Standard 8: Instructional Strategies: The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.

 

During my Practicum I placement at Gehring Elementary School in Las Vegas, Nevada I planned and taught a lesson about contractions. The students took on roles as doctors practicing surgery on words. One of the strategies I used throughout this lesson was to ask questions developed according to Bloom's Taxonomy which are outlined at the end of the lesson plan, attached below. Questions would be asked based on a student's level of understanding. Higher order questions would be used to stimulate students that understand the concepts where as lower order questions would be use to solidify their knowledge. Thinking about these questions before teaching a lesson is important so that you can easily access them when necessary in the midst of teaching a lesson.

 

Throughout the course of the lesson I used four different Lemov techniques. One of my favorites is "The Hook". In order to engage students at the beginning of a lesson it is important to catch their attention and give them a reason to be excited about learning. I did this by giving students the role of a doctor and activating their prior knowledge about contractions. Another technique I used was to make their learning objective clear throughout the whole of the lesson, this keeps their attention focused on what's important and ensures they are getting the most out of the lesson. I checked for understanding during the lesson by observing each student in the class and filling out a formative assessment form, jotting down if they were displaying signs of understanding and making notes when necessary. These strategies are described in my lesson plan, attached below. 

 

Contraction Lesson Plan

 

 

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