LESSON PLAN INSTRUCTIONS for CORDOVA HIGH

The goal of weekly planning at CHS is to increase student achievement and teachers’ professional growth by planning collaboratively and focusing on a rigorous curriculum that addresses SPI’s/CCSS and includes regular assessments.

MANDATORY

  1. Everyone must complete the TEM 3.0 template in My Learning Plan for observations (announced-48 hours before; unannounced-48 hours after). These will automatically go to the person who is observing you. The template only has to be completed for the day you were observed, not the entire week.
  2. All first-year and Level 1 & 2 teachers must complete the TEM 3.0 template until otherwise notified. This group may complete another template approved by Harrifeld/Bennett.
  3. All teachers must submit weekly plans each Monday unless otherwise notified. Plans may be emailed to Bennett or hard copies may be placed in Bennett’s mailbox in the mailroom (not outside my door). She will forward them to appropriate people.
  4. At a minimum, lesson plans should follow district curriculum guides (excluding AP, Dual Enrollment, SPED self-contained, and other courses for which there are no district curriculum guides such as ROTC).

OPTIONAL

  1. Level 3-5 teachers may use any template that includes the components of the TEM 3.0 template for weekly plans.
  2. Teachers who teach the same course (including co-teachers) may submit collaborative plans.

QUESTIONS / ANSWERS
Why is Cordova doing weekly lesson plans if all SCS aren’t required to do weekly plans? / Cordova’s overall academic data and individual teachers’ assessment data were used in making the decision to use intentional weekly planning as a tool to increase student achievement. The weekly requirement may vary as the year progresses. The goal of weekly planning at Cordova is to increase student achievement and teachers’ professional growth by planning collaboratively and focusing on a rigorous curriculum that addresses SPI’s/CCSS and includes regular assessments. I can forward you a copy of the Lesson Plan Advisory that was issued 7/19/13.
Can I see an actual sample TEM 3.0 lesson plan for a specific subject/lesson? / Once teachers begin submitting plans, they will be available in Bennett’s office. Otherwise, you can follow the generic TEM 3.0 sample from Wed., 8/7.
Is the lesson that you modeled considered a level 5? / The sample lesson plan itself contains all of the TEM components; the actual unfolding of the lesson plan might not be a level 5 depending on which session you attended (e.g., in one session I would score myself a level 3 on CLE2: Develop classroom proceduresnot because I didn’t have procedures but because the instructional time was not used effectively due to spending too much time addressing a particular concern).
How do I plan efficiently with the TEM 3.0 template and execute all of the stages? / Suggestions include 1) use an optional template that is comparable to the TEM 3.0 template-one that contains similar elements 2) plan with a checklist style template first and then transfer that information in the form of statements or bulleted lists to the TEM 3.0 template
How can I learn more about the teaching strategies on the template? / You can 1) research them online or in the school’s professional library or2) attendan upcominground-robin session where teachers who are experts at different strategies (e.g., Wood with “PMI” or Maynard with using videos as part of instruction) will demonstrate how they use the strategies. I will also video volunteers using different strategies and make those videos available to the faculty and provide you with reference materials.
Will someone preview/review plans and provide feedback/recommendations? / Yes, primarily that will be your colleagues (especially those who are planning collaboratively), Harrifeld, Bennett, DeGruy (master teacher), or the administrator assigned to your department.
What could happen if I don’t submit lesson plans?How does the TEM 3.0 lesson plan template factor into my TEM score? / It could affect your summative evaluation. The TEM 3.0 rubric for Professionalism includes Use of Data which includes “The educator routinely utilizes various types of quantitative and qualitative data (Stage 1) to address students’ academic and behavioral strengths and weaknesses and to guide appropriate instructional decisions (Stage 3)” and “uses student data (Stage 1) to anticipate and plan for differentiation and scaffolding needs (Stage 3) so that individual students and class meet ambitious through-course and end-of-course student achievement goal(s) (Stage 2).” The lesson plan will be your primary way to document this indicator as well as other TEM 3.0 indicators prior to your post-conference with the observer.
What happens if observers don’t come at the time they scheduled? / Unfortunately, stuff happens. Therefore, you will have to submit a plan for the rescheduled observation. If you are already planning weekly, this will be as simple as entering what you already have planned.
Do we have to monitor and adjust for plans that didn’t unfold the way we anticipated? / Yes, but it’s only mandatory for the TEM 3.0 plans used for observations (STAGE 4 of the plan). Most teachers are reflecting, monitoring, and adjusting every day anyway (even if it’s not written on paper).
Explain why we do Stage 1 (Performance Data) if we are following district curriculum maps. / The curriculum maps are a guide for what students should be learning and the pace at which they should be learning; however, the performance data will inform the what, how, and when for your classes. For instance, the Physical Science curriculum map has the following learning outcome for the first two weeks: “Apply prior knowledge of SI systems in the conversion units from one prefix to another.” Archer’s pre-assessment might reveal that 85% of her students do not know metric prefixes. She still has to meet the learning outcome on the curriculum map, but she might have to approach it differently than Bourie who has only a few students who don’t know the metric prefixes. Also, keep in mind that formative assessment data (which most of us will use) doesn’t always have such specific numbers (look at the example TEM 3.0 template).
What is the schedule for lesson plans to be submitted? When will they be submitted less frequently? / For now, all teachers are submitting weekly plans for the purpose of increasing student achievement and professional growth by planning collaboratively and ensuring the integration of CCSS by following a rigorous curriculum that includes regular assessments. The frequency of submission will be determined as the year progresses based on student achievement (common formative assessments) and professional growth (observations).
What about lesson plans for people with multiple preps? / If you teach the same course as a colleague, you should be planning collaboratively anyway (you might have to make adjustments for your classes), so there is no need to submit plans for that course. For example, Metz teaches Geometry, Honors Geometry, and AP Calculus. Tukes, Heim, and Baker also teach Geometry, so they should be planning cooperatively. The district has already approved the AP syllabi, so her weekly plans should be for Honors Geometry (and yes, there should be a difference in Standard and Honors planning). However, if she is observed during AP Calculus, she will need to submit a TEM 3.0 plan for the day she was observed regardless of the AP syllabus.
Do SPED teachers submit plans for all preps every week? / SPED teachers do not submit weekly plans because the GEN ED teachers have stated that they will primarily be responsible for planning. However, for SPED teachers’ observations, the GEN ED teachers must share their plans with the SPED teachers so that they can upload them in My Learning Plan.
Will lesson plans be available as a resource for new teachers? / Yes, you can co-plan with teachers who teach your course and see Bennett for copies of plans from other teachers.
Will this be more objective than the evaluations from last year? / TEM 3.0 is a hybrid of the legacy MCS and SCS evaluation tools. It will be more objective in the citing of evidence for scoring through lesson plans and/or videotaped observations.
Will the use of technology factor into scores? / Simply using technology will not be a factor per se. How the technology is used is what is considered. Is it used “to help students meet or exceed standards” (level 3 of CLE 3: Use Classroom Space and Resources to Support Instruction)?
How detailed or specific do lesson plans need to be? / Obviously, the blank TEM 3.0 template requires more detail than a checklist. For some, that might be complete statements. Others might use phrases, bulleted lists, etc. Regardless of the template you choose, consider your audience. Is the plan for people other than you (colleague, students, observer)? If so, would they understand it?
How time consuming is it (TEM 3.0)? / That varies based on numerous factors (e.g., experience, lessons for that week). It took me about an hour to complete the example TEM 3.0 plan for Wed., 8/7 with no curriculum guide to follow or collaboration.
What testing is CTE learning towards? What is the timeframe forPARRC? / I’m not sure of any particular EOC/PARRC-type tests for CTE courses; however, CTE teachers can support the core teachers in teaching the skills needed for PARRC, which will be fully implemented in the 2014-2015 school year.
If the language or terminology is the same but said a little differently, is that okay? / Of course! Stage 2 of the TEM 3.0 template is the learning objective, TLW, TSW, “I can” statements.
Are there any special cases regarding evaluations with TEM 3.0 for teachers? / No, all teachers are evaluated using the same rubric and must submit a TEM 3.0 lesson plan for observations; that is a district policy. You can take the information from whatever plan you have and type it into the TEM 3.0 template.
Do I need to include SPI’s/CCSS on my plans? / Lesson plans must specify SPI’s/standards for that course (excluding AP, Dual Enrollment, SPED self-contained, and other courses for which there are no district/state/national standards). This might be done using the number and a word/phrase associated with that SPI or standard. All teachers are strongly encouraged to integrate Common Core State Standards (CCSS) as part of their instruction because the PARCC assessments will begin 2014-2015. Even if there are no CCSS for your subject, your instruction can support that of your colleagues (e.g., vocational teachers already use informational texts so you can use CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Can I use my old lesson plans? / That depends…you can tweak and modify good plans. However, ask yourself:“Do these plans reflect the revised district curriculum (which includes dropped SPI’s for some EOC courses and the integration of CCSS)?” and“Do these plans contain the elements of the TEM 3.0 template used for observations?”
VOCABULARY / RESOURCE
Reflective stems: incomplete statements that allow students to reflect on and summarize their learning / (list of reflective stems)

