In the Classroom

Miss Brooks

PLANNING FOR
INSTRUCTION
What is it?
The teacher plans instruction
that supports every student in
meeting rigorous learning
goals by drawing upon
knowledge of content areas,
curriculum, cross-disciplinary
skills, and pedagogy, as well as
knowledge of learners and the
community context.

How do I do it?
I enjoy planning workshop
times for math and reading.
Students are able to work
independently or with a
partner on differentiated work
for their level. Students are
able to work at their
independent level while I work
with small groups to either
support struggling students or
extend higher level thinking
among others who have
mastered the content.

What inspires me?

Tell me and I forget. Teach me
and I remember. Involve me
and I learn.

How do I do it?
Students participate in workshops for both math and reading. I
would love to be able to work in a social studies and/or science
workshop as well. I enjoy workshop because students are able to
explore content on their own and discover their own learning.
Students learning goals are written on the board for the day, so
students are able to check their understanding if it aligns with
their I can statement.
Students are broken up into appropriate groups within our class.
It just so happened that I have two groups below grade level, one
on grade level, and two groups above grade level. All students
during workshop are working on the same objectives and types of
work, but the diculty is dierentiated based on the learner. For
independent reading, students receive bi-weekly books in their
book boxes. These books are at their reading level, and I try to
have them correlate to what were learning in science or social

Benjamin Franklin

In the Classroom

Essentials
When I see students struggling,
I try my best to accommodate
and find ways to better their
education. However, when I
have exhausted my teacher tool
box, I will address and
collaborate with specialists to
make sure my students are
getting what they need.
When assessments are graded, I
am able to go through and see
where students are struggling
and reteach in small group or a
whole class setting. This shows
my students that I have high
expectations for them, which
they will most likely begin to live
up to. If students are struggling
with a certain standard, I will
make sure to incorporate lessons
to address it in our next week, or
unit.

Miss Brooks

studies that week. However, if there are no books at that time, I

will choose something that will correlate to our reading
instruction. When working with small groups, depending on the
students, I am either supporting or extending their learning. If
students are significantly below grade level, I would being and
work with phonics skills, practice fluency, work with that weeks
comprehension skill at their reading level, and spelling. Whereas
if I were working in small group with above grade level, or
students who can be pushed, I would work with above grade level
and extended thinking activities.
When teaching whole class lessons, I like to start o with the
basic skills they need to learn, scaolding to independent work
on that skill. Instead of just reading the weekly story, I like to
back it up with that weeks phonics skill, spelling patterns, etc. to
help them read and understand the story.
Since I have student taught in a National Heritage Academies
school, there are weekly reading assessments, as well as unit
math and reading assessments. Instruction has to be planned out
to meet these needs. When looking through the quick quizzes for
a formative math assessment, I make sure that the material on
the quiz has been taught in class.
Through my student teaching experience, if my cooperating
teacher has taught me anything, its relying on your specialists.
Why reinvent the wheel or research a topic when you have a
specialist in the building to help you out. As a team, weve met
with a ELL teacher in the building to see where were can support
our ELL students, weve contacted our translator to help us
communicate home with our Spanish speaking students, weve
collaborated with the reading specialists to see what they do with
their pull-outs, since it seems to be working.

Dispositions
As students don't always learn at the same pace, lessons should
have an open adjustment policy. As needed, lessons will be adjusted to
student learning and needs within the classroom. When planning for a
unit, addressing grade level teammates will help provide for some
materials and ideas on how to teach the information: whole group,
pairs, small group, jigsaw activities, etc. Using a unit plan to plan out
the pacing of the unit, as well as daily lesson plans to time manage
daily activities, and not keep that a secret from students.
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