Being Purposeful….

We all went to college…we are all are certified….we all heard the same information on what is best practices and what makes good teaching.  We get side-tracked by things other than teaching.Many times the world around us gets the better of our attention.

It is our responsibility as professional educators to use what we have learned to better the education of the students we teach. And sometimes we need to be reminded.

Since time on instruction is precious, we need “to get the most bang for our buck.” When we are intentional and purposeful in planning instruction, students benefit. When we look back at our educational career in college as well as our professional development as a teacher, we all learned there are items in instruction that make a bigger impact than others. 

Some of the most important parts of the plan are:

What do I want my kids to learn? Do the students know what they are learning? If you asked a group of students at any point in the lesson what they are learning, would they be able to answer that questions?

 

Are the students able to answer questions about their learning? Many times the students can give teachers back the low level information that has been given, but can they answer the deeper questions? Are they able to apply what they have learned to new situations?

How do I know my students have mastered the learning? What type of assessment am I giving? Is it appropriate for what I have taught?

If as teachers we can keep these few things in mind, we will see our students progress and become more successful in their learning. 

Designing Purposefuland CoherentLeadership PreparationCurriculum:A Curriculum MappingGuide