This week I began teaching my GLT for math, and boy has it been an experience. What I have ultimately come to notice about teaching is that no matter how long you spend on your lesson plans they are merely drafts.
Ever since I taught my first lesson I ended the day revisiting my notes I took while students were working and looked over the quick checks to find out what they understood and what they were confused or having difficulties with. I then went to my lesson plan and mad adjustments where I saw fit. Each tweak I made to a lesson plan helped me tremendously as I made sure my lesson served to each students needs. This was easily achievable as I could break my class of 21 students into 2 groups, high and low. Then have Kelly work with the higher kids on the parts of my lessons that moved on and was able to reiterate or go over some important details with my lower group so they were on target with where they were suppose to be. Then I would do the same activity I had originally planned however, it helped to eliminate certain parts to make it more on their level while still pushing their thinking.
I have really enjoyed the fact that I have been able to go through this process and see each of these lessons come to life not just as how I wrote them but watch them improve and become better to serve my students. At the end of the day just because I wrote a lesson that I saw perfect does not mean it is going to help my students understand what I am teaching them. After seeing all the adjustments I have been making I realize just how important it is that teachers are constantly evaluating their students and most importantly themselves and their lessons. If teachers are not willing to change their plans to better help their students then you are not being a teacher. Teaching is helping your students understand new concepts in ways that are helpful and conducive to their learning, so if one way is not working it is up to the teacher to notice that and change it.
These are all great points and reflections. Continue to make note / record all of the adjustments you are making to your lessons, as well as your observations as to what worked and what was lesson effective. Try to think about why. These reflections / annotations to your lesson plans are exactly the sort of thing that you should put into a professional portfolio (as well as put in your final version of the unit plan, due after the GLT). Of course, no one is able to write the "perfect" lesson or know exactly what adjustments to make after having taught a lesson. But the key is that we try. Gather information, in class and through formative assessments, as to what you think your students are thinking, and think about what types of instruction are most effective, and how these reflections might inform your future in instruction (in this unit and beyond).
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