Where Great Teaching Begins Summary

Mrs. Lawrence: When planning a lesson, I start with the objective. What is it I am supposed to be cover. Once I know, I start with a hook. I access their prior knowledge then I move on with either an example or model. All along I ask questions to make sure the students

In order to create the lesson plan, the objectives had to be planned first. As per the requirements for the course, I based my learning objectives off of Bloom’s taxonomy with my learning objectives falling under the categories of remembering, understanding,

It is usually taught following a mix of teaching methods that focus on different learning strategies, and can be

Students have their own best way in effectively learning the lesson. With the diversity of students, the problem is each student has a preferred learning style. It becomes undeniably one of the reasons that make it difficult to achieve the best expected outcome out of teachers’ effort. However, teachers try to incorporate various teaching techniques to make every learning opportunity become productive, meaningful, and relevant for the learners.

The first edition of “Bloom’s Taxonomy” was established in 1956 and consisted of six major categories in the Cognitive Domain. The categories were knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. It was aimed to nurture and classify goals within the educational system and most importantly to help the people within the system such as teachers, administrators, research workers and specialists to discuss curriculum and evaluation problems thoroughly with greater precision (Bloom, 1994, p. 10). The word “taxonomy” simply means “classification”, therefore the taxonomy of learning objectives is aimed to classify and clarify the forms and levels of learning. Moreover, the use of bloom’s taxonomy is mainly to classify objectives and test items in order to analyze the successfulness, or even the lack of successfulness, of the objectives spanning the spectrum of the six categories mentioned above. The original taxonomy was revised by a group of cognitive psychologists, curriculum and instructional researchers, and testing and assessment specialists (Anderson et al., 2001). In order for the original taxonomy to be

One of the goals that I have set is to create lesson plans that will engage students and help them become critical thinkers. A lesson plan is an outline that teacher’s make for specific subjects that they teach throughout the day. When I sit down to create a lesson plan, I try not to just rely on the provided materials that a school provides. Generally, teachers are given a textbook, a workbook, and a teacher’s toolbox that has aids that can assist them when teaching.

During lessons students should be aware of what is expected of them throughout the lesson. To ensure that students are aware of what is expected it can be helpful to have daily objectives on the board and review with the students. When beginning lessons it can be helpful to start the lesson by reviewing and asking questions about key vocabulary and content from previous lessons that can help connect prior knowledge to new material. Students should be encouraged to use notes from different lessons to help answering questions. This type of instructional practice can help promote students to want to participate and feel confident in the answers. The environment in the class can change from the teacher teaching the students to the students participating

Incorporating elements of an effective lesson design resulting in a coherent, appropriately sequenced lesson including a stated learning goal, guided and independent practices, differentiation, closure and assessment continues to be a priority in my planning. Although it seems

Everyday, teachers are faced with the challenge of teaching students new information that is valuable to their future. Teachers are responsible to determine what and how information is taught. How this information is taught to students is pertinent to their success; therefore, teachers must be able to use effective teaching methods in the classroom. Students have diverse learning styles; therefore, teachers need to determine how students learn best and pattern their teaching to accommodate these differences. During elementary school, children learn to read and write, acquire a basic understanding of content areas, and develop dispositions toward

Traditional teaching styles use teacher-centered approach. It includes a teacher that stands at the front and tells students step by step instructions. The teacher decides what is learned, when it is learned, how it is learned, and how learning is evaluated. In a nutshell, the teacher is an information giver and evaluator. The students are just there to learn through lessons and direct instructions. Their attention is mainly focused on passing tests, assessments, and evaluations.

From the time a child is born, he is taught how to eat, walk, and talk. Soon after this, he is sent to elementary, middle, and high schools, and college. Everyone's life is centered around learning and gaining knowledge. Since being able to effectively gain and apply knowledge is one of the most important aspects of life, finding an effective teaching style that engages and helps me to develop critical thinking skills is imperative to the development of my future. Every teacher with classroom teaching experience will agree his or her style of teaching is unique. "Traditional teaching styles have evolved with the arrival of alternative methods, prompting teachers to adjust their styles toward students' learning needs" (Gill). Comparing three alternative teaching styles and their effect on my learning allows me to determine which one helps me learn the most.

In my classroom, I will differentiate learning by offering a variety of methods of instruction such as hands on models, cooperative learning, technology, lectures, group activities, independent learning assignments. I will also adjust delivery based on understanding of concepts. I

If experienced teachers across the country were to be asked whether it is possible to reach the same outcomes, when teaching lessons to different classes by using the same teaching strategies, responses of the majority would be “no”. According to Wydeman, J. (2010: 96), classroom sizes are one of the main dilemmas faced by educators today, thus making it difficult for teachers to cope with individual differences of learners and their specific needs. Furthermore, teaching strategies that usually work for one student won’t necessarily be effective for the other (Killan, R. 2010: 1). Although particular subjects are associated with certain teaching methods, teachers still need to take into account the different learning styles

What teachers will prepare in a lesson and what students will know or be able to do as a result of the lesson. Learning objectives and targets are clear, specific and measurable and aligned to state standards.

Other differences in the classrooms occur in the physical environment and set up of the space. All four of these methods believe in including child-friendly and developmentally appropriate materials, but the approach to classroom set up varies.