PMI: learning strategy in which a student examines the Plusses, Minuses, and Interesting things (or Implications) associated with a topic, decision, or idea. / (templates of PMI charts and other graphic organizers)

3-2-1: gives students a chance to summarize some key ideas, rethink them in order to focus on those that they are most intrigued by, and then pose a question that can reveal where their understanding is still uncertain / (explanation with templates)

KWL (What I Know, What I Want to Know, What I Learned) : graphic organizer that can be used as a pre-assessment and closure activity / (generic charts and variations for math problem-solving and research)

Ticket out the Door: closure strategy that is a formative assessment to get students to summarize their learning / (new twists on the strategy so students don’t get bored with the same “ticket”)

Think-Pair-Share: cooperative learning strategy for guided practice / (simple explanation of the three stages and the multiple benefits of the strategy)

Difference between Scaffolding and Differentiation: / (explains the differences and one important similarity; explains six scaffolding strategies)

(defines differentiated instruction and gives strategies for differentiating)

Formative assessment: a process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students' achievement of intended instructional outcomes / (descriptions and examples of formative assessments)

(includes vignettes and podcasts of formative assessments in action)

(includes vignettes and explanations of which are and are not formative assessments)

Common formative assessments: assessments collaboratively created by grade or subject area / (definition, criteria, and benefits of common formative assessments)