Teaching My First Lesson Plan

Teaching My First Lesson Plan

For my Reading and Language Arts Across Content Areas class for an assignment we had to create a lesson plan about a teaching strategy that we could pick from our textbook. My professor told us that for our first lesson plan that we should aim to make a one-day lesson plan, but we could make a longer lesson if we wanted to. I chose to create a one-day lesson plan. I choose to do my lesson plan on two teaching strategies: Author Says/I Say Chart and Say Something Read-Aloud Partner Activity. We were supposed to create our lesson plan using the lesson plan template that she gave us to guide us along.

Here are the directions for the assignment, which explains a little more about what I had to do:

Teaching Strategy Assignment Instructions:

For this assignment you get to be the teacher. Your goal is to teach a comprehension strategy to your peers. You must use content that is relatively simple because it is the strategy that you are teaching. Your primary objective is for students to be able to understand how to use the strategy. Content can come from any area you choose including sports, music, games, folktales, movies, interesting articles, etc. It is wise to use something other than your content area so that you do not get caught up in teaching the content rather than the strategy.

Please note this is a real teaching experience this is not similar to the types of student presentations you did in high school or any of your non-education classes. Your students are expected to learn how to use the strategy you teach. They will be assessed on their ability to incorporate the strategy into a lesson plan for their content area and to explain how the strategy facilitates student learning.

This assignment consists of three parts.

1.     A complete lesson plan based on the template for this assignment

2.     Teaching the strategy to the class. Notice, you are not teaching an entire lesson. You are only teaching the strategy.

3.     One day after you complete your teaching, you must write a reflection on the experience. This reflection must include assessment of your preparation for teaching the strategy, analysis of your teaching, and suggestions for ways to improve. Post this to Moodle by the second day after you teach. For example, if you teach on Wednesday, post it by Friday, if you teach Friday, post it by Monday.

You will have 30 minutes of class time to teach. Be sure that you have made an effort to determine how long each piece will require. It is better to overestimate the amount of time it will take than to rush at the end.

Here is my lesson plan template that I filled out:

Lesson Plan Template (for teaching a strategy)

Name: Marissa Kleckner Subject: Procrastinating & Midterm Survival Guide Lesson Plan Title: Author Says/I Say Chart & Say Something Read-Aloud

Presentation Date: Wednesday, March 12, 2014 Length of Lesson Plan: 1 Day Length of Class Period: 30 Minutes

Lesson Overview – Overarching Goal:  It is important for students to understand how teaching methods affect students learning. Acquiring a range of teaching strategies will provide students with the flexibility to choose the approach that is most relevant to the content, the teaching goal, and the students’ needs.

Performance Objectives: (in SWBAT form) Students will be able to create lesson plans incorporating Author Says/I Say Chart & Say Something Read-Aloud Students will be able to explain how Author Says/I Say Chart & Say Something Read-Aloud facilitates learning

Standards: ·      Standard 4: Teachers know how to teach. The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies, including the use of technology to encourage children's development of critical thinking, problem solving and performance skills.

Materials needed: (all materials, you may assume a room and oxygen) Notes: 15 copies & attach 1 copy of each to this Lesson Plan Template ·      Teacher Lesson Plan Template – this sheet (2 copies) ·      Teacher Lesson Plan Template Outline Notes (2 copies) ·      Procrastination: A Student’s Worst Enemy? Article (15 copies) ·      Author Says/I Say Chart Worksheet (15 copies) ·      The College Student’s Ultimate Midterm Survival Guide Article (15 copies) ·      YouTube Video: The Best Study Hacks for College Midterms (6 min) URL: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUU5M4JY7zw >

Students activities: (list the activities the students will be doing during the entire lesson) ·      Class Discussion/Participation (5-10 min) ·      Watching slideshow, listening to me, & writing notes (6 min) ·      Read Procrastination: A Student’s Worst Enemy? Article (5 min) ·      Fill out Author Says/I Say Chart Worksheet (5 min) ·      Watching slideshow, listening to me, & writing notes (6 min) ·      Partner up (2-3 min) ·      Read The College Student’s Ultimate Midterm Survival Guide Article while simultaneously doing the Say Something Read-Aloud Partner Activity (8 min) ·      Class Discussion/Participation (5-10 min) ·      Watching YouTube Video (6 min)

