Know, Do, and Be do, be do, be do 

Teachers know what the curriculum is, and they know it is required of them to deliver the curriculum, in full, to their students. But how can teachers determine whether or not their students have understood or applied the curriculum in a tangible way? The whole premise of educating students is to have them learn and become more knowledgeable. Educators need to be aware that their teaching practices are achieving just that. So, they resort to methods of assessing what the students know. It is through these assessments that teachers can understand what they still need to teach, or what parts of their lessons they need to revamp to improve student understanding.

One of the most effective ways to create a lesson plan that satisfies the curriculum while keeping assessment in mind is the backward design process.

Pre-Steps.

Know your Curriculum.

Know your Students.

Stage 1.

Identify the Know, Do, Be of the unit.

Stage 2.

Create the assessment tools that coincide with the assessment task.

Stage 3.

Create daily instruction and assessment tasks.

* None of the above images belong to me

Many aspects of creating an appropriate lesson plan are similar to following a recipe. The recipe must work in logical order, however, it can be tweaked to fit the needs of the students. In order to successfully follow-through with the backward design process the goal is to “align your curriculum at every stage” (60). For example, at stage 1, chose a relevant topic, ensure it fits under the Know, Do, Be umbrella, and create an exploratory web.

            In order to make your classrooms' cupcake most suitable, include things that are not explicitly in the learning outcomes, but fit the unit’s framework. Get students involved with underlining the learning outcomes so they can see where they are headed with the unit. This is where you, as the teacher, can add your own relevant touches in order to help make your classroom unique. This idea of making the classroom unique allows students to feel that the classroom is their own; it builds a sense of community.

            One of the most effective ways to assess whether your teaching methods are working and the students are at a standard level of understanding is with a rubric. A rubric breaks down learning outcomes into categories and scores the students’ work on a scale that identifies various levels of achievement. There are many different types of rubrics: analytic rubric, holistic rubric, generic rubric, task-specific rubric, etc. Work with your students to create the criteria on the rubric to ensure all students understand (and agree with) the level of performance necessary to achieve the highest grade on the scale.

            A great teacher uses the students’ assessment to understand if they grasped his/her lesson. Here is an example of a teacher who, once she identified that the student could not grasp her lesson, tried to skew her approach. Unfortunately, she grew frustrated and gave up, which is something teachers should never do. This is an example of what not to do as a teacher whose students are struggling with the material:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqwzvtjeYBQ

The bad. The good. The exceptional.

This blog is for the overachievers. For the teachers who not only work to school their students, but who strive to educate them. To make them better citizens. Better individuals. To help mold their students to be their best damn selves. The teachers who are teachers even after the 3:30 bell. The educators with philosophies like me; who will not rest until each of their students have found their vocation in life and know they have the means to fulfill it. It is not enough to show up to class each day and teach the textbook. Education and school require so much more than the bare minimum so many teachers never exceed. This blog is for the thinkers and the doers. Who have a vision for their classrooms and their students and who pride themselves on being exceptional. 

It is the exceptional teachers who are able to manipulate the curriculum, or rather, stretch it, in order to best suit the needs of the students in his/her class. These educators are able to interweave the curriculum documents with the realities of the class, in order to make the lessons meaningful. The text Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment refers to this as the teacher’s opportunity to make the “curriculum come alive” by making the material “relevant and effective for the particular students in their classrooms” (8). As basic as this concept may seem in theory, there is a growing concern that more and more teachers are not working to create this Individualized approach for their students. This individualization or differentiated instruction is, in my opinion, the key to the success of a class as a whole. The Ontario Ministry of Education defines this type of teaching as a “method of teaching that attempts to adapt instruction to suit the differing interests, learning styles, and readiness to learn of individual students” (2011, p. 58) (10).

I see it this way: the curriculum is the pizza dough. Every teacher is responsible in giving her students each the ball of dough and helping them roll it out to the perfect dimensions, as determined by the ministry. However, it is the teacher’s responsibility to create and deliver the unique pasta sauce to her students, because the dough without the sauce is almost useless – this is the teacher’s adaptation. The individualized approach is the teacher’s knowledge of how much freshly grated Parmesan cheese each of his/her students requires on their pizza, and the exceptional teacher will make it her duty to go around and grate the cheese for the students. We can weave Freire’s model of the oppressed and ensure that even the marginalized are given a fair helping of cheese; in fact, they can receive as much cheese as their pizza requires at school. To take this analogy one step further, the personalization of these pizzas comes when these students learn that they enjoy pepperoni, or mushrooms, or olives, and take the steps required to put them on their own pizza. The teacher allows her students the freedom to personalize their pizza by giving them the necessary tools to explore what they enjoy. Many students may be satisfied sticking to a margherita (plain) pizza, and that is okay too. But for the students whose creativity and curiosity far exceeds the basics, they need to be given the tools to personalize their own pizzas; this is where these students will soar.

Assessment comes into play when the teachers help students quantify their pizzas in such a way that motivates them to improve on them, or make them more dynamic. For example, a teacher can encourage students to try different combinations of pizza toppings and show how these toppings can be implemented in the real world with pertinence to the students’ future endeavors. The teacher can also challenge the students who grade the highest on the bell curve to mentor the students on the lower end. Through experience, I have found that young learners have a profound way of motivating their peers, because they can relate to and understand one another. The assessment process should be used as an opportunity to not only substantiate the achieved learning, but also indicate the areas for growth, and help students on the right path to their highest success.

If you are considering becoming an educator, know the amount of work and energy it takes to create the individualized pasta sauce for each of your classrooms, and the pressure behind knowing how much cheese each students needs. It also requires ongoing analysis and assessment to help students recognize their potential within your classroom. But these details are crucial to each student’s individual success and growth as both a student and a citizen. Students need the exceptionals. Not just the teachers prepared to meet, but not ever exceed, the ministry requirements. I challenge all you teachers out there to be exceptional – go above and beyond. You’ll see your dedication sprout in not only the higher thinkers in your classroom, but also the oppressed.

Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength of the nation. -- John F. Kennedy