Planning for Instruction
InTASC Standard #7
The teacher plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context.
Introduction
As a math teacher, it is essential my plans for instruction must be intentional. Achievement First strives to "equip each and eery student with the skills, self-knowledge, and extensive preparation required to bridge the gap between the expectation of college and what it takes to make it a reality" (n.d.). The network does this by providing unit plans, lessons, and regular assessments to ensure rigor exists in all of our classrooms. However my role as a classroom teacher brings intentionality to these resources. By looking at student daily and getting to know my students, I am able to able to modify these lessons to ensure they are rigorous, aligned, and inclusive for all students. Additionally it is my job to modify lessons to engage and invest my students in their learning. While planning for instruction a question I regularly refer back to is: How can I inspire my student's love of learning?
The three pieces of evidence that demonstrate my planning include (1) long term planning, (2) unit planning, and (3) lesson planning. Each of these components utilize data, knowledge, and engagement to build student learning.
Conclusion
In conclusion, my intentionality in planning for instruction allows me to be efficient, effective, and responsive to my student's individual needs. These modifications are accomplished by thoroughly understanding Achievement First's resources and identifying areas of strength/weaknesses for my individual students. Given the vast resources available, I am able to piece together different places for all learners to achieve mastery at their own rate. While working with the close reading teacher and problem solving teacher to find disciplinary skills, my students are able to practice various skills more frequently thereby being able to achieve rigorous learning goals.