Teaching plans: (describe exactly what you will do when) Frontloading: (How you will introduce the lesson?) Procrastination (Author Says/I Say Chart) ·      Asking questions & having them raise their hands (5 min) ·      Explain why it’s important to know (2 min) Midterm Survival Guide (Say Something Read-Aloud Partner Activity) ·      Asking questions (5-10 min) Guiding Comprehension: (this is the middle part where you are helping students learn) 1st Activity: Author Says/I Say Chart ·      Hand out Procrastination: A Student’s Worst Enemy? Article & Author Says/I Say Chart Worksheet (1-2 min) ·      See pages 64-65 for examples (write on chalkboard) (1-2 min) ·      Go through slideshow for Author Says/I Say Chart (3 min) ·      Ask if there are any questions (1-2 min) ·      Have students start filling out chart (10 min) ·      During activities walk around 2nd Activity: Say Something Read-Aloud Partner Activity ·      Partner the students up (2-3 min) ·      Hand out The College Student’s Ultimate Midterm Survival Guide (1-2 min) ·      For more info see pages 65-66 (write on chalkboard) (1-2 min) ·      Go through slideshow for Say Something Read-Aloud Partner Activity (3 min) ·      Ask if there are any questions (1-2 min) ·      Display slide talking about topics to discuss with partner ·      Have students read The College Student’s Ultimate Midterm Survival Guide Article while simultaneously doing the Say Something Read-Aloud Partner Activity (8 min) ·      During activities walk around Consolidating Understanding: (what are you doing toward the end of the lesson to insure your students understand?) ·      Asking Questions (5-10 min) ·      Class Discussion/Participation ·      Watch YouTube Video: The Best Study Hacks for College Midterms (6 min) URL: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUU5M4JY7zw > ·      Ask if anyone has any questions, comments, or concerns (1-2 min)

Assessment: Students will create a lesson plan incorporating the strategy. Students will also explain how this strategy will help facilitate student learning for this lesson.

Final thoughts: My main focus is teaching the students my teaching strategy so they will be able to successfully use it while they teach. If no one answers my question have them talk to their partner. Concern: I think I may have too much things to do in too little time. What do I do?

Here is my lesson plan outline or the notes that I used while presenting my first lesson plan:

Marissa’s Lesson Plan Outline

Procrastination (Author Says/I Say Chart)

·      Intro: Good morning class! How are you guys today? Do you have a lot of midterms & projects due this week? Anyone feeling a little stressed? Raise your hand if you got at least 8 hours of sleep last night. Okay look around. (5 min)

·      Procrastination Introduction (1 min)

·      Questions: Raise your hand if you have ever procrastinated. Look around again. Okay, now think of a time when you procrastinated. Tell me, why did you procrastinate? What are some reasons? How did you feel while you were procrastinating? How did you feel after? (5-10 min)

·      This is important to know because some of your students will procrastinate & it’s good to know the reasons why they procrastinate (1 min)

·      1^st Activity: Author Says/I Say Chart (1 min)

·      Hand out Procrastination: A Student’s Worst Enemy? Article & Author Says/I Say Chart Worksheet (1-2 min)

·      See pages 64-65 for examples (write on chalkboard)(1-2 min)

·      Go through slideshow for Author Says/I Say Chart (3 min)

·      Ask if there are any questions (1-2 min)

·      Have students start filling out chart (10 min) (During activities walk around)

·      Okay now we are going to switch activities (1 min)

Midterm Survival Tips (Say Something Read-Aloud)

·      Midterm Survival Tips Introduction (1 min)

·      2nd Activity: Say Something Read-Aloud Partner Activity (1 min)

·      Partner the students up (wearing similar colors)(2-3 min)

·      Hand out The College Student’s Ultimate Midterm Survival Guide (1-2 min)

·      For more info see pages 65-66 (write on chalkboard)(1-2 min)

·      Go through slideshow for Say Something Read-Aloud Partner Activity (3 min)

·      Ask if there are any questions (1-2 min)

·      Display slide talking about Topics to Discuss With Partner

·      Have students read The College Student’s Ultimate Midterm Survival Guide Article while simultaneously doing the Say Something Read-Aloud Partner Activity (During activities walk around)(10 min)

·      Conclusion  - time check

·      Questions: What did you learn from these two activities? What problems did you run into? How do these strategies promote student learning? How would these strategies be helpful or useful in your content area? What changes would you make to these teaching strategies to make it work better for your content area? (5-10 min)

·      YouTube Video Intro – sort of corny (2-3 min)

·      Watch YouTube Video: The Best Study Hacks for College Midterms (6 min)

              URL: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUU5M4JY7zw >

·      Thank you, that concludes my lesson