Well Structured Lesson Plans

What are Well-Structured Lesson Plans

Well-Structured Lesson Plans is one of the seven essential elements of CAP and is a part of the first standard, "Curriculum, Planning & Assessment". 

Element: 1.A.3: Well-Structured Units and Lessons

Proficient Descriptor: "Adapts as needed and implements standards-based units comprised of well-structured lessons with challenging tasks and measurable outcomes; appropriate student engagement strategies, pacing, sequence, resources, and grouping; purposeful questioning; and strategic use of technology and digital media; such that students are able to learn the knowledge and skills defined in state standards/local curricula"(Candidate Assessment of Performance (CAP) - Educator Preparation, n.d.).

Well-Structured Lesson Plans during Remote & Hybrid Instruction

As a ninth-grade biology teacher, my primary responsibility is to deliver content and ensure that my students master organizational and study skills. In the field of biology, there are numerous terms to be learned and concepts to be understood. The perspective of this paper is based on my experience as a student teacher during the COVID-19 pandemic, which involved remote and hybrid instruction. The significance of learning was exceptionally high this year, especially considering the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) yearly summative assessment scheduled for June.

To address these challenges, I incorporated learning science principles into all aspects of the classroom, including lesson plans, presentations, projects, and classroom policies. However, at the core of these implementations was a well-structured lesson plan. As a teacher, I utilized lesson plans to prepare for each class, ensuring they included desired results, assessment evidence, and learning plans for each day. These sections were further divided into smaller categories such as state standards, learning objectives, key terms, lesson activities, and accommodations, among others. The primary objective(s) of each lesson plan served as inspiration for my brainstorming process.

Initially, lesson planning was challenging and occasionally tedious during my student teaching. It was difficult for me to grasp the need to plan every minute of every lesson, while also creating content that aligned with my objectives, engaged my students, and allowed for assessment of their learning progress. However, with time, lesson planning became more accessible and almost second nature. I learned how to pace myself, the class, and the activities. Additionally, I realized the importance of questioning why I was conducting each activity, how it aligned with the standards and objectives, and how they all fit together. This understanding helped me recognize the significance of well-structured lesson plans.

Once I became comfortable with the fact that some days the lesson plan might not go as intended due to unforeseen circumstances like a student's internet disconnection or a Wi-Fi outage at the school, lesson planning and delivery became less stressful and more enjoyable. I developed a rhythm for creating lessons by starting with the desired results I wanted my students to achieve. I crafted lessons that catered to various thinking styles, such as concrete random thinkers, concrete sequential thinkers, abstract sequential thinkers, and abstract random thinkers. I began to see how the activities, objectives, and standards could be effectively integrated. I realized that I had been too focused on a single section of the image and needed to step back and see the whole picture.

The process began with assessing the standards that needed to be met during the unit. Then, I would create essential questions for each class, considering real-life applications that students would find interesting and relatable. Next, I would compile a list of topics, tasks, or concepts that I wanted my students to understand by the end of the lesson. From there, I would establish content and language objectives for all students, utilizing Bloom's Taxonomy to guide my lesson objectives. I would consider the levels of thinking I wanted my students to engage in and the actions I wanted them to perform in their learning process. Additionally, I would identify key vocabulary that I wanted my students to use and comprehend within the lesson.

I would also carefully consider the methods and criteria for assessing learning. I would determine whether the assessment should be formal or informal, test-based or project-based, written or verbal, and how it could accommodate different learning styles such as auditory, kinesthetic, tactile, and visual. Finally, I would create the lesson plan, ensuring that each lesson began with a "do now" activity and ended with an exit ticket. Drawing upon my background in psychological and cognitive science, I often assigned tasks related to learning science principles and routines. I would align the activity with my lesson objectives and choose tasks that allowed me to gauge student learning effectively.

As mentioned earlier, lesson planning became easier over time as I focused on creating activities that emphasized comprehension of the objectives rather than mere performance. This skill became invaluable when technology was unreliable, and school policies underwent changes. Developing proficiency in crafting well-structured lesson plans played a crucial role in my growth as a student teacher. Sample lesson plans, presentations, and class activities can be found below and within the instructional materials section.

Evidence - Well Structured Lesson Plans

Sample Lesson Plan, Presentation, & Notebook

Program Supervisor & Supervising Practitioner Feedback

Announced Observation 1: 

"Paul spent a considerable amount of time and effort developing a well-thought-out lesson plan. He anticipated when to check for understanding and modified his pace and delivery as needed.

Paul's lesson plan was well structured using slides he prepared to structure both discussion and activities for students.  As the class is fully remote he also included slides that checked for understanding to proceed to the next concept.  He could see student feedback and instantly and called students back if they were not participating."

Unannounced Observation 1: 

"Paul is extremely dedicated to the development of his lessons. This lesson, in particular, took great time to develop and the payoff was well worth it! The students were highly engaged and LOVED the escape room that he developed. Paul uses self-reflection and is very receptive to my feedback and suggestions when developing his lessons." 

Announced Observation 2:

"Paul crafts his lesson plans with a scaffolded and sequential breakdown of concepts. He began his lesson with a social-emotional bell ringer in hopes to contribute to the growth mindset of the students as he was noticing that many of the students have been feeling frustrated and burnt out lately. Paul takes great care and effort to increase participation and student voice (read alouds, Q&A, interactive pear decks, random student selection, volunteers, use of chat, waterfalls, and more). Paul prioritizes the need for varied instructional methods throughout the week which has successfully contributed to student engagement. Paul also uses a wide variety of real-life, relatable, and interesting examples and case studies which also contribute to the engagement, interest, and learning of the students."

Unannounced Observation 2:

"Paul has successful at adapting the frameworks to a condensed weekly thematic unit. The observed lesson on ecology was exceptionally difficult to condense into a one-week unit, and Mr. Pacheco rose to the occasion. Mr. Pacheco is proficient at pacing his lesson to fit the required curriculum in the allotted time. He shifts teaching strategies (lecture, Q&A, small group, videos, teacher-guided practice) often to increase engagement and differentiate the lesson for diverse learners."

Formative Assessment Evidence:

"Paul crafts his lesson plans with a scaffolded and sequential breakdown of concepts. He began his lesson with a social-emotional bell ringer in hopes to contribute to the growth mindset of the students as he was noticing that many of the students have been feeling frustrated and burnt out lately. Paul takes great care and effort to increase participation and student voice (read alouds, Q&A, interactive pear decks, random student selection, volunteers, use of chat, waterfalls, and more). Paul prioritizes the need for varied instructional methods throughout the week which has successfully contributed to student engagement. Paul also uses a wide variety of real-life, relatable, and interesting examples and case studies which also contribute to the engagement, interest, and learning of the students."