig deeper into the TEKs, constantly critique/edit lessons,
working together to ensure cross curricular instruction occurs daily and being
relentless in the pursuit of excellence!
What will you do this year to ensure the alignment goes from paper to peak
performance?
From this chapter my biggest take away is that our time is precious
and we do not have a moment to waste. We
will ensure that all conversations are focused around our ONE GOAL and that is
DEFYING THE ODDS. The PLC time that has
been built into the schedule will be used to create exceptional documents that
will be taken from paper and translated into performance! Instruction being of the highest quality will
be the #1 focus at Carpenter Elementary and I look forward to the learning that
will result because of it!
There have been many times that I have known something but have never used it. I have also been guilty of "teachable moments". However, reflecting back on those moments, I realized that it really needed to be the forefront of my instruction to begin and the other information was not necessarily needed.
ReplyDeleteThis year I want to really challenge myself and my students by kicking it up a notch. I want the students thinking out loud more and expanding from the lesson to something deeper. After our professional development over how to truly dissect the TEKS, I have a different take on what my lessons need to look like and the added rigor my students deserve. I think it will show with the interaction in my classroom. I want my classroom to be loud and productive. (Students talking, discussing, thinking out loud, etc.)
I like for students to express themselves to. I feel they are learning from each other and everyone enjoys the lesson. The students need that expression to feel they are contributing to the lesson.
DeleteI think about all the journaling I had my students do to "improve their writing" & what a waste of time that was when it wasn't even a TEK.
ReplyDelete"Love Units" may be a joy to teach, but harmful to the academic success of my students. After reading Chapter 5 and listening to Codi Freeman, I feel the need to scrutinize my lessons to make sure they are aligned to the academic standards and cross-curricular based. I will see my students at most 30 hours a year (if none of the classes are cancelled for Bus Safety, Fire Safety, health screening, etc.). With such limited amount of time, my focus needs to be based on lessons that are indeed aligned to the Music TEKS.
ReplyDeleteI’m guilty of teachable moments also but they get it. I will try and go deeper into their minds to open up new avenues of learning. I want the students to go home daily with a new outlook on the lesson. I want them to come back and say, “I thought about this last night”. I want my students to be excited about school and their learning. I will also make sure the TEKS are covered well.
ReplyDelete