Blog 4
Do you agree that meaningful and well planned lessons
deter discipline issues?
I have experienced many teachers talking and
complaining about discipline issues in their classes. I am not exempt; I complain sometimes
too. As I was reflecting and consulting
with my mentor, we came to the solution of meaningful instruction. If students are engaged, distractions and
discipline issues will decrease or cease.
With this being said, how do we get teachers to write engaging and
meaningful lessons? Teachers have had
several professional learning sessions/opportunities, and collaborative
planning. In my opinion, plans are just
made to have something to turn in, and not really used to guide them in the
classroom. We have teams that are
supposed to check lesson plans, but there is never any feedback provided. If
administrators were more visible in the classrooms, teachers had a good
classroom management system in addition to engaging lesson plans, behaviors may
decrease. What suggestions or resources
do you have?
Thanks for sharing, LaTaucha. I hear you-- it is an ongoing process! For us, it has been all about buy-in. My motto is "why before how." I try to help teachers truly understand WHY they're writing these lesson plans so that they can wholeheartedly commit to the effort. I also strive to empower teachers to take ownership of the process. Here are a few possibilities:
ReplyDelete- Share articles that shed light on the many benefits of well-designed lesson plans. Have a facebook staff group discussion reflecting on the articles together. Choose 1 takeaway from the article to apply in the classroom, then check back in together in 1-2 weeks.
- Hold a few small discussion groups to hear why teachers do or do not use the plans. Listen to their ideas on how to improve the process. Choose some distinct action points from their feedback, try them out, then check back in in 1-2 weeks.
- Start a "shout out" board where you can recognize teachers and where teachers can recognize each other for outstanding lesson plans. For example: "LaTaucha shared her unit plan with me for the Rocks and Fossils unit, and it was a total hit with my class! Thanks, LaTaucha!"
Another piece to consider is the time spent on the paperwork of lesson-planning versus the time teaching. Teachers want to teach, not write plans. We recently switched over to unit plans instead of lesson plans because doing plans in 4-6 week chunks offered teachers more bang for their buck than daily plans. For instance, 8 hours of planning a Language Arts unit yields 50 hours of high-quality instruction. When teachers saw that equation, they felt more invested in putting in the time to design quality unit plans. Units are also more connected & holistic, leading to deeper learning than day-by-day plans. I'm happy to send you the template we use if you'd like.
Hope this helps! Keep us posted!
Jen, thanks for responding. I love your ideas. I think unit plans will make a difference.
DeleteLaTaucha-It sounds like you have a problem here on many fronts. Why have teachers turn in lesson plans if they aren't meaningfully reviewed? Why aren't administrators regularly conducting walk-throughs? Why do teachers lack the skills to engage students? Answering any of these questions may begin to address some of the classroom management issues.
ReplyDeleteDr. Sauers,
DeleteOur teachers are very laxed due to administration not being visible. They are used to doing things however they choose, and it is hard for them to changed because no one really checks them. In my department, The IST and I make sure that we are in classrooms on a regular basis. With us going in classrooms regularly, we are seeing some improvement.
I must say I feel convicted for not checking lesson plans consistently. I am however very visible in the classroom. With the exception of a few veteran teachers, it is evident when there is a planning issue.
ReplyDeleteProviding constructive feedback and sitting with teachers to discuss lesson plans has greatly improved the culture of many classrooms. Also, allowing teachers to see proficient lesson plans is extremely helpful, especially for new teachers. For my teachers struggling with classroom management or culture in general I give specific corrections to make (like spending 5 minutes not 20 minutes on a warm up!) and expect to see it noted in the next lesson plan and when I come to observe. Teachers are no different than students, if you assign homework but don't check it....why bother doing it?!
Patrice,
DeleteFeedback is definitely the key and will really make a difference. We my IST and I do walk-throughs we give glows and grows after each one and offer assistance and resources. All admins need to be on the same page, and that's not happening at my school.