Lesson Planning Best Practices
Below I detail some of my experiences with planning for diverse learners:
Students come to school with unique and individual learning capabilities, readiness, and needs. Teachers design instruction based on student needs, preferences, and specific requirements (Rodríguez & Rodríguez, 2017). Students with 504 plans have specific instructional accommodations and modifications design around other health impairments or medical diagnosis. Teachers implement instructional support so that students’ medical conditions such as ADD/ADHD do not impair their academic success. Likewise, teachers implement individual education plans with specific goals and objectives and additional accommodations and modifications to support students learning disabilities that would otherwise impair their academic success. The core function of IEP or 504 plans is to recognize and support the unique way students learn. Another aspect of student learning preferences and needs is learning styles. The concept of learning style centers around the belief that individuals possess affinities and inclinations in preferred learning styles or modes based on their cognition, experiences, and learning environment (Cimermanová, 2018). Learning styles strategies are an additional tool teachers may employ to further enhance instruction for all students including students with IEP's or 504 plans.
My personal teaching experience, I believe that assessing learning style preferences and structuring experiences around a specific style or mode does not provide dynamic instruction. There are many types of learning style models. The model I used in the classroom is Barbe’s VAK model Which includes visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modes (Murphy, 2020). I believe it is possible to flexibly use learning style models to add additional means of differentiation in instructional practices. Some students have preferences in the ways they approach and use instructional strategies. Some students may struggle with visual or auditory information. Some students need to move as they learn. When teachers assess, recognize, and respond to stop preferences they may help students use strengths and preferences to access instructional growth areas. For example, a student who struggles to write may use visuals to help access writing strategies. A student who likes to move as they learn may stop engaging if they must sit still and exclusively listen to lectures. There is a distinction between teaching to learning styles and recognizing and flexibly using learning styles to enhance each other. Additionally, teachers tend to teach how they like to learn. When teachers understand their own learning preferences, they gain insight into ensuring they teach in ways that include additional learning styles beyond their own preferences to support students with different preferences.
As a fourth-grade teacher, I taught numerous STEM based lessons that integrate science, math, and language arts standards through problem-based learning. One lesson included an exploration of simple machines through a STEM build based on Rube Goldberg machines. The students created novel complex machines that involved energy transfers using recycled materials and common classroom materials. I learned many things about my students and their learning styles and processes during the lesson. This lesson engaged multiple learning modalities and was accessible for diverse student needs. The lesson underscores the value of collaborative learning and the importance of real-world connections to learning, which increases student engagement.
I built this lesson to address diverse learner needs. Every small collaborative group of students successfully completed their machines and their design plans. I videoed each group’s machine in action and posted the videos on the classroom link on my teacher website (the link is still available). The students also demonstrated successful outcomes on the simple machines unit assessment. In addition, the students demonstrated a high level of engagement and thoroughly enjoyed the lesson. I consider this a major indicator of success.
I have provided the simple machine lesson plan below. In addition, I have also provided a power point that describes a social studies lesson plan for fourth grade that also demonstrates lesson planning best practices for diverse learner groups.
- Plan your lessons based on academic standards, district and school required components, and differentiation for student needs
- Make sure to address elements of cultural competency
- Provide creative ways for diverse learner groups to access learning opportunities
- Include multimodal strategies to increase students access to learning (leaning styles, social-emotional learning, problem-based learning, content mapping, and educational games, concrete-representative-abstract progression, math manipulatives, etc.…)
- Plan for meeting with students in small groups with the intent to differentiate instruction (D.T., personal communication, May 31, 2023)
- based on student needs.
- Use a gradual release cycle to model differentiated strategies.
- Plan for instruction in multiple modalities (Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic)
- Make sure lessons are aligned with state and district content standards.
- Include learning targets and any other required components.
- Include formative and summative assessments
- Use sentence stems or paragraph frames (GCPS, 2023).
- Provide notes, passages, or other advanced organizers for support.
- Utilize graphic organizers to organize their thinking.
- Increase visual study materials for key vocabulary, both digital and print and discuss connections.
- Preview and research learning as a flipped approach
- Give students peer leader opportunities to support other students.
- Offer more opportunities for students to choose their assignments and highlight expectations for self-directed learning.
- Reverse the process and give the answers and ask them to create the questions.
Below I detail some of my experiences with planning for diverse learners:
Students come to school with unique and individual learning capabilities, readiness, and needs. Teachers design instruction based on student needs, preferences, and specific requirements (Rodríguez & Rodríguez, 2017). Students with 504 plans have specific instructional accommodations and modifications design around other health impairments or medical diagnosis. Teachers implement instructional support so that students’ medical conditions such as ADD/ADHD do not impair their academic success. Likewise, teachers implement individual education plans with specific goals and objectives and additional accommodations and modifications to support students learning disabilities that would otherwise impair their academic success. The core function of IEP or 504 plans is to recognize and support the unique way students learn. Another aspect of student learning preferences and needs is learning styles. The concept of learning style centers around the belief that individuals possess affinities and inclinations in preferred learning styles or modes based on their cognition, experiences, and learning environment (Cimermanová, 2018). Learning styles strategies are an additional tool teachers may employ to further enhance instruction for all students including students with IEP's or 504 plans.
My personal teaching experience, I believe that assessing learning style preferences and structuring experiences around a specific style or mode does not provide dynamic instruction. There are many types of learning style models. The model I used in the classroom is Barbe’s VAK model Which includes visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modes (Murphy, 2020). I believe it is possible to flexibly use learning style models to add additional means of differentiation in instructional practices. Some students have preferences in the ways they approach and use instructional strategies. Some students may struggle with visual or auditory information. Some students need to move as they learn. When teachers assess, recognize, and respond to stop preferences they may help students use strengths and preferences to access instructional growth areas. For example, a student who struggles to write may use visuals to help access writing strategies. A student who likes to move as they learn may stop engaging if they must sit still and exclusively listen to lectures. There is a distinction between teaching to learning styles and recognizing and flexibly using learning styles to enhance each other. Additionally, teachers tend to teach how they like to learn. When teachers understand their own learning preferences, they gain insight into ensuring they teach in ways that include additional learning styles beyond their own preferences to support students with different preferences.
As a fourth-grade teacher, I taught numerous STEM based lessons that integrate science, math, and language arts standards through problem-based learning. One lesson included an exploration of simple machines through a STEM build based on Rube Goldberg machines. The students created novel complex machines that involved energy transfers using recycled materials and common classroom materials. I learned many things about my students and their learning styles and processes during the lesson. This lesson engaged multiple learning modalities and was accessible for diverse student needs. The lesson underscores the value of collaborative learning and the importance of real-world connections to learning, which increases student engagement.
I built this lesson to address diverse learner needs. Every small collaborative group of students successfully completed their machines and their design plans. I videoed each group’s machine in action and posted the videos on the classroom link on my teacher website (the link is still available). The students also demonstrated successful outcomes on the simple machines unit assessment. In addition, the students demonstrated a high level of engagement and thoroughly enjoyed the lesson. I consider this a major indicator of success.
I have provided the simple machine lesson plan below. In addition, I have also provided a power point that describes a social studies lesson plan for fourth grade that also demonstrates lesson planning best practices for diverse learner groups.
simple_machines_4th_grade_lesson_plan_-_diverse_learners.docx |
declaration_of_independence_lesson_plan_-_4th_grade.pptx |