Planning and Adjusting Instruction during Lesson Implementation

Question
 Teachers plan instruction to make sure they meet each student’s needs during the implementation of a lesson. However, it is necessary to monitor and adjust the lesson while teaching to meet needs that arise during the lesson. Teachers reflect on this later and adjust for future lessons.
Allocate at least 3 hours in the field to support this field experience.
You will implement the lesson plan you created in Topic 4 and revised in Topic 5 with the small group of students identified by your mentor teacher.
Use any remaining field experience hours to assist the teacher in providing instruction and support to the class.
Write a 250 word reflection on the lesson plan implementation. Discuss the following in your reflection:
What was effective in your lesson, and what might you alter for future implementations?
How did you meet each student’s needs during the lesson?
How do you know if students mastered the concepts?
How will you use what you have learned in your future professional practice?

Answer
1. Effective Elements of the Lesson
1.1. Engaging Activities Critical to lesson implementation and student learning are activities that are intrinsically interesting to students, or have elements that can be stimulating to student interest and curiosity. Characteristics of interesting activities include novelty and variety, and can be achieved through games, simulations, hands-on activities, or laboratory experiments. Sense-making and discourse within activities are important, hence interesting activities should have a learning point and focus to help improve student understanding. Consider a probability experiment. Rolling a number cube to students could be interesting; however, if students don’t understand the point of the experiment, learning will be minimal. A better probability experiment may be a game, where students apply probability concepts to win prizes, such as at a carnival. As difficult as it is to move an activity that did not work to a new day within a lesson, or to scrap an activity and make a new one from scratch, being flexible and willing to do so can lead to improved student learning. Since teachers often spend a disproportionate amount of time planning compared to the scheduled length of time for the lesson, some of this extra planning time can be used to prepare alternate or additional activities that may better engage students. Periodic reflection on past lessons can also help the teacher to identify what was specifically interesting about an activity and can aid in future activity planning.
While certain components of instruction may be effective when implemented in any sequence, some strategies included in the lesson may depend on prior instruction in a related concept. For example, a concept in science may be better understood when a related activity is completed. A teacher should be willing to change the location of an event, modify a lesson or teaching strategy, or alter the grouping of students. If data indicates the change improves student learning, this is an indicator that the original way the lesson was implemented may not have been effective. Through ensuring the lesson includes engaging activities, clear learning objectives and directions, and practice and assessment activities that provide the teacher with information to adjust instruction, a teacher can improve an initial lesson that may not effectively impact student learning.
1.1. Engaging Activities
Engaging activities are things that will, in whole or in part, be the focus of the lesson. Many engaging activities are more effective when introduced after the direct instruction. An effective activity captures the students’ attention, helps them build on prior knowledge, and elicits the use of new knowledge/skills to develop a deeper understanding of the content. Of the challenging stage of a lesson, Marzano says, “Because the major goal is understanding, new knowledge has to be embedded in students’ cognitive systems in a way that it can be retrieved and used at a later time” (2007, p. 63). Simulation games, debates, and problem-solving activities require critical thinking and application of knowledge in order to succeed. Such activities should be tied directly to instructional objectives and the degree of challenge should not be so high that students are unable to be successful. When students are engaged in an activity, it is essential that the teacher circulate, asking open-ended questions, and providing feedback and assistance as necessary. It is important to plan for more time than needed as it can sometimes be difficult to predict how long an activity will take and if students are successful, the teacher may want to extend the activity so the class can finish or further develop what they have started.
1.2. Clear Learning Objectives
Big idea of the instruction is the most important. Teachers must clarify the purpose of an activity or a learning experience so the students know what they are supposed to learn, and they are more likely to learn it. In order to identify what they are supposed to learn, there must be capturing the essence of the learning into a statement. This statement must be simple and easy to understand, yet not limiting the potential for the students. It should define what the student will be able to do or be when they have finished the learning experience and it has been done successfully. This clarification is really useful when there is an inclusive class with a distinct wide range of learning styles and abilities. One of them is through the use of a graphic organizer. As we know, there are students who are visual learners. A graphic organizer is a good tool for them in learning something and it is also more general than we think; most students don’t want to waste time understanding what the teacher is asking them to do (in this case learn), a graphic organizer can help with that. A graphic organizer is also good for students with learning difficulties, it is going to keep them “on track” and help reduce the risk of mental confusion. The most important thing from using a graphic organizer is the learning compactness, because graphic organizer recordings are usually less than usual record of learning using words, but it has the equivalent information. So it is very effective to serve as a reminder and summary of learning, such as preparing for a test or when it will be explained to parents at home.
1.3. Differentiated Instruction
An effective assessment of student readiness can aid the teacher in proper lesson planning for differentiated instruction. The choices a teacher makes need to reflect understanding of the student population as well as the learning objectives. Strategies for assessing readiness include use of diagnostic pretests, observations, interest inventories, and KWL charts. The more a teacher knows about the individuals in his or her class, the better informed the decisions can be about how to plan the lesson. By collecting overall information about the class and then considering specific needs of individuals, small groups, or a special population, a teacher can ensure that the range of learning needs are adequately addressed during the implementation of the lesson.
Universally, teachers desire to meet the needs of all students. Classrooms are filled with a diverse array of students. These range from those who are significantly ahead of grade level to those who are struggling to keep up. When a teacher presents a lesson, he or she must take into account the student variability throughout its delivery and through the evaluations that will follow. Differentiated instruction is an approach that addresses student needs and preferences while maintaining high expectations. It is based on the premise that an effective classroom caters for a variety of learning styles, and that all students have the right to learn the curriculum. Using differentiated instruction during lesson implementation can foster embedded goals, high level of understanding and skills, and full participation from a broad range of learners (Tomlinson, 2001).
2. Alterations for Future Implementations
2.1. Modifying Lesson Sequence
2.2. Incorporating Additional Resources
2.3. Adjusting Grouping Strategies
2.4. Enhancing Assessment Methods
3. Meeting Each Student’s Needs
3.1. Individualized Support
3.2. Adaptations for Diverse Learners
3.3. Providing Scaffolding
4. Assessing Student Mastery
4.1. Observing Student Performance
4.2. Analyzing Student Work
4.3. Administering Formative Assessments
5. Application in Future Professional Practice
5.1. Incorporating Reflection into Lesson Planning
5.2. Utilizing Data to Inform Instruction
5.3. Implementing Differentiation Strategies
5.4. Continuing Professional Development