OTT 168: How Do Teachers Really Feel About Required Team Planning?

Today we are taking a closer look at how teachers REALLY feel about required team planning.

First, let's better understand what teams are asked to do.

Grade level teams are asked to plan for weeks or months of lessons to help students master the standards.

I want first to clarify that a lesson plan is the instructor's road map of what students need to learn and how it will be done effectively during class time. Before you plan your lesson, you must first identify the learning objectives. Then, you can design appropriate learning activities and develop strategies for checking for understanding. In other words, how will you know if a student understands and can perform the objective? A successful lesson plan addresses and integrates these three key components:

• Objectives for student learning
• Teaching/learning activities
• Strategies to check student understanding

Now I'm not going to lie; lesson plans take a LOT of time. Especially if you are in a school or district that has mandated a specific set of LP expectations. Here are just a few from my district:

Standards/objectives/essential questions/assessment/ materials/ gradual release model evident/ high engagement strategies used/ ELL strategies/ IEP accommodations used/ higher-order thinking questions prepopulated, and the list goes on.

Teams are expected to work collaboratively on creating these plans down to outlining the objectives, determining the intro or hook, planning the specific activities, creating a common assessment for the grade level, developing a conclusion and reflection, and creating a realistic timeline.

I asked teachers, and here is what they said:

Pros:

-Take the load off

-a lot of jigsaw the plans

-I like to hear others' ideas

-New teachers get help or are new to the grade level

-Some feel it keeps them consistent 

-Gives a good big picture

-Easy to share 

Cons:

-Lose autonomy

-Strive for mediocracy 

-Another reminder that we can't be trusted

-Fear-based

-Peer pressure to conform

-When you go rouge, you have to hide

-Do differentiation

-Noisy

-Ineffective waste of time

-On our own time, not compensated

Links Mentioned in the Show:

Episode 167: 5 Detrimental Reasons Why Lesson Plans Should NOT Be Required a Year in Advance

Interactive Read-Aloud Lesson Plans: Reading Units Comprehension for 2nd Grade

End of the Year Superhero Unit

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