"My assistant principal gave me an "E" for an excellent lesson…. He was … impressed by the higher order thinking questions that I posed to the students – questions that I composed with the help of your software. He liked my "original" and creative activities. He said he wished other teachers were as prepared as I am. You guys are my best kept secret. Thank you so much!" - Deborah J.
"It's difficult for me to just sit down and start planning these perfect lessons on the spot – with no help and just a blank screen staring at me. With the software, I get help and ideas right on the screen and before you know it, I've got my lessons for the week." - -Barbara E.
"I don't stay up half the night planning lessons anymore."-Yvelysse G.
"Lesson planning terrified me. I procrastinated, and I could never
plan for more than the next day. Now, every Friday, I take a couple of
hours and plan for the week. I actually look forward to it. This is a great
product. Every teacher should have it. You get an A+ from me."
-Yanik A.
Solutions to the Top 7 Complaints about Instruction
Complaint:
The test/quiz had nothing to do with what was taught.
Solution...: Title the test/quiz to the lesson. For example
– If your lesson is titled "Components of a plant cell", your test or quiz
should bear the same title. When writing your quiz, use the same or similar
questions from your lesson plan on the quiz. This way, there is a direct
correlation between instruction and assessment.
Complaint:
This is boring.
Solution...: Use different activities. Address different
learning modalities. Consult the LessonPlansMadeEasy.com E-guide "instruction
plan" description and get creative. Get energetic.
Complaint:
I just don't get it.
Solution...: Know what the prerequisites are for that topic.
What are students supposed to know before they can tackle this lesson? The
prerequisites can be addressed in a Do –Now problem, question & answer session
or pre-quiz. You may have to engage in a review lesson or activity – some
times you have to take a step backward in order to go forward. Assess where
your students are and work with them from there. If they happen to be very
behind – you are not there to judge or criticize as much as you are there
to teach. Your job is to assess where your students are, and keep assessing
and revising until they are where they need to be.
Complaint:
(Teacher) I don't have the materials.
Solution...: Get the materials. Ask the school, apply for
grants, fund raise… or you can… go out of pocket. Hey, these things enrich
your life, too. An LCD projector, a laptop, and an in class printer can turn
gray skies blue. (Think - instant worksheet copies, printing lessons in school,
class room management, power point presentations, visual learning, chalk
and talk reduction…) Wouldn't you rather to have these resources at hand
so that you can save time and energy and make your home life more of your
own? Besides, you can also use these devices in your personal life. Watch
a movie at home using your new LCD projector. Friends and family will love
it! It's like being at the theater! Just remember to conserve energy and
don't let the machine idle – LCD bulbs can get costly.
Complaint:
The class is out of control.
Solution...: Class room management is critical. That's why
it is your job, as the manager, to set the ground rules and expectations.
I've had 100% student pass rates at Schools Under Registration Review – and
not the "top" classes either, my friend, so please take it from me. I know
it's difficult sometimes – really difficult. However, the importance of a
safe and effective classroom is not debatable. Neither should there be a
question as to why you must enforce (and clearly state and post) rules and
consequences. You don't enforce the rules to be evil – but because you have
to maintain an environment that is conducive to learning. Make your rules
and enforce them and redirect negative behavior to the appropriate behavior.
Period. You may want to stipulate: **Rules and consequences are subject to
change (as necessary to maintain a healthy classroom environment.)
Complaint:
Why am I learning this? When will I ever use this? What does this have
to do with life?
Solution...: Inform the class, we are here to have fun,
to form lasting relationships, but our MAIN GOAL is to learn - to work hard.
My main objective is to TEACH – math or music or whatever the subject. I
tell the students to trust school methods. What does this have to do with
life? I liken things to a karate movie. You'll see the pupil lifting bags
of rice – toting buckets of water up hills. Sweating – knees buckling under
the weight. Having mastered the art through difficult, seemingly unrelated
tasks, he is able to become a great Karate master. He respects his teacher
for the lessons he learned. Imagine if the Karate student only had "fun times" and
never worked hard. Similarly, we may seem to be doing something that doesn't
seem fun, or seems unrelated to your career goals, but it helps to hone your
life skills in a major way.
Complaint:
(Teacher) I don't follow my lesson plans. Things come up, sometimes the
lesson is bombing, and the activity is not going over well. Sometimes
the lesson is too easy or conversely, too difficult. Sometimes students
finish the work sooner than expected, sometimes they take too long.
Solution...: A lesson plan is like a map. Of course, there
may be detours or traffic or other unexpected occurrences, but you have to
know where you are, where you're going and how to get there. To have nothing
mapped out, to have no written plan of action is not wise. If you do not
plan in advance, you are forced to plan on the spot, or the students may
come up with their own impromptu "fun" plan. The time and energy that is
spent deciding what to do next, how to fill in empty moments – this same
time and energy could be used to enforce class room rules, delegate student
jobs, take notes, perform administrative tasks (i.e. check or collect homework),
circulate the room, and to assess and give suggestions, etc. . You can still
be spontaneous, accommodating and flexible within the framework of your lesson
plan. See your lesson plan as a guide - not as a restriction.
Additionally, administrators usually look for a professional lesson plan as evidence of effective instruction. Even if your administrator isn't big on lesson planning (I don't know of any) – having peace of mind, and time to exhale and reflect make teaching just that much more enjoyable.
©Angela J - Secondary Ed Math Instructor, Brooklyn, NY
